Issue Position: Government Spending Accountability

Issue Position

Many politicians seem to forget whose money they are spending in Raleigh. Our state budget is littered with pet projects and wasteful spending. In a time when most citizens are having to cut their personal budgets, the North Carolina legislature just passed its largest budget in history. We wish every citizen received his or her full paycheck without taxes taken out first and then had to sit down and write a check to the government. If government were run more like a business, we would all be better off. That is why Norman believes that zero-based budgeting, coupled with non-biased measures of success in productivity would improve spending accountability in our state government. Zero-based budgeting would require that every department receiving state funds start their budget at zero every year or every other year, as opposed to the current system of starting from what was a line item the previous year. Departments would have to budget what they really needed as opposed to adding to the top. There also needs to be a website whereby citizens can see where tax dollars are being spent. Norman is for open government and more accountability. Pet projects termed as "economic development" that only touch a small portion of the population should not be allowed.

Source