DQ 8-1
Dq 8-1 Responses
1.
State and local budgets should be based on existing and proposed policies, sometimes. There are many policies that effective however they are some policies that not doing what they are intended for or are outdated. I believe that policies that were once effective may no longer be effective or no longer relevant to the current state needs to be reevaluated in order to receive additional funding. When state and local agencies budget they have to keep in mind of the current issues however they also have to keep in mind of the long-term effects. According to the article budgeting for the Future “policymakers focus on the immediate effects of policy decisions and fail to account for their longer-term consequences” (McNichol, 2014). When state and local budgets finance exciting policies they are showing long term commitment to policies that are effective within the community. When state and local budgets finance proposed polices they are showing they are addressing current issues that pertain to the needs of the communities they are affecting.
Reference
Budgeting for the Future: Fiscal Planning Tools Can Show the Way FEBRUARY 4, 2014 BY ELIZABETH MCNICHOL, VINCENT PALACIOS, AND NICHOLAS JOHNSON Retrieved from: https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/budgeting-for-the-future-fiscal-planning-tools-can-show-the-way
2.
I feel that if the budget set for an already existent policy is being utilized and allocated out properly then yes that part of the budget should remain intact to carry on into the future. But in the long run financing that is allocated out should be an always evolving action plan. What I mean is situation, demands, and needs change constantly. This to me would mean that budgets and financing need to constantly reevaluate and revised according to the needs being met and the needs and goals that are needed to be met. One example is the organization I work for. Every quarter they assess several things. Some of which are how many victims stayed at the shelter, how many victims were aided in getting into housing or a rental. and needed and received help for rent, deposits, furniture, gas, utility’s daycare et. Then they must keep records of how many out-reach clients they help and with what. There is also records of many individuals needed grey hound transportation and help relocating. All these things and so many more resources are used but they vary each quarter. There for what was good before may not nearly cover what is needed in the next quarter. One reason it’s so important is that the frequent assessing of assets and funding helps assess and make it easier to evolve your activities and goals. This needs to be done to ensure that all areas of the program are as effective as they can be. Also, evaluation will aide in identify areas that need more funding or that are just not very effective and need to be cut (Meera, 2013).
References
Meera. (2013). Evaluation: What is it and why do it? Retrieved from http://meera.snre.umich.edu/evaluation-what-it-and-why-do-it
3.
The way state and local governments are being presently financed is not working; therefore, it would be wise to enact new policies based on projection of how much revenue the state or local authority expects to collect. With some improvements to the way state and local governments plan their existing budgets they could increase their ability to make the future de more productive, McNichol, Lay, & Leachman (2015). Improved budgetary planning measures will assist local and state administrators in implementing policies more successfully. Better planning will lead to less uncertainty about impending fund levels and tax revenues to cultivate healthier local and states’ business climate. By knowing how much money will be necessary to finance the budget for or beyond the fiscal year, policymakers will be able to anticipate and respond to foreseeable changes in their revenues.
If the policymakers base their budget on existing financial structure, improvements would be realized; and more expenditure will be available for infrastructure, educating students, and boosting healthcare, training the workforce, and taking care of the elderly, McNichol et al., (2015). If the policymakers are aware of the maintenance cost for services beyond a year, they can be aware of what cost increases are eminent; therefore, avoiding fiscal emergency. Whenever states and local governments fail to employ established budgetary methods they are putting at risk the health, training, education and general welfare of the people they serve, McNichol et al., (2015). At the state and local levels policymakers must choose to be conscious of the consequences of the choice of programs they are funding. Financing without the appropriate forecasting results in fiscal crises; therefore, understanding the impact of deficit spending should be a priority for local and state lawmakers, McNichol et al., (2015).
McNichol, E., Lay I., & Leachman, M. (2015) Better State Budget Planning Can Help Build Healthier Economies