The Utah budget director turned in the new state budget there
recently.
Now the fun begins: Writing one for Michigan.
John Nixon, sans family for the time being, is saying good-bye to
the Beehive state and transplanting himself smack dab in the middle of
a hornet's nest of a budget mess.
Tapped by the governor-elect to figure out a way to swim out of
$1.6 million of red-ink, Mr. Nixon will find no quick fixes.
Ask Jim Curran.
Mr. Curran recently co-chaired one of those study commissions to
uncover ways to squeeze more savings out of the state government
machine.
The group produced a report and Mr. Nixon wants to chat with
Curran about it and when they do, it could go like this:
Curran: "Mr. Nixon. Welcome to Michigan..I think."
"Thanks Mr. Curran. I've been getting a lot of that lately. So
let me begin. I want to impress Gov. Snyder so give me the quick fixes
first."
"I'm not sure I'm prepared to answer that one," he will say as he
used those exact words in an interview the other day.
Undaunted Mr. Nixon may then ask, "Give me the easiest places
to find new dollars."
And again Mr. Curran will say, as he did in the interview, "I'm
sorry, I really can't answer that."
How come?
There ain't (sic) none.
"There are no easy answers," Mr. C. states the obvious. Those
were used up years ago by other budget cutters. He adds, it is like
the dog chasing the car and gets it and then barks, "What do I do now?"
Welcome Mr. Nixon.
What the heck are you going to do now?