[Vision2020] A proposal to balance the budget

[lfalen]

Here are some proposals to balance Federal, State and University  Budgets .  
First I would take care of the mentally ill, the disabled and our veterans.
All government employees (state and Federal) should take a 5% pay cut. The private sector has taken cuts(except for Wall Street and a few others). This should start with all Federal legislators. State legislators are not paid that much in Idaho.
The University could easily balance their budget by doing so. Instead they are making cuts at the low end. Cals is making the cuts on those staff that have science or research in their title. This is a highly arbitrary way to do it and is not based on merit or seniority.  The PI that they work for will have to come up with  half their salary from other sources such as grants. My wife has been cut to 87.5%. She is now paid for 7 hours but still puts in about 12 hours a day. In june she will probably be cut to half time. This means that her benefits will no longer be picked up by the University. One can not afford to work for that, She has worked for the UI for over 40 years. She has 3 more years to go before reaching SS retirement age.
An across the board 5% cut would not hurt anyone that much and it would easier to save the desired dollars than cutting some staff by 80 or 50% The UI has opened up 4 offices in China to recruit students. Why? The UI is a land grant college. They should take care of their base first. Recruit in China when times are better.
Other ways to save money.  Review all government agencies for ways they can be reduced. All agencies should come with a sunset. If after a set period of time they would need to be re-evaluated and authorised. If the wern't they would go out of existence. All lawmakers should be on the same benefits that they legislate for the rest of us. 
All cuts in pay or personnel should start at the top. The UI like most other government agencies have greatly expanded at the administrative level. That is where the cuts should start. Diversity is important, but the UI does nt need in excess of 20 people to handle it. There   should be on director and an  assistant. They can then work with someone in the individual departments or colleges.
If Administrators were trimmed  back at the Federal, State and University level more programs and jobs could be save on balance.
Help the handicapped fine jobs. When I was with Carnation and Manna Pro our Small World line of Wild bird seeds were packaged by handicapped people.
These are only a few things that can be done to balance the budget and at the same time save valuable programs such as aid for the mentally ill.
Roger