Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: “I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience

Most government agency budgets are built by the particular agency rolling up their request defined on the on going and new planned programs. The request goes to the whatever department who rolls up all the agency budges under them and then the request is passed to the Congress, legislature, etc. normally to the appropriate committee(s).

Then through the legislative process the final budget is developed. Congress or a legislature can either pass a "lump sum" budget or in some cases actually cut individual line items. When the final budget is allocated back to the Department - they allocate it to the agencies. If there is a significant budget, either the Department or agency will have to figure out how to live with what they have and that usually means cutting programs.

While it might seem like an agency tries to hold hostage the people with cutting popular programs, in most cases they are given X amount of dollars and if there aren't enough dollars they have one of two choices find more money or cut programs to fit X dollars. Big cuts in budget often mean big cuts in programs and services.

While it took a while to get used to I learned to like the concept of "Zero Based Budgeting" that was instituted during the Carter years on the federal level. The total cost for every project had to be estimated for the current year and 5 years out. Once the cost were understood then every program had to be rejustified every year. It gave you a lot more visibility of the cost and it kept people from hiding cost (if you required 10 hours a week of a tech time at a field sight you had to calculate that in your budget as the tech would charge your program) so you could realistically cut programs in the case of your budget got hit.

Truman

Sisu West Ranch wrote:

"...There may be some substantial "unintended consequences" associated with closing the parks. Politicians ..."

What about the "intended consequences" of convincing a substantial number of voters that they should contact representatives and demand more taxes to pay for the cut programs that they dearly love?*  Everywhere I have lived local school boards have played the "we'll cut athletic programs" card whenever they want a higher mill rate.

Ed

*While I have lived most of my life in the Midwest, I was born in NJ and learned there to be a bit cynical.

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“I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true.” Carl Sagan