U.S. Representative

Washington, Mar 26, 2012 -

Meanwhile, in D.C.: We have urged our congressman to back a zero-based federal budget. He replied, basically, that he’d think about it. You can turn up the heat on this issue by contacting your representatives and urging support for H.R. 821, by Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla. Like many a great piece of legislation, it is short and sweet, saying:

The President shall submit . . . a budget for each department and agency which contains . . .:

a. A description of each activity for which the department or agency receives an appropriation in the current fiscal year or for which the department of agency requests an appropriation for the budget year.

b. The legal basis for each activity.

c. For each activity, three alternative funding levels for the budget year, and a summary of the priorities that would be accomplished within each level, and the additional increments of value that would be added by the higher funding levels. At least two of these funding levels shall be below the funding level for the current fiscal year.

For each activity, one or more measures of its cost efficiency and effectiveness.

Further, the proposed legislation would require the assumed baseline budget of each department or agency to be zero and adds, “each proposed expenditure shall be justified as if it were a new expenditure.”

I can think of a few reasons – none of them good – why a “conservative” would not support this resolution. First, it would mean more work. Second, and probably more important, it would force legislators to face the wrath of every yelping constituency whose pet projects were cut. Third and most important, our lawmakers would have to give up control of large sums of money. And, as we know, money in motion is power...(read more)