Cliff Surges Proposes Zero-Based Budgeting

A press release from State Senate candidate Cliff Surges:

BUDGET CONTROL WITH A COMMON SENSE APPROACH

Cliff Surges

Cliff Surges, candidate for Illinois Senator in the 33rd district, has called for a change in State budgeting policy in order to reduce irresponsible, rampant spending and the wasteful use of Illinois taxpayer funds.

With the State debt at $61.4 billion and expected to rise to $69 billion by 2014, Surges wants to see “a move to zero-based budgeting”, a transition that “will provide the State’s lawmakers an opportunity to examine where all State funds come from and where they are going: every time the budget is up for review”.

According to Surges, “The current budget policy is simply not rational. Today, lawmakers allocate funds based on the previous year’s budget. But this does not account for changes in need from year to year.”

Currently, the State budget is set at $56.7 billion, with $30 billion in State controlled spending and the rest in Federal grants and matching funds the State has little control over.

It is the uncontrolled spending that creates problems for the State.

“When you are relying on a government that can’t meet deadlines and spend responsibly, the people of Illinois people suffer. This should not be the case,” says Surges.

“We borrow money to pay the interest on the money we have borrowed.

“This is not sustainable.”

Surges believes a new approach to budgeting will alleviate the confusion in funds allocation.

“The 2012 budget is $6-8 billion behind in payments to service providers. It is time to take a new approach to government, as residents we do not run our households and businesses this way. We shouldn’t allow Springfield to do it either. It’s time to hold our lawmakers accountable by electing someone that is responsible.”

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Surges is running against Karen McConnaughay.


Comments

Cliff Surges Proposes Zero-Based Budgeting — 5 Comments

  1. Good idea. This practice should be in place for all governmental bodies.

  2. What’s a good idea?

    That they should review what comes in and what goes out?

    What does that do to help them actually pay the bills and spend less?

    I don’t see a solution here, just another opinion.

    There has to be more to this story.

    This “idea” cannot be the basis of a whole article…….

  3. “as residents we do not run our households and businesses this way.”

    Really? Surges was delinquent on his property taxes for nine straight years because he couldn’t manage his own finances to pay his taxes on time.

    This guy runs his own household and business just like they run Springfield, paying bills late rather than when they are due.

    Try getting your own house in order before thinking you can solve the state finances.

  4. Skippy: Sounds to me like Surges is borrowing a page or two from the Joe Walsh playbook – “do as I say not as I do”.

    We’ll see if one of the pages borrowed includes how to yell at constituents.

  5. Why don’t the McConnaughay consultants, post on comments here, collect their checks and move on?

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