So the great state of California is projecting a $40B deficit. This is a pretty substantial number - a deficit greater than that of the entire country of Canada. But, have no fear, Arnie's got a plan:
"The Governor's Road Map For More Efficient Government." He has listed 18 points that he feels will "
make government more efficient and we're going to get rid of that waste and abuse and fraud and all of those kind of things".
So, what kind of drastic action is he taking to shed that $40B deficit you ask? Let me share 8 of his 18 points with you (44% of this well thought out plan...):
Eliminate Department of Boating and Waterways -- Elimination of this department would result in a saving of $600,000 per fiscal year. This department would be moved into the Department of Parks and Recreation and allow for better coordination and management of projects and grants relating to boating access and safety programs. Eliminate Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee -- This would result in saving of up to $165,000. Eliminate Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine -- This elimination would result in a savings of up to $130,000. Eliminate Telephone Medical Advice Services Bureau -- This elimination would result in a savings of up to $157,000. Consolidate the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau under the board of Accountancy -- This consolidation would result in a savings of up to $102,000. Consolidate the Board of Behavioral Sciences and Psychiatric Technicians under the Board of Psychology into a new board of mental health -- This consolidation would result in a savings of up to $113,000. This would allow for more consistent regulations and procedures in these interrelated boards. Consolidate the Hearing Aid Dispensers Bureau under the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Bureau -- This consolidation would result in a savings of up to $6,000. This would reduce duplication and allow for more streamlined and efficient processing. Consolidate the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians with the Board of Registered Nursing -- This consolidation would result in a savings of up to $123,000. These boards already share enforcement staff, stakeholders, and many consumer protection issues. Consolidation would ensure consistent regulations and consumer protections.So, let me do the math there for you..... yup, grand total of $1,396,000. which means... only $39,998,604,000 to go! Now to be fair he also recommends restructuring their IT departments at a savings of $1.5B so it's not all small potatoes however when 40% of your plan results in 3.5% of what you need to save, perhaps you're putting too much energy in window dressing and not enough in making the tough decisions. I'm just saying.....
