The budget impasse
The Issue: The lack of compromise on spending plan for the current fiscal year’s budget.
Our View: The gridlock has become as perennial as the wild grass outside the two chambers.
The budget impasse has become “business as usual”, a common among stubborn lawmakers who can’t embrace their fiduciary duties. It turns into a vicious cycle, prompted by an impending general elections.
Politicians of various stripes wanted something concrete to present to their constituents. It came at a time when all must curry favors for and from their constituents. An empty hand could instantly land incumbents their defeat and a lonely walk home with an “F”.
Thus, the vicious feud over how our meager resources are divided between and among the three senatorial districts. The debate is hardly within the confines of reason when pet projects get in the way. We hope that this adolescency isn’t a microcosm of what lies ahead by way of leadership. It’s bad all the way around for the people at the village level.
The budget review must be premised strictly on performance by all departments and agencies. However the significant drop in revenue generation, the process should begin requiring all managers to cut their requests by 30 percent. At the budget hearing, this figure could go up or down depending on the agency’s performance record. Performance review should include all government agencies, including the mayors of the three municipalities.
The learning process of defining real needs is indeed a difficult process in itself. Most seize the opportunity to inject pet projects, understandably, even ill-defined projects. It boggles the mind how some lawmakers have conveniently overlooked such vital issue as non-payment of medical bills to health providers in Honolulu, among others.
Until we can buckle down to defining real needs versus political pet projects, only then can the budget process run smoothly and on a timely basis. All must learn how to define needs right here and now! It’s essential learning how to live in both good and bad times. We’re right smack in the latter. Common sense, anybody? Si Yuus Maase` yan ghilisow!
