APRIL 6, 2009 POLITICS / JOHN MAGINNIS
Artists, musicians, teachers and arts advocates protested deep state funding cuts last week by staging a mock funeral procession to the Capitol, complete with coffin, symbolizing the death of the arts. They were not exaggerating much, given the Jindal administration's proposed cutting of total arts funding by more than half, including effectively ending a grants program to community groups by slashing it 83 percent. Without those state grants, galleries, museums and theaters in towns across the state could close and schools would lose the teaching services of visiting artisans and performers.
They are not alone, as the cuts run deep through nearly every department of government, causing fears of services to be eliminated, college class sizes enlarged and providers, like pediatricians treating poor children, dropping out of the Medicaid program.
Compared to most state agencies, the arts councils at least are able to capture some public attention with street theater. A funeral procession by Treasury Department auditors mourning the death of fiscal accountability just hasn't the same zing.
Neither do columns about the state budgets, compared to the typical fare of
The real-life stage for agencies, colleges and non-profit groups is before the House Appropriations Committee, which is meeting three days a week in advance of the legislative session to scrutinize every section of the governor's proposed budget, which takes effect July 1.
Legislators, stung by the governor's vetoes of their pay raise and local spending projects last year, are determined to show more independence from him in the coming session, starting with the budget. They have picked a funny time to take charge. Last year, the governor got to decide how to spend a $1 billion surplus and over $1 billion in new revenues, with minimal input and backtalk from lawmakers.
This year, with $1.3 billion less to spend and layoffs and service cutbacks looming, he is more than happy to let them rearrange the reductions, as long as they don't raise taxes.
The favored solution of many legislators, however, is to grow the pot by taking from two other large pots, $775 million in the so-called Rainy Day fund and another $415 million in the mega fund set aside for large economic development projects. The governor does not favor using the former this year and is trying to commit the latter before legislators get their hands on it.
The constitution allows the Legislature to use up to one-third of the Rainy Day fund in a year, about $258 million, with no more withdrawals for two more years.
It's raining now, say legislators. But it will be pouring in two years, responds the governor, when the federal stimulus money--$666 million a year for two years in the state general fund--runs out. Jindal and Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis want to start a steep but gradual descent now rather than fall off the cliff in 2011, when, of course, the governor and legislators will be up for re-election.
Still, it is unreasonable to expect or blame the Legislature for drawing from the Rainy Day fund in the worst budget fix in 20 years, even if it does get worse later. They can take out one-third now and one-third of what's left in 2011.
The administration will balk now but eventually accede in face of a broad coalition of unmet needs. If it gave in on the Rainy Day fund now, the Legislature would be after the mega fund already. And that would be a terrible thing to waste on patching a budget hole, when it is the last real chunk of change, along with the $400 million in last year's surplus funds not yet spoken for, that the state will have to do something major, whether to seize a big economic development opportunity or a meet a big emergency.
Though not filling the whole hole in the budget, the stimulus infusion from Congress is buying the Legislature two years to make some structural changes in government that the people can live with. If legislators fail that--and the governor too--the funeral processions of 2011 could be for their careers.
No comments:
Post a Comment