Editorial: Budgeting - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: Budgeting

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  • Editorials

  • Thursday, May 23 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-23 23:20:04 GMT
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:20:08 GMT
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
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  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
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We applaud what the city of Montgomery is doing now - zero based budgeting.

Start from scratch.

Access your spending needs.

Justify them.

Be accountable for every cent you spend.

The state should also improve their budgeting process.

State budgets are drafted based on guessing how much money will be available to spend in the next year and then drawing up ways to spend it.

Doesn't make sense on two fronts.

The projections don't always account for everything that might happen with the economy, as we have seen this year.

The Education Trust Fund is usually forced to cut budgets every three years since most of the revenue for that budget comes from income and sales taxes, and that's based on economic conditions.

Plus, logically, money should be spent based on need, not want.

It is our money that is being spent.

Treat it that way.