In the weekly Republican message, state Senator Gary Simpson highlighted a GOP proposal to have state agencies reduce spending across the board by 5 percent.
Simpson says the proposal is in response to Governor Jack Markell’s call for ideas to find savings in the state budget.He adds the cuts may be difficult, but are doable.
"We know a 5 percent reduction won’t be easy, but we have faith in our state employees and agency leaders to find these savings without sacrificing our most critical services," said Simpson.
Simpson says the plan to cut agency budgets would save the state $195 next fiscal year.
He adds that without credible plans to find savings, a budget crisis is “a real possibility.”
Full text of Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson's GOP weekly message
Hello, I’m Delaware State Senator Gary Simpson.
Throughout this legislative session, Gov. Jack Markell has challenged legislators to provide ideas on how to responsibly fund our state’s operating budget.
As a result, we have submitted to the governor a proposal to direct the heads of each state agency to reduce spending in their departments by five cents out of every dollar. The decreased spending would free up approximately $195 million for the fiscal year beginning in July.
This is money that could go toward funding critical transportation projects or giving our dedicated state employees a raise.
But above all, the plan promotes fiscal responsibility. With Delaware’s revenue sources failing to keep pace with budget demands, a budget crisis is a real possibility. Something needs to be done. And it needs to be done immediately.
Our members who sit on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee see example after example of an inefficient state government. For instance, the US Government Accountability Office, estimates Medicaid waste and abuse nationwide to be around 12 percent. With $760 million earmarked next year in Delaware for Medicaid, that translates to more than $83 million in projected waste or abuse. After a declaration last year from JFC leaders to reduce Medicaid waste in Delaware, we have yet to see anything come of it.
We know a 5 percent reduction won’t be easy, but we have faith in our state employees and agency leaders to find these savings without sacrificing our most critical services.
Virtually every working family and every small business owner in Delaware has had to reduce their personal and business budgets by more than 5 percent over the last few years; surely we can do the same. Thank you.
