House Democrats are committed to a fiscally responsible, balanced state budget that doesn’t forget the needs of hard working, middle class families. The troubled national economy and the devastating storms that hit Iowa last summer have caused a state budget shortfall that will require significant cutbacks and difficult choices.
We have created Open Budget Iowa to bring more transparency to the budget process and give the people of Iowa a direct voice in crafting a balanced, responsible state budget. We need your ideas and suggestions to find efficiencies and new cost savings in the budget.
Below you will find individual “blog posts” with information about Governor Culver’s budget recommendations this year as well as detailed information about each of the seven appropriations areas that we use to craft our budget.
Please use this information to inform your comments. You can add your comments to any of the posts below. We welcome your input!
I agree with the suggestion of cutting back on the number of counties – thus eliminating duplicated positions. And, the 4 day work week is also an excellent idea.
We need to trim the fat – I heard that rumor that if the stimulus package passes that the state will not need to worry about the budget – that type of mentality is what got the state in trouble in the first place. You need to continue to look for cuts regardless of any Federal money.
Why give a temporary paper license, and then mail out the regular license later? They have all the information on the computer, if something was wrong then the could put out a warrent and get the license revoked.
Colleges both State and Community have had hiring freezes,How about the Presidents of all of the Colleges Freeze there own Wages and benefits and pay for there own Vehicles?
I urge our representatives not to support leasing of the lottery. Don’t turn a cash cow over to outsiders.
I urge all to think in long-term implications of the quick attempts to plug up holes in our damn of financial rivers already hemoraging out of control.
I have 5 points:
#1 – I agree with Broke taxpayer
#2 – Jerry Kranzler’s #1.
#3 – And as far as contractors being hired for jobs, who are the bosses of the state that is in charge of contractors working on our highways? I think they should be fired! Have you ever driven by those guys that are working on the highways, there are always 5 to 10 guys standing and talking when very few are doing the work. Too many bosses but not enough people working. Whoever is in charge of the contractors from the state should be out there more often keeping tabs on the contractors making sure that all are working. Ofcourse you would have to draw it up in the contract that if they are standing around for an x amount of time the contractors would be fired or cut a percentage of of the bill and also don’t pay them until the job is completed properly.
#4 – The governor should know what jobs need to be there, get rid of the ones that are not needed and or get rid of people not doing there jobs and the supervisors and or bosses cut there jobs and have them boss over 2 or 3 departments which would be one way of cutting their pay.
#5 – When a business owner finds he is losing money because sales are down and is not going to make a profit they start to lay off people and maybe even layoff some higher ups.
Stream line processes, go to 4 day work week for all state employees, go to performance review process and make all employees acountable, seniority should not be the only deciding factor when reviewing positions, allow employees to buy sick time at reduced rate to long term save money and to save sick time call ins. Consolidate couty and AEA’s.
With the state now in the process of bargaining new labor agreements, I suggest that the next counterproposal include a parallel and lower wage and benefit scale for persons hired in the future. We could expect a notable savings if such a two tiered wage/benefit scale were adopted and coupled with incentives for the early retirement of present “higher end” employees.
We need to have less working days for government employees. Also have School Children go for 4 days a week,the findings show more homework then play. Install air conditioners in all schools and have government and schools do there part in going green. Small cites should combined with larger cities!
There are many state job positions that could be eliminated without anyone even noticing the effects. Throughout many “reorganizations”, staff were terminated but, then, miraculously new positions opened up for management favorites. Most of these positions that can be eliminated are in upper to mid-management positions, the most costly of salaries.
Hmmmm….therefore, it seems that a lot of money could be saved without touching the real workers in the state.
Many of DHS public assistance rules are handed down by the Feds but, if for instance, a DHS client wins a lottery prize…guess what?? It is not counted!! So, a person on welfare can win a big lottery prize and not have to report it or pay it back to the state. Wow, what rules.
Also, many DHS public assistance programs no longer require the client to provide proof of income, resources, residence, etc. That’s right….just ask and you will receive, no questions asked!!
When I think of all the questions I had to answer and all the documentation I had to provide a private bank for a loan but welfare clients just ask and they receive…what is wrong with this picture??!!
Accrual of sick days was never supposed to be a liability to the state, but now, with SLIP, it must be shown as a potential fiscal liability to the State. The SLIP program must be discontinued immediately. The potential liability of continuing the program is simply too much. This is why other union employers have gotten in fiscal trouble.
2 Million dollars to build a bike trail? Why not invest that money into something that not only people can enjoy, but bring in revenue. Polk and Dallas counties have a pretty severe street racing problem. 2 million dollars would build I pretty nice 1/4 mile drag strip. Not only could it keep our streets safer, by providing a legal, safe place to race, But it can bring in revenue. People street race because the closest race trask is an hour and a half away. And, you ask any street racer, they want to run the 1/4 mile. Iowa has one 1/4 mile track in Cedar Falls. The is no track between Scribner nebraska and Cordova, Ill. Sure we have Iowa speedway.. no dragstrip that anyone wants to race on. And Mid-America motorplex outside of Council bluffs.. 1/8th mile. Also Eddyville, 1/8th mile. Let people race for $20 a night on friday and saturday. Use volunteers for safety inspections, or local or county PDs. Bring In large venues like a pro drag series like NHRA or NMRA. E85 is a great race fuel, use the Track to promote Iowas E85. Contests with E85 powered cars.. this is something that has a huge potential, even if racing isn’t someones hobby. It can promote Iowas corn industry, keep the streets safer, adn bring in revenue for the state and local businesses. And its not hurting any pre-existing local businesses.
Also, the courts were shut down today, saving $333,000. Why cant we schedule 1 day every month, the courts are closed. Many non-profit companies only have 4 day weeks. It could feasably save 4 million dollars a year.
The Governor is looking at Rebuild Iowa Salaries, how about the legislature also review the legislative branch employees making over $100,000
Law makers take a 10% cut in pay-the people that work for them a 5% cut. Then ask for all tax payers to give $10 to help out. Now look at what you spend money on and if we don’t need it dump it.
NO BRAINER.VIDEO POKER IN BARS AND TAX IT.
mail carriers should go to a 5 day work week.
I think many prisoners need to be released and put the cost on the offender. There are many house arrest devices and alcohol bracelets. They would be working and paying taxes and paying for their arrest. Give the taxpayers a break. It cost about $28,000.00 per year per inmate. Common sense should make the courts and DOC realize this is of utmost importance.
Let people smoke in bars where you have to be 21 to go in. Ill. lost 22 million in revenue the first 6 months of their ban and now they are closing state parks and have no money for lots of other things. Can’t you learn fron Illinois..
In keeping with transparency in government, for all exectutive level positions directors, assistant/deputy directors, program heads, a brief bio/resume should be included indicating the qualifications, degrees, licenses and experience of the individuals. We can get bios/CV for the leadership in publicly traded companies, we should be able to get the same sort of information for our public leaders so we can have some degree of confidence that our public leaders are qualified for their positions.
IA IS A DISGRACE when it comes to recycling. Recycling is a federal law & IA doesn’t even follow the federal law. We don’t need 3 men to a garbage truck. Invest some money and put arms on the garbabe truck so it can pick up the cans automatically. That gets rid of 2 people. this state needs mandatory recycling and if it’s the last thing I do in 2009, I’m going to fight that IA has mandatory recycling. ALL cities in IA need to provide 3 garbage cans – one for waste, one for garbage and one for recycyling. The ENTIRE west coast has this program. We also need recycling centers throughout the state where we can take cardboard, glass, your laundry bottles, plastic like milk cartons where we can get some money back for them. The entire West Coast has recycling centers adn there is NO reason why IA can’t. I suggest you lawmakers go to California and learn about recycling. We are destorying out earth putting everything in a landfill. To go a step further. Why should parks and recreation have to pay for compost. The cities can pick up in the fall, compost it themselves and then give it to parks/recreations. that would save money. In Calif. the residents pay an extra $4.50 a month on their trash bill to have 3 cans. they have ONE man to a garbage truck and the arm picks up those cans. It’s embarassing to say you live in IA – a state who doesn’t even belive in recycling. Very sad lawmakers. You all seem to be worried about lining your own pockets and flying on expensive flights at the taxpayer’s expense. If you worried as much about mandatory recyling like you do lining your pockets with fat pay checks and taking expensive flights we might get somewhere. All you lawmakers in IA should be ashamed for not having mandatory recycling.
To save vast sums of money what is needed is to dump the Metropolitan Enforcement Groups in Iowa. They are a worthless entity that does nothing but drain the state of valuable funds and creates an aura of authoritarianism better suited for third world dictatorships rather than community peace officers.
They are corrupt and will eventually cost the tax payers of Iowa alot more than their bloated salaries and “equipment” fees. When they are exposed for the fraud they are they will cost Iowa enormous sums of settlement money as well as respect.
Dump the Drug Task Farce!
The auditor claims to serve the citizens of Iowa as the “Taxpayers Watchdog.” and that his office reviews government activities to help ensure they are conducted in an effective, efficient and legal manner. Well if he’s lucky is it generally in a legal manner but far from effective and efficient. When you look to his office alone the top 10 employees (approximately 10% of his workforce) combined clear $1,000,000. Look at his top deputies and practically all of their experience is within the Auditors office of the State of Iowa with the top three having a combined experience of almost 90 years. Is it any wonder that the inefficient, and ineffective internal systems and controls are maintained, and that other overpaid life long state employees continue to thrive within the state. He needs to quit trying to run for governor and clean his own house first.
Iowa Communications Network–The State needs to make up its mind whether it will continue to operate this facility.
If the State wants to get out of the business, it could be sold. It is difficult, but not impossible, to do.
If the State wants to keep it, some of the sillier restrictions can be removed so that the State can make money, or at least break even, on it.
For example, the Code mandates that the ICN and State cannot own certain types of fiber optic cable. The ICN has publicly said that in some remote parts of the State, the service provider would prefer to simply give the fiber to the State rather than continuing to hassle with it. But, by law, the State can’t own it. As a result, the State pays thousands of dollars per year to lease fiber that some vendors are literally willing to give to the State for free.
Further, the Code also strictly limits who the ICN can serve, and mandates an education subsidy. If you’re going to keep the ICN, you need to look hard at both of those. Because, in essence, you’ve legislated an ongoing liability. You’ve got an entity with necessarily large equipment and overhead costs (as it must serve all Iowa counties), but you’ve restricted the entity’s ability to generate money by either expanding a customer base or increasing certain prices.
Make a choice, one way or the other. The status quo costs us money.
I think the idea of a 4 day workweek for state employees would be a great way to save money. But if a 4 day workweek is absolutely out of the question, what about giving thought to a compressed type of workday/workweek where the state offices can be closed every other Monday, or something along those lines. Thereby still serving the citizens of the state, and cutting costs by closing buildings too.
Hardworking and dedicated as they are, the Iowa National Guard isn’t a State entity nor function…. they are under the control of the Federal military and are part of the Federal military. We should not be spending any State money for a Federal department. We purchase equipment (trucks, tanks, who knows what, much of it lost in Iraq), own and lease and repair buildings and training areas, build and maintain air fields — are those helicopters purchased with State funds?? My suggestion is to turn the Guard over to the U.S. Army immediately, and sell or lease to them the equipment and grounds that we already purchased.
This would not affect any VA benefits we offer as a State. This would also not affect any emergency help (like with the floods), because we could earmark a portion of the former Guard budget to hire temporary emergency workers, through Civil Defense (now “Homeland Security” — another boondoggle of the Bush Administration!).
We need to make an Iowa MANDATORY recycyling state AND we need to build recycling centers. That will create jobs. Also we need to STOP paying 50 cents for leaf bags. Come on people. We will not have any trees left. All those 50 cent bags, trees are being cut down. Get rid of those bags immediately. In the fall, have the street sweeper come by once a week to suck up the leaves, mulch them and then GIVE them to the parks/recreation. Here in Fort Madison, the mulch is being sold to the parks/recreation and that is WRONG. Garbage trucks need to be upgraded to have an arm put on them that picks up the cans. I’m willing to pay an extra $4.50 a month (that’s what California residents pay) on my trash bill for the city to provide 3 cans – one for trash, a blue can for recycables and a darn green can for waste. Here in Fort Madison, we have 3 men to a garbage truck. We don’t need 3 men. Upgrade by putting an arm on and your down to 1 man and you can take the other 2 and position them somewhere else with the city. Recyclying centers will create jobs. I strongly suggest Iowa go visit the west coast, AZ, CA, OR, WA because they all have the same recycling program and it’s saving our earth. I’m going to be a strong voice here in Fort Madison for this to happen. The stimulas money that comes to Fort Madison, needs to be put into mandatory recycling and recycling centers. I’m NOT talking about the recycling center they call here in Fort Madison, that place is a joke. I’m talking where you sort your recycables out, like cardboard, newspaper, glass, laundry containers, cans. Anything that has a number on the bottom where the people get a little money back.
Eliminate the Office Lean Enterprise in the Dept. of Mgmt. Don’t eliminate Lean from govt., but contract out the services rather than paying yearly salaries, benefits, and retirement to employees.
Don’t reduce educational spending! Invest in Iowa students. Take a look at the statistics. Iowa’s educational system is not what it used to be.
Consider reducing the number of Iowa counties.
Set an example of renewable energy and install a wind turbine on the Capitol Complex and require all dept. to have at least one hybrid car as they replenish vehicles or require a reduction of 1 vehicle per department.
Evaluate similar type services that are being provided by different departments and combine them so one agency is providing the service.
Start charging a fee for all state employees who have a spouse that has health insurance coverage through his/her employer and chooses not to take it and be covered by the State’s policy @ taxpayer’s expense.