Civitas has been busy looking for ways to cut the budget, and last week we asked you for your suggestions. Here’s some of what we received.
Require immediate 5% reduction in number of state employees; Institute Zero-based budget process.
In the school system trimming upper-level administrative positions is a must. We have entirely too many coordinators………jobs that can be combined under one person and still work effectively. It is also unnecessary to have so many assistant principals. If the lead principal would step away from his/her computer long enough to “administrate” many issues could be solved. Actually we could transform the positions above as teaching positions instead of folks who work maybe 3 hours per day and chat with their friends over long lunches the rest of the day.
Compare state Medicaid benefits with other states and reduce coverage for optional patient treatments and “extras.” See Civitas slide show on Medicaid and health care from 2005-6 state tour. If I recall, NC offers an array of benefits above and beyond what many other states cover. A nice benefit for our citizens, but maybe a place to trim a bit.
I would suspend the North Carolina Wildflower Program that you see in medians and intersections of our highways. This is a nice to have program and the flowers look very pretty but not when you are broke. This will probably not add up to much savings but every little bit helps.
Freeze or reduce all State pay immediately. If State employees are removed, start at the top. Turn all public schools over from the busses to the curriculum to each community to control. In other words, turn all public schools over to private schools, allowing them to run as a Ravenscroft School and get out of State government controlled education forever, allowing schools to compete as a Free State for free enterprises.”
1. Eliminate position of “Teacher’s Asst.” for most public schools. Rather than 1 per teacher make it a “roving” position where there is one person who is an asst. to several teachers.
2. If a teacher is absent then rather than paying another teacher to come in have the “rover” teach that class that day. In Wake County alone this is suppose to save $30 million per year.
3. Eliminate the cap on charter schools completely. Make a $350,000 per school “real property development” loan available to the incorporators to help on start up.
4. Cap the cost of new construction for public schools to encourage more use of bldgs. that already exist and can be adapted as Charters often do.
2. If a teacher is absent then rather than paying another teacher to come in have the “rover” teach that class that day. In Wake County alone this is suppose to save $30 million per year.
3. Eliminate the cap on charter schools completely. Make a $350,000 per school “real property development” loan available to the incorporators to help on start up.
4. Cap the cost of new construction for public schools to encourage more use of bldgs. that already exist and can be adapted as Charters often do.
As an example in Wake Forest the renovation of Wake Forest Rolesville was $55,000,000 producing approximately 200+ new seats. Construction of Heritage High was $45,000,000 for about 1600 new seats. Total cost of Franklin Acad. charter school was $0 producing approx. 700 new seats.
The public purse can not continue to spend $100,000,000 in a 5 mile radius for 2 schools when charters which cost less to operate, cost nothing to tax payers for the construction. In total candor there should be some loan program to help charters overcome the initial cost of real property or upfit for becoming a school just to get them going.
Make as many State jobs as possible receipt based.
Instead of a State Income Tax just have a State sales Tax that taxes consumption say at 15%
Zero based budget unless 2/3rds of Senate and House agree to increase budget.
Term limits to State Senators and Representatives. This will help stop corruption, back door deals, and cronyism
Instead of a State Income Tax just have a State sales Tax that taxes consumption say at 15%
Zero based budget unless 2/3rds of Senate and House agree to increase budget.
Term limits to State Senators and Representatives. This will help stop corruption, back door deals, and cronyism
Stop spending money on highway “beautification’. Make sure roads are safe and in good repair when times are tough.
Stop the expense of naming stretches of highways and bridges after politicians and others. Eliminate the cost of the signs and their replacement.
Privatize the sale of booze. Get rid of all the associated costs of warehouses, shipping, administration, etc. Plus all the corruption it brings.
Education K – 12 is the largest single budget item. Reduce costs of education in NC. Reduce the cost of traditional Public education in NC by: 1. Lift the cap on Charter Schools, cost of C.S. is approx. 40% to 50% of traditional public schools. 2. Pass a tax credit ($2,500 +/- limit) for parents to send their children to private schools/home schooling curriculum. 3. Pass a vouchers program which attaches the education dollars to go with a child where ever he goes to school, public, charter public, private, home schooled, etc. Eliminate or severely reduce the size of NC DPI. NC public education has one administrator in the NC education system for each teacher. This is unnecessary and very expensive. Salaries for administrators and teachers are higher than private sector.
Cut state employee budgets across the board. Eliminate unnecessary admin. positions. Reduce state police budget to cover essential elements only. Traffic cop function should be replaced with drug enforcement. Eliminate “green expenditures’ unless immediate impact on proven human health and safety. Cut state green jobs to bare minimum. Cut college and school admin. to bare bones.
Freeze all hiring / Layoff 5% of all state employees / Review – eliminate agency which exist service no longer needed or that duplicate functions performed by other agencies or the government agency at any level. Arrest growth of all State Colleges and Universities by eliminating all Year 1 & 2 class and establish freshmen & sophomore class to community colleges. University would only teach junior – Senior – Master & Doctoral level classes. – Consider eliminating payroll taxes and replace with either a flat tax or a sales tax. – GOOD LUCK
Eliminate the Alcohol Beverage Control Department and everything associated with it. Turn that whole thing … Employees, management, property, inventory advertising over to the private sector. Collect the taxes from the sale and move on!
When looking at state jobs to cut look closer at white collar jobs many of them are duplicates such as the DOC hierarchy in administration. Why are there so many doing redundant work in DOC administration? Instead of focusing on jobs that need to be eliminated the correction officer or other hands on foot soldier jobs are cut. This only causes problems with understaffing and thinly stretching many needed services. Also kick SEIU out of North Carolina and tell them to stay out before they have the opportunity to inflict more financial damage on our State.”
Stop putting reflectors along lane dividers on highways.
Stop plantings around overpasses
Contract out mowing of grass along highways
Raise admission standards in the UNC system so that more students do their first 2 years at a community colleges. This would take the pressure off the UNC system to expand campuses, buildings and dorms.
Reduce the salaries of Community College Presidents and Vice-Presidents across the board 15%.
Reduce the salaries of UNC professors across the board 10%.
Specify a minimum number of years that a state-owned PC, printers, and copiers must be used before it can be replaced.
Raise community college tuition rates 20%
Contract out maintenance of community college campuses via competitive bidding every 3 years.
Suspend state travel to meetings and conventions for state employees for 2 years.
Stop plantings around overpasses
Contract out mowing of grass along highways
Raise admission standards in the UNC system so that more students do their first 2 years at a community colleges. This would take the pressure off the UNC system to expand campuses, buildings and dorms.
Reduce the salaries of Community College Presidents and Vice-Presidents across the board 15%.
Reduce the salaries of UNC professors across the board 10%.
Specify a minimum number of years that a state-owned PC, printers, and copiers must be used before it can be replaced.
Raise community college tuition rates 20%
Contract out maintenance of community college campuses via competitive bidding every 3 years.
Suspend state travel to meetings and conventions for state employees for 2 years.
Stop all vehicle purchases for three years except for emergency response (SHP SBI etc;). All assigned vehicles must have 100% mileage accountability. Every mile documented for every reason. No personal use of state vehicle on the weekend, except for pre-approved travel.
Drop actual spending to 2007 level immediately.
Then no more hiring. Attrition will solve a lot.
Lower pay and retirement funding of govt staff to level of public workers.
Then drop all costs/spending by 10%
Then no more hiring. Attrition will solve a lot.
Lower pay and retirement funding of govt staff to level of public workers.
Then drop all costs/spending by 10%
1. Eliminate More at Four
2. Cut Government Employee Headcount 33% across the board
3. Reduction in remaining government employee salaries by 33%
4. Increase number of students in public school classrooms (Every other country in the world has larger classrooms and better results)
2. Cut Government Employee Headcount 33% across the board
3. Reduction in remaining government employee salaries by 33%
4. Increase number of students in public school classrooms (Every other country in the world has larger classrooms and better results)
1. Eliminate one OR MORE of the smallest state colleges in the UNC system. Surely we do not need all of them, and students and some faculty could be transferred to remaining colleges. This idea has already been broached by Erskine Bowles, but did not go far enough.
2. Privatize the Alcoholic Beverage Control system, including the sale of all bricks-and-mortar and inventory assets. The State should no longer be in that business when private companies could do the job much better and OFF the State’s books. the legislature can still direct the rules of operation (though personally I do not agree with the need for “Blue Laws”).
3. Privatize EVERY part of the DOT possible, particularly by selling all state-owned construction vehicles and tools. There are plenty of contractors to ensure vigorous and responsive competition for jobs, large and small. We do NOT need the huge construction headcount the DOT maintains
2. Privatize the Alcoholic Beverage Control system, including the sale of all bricks-and-mortar and inventory assets. The State should no longer be in that business when private companies could do the job much better and OFF the State’s books. the legislature can still direct the rules of operation (though personally I do not agree with the need for “Blue Laws”).
3. Privatize EVERY part of the DOT possible, particularly by selling all state-owned construction vehicles and tools. There are plenty of contractors to ensure vigorous and responsive competition for jobs, large and small. We do NOT need the huge construction headcount the DOT maintains
I would centralize and/or regionalize services within a department and between departments. For example, let the maintenance department at a state facility provide maintenance services to other State agencies in close proximity.
Use physicians already employed by the State to treat Workers Compensation injuries instead of sending them out to private providers
Allow state employees to use state operated pharmacies much like ECU does with the Employee pharmacy. Would save SHP money
1. Get out of the liquor business. Sell all the properties, warehouse, etc. and utilize the proceeds for the budget deficit. The sales tax on liquor may actually increase with private ownership of the stores.
2. Revise the retirement system for all new state employees to a defined benefit plan. Eliminate cost-of-living increases to the old plan.
3. Eliminate several layers of non-teaching positions in the bloated bureaucracy of the state college and university system.
2. Revise the retirement system for all new state employees to a defined benefit plan. Eliminate cost-of-living increases to the old plan.
3. Eliminate several layers of non-teaching positions in the bloated bureaucracy of the state college and university system.
One of my pet peeves are all the earmarks that representatives dish out to their areas and ‘special interests’. This needs to be stopped.
Salaries of top management positions should be reviewed. If someone makes $250,000, why can’t they live on a lot less. Most of the common, everyday North Carolinians do??!!
A revew of the DOT should be a high priority. Contractors should meet deadlines or pay healthy fines for not doing so. We never hear this happening.
Why should state employees who retire receive years of time accrued in sick time? Most other states do not allow this. Just think how much could be saved if this was stopped?! Workers in the private sector do not have this perk!
One of the first programs to go should be the Currituck County Mid- County Bridge.
Most of the residents on the Outer banks don’t want the bridge and neither do most of the tourists that I have talked to both this last summer and the summer before. The traffic problem that the bridge is suppose to relieve only occurs during the 100 day tourists season. During this 100 day period there is only a small percentage of rental homes that are not rented and thus the increase in rental income to the state and county would be very small, and this assumes that the changes in the community would not drive away long time return renters. This would come at a cost to the State Of $ 28 million for three years and $15 million for the next ten years. I doubt that the citizens or any of the North Carolina metropolitan areas would consider this money well spent. This bridge is only funded because of the political power of Senator Basnight and Rep Owens to bring home Pork for their district and I don’t think that we tax payers should pay.
Most of the residents on the Outer banks don’t want the bridge and neither do most of the tourists that I have talked to both this last summer and the summer before. The traffic problem that the bridge is suppose to relieve only occurs during the 100 day tourists season. During this 100 day period there is only a small percentage of rental homes that are not rented and thus the increase in rental income to the state and county would be very small, and this assumes that the changes in the community would not drive away long time return renters. This would come at a cost to the State Of $ 28 million for three years and $15 million for the next ten years. I doubt that the citizens or any of the North Carolina metropolitan areas would consider this money well spent. This bridge is only funded because of the political power of Senator Basnight and Rep Owens to bring home Pork for their district and I don’t think that we tax payers should pay.
Require each Department Manager to reduce their budget by 10% of non-FTE expenditures, and place a freeze on new hiring for 1 year. This works in the private sector and it can work in the State Government as well.
1. Conduct a review of each state agency to determine the purpose for which it was established and whether it is effectively accomplishing the established goals. This review should include a cost/benefit analysis using empirical data, and a determination of whether there is a duplication of effort among the agencies. Allow the results of the review to determine whether the agency should continue to exist.
2. Conduct a review of all state regulations to determine the purpose for which it was established and whether it is being effective. This review should include a cost/benefit analysis using empirical data. Allow the results of the cost/benefit analysis to determine whether the regulation should continue to exist.
3. Conduct a cost/benefit analysis of all state fees using empirical data. Allow the results of the analysis to determine whether the fees should continue to exist or be reduced.
4. Pass legislation to discontinue allowing the state and local governments to provide industrial incentives to companies.
2. Conduct a review of all state regulations to determine the purpose for which it was established and whether it is being effective. This review should include a cost/benefit analysis using empirical data. Allow the results of the cost/benefit analysis to determine whether the regulation should continue to exist.
3. Conduct a cost/benefit analysis of all state fees using empirical data. Allow the results of the analysis to determine whether the fees should continue to exist or be reduced.
4. Pass legislation to discontinue allowing the state and local governments to provide industrial incentives to companies.
Cut More at Four completely out of the budget, Cut Smart Start in half
Sell state aircraft and hangars
Tort reform: Enable lawsuits against nuisance and frivolous litigants. Allow state to sue litigants for recovery of legal costs as well as damages
Raise out of state tuition in all NC universities and colleges by 30 to 50%
Consider sale leasebacks on properties that have limited life cycles remaining
Refinance debt that exceeds currently available interest rates and terms
Cut off all funding for any program that supports social engineering or the political Left, ie Planned Parenthood, Legal Aid, and so on
Consolidate NC Agencies that have redundancies
Shut down the DEHNR Environmental Enhancement Program and outsource its work
Cut the work week to four days for all state employees that are not involved in health or safety of citizens. Cut their pay by 20% as well.
Cut ALL state employee salaries by 5%
Make state employees contribute $30 per month to their healthcare coverage
Make state employees contribute 8% of their pay to their pension plans.
Force all government agencies to make 10% cuts in the expenditures/budgets
Cut environmental regulations and the staff that enforce them
Review all state property leases for reasonableness and cancel them if not reasonable
Review all state property contracts for reasonableness and cancel them if not reasonable. Re-bid all contracts
Freeze new hiring
Sell surplus lands
Sell state aircraft and hangars
Tort reform: Enable lawsuits against nuisance and frivolous litigants. Allow state to sue litigants for recovery of legal costs as well as damages
Raise out of state tuition in all NC universities and colleges by 30 to 50%
Consider sale leasebacks on properties that have limited life cycles remaining
Refinance debt that exceeds currently available interest rates and terms
Cut off all funding for any program that supports social engineering or the political Left, ie Planned Parenthood, Legal Aid, and so on
Consolidate NC Agencies that have redundancies
Shut down the DEHNR Environmental Enhancement Program and outsource its work
Cut the work week to four days for all state employees that are not involved in health or safety of citizens. Cut their pay by 20% as well.
Cut ALL state employee salaries by 5%
Make state employees contribute $30 per month to their healthcare coverage
Make state employees contribute 8% of their pay to their pension plans.
Force all government agencies to make 10% cuts in the expenditures/budgets
Cut environmental regulations and the staff that enforce them
Review all state property leases for reasonableness and cancel them if not reasonable
Review all state property contracts for reasonableness and cancel them if not reasonable. Re-bid all contracts
Freeze new hiring
Sell surplus lands
Eliminate the annual North Carolina automobile inspection.
Reduce funding for the University System significantly. Require all non-classroom personnel who work in the K-12 system to take a minimum of 5-10 days furlough without pay each school year. (The state of GA has been doing this for the past 2-3 years) Also, increase the number of students in classrooms to 25-30 until we can afford to do differently. Reduce the number of mandates for medicaid from 40 plus to less than 30–we can’t afford to offer what we currently provide. I think the Federal Government only mandates 24 items. Drastically reduce travel for conferences until the economy generates more revenue. Only provide essential training for all departments. Focus on reducing fraud and waste–it’s in every department.
I’m not sure how much state government contributes to public television and radio, but these can and should be self-supporting. They are politically biased and do not deserve taxpayer support.
Reorganize the Department of Public Instruction to cut 20% of administrators and non-classroom personnel. Focus on the purpose of education – teaching instead of pushing papers around in state and county offices.
I would like to suggest to look at tenure for the university professors and to pay them a reasonable salary based on what they actually do. I do not believe in lifetime benefits for any member of government. Treat these jobs like most private sector jobs.
Sell the ABC system. There would be an immediate infusion of money into State Government. Further, the State would collect income taxes from the purchaser(s) in addition to the state tax on alcoholic beverages. The only loss would be to politicians as the local ABC boards would be eliminated and the politicians would have less opportunity to place supporters, friends and family on the Boards.
Take a 5% CUT in all of the states departments. I’ve been in management all my working life, when posed with a finance shortfall gap, a 5% cut in everyones expenditures can easily be done when confronted with the challenge. Saying it can’t be done, means only that you haven’t tried hard enough. During the 2nd energy crisis, in 79′ I cut 2 1/2 million dollars from my 10 million dollar budget. So don’t say it can’t be done – it can ! I won for my company, Inmont Corporation, Belvidere, NJ, the Energy Management Award from Jersesy Central Power & Light Co. in 1980. That award plaque hangs in my den. As a senior citizen, I’ve had to take a 10% cut in my income over the last 2 years, and I’m still liquid, and have NO debt at all. Change the thinking in Raleigh, make them work to make ends meet, like we do out here. These departmental budgets are loaded with fat, and at the end of the budget year, all department heads, tell their folks to spend ever y last cent of their budget allocations, or they’ll be cut next year, been there, done that – GIVE THEM THE CHALLENGE!!!!
In K-12 education: Discontinue Teaching Fellows, no NBCT candidate funding, cut Teacher Academy, cut NCCAT and more before touching classroom teachers. Don’t double pay for masters/NBCT certifications, 12% step for first, $100 extra per month for addition. Shorten teacher scale to 15 steps but set retirement at 62 for full benefits.
1. Full scale change in DOT and work output they accomplish would be global result. Reducing cost and maintenance of our infrastructure.
2. More at Four is a great name, but a failed-expensive baby sitting service. X this out of the budget.
3. Across the board reduce all governmental employees by 5%. No one will be missed as far as work produced. The offices are a pitiful sham.
4. Pay and insurance for government employees brought in line with private business.
5. Our failing school system must be fixed last week. Easy to do, but no one has the muster for it. There is nothing wrong with our teachers. by the way. Teachers who should not be in the system must be removed. These few teachers hurt the student in a way that they may never recover after exposure to a failing classroom for one hear. It creates and ‘educational void’.
6. College is a bad joke with 52% graduating in 6 years. Paying a full salary to a professor teaching 3-6 hours a week is past absurd-with no responsibility or liability when his students are a failure.
7. When the education problem is corrected America will once again be at the top of the heap- the result will crank up both jobs and production again. Give Americans a chance.
2. More at Four is a great name, but a failed-expensive baby sitting service. X this out of the budget.
3. Across the board reduce all governmental employees by 5%. No one will be missed as far as work produced. The offices are a pitiful sham.
4. Pay and insurance for government employees brought in line with private business.
5. Our failing school system must be fixed last week. Easy to do, but no one has the muster for it. There is nothing wrong with our teachers. by the way. Teachers who should not be in the system must be removed. These few teachers hurt the student in a way that they may never recover after exposure to a failing classroom for one hear. It creates and ‘educational void’.
6. College is a bad joke with 52% graduating in 6 years. Paying a full salary to a professor teaching 3-6 hours a week is past absurd-with no responsibility or liability when his students are a failure.
7. When the education problem is corrected America will once again be at the top of the heap- the result will crank up both jobs and production again. Give Americans a chance.
All State Departments MUST prepare a NEW budget. This MUST be based on “Zero-based Budgeting”.
Failure to do so should be removal.
Failure to do so should be removal.
State employees need to contribibute to their healthcare costs! State employees are incredibly expensive. At one point state employee benefits were supposed to compete with high salaries of prviate companies, but that is no longer the case. States are spending more and more in salaries without lessening the tax burden of high-priced benefits. Being a state employee is, and should be considered, a public service, not a means for competitive salary and huge benefits.
I do NOT agree in cutting prisoner education programs. I feel in financial crises such as these prisoners are regarded as second-hand citizens even though it is the right of the state to rehabilitate prisoners to prevent readmission. Evidence would be useful to determine which programs are most useful, but studies require more funding – wait for another session.
Definitely reorganize government depts or have sunset law apply that none would operate unless their existence can be justified and there are no duplicate services.
Cut 80% of governor’s travel budget and 10% of her staffing
Cut out “favorite projects” of legislators especially ones that help them out personally. No more “pork” funded projects
cut back on energy usage on all state buildings.
only one DMV/county (encourage on-line services in many cases)
only one DMV/county (encourage on-line services in many cases)
I would make a lot of the government arts programs pay for themselves. Why should I support the NC symphony. I have to buy tickets for something like TransSiberian Orchestra, why shouldn’t the symphony, the opera, the ballet, etc be self supporting. I would also start to have the museums, art galleries, zoo, etc begin to be self-supporting also. The library should be on subscription and computers should either be eliminated or one should be charged to operate them. I would also ask that the legislature and the governor do their part and eliminate “perks” such as limos, special parking places, and health care
1. Reduce all government employee’s salaries (other than teachers) by 10%. If they are not happy, they can look for work elsewhere, or retire. If our budget is not balanced in the next year, reduce them an additional 10%. No increases unless our budget is balanced!
2. Reduce the overall number of state employees by 10%-allowing department heads to determine from where these cuts will be made.
3. Reduce all other expenditures by 10 and freeze them for three years, or until unemployment gets below 5%.
2. Reduce the overall number of state employees by 10%-allowing department heads to determine from where these cuts will be made.
3. Reduce all other expenditures by 10 and freeze them for three years, or until unemployment gets below 5%.
We need to get rid of all the duplicated career building programs around the state and concentrate on our community colleges which have always provided this service.
Seems every time I pass a road construction project, there are many DOT employees sitting in their trucks, standing around, leaning on shovels, etc. Maybe this is part of their job but I think maybe there are too many of them for the need…
Every state employee should make NO MORE than the average person that they serve…us!”
Cut out all overtime. I have been by road construction projects when only the inspector was there. No contractor in site. Sometimes more State Workers than contractor personnel.
Cut per diem to legislators. Only pay them the actual cost. So the same for all state employees.
Cut down on the number of state vehicles.
Cut per diem to legislators. Only pay them the actual cost. So the same for all state employees.
Cut down on the number of state vehicles.
Cut, cut, cut across the board! DO NOT spend more than we have.
Instead of passing laws, the legislature should start REPEALING laws and regulations that cause the budget to go up and that infringe on our freedom!!
Instead of passing laws, the legislature should start REPEALING laws and regulations that cause the budget to go up and that infringe on our freedom!!
– immediate 10% reduction in the state budget.
– freeze on all hiring for (3) years.
– 5% annual reduction in the budget for (4) consecutive years
– freeze on all hiring for (3) years.
– 5% annual reduction in the budget for (4) consecutive years
Outsource Highway maintenance and reduce DOT employment. Stop giving grants to various organizations. If they warrant grants, charities will take over.
I would seriously investigate Medicaid fraud.
Move the state government retirement age to 65 like the rest of the world has. Thirty and out is ridiculous.
Zero based budgets. The legislature should refuse all budgets based on previous year’s spending.
Allow no more special breaks for companies to come to North Carolina. And reduce business income taxes.
Slowly reduce the amount of government pensions that are untaxed.
Get rid of exemptions in special areas that allow for the collection of unemployment benefits without seeking work.
Zero based budgets. The legislature should refuse all budgets based on previous year’s spending.
Allow no more special breaks for companies to come to North Carolina. And reduce business income taxes.
Slowly reduce the amount of government pensions that are untaxed.
Get rid of exemptions in special areas that allow for the collection of unemployment benefits without seeking work.
state employees and retirees pay $100 a month on their health insurance and pay for increases
cut all departments 10%–making sure that the worst gets the axe first
no more borrowing
cut all departments 10%–making sure that the worst gets the axe first
no more borrowing
You are making the topic too complicated. All departments must cut to the level of spending that will bring the budget equal to revenue. If that means a 5 or 10% cut across the board then that is what each department must do. No exceptions. No sacred cows.
Simplify the rules for reporting sales taxes. And elsewhere, make the rules for business simpler to encourage small business in the long run.
Have a real review of public projects that involves a cost/benefit phase.
Have a real review of public projects that involves a cost/benefit phase.
1. I would stop all taxpayers’ money to non-profit groups.
2. Stop taxpayer money that is spent on trying to get business into NC.
3. Freeze all state employees’ salaries.
4. Reduce taxes and freeze taxes hikes.
2. Stop taxpayer money that is spent on trying to get business into NC.
3. Freeze all state employees’ salaries.
4. Reduce taxes and freeze taxes hikes.
Cut all funding for non-profits. Postpone all construction on the State public university campuses. 15% pay cut for all state employees (including the university and public school administration) that make over $125K. 10% cut for employees making between $90-125K.
Cut back on the generous retirement benefits provided to state employees.
Immediate reduction of state employees by 20%, with at least 10% further reductions.
Eliminate state dept’s all together.
Eliminate early childhood education, smart start etc…
Eliminate all subsides for child care let the parents take care of their kids.
Reduce the size of the staffs working for the Governors office as well as the state legislature. ….Implement a NC State Fair Tax eliminate all other taxes; everybody pays tax.
Eliminate state dept’s all together.
Eliminate early childhood education, smart start etc…
Eliminate all subsides for child care let the parents take care of their kids.
Reduce the size of the staffs working for the Governors office as well as the state legislature. ….Implement a NC State Fair Tax eliminate all other taxes; everybody pays tax.
1) I would rent the excess office space and property to create a continuing stream of income.
2) I don’t recommend the insurance premium increase. If employees opt for a family plan they have to contribute 1000 per month which is not affordable. It needs to be studied to see how much uninsured state employee family members are costing the system. Would it be beneficial to lower the contribution amount to 100 to 200 dollars to get them in the system? Most of the family members would be children so they would not be likely to add much to the cost of the program. The extra premiums would probably be a net benefit to the system.
3) Eliminate baseline budgeting. Make all requests above the base salaries and utilities happen by request. My wife is a state employee and it shocks her each year when her department goes on a spending spree to use all their funds so they can get the same funding next year.
4) Implement a taxpayer’s bill of rights. Our state government should not have been allowed to grow more than the population plus inflation. The spending increases have to be constrained permanently.
2) I don’t recommend the insurance premium increase. If employees opt for a family plan they have to contribute 1000 per month which is not affordable. It needs to be studied to see how much uninsured state employee family members are costing the system. Would it be beneficial to lower the contribution amount to 100 to 200 dollars to get them in the system? Most of the family members would be children so they would not be likely to add much to the cost of the program. The extra premiums would probably be a net benefit to the system.
3) Eliminate baseline budgeting. Make all requests above the base salaries and utilities happen by request. My wife is a state employee and it shocks her each year when her department goes on a spending spree to use all their funds so they can get the same funding next year.
4) Implement a taxpayer’s bill of rights. Our state government should not have been allowed to grow more than the population plus inflation. The spending increases have to be constrained permanently.
Conduct a curriculum audit of ALL 16 universities in the system. Eliminate or consolidate duplication of curriculum system wide.
Close Elizabeth City State University, transfer all students to East Carolina University, and re-assign all buildings to the Community College (which is using the buildings more than ECSU are using them.)
Close Elizabeth City State University, transfer all students to East Carolina University, and re-assign all buildings to the Community College (which is using the buildings more than ECSU are using them.)
I have a hard time thinking of anything stupider than the ABC. Why in the world is the government involved in the retail business of liquor sales??? They own the capital intensive real estate AND the liquor inventory. This is ridiculous. Privatize liquor sales, collect permit fees and alcohol taxes and stay the heck out of the business. Fire the administrators and farm out whatever employees are actually capable of working in the private sector to the companies that buy the inventory and real estate. Direct participation in this kind of business is just plain an invitation to corruption and malfeasance.
No administrator, paid with our tax dollars should make more than the governor. Many university chancellors are paid three times more than our governor.
Our corrections department needs to be cleaned up. This department is full of political appointees. Many administrators do not work on Friday. Also many work release administrators have less than five inmates at their facility. They have so few because it is easier on their workload. Staff members are encouraged to write up inmates for petty offenses so that are not eligible for work release. They could care less that the money earned on work release goes toward the cost of their housing and to those who they owe for their offenses.
Do not raise any taxes on anyone. Matter of fact, reduce taxes for working people and for businesses to attract more good paying businesses. Everyone should pay some tax of even a small amount, so the poor will not expect the workers to support all the services.
Allow individuals as well as companies to donate higher taxes voluntarily and to designate where these funds will be allocated much as some charities do. Even publish a list of donors for which these individuals or companies may be recognized.
Allow individuals as well as companies to donate higher taxes voluntarily and to designate where these funds will be allocated much as some charities do. Even publish a list of donors for which these individuals or companies may be recognized.
Across the board salary cuts for state employees, starting at the top, 5% and moving down stopping before the lowest paid employees.
State wide school vouchers = 1/2 the cost of public school education expense per employee. State saves 1/2 the cost and eliminates the need to build more schools
In general cuts in taxes, regulations and the size of government. The biggest problem with the budget is “unconstrained growth of state spending.” There should be cuts in the state income tax, cuts in state spending, including Medicaid. There should be higher tuition for in state students at public universities and community colleges. Finally, the state government pension system be changed to a 401 (k) type system and called for more privatizing of government functions, such as prisons.
Eliminate all of the flowers planted along the highways in North Carolina. These are a nicety, not a necessity. We could save tens of thousands of dollars by not having public or private landscaping crews needed to maintain them year to year. It does not matter that the money comes from license plate tag renewal payments etc., this is simply not a necessary thing to our economic survival.
Monitor gas mileage on State Vehicles. Some vehicles run the entire day, even when the employee is not in the vehicle. Start tracking mileage and cut out the unnecessary riding. Too many state vehicles on the road. All state vehicles(especially DOC) need to obey the speed limit.
When I ride down some of the major highways, I see the “.5” that has been added to the mileage markers along the road. These markers are a reference. The “.5” signs were a total waste of money.
When I ride down some of the major highways, I see the “.5” that has been added to the mileage markers along the road. These markers are a reference. The “.5” signs were a total waste of money.
I have read the comments so far. There are lots of good suggestions.
Add my vote to the privatizing of the ABS stores. The state should not be in any for profit businesses. In addition to all the ABC stores, the fishing pier should be sold. It competes with other private fishing piers unfairly by not being required to operate in an efficient way and getting state funds.
I am in favor or eliminating the tax credits for the movie industry. I see no reason to give millions of dollars to some actors who come in from California, make a movie, and leave. Let the movie industry compete without special tax treatment like every other business.
Eliminate the bribes to businesses to relocate here. States like Texas are attracting businesses because their tax structure makes it a good place to do business. We need to make NC a favorable environment for business without bribes.
Eliminate the insurance coverage for abortions and Viagra from the state employees health plan. In one Nevada school district, this change alone resulted in a savings of more than $750,000. I am sure the savings to NC will be significant and I, and many others, object to paying for the murder of fetuses. Abortion is a legal medical procedure but so are cosmetic breast implants and face lifts. These procedures are optional and optional procedures to improve life style should not be paid for with taxpayer funds. Let the employees pay for their optional life style choices from their own money.
A survey of what portion of employee medical insurance is paid by employees in businesses operating in the state should be done. State employees should pay the same contribution as employees in private industry do.
The state pension plan benefits should be reviewed and reduced to match the average defined benefit pension plans in private industry in the state.
I agree with the need to cut the administrative staff in all state agencies. All unfilled positions should be eliminated from the budget first. Then, target a cut of 10% of all administrative positions. Police, teachers, and fireman should be exempt from the cuts. They are always used as if they should be the first cut. They need to be exempt from the start. Stop using them as a political tool to save the administrative jobs. Everyone in an administrative position should be potential for budget cuts. The legislature should review the function of state departments and, in some cases; these functions should be completely eliminated. A 10% cut should be the target for the whole state. If some complete departments are eliminated, others whose services are more critical should have lower cuts but nobody should be exempt.
All Green programs should be eliminated.
We should change any laws that stop counties from verifying that people applying for public assistance like food stamps, medicade, or subsidized housing from verifying that the applicant is in this country legally. If a person applying for any public assistance is suspected of being in the country illegally, the state and county agencies should pass the information on to ICE for investigation.
We should require the DMV to stop issuing drivers licensees to people in the country illegally. Mexican Mitraculata cards should not be taken as an ID for a NCDL. The same standards used by immigration to determine legal status should be written into the state law. If a person is in the county legally on a visitor or H1 visa or other temporary visa, the NCDL should expire when the visa is due to expire.