Nervousness at the Capitol

In keeping with the "as seen and heard" tradition, what is the sentiment in Salem this chilly August pre-furlough day?

Faces I recognize in the cafe. Gary Blackmer, runs the Secretary of State audits division. I could legitimately have said hello since when last we were in the same room together it was for a retirement gather for a mutual friend. But alas, either I was in stealth mode (or thought I was? or like to be?) or I just choked.

Another face I wanted to say Merkley but no it was Dave Hunt (Speaker of the House). What about that budget, I could have asked. Where is our salvation. But, I let him stand peaceably in line.

I almost envy the job of the capitol janitor, methodically pushing his silent soft wide broom across the marble floors. And walls too.

Now that they have displaced the bus depot since the Marion county building was determined to have "structural flaws", they say crime is up here at Willson park. Well the townies are at bay today, thank you.

People in agency hallways are already posing what if scenarios about the next Gov. What if it's Dudley. Yes what if. No one can imagine a zero-based budget but perhaps this is just a failure of imagination.

Next week will be interesting- just how do you hack $1 million off the state budget??

On Person One Idea

Republican candidate for Governor Dudley & Zero Based Budgeting, against the entrenched constituency groups.

Is this David vs. Goliath, or will he amass armies to his side in the name of "fiscal discipline for the State of Oregon"?

Well it was fun to think about ZBB as a public administration student. Refreshing, almost. Compared with looking at the massive Washington County budget, and deciding where to make 10% cuts and how to implement the changes and still carry out mandated programs - like collecting property tax.

Or examining the CAFR (Consolidated Annual Financial Report) of Metro, the regional government, which was enlightening really. Enterprise operations such as the Zoo or the Expo center "share" in taxes collected by Metro as a taxing district. Not truly enterprise operations after all (that was in 2003 - maybe things are different now?)

But this is reality, not a student exercise. Can Mr. Dudley take a clean sheet of paper and build a state budget from the ground up?

I am skeptical. For starters, does he even know the mandates state government is bound by - both in terms of state law and also federal law? Um, if you forget to include some things, like say paying matching funds for Medicaid, will the feds forget to fund us?

Is it even possible to do this?

I will watch the rental ads in Salem. I would expect there to be influence peddlers of all stripes descending on the Gov come January. Right now the horse race is 50/50. So there may be groups making "donations" to both sides. As a down payment. Space could be at a premium in Salem. No my cubicle is not for rent!

... But wait - I remember a discussion with our Deputy Director about entrepreneurial government. Maybe I could rent it out, auction it even, online (social media?!). Since from 5pm to 8am I am not occupying it.