The list of other budget cuts that have been floated is up on the state Web site:
http://finance.vermont.gov/state_budget/rec/fy2009rescissionScanning the list I immediately see some items I'm doing at home, even if I haven't thought of it in so many words (I hardly ever use the word procurement when I'm talking about groceries):
- Freeze all procurement if non-essential items.
- Extend all life cycles of durables like fleet vehicles and technology equipment.
Also on the list:
- Asking UVM and other public entities to cap salaries.
- eliminating some or all public information positions (I'm guessing that one came from the leggie, not the administration).
- 10 percent layoffs (that's 800 people).
- Reopen the state employees' contract (that can only be initiated by the leggie)
- Shorter work week or furloughs of state employees
- Review the purpose of all boards and commissions and repeal the obsolete.
- Consolidate state's attorneys
- Eliminate driver's ed
- Reduce income sensitivity level for property taxes
- Eliminate Next Generation scholarships
- Mothball unpopular state parks
- Eliminate the Commerce Agency.
- Sell some small airports
- Drop the front license plate
- Kill Catamount Health or freeze enrollment (this has Shumlin written all over it)
- More electronic monitoring of low-risk offenders instead of prison
- Send more inmates out of state
- Build a prison and take in other state's prisoners
- Tax junk food
- Tax clothing
- Up the cost of speeding tickets
- Boat-based casino on Lake Champlain (yeah, right)
Those are just some of the options. I'm sure you have more and some thoughts about these.
- Terri Hallenbeck
