New Speaker Says Cuts Coming

So, we have a new speaker of the Iowa House. And he says job one is to cut the current state budget by "several hundred million dollars."

Speaker-elect Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, according to the stories I read, didn't give a lot of detail. But he did mention a list of cuts offered previously by Republicans during the last two sessions.

The list is below, for your perusal:

Here is a full list of ideas that were offered during the 2009 session:•Eliminate “phantom employees” – funded, unfilled FTE positions - $25,000,000•Enact the “Principal Plan” – pay reduction for state employees - $72,500,000•Charge state employees a monthly fee for health insurance - $17,800,000•Sell the fleet, outsource vehicle leasing - $34,000,000•Reduce office supplies, service contracts, equipment purchases - $10,000,000•Combine all state information technology systems - $20,000,000•Sell or lease the Iowa Communications Network –$15,000,000•Reduce funding for Library acquisitions at Regents by 50% - $13,500,000•No DNR land acquisition for FY 2010 - $5,000,000•Freeze out of state travel (allow a waiver process) - $1,500,000•Eliminate “extras” on existing state vehicle purchases - $87,000•Archiving Iowa Governor's Records - Reduce by 50% - $39,000•Eliminate Washington, DC Internship (seek private funding) - $90,000•Eliminate miscellaneous expenses for DOT garage in Rockwell City - $78,000•Eliminate charter flights by members of the DOT commission –$17,000•End all state benefits to adult illegal immigrants - $92.3 million•Combine the administrative functions at the three regents universities - $62 million•Shift voluntary preschool responsibilities to Empowerment - $45 million•Eliminate Culver's Power Fund and Office of Energy Independence - $25 million•Sell and privatize the state vehicle fleet - $18.5 million•Sell or lease the Iowa Communication Network - $15 million•Delay implementation of the core curriculum one year - $10.5 million•Cancel all regents university sabbaticals for one year - $6 million•Reduce funding for office supplies, service contracts, equipment purchases - $5 million•Eliminate taxpayer-funded lobbyists - $4 million•Eliminate Just Eliminate Lies anti-smoking campaign - $2.25 million•Eliminate family planning waiver - $2 million•Eliminate empty shelter care beds - $2 million•Eliminate Rebuild Iowa Office, shift responsibility to Homeland Security - $1 million

•Eliminate “phantom employees” – funded, unfilled FTE positions - $25,000,000

•Enact the “Principal Plan” – pay reduction for state employees - $72,500,000

•Charge state employees a monthly fee for health insurance - $17,800,000

•Sell the fleet, outsource vehicle leasing - $34,000,000

•Reduce office supplies, service contracts, equipment purchases - $10,000,000

•Combine all state information technology systems - $20,000,000

•Sell or lease the Iowa Communications Network –$15,000,000

•Reduce funding for Library acquisitions at Regents by 50% - $13,500,000

•No DNR land acquisition for FY 2010 - $5,000,000

•Freeze out of state travel (allow a waiver process) - $1,500,000

•Eliminate “extras” on existing state vehicle purchases - $87,000

•Archiving Iowa Governor's Records - Reduce by 50% - $39,000

•Eliminate Washington, DC Internship (seek private funding) - $90,000

•Eliminate miscellaneous expenses for DOT garage in Rockwell City - $78,000

•Eliminate charter flights by members of the DOT commission –$17,000

Here are the ideas that were offered during the 2010 session:

•End all state benefits to adult illegal immigrants - $92.3 million

•Combine the administrative functions at the three regents universities - $62 million

•Shift voluntary preschool responsibilities to Empowerment - $45 million

•Eliminate Culver's Power Fund and Office of Energy Independence - $25 million

•Sell and privatize the state vehicle fleet - $18.5 million

•Sell or lease the Iowa Communication Network - $15 million

•Delay implementation of the core curriculum one year - $10.5 million

•Cancel all regents university sabbaticals for one year - $6 million

•Reduce funding for office supplies, service contracts, equipment purchases - $5 million

•Eliminate taxpayer-funded lobbyists - $4 million

•Eliminate Just Eliminate Lies anti-smoking campaign - $2.25 million

•Eliminate family planning waiver - $2 million

•Eliminate empty shelter care beds - $2 million

•Eliminate Rebuild Iowa Office, shift responsibility to Homeland Security - $1 million

I'm skeptical of these estimates. Numbers that a then-minority party, Dems or Rs, tosses out during budget debates are often suspect. When you're not governing, you can slap pretty much any price tag you want on anything, with hopes of scoring political points.

Majority Republicans now have a responsibility to find out how much these ideas would really save, and what unforeseen fiscal consequences they might bring, such as the loss of fed bucks etc.

I'm most interested in the stuff that actually ends a government function, like ending the power fund, RIO, JEL, selling the ICN. etc. So many budget cutting ideas are about sticking it to the other party's constituencies or simply hobbling some program you don't like. I want Republicans to tell me what government will stop doing. That's where real savings come from.