[Vision2020] Report from the legislature

[Donovan Arnold]

Shirley,
 
Thanks for the update.
 
My biggest concern here is the cuts made to the Department of Health and Welfare. 
 
"Health and Welfare budget resulted in an additional loss of roughly $30 million (federal funding) to help Idaho’s most vulnerable citizens."
 
What is the total budget for H&W?
What are the proposed program cuts to H&W?
Is there anyway to prevent these cuts from occurring?
 
It sounds to me like they are removing assistance for children with disabilities to focus on building roads and filling in potholes. Is this correct?
 
Thanks,
 
Donovan


--- On Wed, 1/21/09, Shirley Ringo <ringoshirl at moscow.com> wrote:

From: Shirley Ringo <ringoshirl at moscow.com>
Subject: [Vision2020] Report from the legislature
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 3:29 PM






 
January 21, 2009
Visionaries:
 
The Idaho Legislature has been in session for one and one-half busy weeks.
 
At the beginning of each session, a “Revenue Projection” committee studies trends and makes a prediction concerning the level of state revenues expected for the upcoming fiscal year.  This committee consists of some legislators, the Governor’s Department of Financial Management, Associated Taxpayers, university economists, and others.  Their projection is quite important, because it is usually the number the Joint Finance Committee uses to help determine the level of spending for the next fiscal year.  Among the projections from members of this committee, the estimate from the Governor’s Department of Financial Management was seemingly fair and conservative.  Without much explanation, the committee chose a projection $100 million lower.  While the level of revenues has not been strong, it is problematic to choose a number too low – since we are forced to balance the budget based upon that projection, the result may be a budget with even
 deeper cuts than necessary.
 
The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) voted to make the Governor’s holdbacks from the 2009 budget permanent.  It is instructive to note what happens to budgets where state dollars are used as matching funds to leverage federal funds.  2009 holdbacks of $23 million in the Health and Welfare budget resulted in an additional loss of roughly $30 million (federal funding) to help Idaho’s most vulnerable citizens.    As we move ahead into 2010, those in the Department of Health and Welfare express their determination to use their funds as efficiently as possible to help struggling families.  With job loss that has and will occur, the number of needy families will increase.  The challenge is enormous.
 
There are definite philosophical differences on how to proceed in these hard economic times.  My personal preference is to look for all creative ways to support K-12 education, and higher education.  This must be done to help the economy recover.  Folks who lose jobs should have education readily accessible to help them prepare for other opportunities.  The austere budgets currently proposed for education programs are unacceptable to me, as I expect they are to most of you.  While we undoubtedly must tighten our belts, it is my hope that we can agree upon a combination of using “rainy day funds” and other sources of money to minimize losses to those programs.
 
During the time between the 2008 session and this one, there was an audit of policies and practices of the Idaho Department of Transportation.  Those who conducted the study have reported to the Department and to legislators.  There were a number of suggestions that should lead to cost savings and better practices for maintaining Idaho’s roads.  A significant finding was that our current system of funding is not adequate to maintain the roads we have.
 
Two unpopular policy changes that were unsuccessfully proposed last year promise to return.  One involves changes in benefits for public employee retirees.  The other involves Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s pay for performance plan.  (iSTARS)  We’ll watch these closely.
 
Be sure to contact me with your concerns or suggestions, and I will provide information to you on a regular basis.
 
Sincerely,
 
Shirley Ringo=======================================================
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