We Are Not Alone
Are there other life forms out there in the universe? While an alien invasion may be cited by some as the reason for California’s Budget problems, California is not alone in this. Of all of the states in the nation, over half were facing Budget shortfalls before this fiscal year began:
This is expected to get worse as other states, like California, are realizing less in revenue collections so far this year than expected.
In preparation for this budget year, here are some of the actions that other states have taken:
· Across-the-board cuts to all state-funded programs, including education
· Elimination of state government jobs through attrition, layoffs, and/or buyouts
· Increasing tuition and fees for attending state-funded colleges and universities
· Closing corporate tax loopholes
Most of the actions taken by other states have focused on the expenditure side of the equation rather than the revenue side, resulting in belt-tightening for most state-funded operations.
What can we learn from this? We can learn from each other different ways to address the problem. But since what we’re experiencing is a nationwide problem that is likely to be with us for at least several years, all state-funded operations, including education, should constantly be working on gaining efficiencies in operations in order to reduce costs in the short and long runs. This may require improved strategic planning and goal setting, which in some agencies has included incentives to employees, to drive the focus on improving efficiency in day-to-day operations.
—Sheila G. Vickers