StevieGee comment-11378 2009-07-31T15:00:36Z 2009-07-31T15:00:36Z You're absolutely right. My dad used to manage an EDD office. When there was low unemployment he would have a surplus of money and, at the end of the year, would scramble to spend it all so his next years budget wouldn't be cut. There is no incentive for saving money in fact there is incentive to spend extra money. StevieGee 2009-07-31T15:00:36Z TCSP comment-11068 2009-07-22T04:45:48Z 2009-07-22T04:45:48Z A side from the waste, partisanship and duplicity of State government there is also their accounting "practices"...if we at home did our budgets like they do, with pots of money that can't be touched, we would be in the same mess...all monies the State has need to be in one pot to draw from...then the State needs to have a priority on their spending...the higher the priority the greater chance of funding...what we have now is a mess...high speed rail when we can't pay our bills??? It's more of the nonsense of politics... TCSP 2009-07-22T04:45:48Z Casey Kirk comment-11055 2009-07-21T20:26:20Z 2009-07-21T20:26:20Z Fabuloussotr, Kathleen. Great job comparing the budget to real-life scenarios to help readers relate and understand the budget a little better. The "Budgetary Elephant" couldn't be a better way to describe it Casey Kirk 2009-07-21T20:26:20Z Seth Sandronsky comment-10988 2009-07-20T23:36:00Z 2009-07-20T23:36:00Z The housing bubble hid flat wages, as personal debt rose and savings fell. The housing crash has boosted savings, depressed wages and expanded under- and unemployment. The outcomes are gluts of workers, goods and services. Tax revenues fall in downturns. Government spending can bridge the gap in production and consumption. However, President Obama’s stimulus spending is a fraction of what we need to do that. Seth Sandronsky 2009-07-20T23:36:00Z Kelly Krehbiel comment-10986 2009-07-20T23:02:59Z 2009-07-20T23:02:59Z I definitely agree - the flip side of 'reversing inherent penalties associated with saving money' is to enact measures that penalize departments that spend more than their share. Taking accountability to the department level should have largely positive effects, allowing them as individual departments to plan for what may ail them in the future. I just hope that more discussion begins to revolve around this very crippling problem. None of the solutions either party is talking about implementing will work under the current system until this issue of waste is addressed. Kelly Krehbiel 2009-07-20T23:02:59Z SmartGuy comment-10985 2009-07-20T22:28:42Z 2009-07-20T22:28:42Z The budget process, so named, encompasses all influences of political organizations, trade unions, federal and local governments and is influenced externally from natural events, legal issues, the economy to name just a few. Rather than focus on spending, I would focus instead on attracting/retention of existing business. In 2008, California lost 257,000 jobs (more than any other state). With this loss comes the resulting loss of tax base and revenues shrink. There needs to be oversight of what agencies are doing with these revenues during 'good years', socking money away to see them through the dark times, rather than (as you describe) spending the excess funds in a 'use it or lose it' orgy of waste or on extravagent CEO getaways. Finally, why not institute a bi-annual budget process? SmartGuy 2009-07-20T22:28:42Z Dale Kooyman comment-10981 2009-07-20T19:57:32Z 2009-07-20T19:57:32Z Very astute analysis. "This means there is no incentive for individual departments to save money, only penalties for not spending it." This is totally correct. Any department manager knows this well. This flaw is the key to saving or waste in all levels of government and is the primary reason for foolish spending and government waste. Federal, state, county and city legislative funding bodies regardless of political party affiliation are all guilty. It is also true in some large corporate bureaucracies, contributing to their inefficiencies and waste as well.. Dale Kooyman 2009-07-20T19:57:32Z lorifrancis comment-9683 2009-06-19T19:03:26Z 2009-06-19T19:03:26Z It's nearly a month now, but the withdrawl symptoms have yet to cease. I grieve for KWOD. I understand the economics, but I want my KWOD back. Kwod sent me to the Pus Cavern, Coheed and Cambria, and Frank Black at Harlows, I have lost a friend and a companion. lorifrancis 2009-06-19T19:03:26Z mtv86 comment-9647 2009-06-19T04:33:30Z 2009-06-19T04:33:30Z It's sad. At a time when the sound of KWOD was truly alternative, when every new song became "my favorite," KWOD comes to an end. I cant express th sadness I feel. KWOD has been there for most of my adult life. Its like i've lost a close friend. I will forever miss them. mtv86 2009-06-19T04:33:30Z bbbbmer comment-8258 2009-05-24T22:40:47Z 2009-05-24T22:40:47Z KWOD was the only radio station I had tuned in my cars. I'm an addict of Bach, Tallis, and other early composers, but I *religiously* listened to KWOD when driving. It was an adult station tuned to an adult ear for adult audiences, and mixed alt pop with edgy but listenable tracks that is no where else represented on the dial here or virtually anywhere else. I shall miss them... bbbbmer 2009-05-24T22:40:47Z