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Texas Becomes First State in 50 Years to Actually Cut Budget Spending

By: Leon H. Wolf (Diary)  |  May 20th, 2011 at 09:27 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

UPDATE: Reading the release a little more carefully, this is the first budget cut in Texas in 50 years. I have no idea when the last other state was to actually reduce spending. I would welcome if anyone has the answer to this question.

Via the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Texas Legislature has reached a deal for the upcoming fiscal which actually cuts government spending. This is not a reduction in the rate of growth, it is not a cut based on a proposed budget, it is not a series of accounting gimmicks, the State of Texas will actually spend less money next fiscal year than it did last year. In so doing, it will be the first state in 50 years to actually implement a real reduction in spending. From the TPPF release:

This state budget deal is a victory for all Texans – and especially for the Texans who worked hard over the past several months to remind our legislators that they wanted a fiscally conservative state budget. The announced budget deal is a win for Texas on three specific points:

• It does not use a single penny of the rainy day fund for the next biennium.
• It does not raise taxes.
• It does represent the first all-funds reduction to a biennial state budget in the past half-century.

“What happened in the Texas Legislature this session is more than just a victory for Texans. It’s a victory for America. Texas already leads the way in job creation, economic vitality, and economic liberty. Now Texas is leading the way in the most important cause facing our country: the need to live within our means.

“Today, in Austin, Texas, the men and women of our legislature showed it can be done. That’s a tremendous accomplishment for Texas – and it’s a shining beacon of hope for America.”

Indeed. Let us hope that John Boehner is paying attention – this is the kind of leadership the American people expect from Congress. Not budget gimmicks, not reductions in the rate of the Federal Government’s growth, but some evidence that the government is actually spending less from year to year. And while liberals and go-along-get-along Republicans claim that actual cuts to government spending will create economic disaster, the experience in Texas proves the exact opposite, as Texas remains the strongest state in the country in terms of economic growth.

Cut the budget. Make government smaller. Grow American businesses. Texas is proving it can be done.

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  • refudiateobama2012

    Palin Cut Alaska’s Budget

    FY 2009 Operating Budget- $11,200,000,000 ($11.2B)
    FY 2010 Operating Budget- $9,700,000,000 ($9.7B)
    Net cut in Operating funds $1,500,000,000
    Total percentage cut in Operating Budget ? 13.4%
    FY 2009 Capital Budget- $2,632,000,000 (after Governor Palin
    vetoed $268 million)
    FY 2010 Capital Budget- $1,800,000,000
    Net cut in the Capital Budget $832,000,000
    Total Percentage cut in Capital budget- 31.7%
    Overall FY 2009 budget $13,832,000,000
    Overall Proposed FY 2010 $11,500,000,000
    Net reduction in the Overall Budget $2,332,000,000
    Total Percentage cut in Overall Budget- 16.8%

    • jmo–sanantonio, tx

      I like to point out to my Liberal Friends how she spent a lot of time beating up RINO’s. Makes them squirm………

    • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

      Here’s Alaska actual spending. Which years was Ste.Sarah™ Governor?

  • jmo–sanantonio, tx

    From the Austin Statesman…..

    http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/capitol-digest-perry-signs-2-big-bills-into-1486514.html

    “Also Thursday, Perry signed anti-abortion legislation that requires a woman to get a sonogram before getting an abortion. With a few exceptions, a doctor or medical professional will have to perform a sonogram at least 24 hours before the scheduled abortion and, if the woman agrees, make the image availablefor viewing.

    Because the bill was initially approved by two-thirds of both houses, it became law upon Perry’s signature and will begin being enforced in 30 days.”

    OR This…..

    http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/05/16/house_sends_voter_id_to_govern.html?cxntfid=blogs_postcards

    “The Texas House today approved the conference committee report on the controversial voter ID bill and sent it on to the governor.

    The vote was 98-46. The Senate already approved the report from the committee of House members and senators that had gathered to reconcile the chambers? differences over the measure.

    Now, the bill heads to Gov. Rick Perry, who had made the issue a legislative priority.”

    OR this

    “The Texas House voted late Thursday to strip state funding to all hospitals and clinics that perform abortions or even “abortion-related services,” endorsing an obscure amendment tacked onto an already convoluted overhaul of Medicaid funding and disbursements.

    Lawmakers passed the abortion-funding amendment about the same time GOP Gov. Rick Perry was signing into law a measure passed earlier by the Republican-dominated legislature that requires all doctors to conduct a sonogram before performing an abortion.”

    Or This,

    http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/sanctuary-cities-bill-brought-back-to-life-1488594.html

    “Sanctuary cities’ bill brought back to life”

  • gekster

    Up here we need any and all help.

    • rec0n

      or a purge. Preferably both.

  • redneck_hippie

    The report’s bottom line is:

    “Appropriations less reversions show how actual state spending has changed since 2000. In 2010, and it is expected, in 2011, actual spending declined from previous years.”

    http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/crd/localgov/Topics/Essays/State_Budget.htm

    Another interesting factoid that just came to light today is:

    “Sitting at his desk in Indiana?s grand turn-of-the-century state house, Mitch Daniels? eyes light up momentarily in mid-sentence, like a proud father recalling the deeds of his children.

    ?I just found out a few minutes ago, by the way, that in nominal dollars, the payroll of the state of Indiana is lower today than it was seven years ago,? says Mr Daniels, the politician Barack Obama could face in the 2012 presidential poll.”

    http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/cb1ca114-8307-11e0-85a4-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1MvCw5YE3

    There is more that you can watch on his youtube titled “Just 7 years”

    • gpclaw

      When a government employee retires, don’t replace them.

      I don’t remember who, but this concept was brought up during the 2008 nomination process. I haven’t heard anyone bring attrition up since then. It’s a victimless way to reduce the number of government employees.

      • trutexan

        The US Air Force just announced a 1:2 hiring ratio for civil service employees with very few excemptions. If you want to hire a new employee, you must use the vacant slot AND sacrifice another. No RIF and still hiring – only hiring half.

    • rec0n

      Indiana?s per capita government spending was reduced to 48th, lowest of the 50 states. Or so sayeth the little bird. :)

  • msctex

    How some of the rest of you manage to survive is honestly beyond my comprehension, and all I can do is hope the rationality my State happened to embrace will find its way to you all.

    • gracie

      who tries to hamstring us at every turn be it closing our refineries through the EPA, destroying our oil industry in the Gulf (buying oil from Brazil!) and killing thousands of related support jobs on the coast!

      Meanwhile we are also in the worst drought since the 20′s! Our cattle have nothing to eat and will have to be slaughtered because there is nothing to feed them. Then a glut on beef and then a scarcity with prices going up next year.

      And thank you Mr President for refusing us federal help with wildfires that have burned thousands of acres while tornados ruin other towns in the north part of the state. Last time I heard he had turned down Perry’s request five times! Do ya think maybe little o has a bullseye on TEXAS???
      But…we WILL survive!

    • rightwingmom52

      your state legislature was controlled by the Dems for the last 136 years until 2010. Our newly elected GOP controlled legislature is off to a good start.

  • glaucon

    Actual budget cuts are always worth celebrating.

    (Unless you are the Federal Government, and you also have a massive debt to chip away, so a Budget surplus is necessary in addition to Budget cuts.)

  • aesthete

    Color me surprised, and good for TX! We are all Texans now.

  • http://jeremyintucson.blogspot.com/ jeremyintucson

    The State of Texas has been Very Successful and Effcient over the last 4-6 Years. Rick Perry is a BIG Reason for this Success and Efficiency. It was Perry Who fought for TORT REFORM and got it passed. That alone has Really Help Texas and every Texan over the last 4-6 Years. Perry Deserves Credit and Praise for that.
    Great Post and I Hope Texas Continues to lead the way of Economic Success and Efficiency for America. No other State comes close.

    • jeffsech

      ..your capitalization habits, I’d say you’ve been reading a lot of the Founders’ works. And you couldn’t be more right. God bless Texas!

  • Wubbies World

    South Dakota did an across the board 10% spending cut this year. Nothing was spared. The new Governor, Dennis Dugaard, kept his campaign promise and the solidly Republican state legislature enacted it. The teachers unions squealed like stuck pigs but it still passed and got signed.