12.14.09
Ogden and the budget
In today’s HChron Peggy Fikac’s article give us some interesting insight into how the budget process works in the Texas Senate, Legislator with right answer for lean times. It seems as though Ogden provides the “bad cop” cover for many senators, of both parties.
As Texas lawmakers prepare for a budget crunch, some felt relief and others trepidation when Senate Finance Committee Chair Steve Ogden changed his mind and filed for re-election.
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“Steve and I disagree on a number of things, but I think his working knowledge of the budget is going to be needed,” said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio. Why is that crucial? “I guess it’s because nobody knows how to say ‘no’ better than Steve Ogden,” Van de Putte said. “We’re going to have to say ‘no’ a lot. We have to be really smart about it. You just don’t cut 10 percent across the board. You need to be very delicate with this budget scalpel.”
The “no” factor is exactly what concerns Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, who this year pressed for an expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He said its fate was sealed even before GOP Gov. Rick Perry undercut the idea by saying he likely wouldn’t favor it.
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Ogden noted that he’s far from a lone actor when the budget is crafted: “It’s misleading to sort of portray it as some sort of arbitrary process where you start amputating programs that other people favor. You’ve got to build a consensus, and you’ve got to pass that bill with a two-thirds vote in the Senate.”
While last sessions budget was relatively painless, as compared to how they’re projected in the future, from the way legislators voted (only 2 nays in each chamber) it looks like they liked the final product. Of course last session there was money, so next session it’s likely the no’s/cuts will more brutal than they were last session. Ogden, despite Dewhurst’s protestations, knows that the budget was balance because of the federal st imulus last session. With a structural deficit and the continued shrinking of sales tax receipts it’s going to be a battle next session to balance the budget. With a weak Lt. Gov. (if Dewhurst is reelected), it appears the Texas GOP felt it couldn’t go through a session without Ogden (see Democrats Need a Lieutenant Governor to Stop David Dewhurst, Possible “Republican Majority Leader”.)
Again,EOW doesn’t buy into the Ogden as budget messiah argument, that so many in the Texas tradmed seem to accept without argument. Yes, he can balance a budget. But the question that’s not being asked or answered is, is the way the Ogden lead Senate balances the budget best for Texas? Not to mention, it’s the law in Texas – the budget must be balanced – so if we had a new Lt. Gov. and new chair of the Senate Finance it would get done as well. Just with a different set of proprieties.
Unfortunately, if nothing changes, it’ll be Ogden who will set the frame for how the Texas budget get’s balanced in the next legislative session. Which means more of the same – more for corporate welfare, less for human welfare. Still hoping that Eliot Shapliegh will run for Lt. Gov.