Welcome Visitor. Today is Friday, March 29, 2024. Sign-on
Follow Us On Facebook
Budge or Not to Budge - The Ky Budget Debate
FRANKFORT--House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg (left), confers with Rep. James Kay, D-Versailles (center), and House Majority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, in the Kentucky House of Representatives. LRC Public Information

Watching the Kentucky General Assembly in any budget session is a nail biting activity. No matter what party the participants belong to, crafting a budget is, even in best of times, a study in brinkmanship. In recent years, the budget debate was postponed until the governor calls the legislature back into special session to deal with the budget- to howls bemoaning the cost to taxpayers and "why can't they get along?"

As April 12th, the final day of the 2016 regular session, approaches and the session winds down, passage of a budget looks impossible.

Conflict is inevitable. The executive and legislative branches of government have different priorities and answer to different dog whistles. While the governor comes into office with promises to keep, legislators come from all corners of this large and diverse state with hometown voices ringing in their ears. Finding the perfect balance with a constitutional mandate that the budget balance (unlike the federal government) is an exercise in delicate diplomacy.

This year feels worse. Governor Bevin presented a budget that will affect every Kentuckian. Across the board cuts of 9% over two years in a state government that silently suffered cuts under Governor Beshear to keep the doors open, will be a blow that state agencies will take a decade to recover from.

It is a budget that pits grandma against junior. If grandma wants her state or teacher's pension, junior will face tuition increases. It's an ugly conflict that will be difficult to find a solution that pleases both generations.

Jane Driskell, Steve Beshear's budget director, addressed the pension issue in an editorial "Bevin's budget slashing Kentucky's future."

Driskell said, "No one doubts that the unfunded liability in Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System is a problem. And, yes, it needs more money... But the pension system need not be a vacuum cleaner that sucks up all funds at the expense of other priorities."

The choice of the governor to sound all hands on deck because of the teacher pension issue is viewed with some skepticism. As one wag put it, "Do you sell your house to pay off your credit cards? If you do, you don't have a credit card debt - but you are homeless."

Chris Tobe, author of "Kentucky Fried Pension" watches the process with a sardonic eye.

When asked about the budget, he wrote "Governors have been using the pension for budget relief the past 10 years. Last budget cycle Beshear raided (or borrowed) from Teachers Pensions $500 million a year to plug budget holes. Bevin's budget raids (or borrowed) from Teachers Pensions only $200 million a year to plug budget holes."

Is this a serious attempt by Governor Bevin to fix teacher pension shortfalls?

Tobin's answer "I do not think Bevin cares about the pension, he is just putting in the minimum he can to avoid the State being downgraded again. ( In August 2015 S&P for the first time downgraded the entire State from AA to A)."

Not so long ago, it was state retirement that threatened to sink the state budget. Beshear and the Legislature crafted an answer to state government pension's issues with a bipartisan bill. Imperfect as it is, the compromise addressed at least some of the problems of state retirees. Of course, no one was happy with the compromise - that's the nature of compromise.

There does not look to be a working out between the Governor and a Democratic controlled House. If the House changes hands, we have to wonder if there will be a compromise between a GOP controlled House and the Governor's office. Governor Bevin took to his Facebook page to post a video vowing no changes to the budget. That doesn't sound like management ready to talk with labor.

If the Republicans get their fondest wish and flip the House in March or May or in November, will GOP leaders be willing to tell constituents that school and higher education funding is cut to satisfy grandma's teacher retirement?

Maybe. Then it will be their problem - not Greg Stumbo's and the House Democrats.

We can't see a budget passing during the General Session.

Be prepared to howl about the cost of a special session. Again.


Printer-friendly format




Do you know someone else who would like to see this?
Your Email:
Their Email:
Comment:
(Will be included with e-mail)
Secret Code

In the box below, enter the Secret Code exactly as it appears above *


 

website hit 
counter
Powered by Bondware
News Publishing Software

The browser you are using is outdated!

You may not be getting all you can out of your browsing experience
and may be open to security risks!

Consider upgrading to the latest version of your browser or choose on below: