|
law by the governor's veto if it is a pro-
gram, not a requirement that something go
into effect at some future date. You have
got to find the means by which you are
going to pay for it by means of taxation.
What has happened, Delegate Bennett, in
Maryland is this, as distinguished from the
federal bill. We provide for a balanced bud-
get. The governor presents his as a bal-
anced budget. There is nothing awkward
about the fact that the governor has addi-
tional programs. The legislature has addi-
tional programs. They are not always the
same.
The legislature can get its program
through by providing the means by which
to finance it. This is one of the really im-
portant aspects of sound fiscal government
and sound fiscal management. You want it,
show us how we are going; to pay for it. If
you do not, you are just simply providing
an open end that could wreck havoc on the
state fiscal system.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding):
Delegate Bennett.
DELEGATE BENNETT: My comment
does not go to any great broad program
in terms of millions of dollars where extra
taxes or the budget would be unbalanced
by it. but it goes to a relatively small item,
perhaps increasing the salaries of a certain
group.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding):
Delegate Sherbow.
DELEGATE SHERBOW: I have never
sat in the legislature, but I have friends
who tell me and I read. Those delegates
come around and see the governor and they
talk, and the governor thinks they are right
or sometimes if he thinks he needs them,
he may send in his amendment to the ap-
propriations that he has asked for in the
budget.
You see, if they are as small as that and
if they are worthwhile, and of course I
assume they are always for the best inter-
est of the State of Maryland, then they will
get in the budget.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding):
Delegate Bennett.
DELEGATE BENNETT: Well, it leaves
a tremendous amount of power in the head
of the budget system here. He is a practical
dictator.
I know from having dealt with budget
directors in other places it is pretty frus-
trating on the administrative officer not to
have some appeal to the legislature.
|
Is there any way, or would you object to
any way by which a proviso could be put in
which would allow, or prohibit, the gover-
nor from reducing an appropriation or ex-
cluding an appropriation specifically pro-
vided for by a special bill?
DELEGATE SHERBOW: If that is the
law which is already in effect, he has to
provide for it. But he cannot anticipate a
bill that may be passed, except to the ex-
tent that in the supplementary appropria-
tion he can provide for it. But if you are
talking about a law that has been passed
which he may despise and have no use for,
he has to include that in the budget. To
prohibit a law yet to be passed, he could
not possibly know what is required.
We have these safeguards for which I
am thankful.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding) :
Delegate Bennett.
DELEGATE BENNETT: It makes it a
difficult question, Judge Sherbow. I do not
know how much it advances the security of
the budget system to hem it around with
so many restrictions.
Thank you very much, sir.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding) :
Does Delegate Henderson still wish the
floor? Delegate James, you asked for the
floor a minute ago. The Chair recognizes
Delegate James.
DELEGATE JAMES: The only point is
that we are setting up a system under
which the governor has complete control
of his department head. I cannot visualize
the department head going to the legisla-
ture over the views of the governor.
DELEGATE SHERBOW: Yes, I can
visualize some member of the legislature
going to the governor over the heads of
the department.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding) :
The Chair recognizes Delegate Maurer.
DELEGATE MAURER: I have a ques-
tion for you on section 6.04, line 9, the
first two words, "by program."
1 recognize, of course, the value of a
program type budget as a modern tool in
good budget making, but I wonder whether
we are so all-knowing that we ought to
constitutionalize it. In 20 or 30 years
there may be another way of budgeting
which is modern and forward-looking. I
wondered why the Committee wanted to
constitutionalize a program type budget.
|
