voting on government budgets

[Robert Probasco <rcp@uidaho.edu>]

On Wed, 3 Jun 1998, John Danahy wrote:
> Recently, on a trip to New York, I was stunned by the New York State law
> that required cities, towns, villages, and school districts to submit their
> yearly budgets to the voters for approval.  If the proposed budget fails to
> get a simple majority, the governing entity must rework it and try again.
> Or do a last resort bare bones budget.
> How does everyone feel about this concept?

Nice idea.  Most countries, like the USA, entrust a single entity (like
Congress or the legislature) to collect AND spend public monies.  I
believe Switzerland is different, in that the spending agency is distinct
from the assessing & collecting agency.  Swiss voters decide how much they
will be taxed, and the government services must be confined to those
constraints. 

Most American communities rarely get to vote directly on a tax increase --
except for the periodic school bond levy.  Imagine what would happen if we
voters could vent our spleen on other issues: prisons, welfare, university
salaries and expenditures, state parks, licensing fees, etc.  

I can understand why New York presents an all-or-nothing choice to voters. 

	Bob Probasco	rcp@uidaho.edu