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Where
To Cut Jefferson County Budget? State of Kentucky Budget?
By
Theresa Fritz Camoriano
Current
news reports tell us that both Jefferson County Kentucky and the State of
Kentucky are going to have to tighten their belts for this year’s budget
due to reduced revenues. While
there is always much pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth associated with
cutting budgets, it really could be a great opportunity for the county and
the state if handled properly. The
following are some suggestions for cuts.
1.
Eliminate TARC buses and end the government monopoly on
transportation services, allowing private businesses to compete to provide
the best transportation options.
It is very expensive to have all those buses driving around
Louisville all day empty or carrying only one or two passengers.
We are sure that, once TARC sells its buses, bringing in revenue to
the county, its experienced bus drivers could easily find a job in a new,
private jitney service or even start up a shuttle bus service of their
own! Commuters would receive
far better service at better value, and we would save a ton of tax money.
2. Require real
competitive bidding for state road contracts.
Road construction is one of the biggest ticket items for state
government and one of the most corrupt.
An honest, clean bidding process would save as much as half of the
road budget. Clean up the
bidding process in the road-building business and save Kentucky taxpayers
a bundle!
3. Convert Our
Libraries to Membership Associations
When Ben Franklin started our first libraries, they were membership
organizations, in which people who wanted to check out books paid dues.
Others, who did not pay, could still read books inside the library
but could not check them out. Changing
to this type of system or to a system in which we paid rental fees on the
books we checked out would save money and would encourage the library to
provide the books and services its members really want.
I long ago gave up trying to find the kinds of books I was looking
for in the Louisville Free Public Library, because they were never there.
But nobody can afford to open a competing library, as long as the
“free” library is around. Oddly
enough, video rental shops and audio book rental shops have no problem
staying in business without government subsidies!
4. Decriminalize
Drugs
If we take drugs off the streets and put them in the drug stores,
where their purity can be monitored and sales contracts can be enforced
through legal means rather than through drive-by shootings, our streets
will be safer, crime will be greatly reduced, and we will need to spend
far less money on jails, police, etc.
5. Get Government Out Of The Entertainment
Business
Stop forcing taxpayers to pay for entertainment.
This is not decaying (bread and circuses) Rome – yet.
No subsidies for concerts, plays, and other services that people
can choose to buy for themselves. And
certainly no government-built arenas or stadiums.
That is not the proper role of government.
6. Eliminate All
Tax Breaks Or Subsidies For Favored Businesses
Instead of paying off businesses to encourage them to locate in the
area, we should simply have a low tax rate, a lean, unobtrusive,
economical government that does not plunder businesses or people, and an
environment that supports free market, entrepreneurial activities.
This is the best strategy to prosperity and to sufficient tax
revenue for the government to do the jobs that really need to be done.
That’s
just a start! There are many
more places that budgets could be cut in ways that would greatly improve
the area. No doubt you have
some suggestions of your own. We
would love to hear them! E-mail
editor@JeffersonReview.com with
your suggestions for places where Governor Patton and County Judge
Executive Jackson can make cuts that would benefit us all.
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