MUTH’S TRUTHS

The following letter was sent to Republican legislators today, urging them to adopt a set of four tough, fiscally-conservative principles when it comes to voting for spending bills this legislative session…

ADOPT THE COBURN PRINCIPLES

February 26, 2007

Dear Republican Legislator,

We’re writing to urge you to follow the lead of U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) and commit to blocking new state government spending during this 2007 legislative session which is duplicative or not offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget.

Paraphrasing a recent letter from Dr. Coburn, the Nevada Legislature “now has to decide which is the greater threat to our economy, under-taxation or overspending?”

Outside the Legislature, there is no debate. Nevada families are fed up with politicians in Carson City who demand more of their money yet do nothing to control or reduce spending.

As Dr. Coburn noted, families “must make difficult decisions and set priorities on how to spend their limited financial resources. Paying for a child’s college education or the medical expenses of a loved one compete against purchasing a new car or taking a vacation.”

Government, likewise, should have to make similar difficult decisions. Unfortunately, over recent years the Legislature’s attitude often can best be summed up by the lyrics of a popular song: “I want it all. I want it all. I want it all. And I want it now.”

The fiscal reality is that we simply cannot have it all. And certainly not now. It’s time to get serious about fiscal discipline, making difficult spending decisions and setting priorities.

To that end, we urge you to embrace the following four common-sense “Coburn Principles” when it comes to spending bills during this 2007 session of the Legislature:

1) If a bill creates or authorizes a new government program or activity, it must not duplicate an existing program or activity without de-authorizing the existing program;

2) If a bill authorizes new spending, it must be offset by reductions in real spending elsewhere;

3) If a program or activity currently receives funding from sources other than the state government, a bill shall not increase the state government’s proportion of the costs of the program or activity;

4) If a bill establishes a new foundation, museum, cultural or historical site, or other entity that is not an agency or a department, state funding should be limited to the initial start-up costs.

We believe these common-sense measures will instill a sense of greater fiscal discipline in the budgeting process and encourage you to embrace them by supporting a resolution to their effect in both the state Senate and Assembly.

Signed,

Mark Warden, Budget Watch Nevada
Richard Disney, Nevada Legislative Policy Committee
Terresa Monroe-Hamilton, NoisyRoom.net
Joe Eiben, NICPAC
George Harris, Nevadans for Sound Government
Bob Adney, Take Back Nevada
Richard Ziser, Nevada Concerned Citizens
Dan Burdish, Nevadans for Tax Relief
Chuck Muth, Citizen Outreach

Posted on February 26th, 2007 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada