The Problem With Politicians
I bet there are a lot of citizens who wish their state governments were where Wyoming's is right now. Except, if the citizens of Wyoming where smart they'd be wishing that their government was handling the situation a little differently.
If the state has big budget surpluses doesn't that mean that taxes and fees are bringing in more money than the government needs? Perhaps, instead if inventing new ways to spend that money, the government should give some of the money back to the people who actually earned it?
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Budget crunch? Program cuts? New taxes? Not in Wyoming, where record surpluses prompted an unprecedented spending spree by lawmakers the past two sessions.
Spurred by a huge windfall from mineral taxes, especially on natural gas, lawmakers boosted state spending on government operations from $1.6 billion to $2.5 billion in two years, an eye-popping 56 percent jump.
"It seemed like they were spending like drunken sailors," observed Nancy Harris, a resident of Rawlins in southern Wyoming.
If the state has big budget surpluses doesn't that mean that taxes and fees are bringing in more money than the government needs? Perhaps, instead if inventing new ways to spend that money, the government should give some of the money back to the people who actually earned it?
