Tom Horner on “Making Government Work Better”

Reducing government spending and paying only for those programs that have demonstrated value is essential. But spending cuts have to be real, not just “pass-the-buck” to another level of government kind of fixes. Three approaches – each of them requiring cooperation from all political parties – offer the greatest promise for true spending cuts.

First, we need to streamline government. Minnesota has more than 3,000 units of government, each with taxing authority. Some of this government can be eliminated, much of it can be programmed to work better. When there are overlapping layers of government, we end up with inefficient government. For example, the head of the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) recently pointed out that county social workers now spend about 45 percent of their time filling out forms required by the state. That serves neither their clients nor taxpayers. By realigning government responsibilities and eliminating redundancies, less government can do a better job at lower cost.

Second, we need to look at every dollar that is spent to make sure taxpayers are getting full value, and that the programs supported are a legitimate role of government – and that includes all the subsidies for businesses and individuals that are hidden in the budget.

Third, we need to invest in smarter government. Government should be as innovative and aggressive in adopting new technologies and streamlining operations as Minnesota’s leading businesses. We can’t have a 21st Century government with 20th Century technology and processes. We need to start building for a population that will be older, an economy that is increasingly global and technologies that are reforming every aspect of our lives. Reform also means that we have to demand more accountability, from government and individuals. If taxpayers are paying for a program, they have a right to know the outcomes that are expected and whether they are being achieved.