1. Chapter Fourteen The Budget
This presentation based on Table 8.3 in Bowman & Kearney, State and Local Government, 4th edition, page 216.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.

2. This presentation presents a different look at budgeting.
Introduction
This presentation presents a different look at budgeting.
Instead of focusing on the merits of a program, this presentation will focus on the political actions that bureaucrats can take.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

3. Introduction (Cont’d)
Each of the following slides will present a tactic used by the various agencies when it presents its budgets to the elected officials.
Some of these work better than others, but do keep in mind it is your money they are playing with.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

4. Massage the Constituency
Constituents
Massage the Constituency
Utilize interest groups and groups of member’s districts to testify during budget hearings.
You can also have them contact the committee members (or even the governor) directly to press for a bigger budget.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

5. More, More, More… Always ask for more.
It really doesn’t matter if you are adequately funded now, you can always find new uses for more money.
Besides, if you don’t increase your budget, some other agency will get a bigger share than they deserve.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

6. Spend it all before the year ends.
Spend, Spend, Spend…
Spend it all before the year ends.
If you don’t spend all the money you’ve been budgeted, it looks like you were given too much money. And that’s wasteful.
So even if you have to buy boxes of copy paper that will take years to go through, spend all of your budget.
How can you ask for more money when you still have some left?
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

7. Conceal new programs behind some existing programs.
Hide New Programs…
Conceal new programs behind some existing programs.
The idea here is to put some new program (that would normally be questioned) as an addition to an established program.
Once the new program is established, its budget can be increased along with everything else.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

8. Odds are they won’t cut them and your budget stays.
Popular Programs…
When you find out you have to cut your budget, put the most popular programs at the top of the list of items to be cut.
Alert the interest groups, etc. to lobby for the popular programs and make the legislature cut the popular programs.
Odds are they won’t cut them and your budget stays.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

9. Hiding unpopular programs…
The Rose
Hiding unpopular programs…
Hide any unpopular (especially with the legislature & public) programs as items in other programs.
Be sure to give the unpopular programs pleasant sounding names.
Sex Education becomes “Teaching the Values of Family.”
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

10. Research Study the programs…
When you are told to cut a particular program, argue why that would be a bad idea.
But, the idea can be considered if all the consequences can be identified.
The idea is to make it look like it is too much work to cut the program, and so it should be left alone.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

11. Evidence Smoke and Mirrors
When you present your budget, bring mountains of data and research to support your budget. Be sure to have lots of testimony lined up as well.
It really doesn’t matter if all the support is relevant or not, just make sure it is a lot.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

12. Acceptable Cuts… A Pig in a Poke
When you know the budgets are going to be tight and you’ll have to cut something…
Place several unneeded items in your budget– things that would be nice, but you can live without.
Then when you have to cut your budget, those are the items that go instead of the more important items.
Presentation by Eric Miller. © 2005 Houghton Mifflin, all rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.