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Cutting the budget gradually

You haven’t heard a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth from the folks who run scores of fairs and festivals throughout West Virginia during the past few years, have you? Ditto for the Public Broadcasting crowd and the fine arts folks.

But all of them — and we’re talking thousands of people directly involved in the activities — have suffered cuts in state funding during the past couple of years. Why haven’t they complained?

Because the reductions have been a little at a time — and everyone involved understands this is a time of belt-tightening in state government. We can’t provide as much taxpayer support for non-necessities as we did when fiscal times were good.

Some people would like to eliminate fairs and festivals funding entirely. Seldom do the same folks complain about Public Broadcasting support, I’ve noticed. I guess some cultural activities are acceptable and some are not.

My position has been that the comparative pittance we spend on scores of fairs and festivals — $1,668,297 during the current fiscal year — is an economic development generator. Lots of out-of-staters come to West Virginia for county fairs, ethnic festivals, etc. While here, they spend money.

But here’s the thing: Last year, during fiscal 2016, the budget included $1,853,663 for fairs and festivals. It was cut by about 10 percent, to this year’s $1,668,297. To my knowledge, none of the funding’s recipients griped much.

Then, for the upcoming year, fiscal 2018, legislators cut the amount nearly another 20 percent, to $1,346,814. Again, no one complained (though that’s immaterial, because Gov. Jim Justice vetoed that budget bill).

Look at other taxpayer-subsidy recipients:

Funding for several fine arts programs has been trimmed during the past few years. For example, the Wheeling, Huntington and West Virginia symphony orchestras received $80,025 each last year. This year’s budget gives them $73,823 each but, taking it in good grace and understanding the need for state government to economize, they didn’t object.

Or, look at the Educational Broadcasting Authority, which got $4,902,437 for fiscal 2015. It was cut a bit for FY 2016, then more for the current year, FY 2017. This year’s budget has $4,647,677 for the EBA, about 5.2 percent less than was appropriated for the purpose two years ago.

Again, not much complaining was heard. But when it was suggested earlier this year their state funding be zeroed out, they raised the roof.

So did those who rely on the $14 million to $15 million the state pays to racing greyhound breeders. Would they have been as upset if someone in Charleston had suggested that fund ought to be eliminated — but a little at a time? Perhaps with a 10 percent cut this year, 10 percent the following year, etc.?

Of course, they wouldn’t have liked it. But it would have been far less objectionable than jerking the rug out from under them all at once.

Legislators wanted to do that. Justice vetoed that bill, too.

One more: Some higher education officials were ready for a 4.4 percent cut in their funding. Instead, for West Virginia and Marshall universities, lawmakers (again, in the budget bill Justice vetoed) tried 9 percent cuts. How do you suppose the ‘Eers and the Herd reacted to that?

Meanwhile, the lawmakers were ready to give the Courtesy Patrol, an unneeded, outrageous expense if there ever was one, $5 million for the coming year. It gets $3 million this year.

The bottom line is that legislators trying to hold the line on spending (Justice isn’t) were told they had to slash and burn to balance the budget. Had a program of gradual spending discipline been put in place throughout state government three years ago, when it became apparent trouble was on the horizon, this year wouldn’t have been such a problem.

Once we have a balanced budget for this year, that very thing ought to be tried — because there’s no reason to believe the state’s finances are going to improve anytime soon.

Mike Myer is the executive editor at the Wheeling Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. Myer can be reached at mmyer@theintelligencer.net.

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