Got any good ideas how to cut the budget?

[Chuysmom]

Jon, if taxes are raised 1/2 percent or 1 percent, how does that effect us so badly? Do the people buy large screen TV's and other luxury items feel bad about paying 1 percent more? I would do that, no problem if it helps. Our excise tax is so low now, it would not be a huge burden IMHO.



Carrie Rojo

http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com


"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

[Jon]

Easy...
business people do not pay taxes... the tax gets pushed down to the consumers. so that 1/2% you are talking about gets multiplied on the way down...

also, who are you to say that 1/2% will not be the last little bit that pushes people from making it, to not making it? By the way... you can write the county or state a check anytime to help them out... why don't you go ahead and give them the 1/2% if you think its a good thing?

No tax in low enough until its gone. I have yet to see a county or state agency run efficiently enough that it needed more money.

Here is simple way for the county to save some money... only have county counsel meetings once a year. only pay county counsel staff for 2 or 3 months of that year and the counsel people get paid nothing not even travel or parking. The other 9 months the people of the island of Hawaii would be safe from their robbing, stealing and other mischief.. (State should be done this way also). Take some of the first years money that is saved and put in a county conference system in each council members office, no more travel needed.



-----------------------------------------------------------
I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
HBAT

[Chuysmom]

People who work for the County and State ARE consumers. What about THEM? What about the kids that are beat on and abused and in danger? Do we fire the people that are trained to make them safe? What happens if fire, police, teachers, etc. are fired? What then? Why do State and County workers get such a bad rap? The pay stinks, and the benefits are NOT FREE by any stretch!

What do you personally have against people who are employed by this State or County, Jon? I'm curious because you always have really negative stuff to spew about them.



Carrie Rojo

http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com


"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

[james weatherford]

If Jon does not even know how to spell "council" (instead of "counsel"), then how can we expect him to know what he is talking about in suggestions for cutting costs?


James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park

[Jon]

LOL... topical egghead response there James thanks for reminding me why I never finished collage. You fell back on the old school rule, when you are losing the debate... get personal...
And now you know why I have no respect for your Ph.D. []


actually I have no problem with county or state people that actually try to do their job... but anyone involved in the "government" side of things are there for the power trip and should not be reward for messing with people lives. I did not say that state and county services needed to be cut... but, that does not mean that those services need to cost 10% more every year... Times are bad... we have had to cut back on things... so should government. Simple economics....






-----------------------------------------------------------
I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
HBAT

[Chuysmom]

Admittedly, there are way too many positions that are superfluous. Hawaii is top-heavy for sure. It may have to do with being so isolated. There has to be a way to support all of these people. (Just my summarized theory - LOL) Afterall, this is an extremely important location for the USA.

* * * * * *

Linda Lingle would have many of the DHS services privatized, which is not a good choice either. One would argue that she might save on overhead, but pays higher salaries, etc. When you speak about services costing 10% more each year, which ones are you referring to, Jon? (Of course, Child Welfare doesn't charge for their services, and actually the monthly stipend to foster parents and guardians has not been increased for many years either, sadly.)

Maybe you refer to Motor Vehicles or another services.

Carrie Rojo

http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com


"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

[JerryCarr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chuysmom

Admittedly, there are way too many positions that are superfluous. Hawaii is top-heavy for sure.

---

Bingo! I think grunt-level public safety (and my definition of public safety includes Child Protective Services) should be exempt from lay-offs. I will never be convinced, however, that we need all the layers of bureaucracy that we have in Hawaii State Government. This is particularly true of the Department of Education where there are all those "coordinators" and "liasons."

I actually met someone with one of those jobs, and I asked her what she did. Her reply was that she facilitated communication between two DOE bureaucratic sub-departments. When I suggested that if those folks could not communicate with each other, perhaps they needed to be replaced or eliminated, you should have seen the horrified look I got.

Raising taxes in a deep recession when most of the citizens are having to be frugal with their money is not the answer. I do not accept that the state employees are sacred cows who should not have to face the economic realities of the times. There is definitely fat there to be cut, and nearly all of it is at the top.

Cheers,
Jerry

[Chuysmom]

Here is the rest of that quote:

quote:

---

It may have to do with being so isolated. There has to be a way to support all of these people. (Just my summarized theory - LOL) Afterall, this is an extremely important location for the USA.

---

___________________

I think you are spot-on with your opinion about too many execs. The amount of paper-pushing is obscene. Your response to the "exec" was really funny!

Carrie Rojo

http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com


"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

[Rob Tucker]

I have been reading the Kenoi Administration proposed budget FY 2009-2010: It is interesting reading in it's way.

So far I have identified a dozen line items where the budget increases, when compared to actual 2008 figures, at rates of
35% to 1,300% (yep. thirteen hundred percent). I have not yet researched the logic behind these items. They total about $12.5 million of increases.

Some things do stand out and scream to me.

Example: The CoH R&D has a budget for "economic development" of $35,000. total. Thirty five grand.

Meanwhile the budget for the Hawaii County Band is increasing by $150,000. The increase for the band is 4x the amount spent on economic development in total.

Anyway, these are some preliminary points I am finding in reading the budget.

More to come I expect.

I will also say that I have found some encouraging areas where it seems some departments and staff have been creative, proactive and are giving the citizens bang for the buck. I applaud them. We need more examples of that.

[Rob Tucker]

Friends of Puna’s Future
2009/2010 Budget Review
April 24, 2009

Re: Bill 49


Budget Line Items with budget increases of 35% or more based on 2008 actual figures. No Police or Fire considered.

Item #

5127.12 Vehicle Registration +39% adds $111,910.
5129.10 Property Management (equip) +600% adds $28,428.
5141.34 Coastal Zone Management +39% adds $94,420.
5181.52 Automotive OCE + 54% adds $1.5 million
5231.01 Construction Inspection +76% adds $256,574.
5251.01 Liquor Control S&W +55% adds $239,948.
5251.02 Liquor Control OCE + 40% adds $198,816.
5271.79 State Incentive Grant +? adds $750,000
5271.78 Traffic Safety Trng Proj. +1,250% adds $92,015.
5311.70 Fed Transit Admin +37% adds $132,323.
5411.10 Area Plan +65% adds $731,244.
5411.93 Healthy Aging Partnership +3,200% adds $77,551.
5471.01 Grants to Nonprofits +?% adds $1.5 million
5501.01 Hawaii County Band S&W +74% adds $126,692.
5503.02 P&R Admin OCE +300% adds $405,958.
5281.01 Traffic Division S&W +46% adds $820,745.
Dept 121 Finance (page 9) +41% adds $3.6 million
Dept 911 Miscellaneous +400% adds $1.2 million
Fund 030 Sewer Fund +50% adds $3.3 million
Fund 070 Beautification Fund +234% adds $128,872.
Fund 075 Vehicle Disposal Fund +343% adds $2.8 million

Total adds above = $18,095,496.00

There is an old business adage which says: "If you watch the nickels and dimes the dollars will take care of themselves."