Just So We’re Clear

JANUARY 25, 2012 E-MAIL THIS PRINTER FRIENDLY

Governor O’Malley has released his budget proposal. Given the strong executive model of government we have in Maryland, the governor’s budget is probably pretty close to what the General Assembly will approve. What’s in his budget proposal? Looking at the documents on the Department of Management and Budget, it’s difficult to say. What the state of Maryland spends is the most important issue the General Assembly tackles every year. We’d all benefit from less complicated, more transparent budget documents from the governor.

Part of my job is to look at what the governor has proposed in terms of spending and taxes. Trying to discern that from the documents on the Management and Budget website isn’t easy. For instance, I was looking for his proposal to increase taxes on tobacco products. I searched and searched and still don’t have a clear answer about exactly what he wants to do. Maybe it’s my poor skills at searching government documents, but maybe it’s because the documents aren’t at all clear about what the governor’s plans are.

I’m not alone in thinking this. There was an article at Maryland Reporter that sounds the same themes. It’s difficult for those of us who want to analyze the budget to do so given what the governor has produced.

There’s no reason these budget numbers need to be presented in such an unclear way. The legislature’s Department of Legislative Services does a fiscal briefing that is clear, concise, and has answers to pretty much any question you may have about the budget.

Given that the governor proposes the budget, it makes sense that it is a dense document. Proposed spending for the state needs to be spelled out in minute detail. But that’s no excuse for not providing clear summary documents.

It seems that the reason for the unclear nature of the governor’s budget documents is because he wants to obscure exactly what he’s doing from the public. As the Maryland Reporter article pointed out, you’d have an almost impossible time discerning how much the governor has proposed for spending to increase this year if you relied on his documents.

This lack of transparency is bad for government and bad for Marylanders. Politicians always say they want the public involved in the process, and yet they produce documents that make it almost impossible for citizens to be well informed. The Department of Legislative Services is a shining exception to this and their fiscal briefing document is invaluable in trying to figure out what’s going on with state spending. Governor O’Malley needs to learn a lesson from DLS and produce his budget information in a clear, uncomplicated manner next year.

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posted by : playclox on February 2, 2012 at 02:29 AM

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