10/16/05
A curious thing is happening in the federal government right now as it nears the end of its fiscal year on September 30. It is curious because, as far as I know, this only happens within governments. Having been a long-term employee of the state, I personally know that it happens during the couple of months preceding the end of the state’s fiscal year. And friends tell me that it happens in county governments and school districts.
A couple of months before the end of each fiscal year, the call goes out to all government administrators: If you have any money left in your budget, spend it. They fear that if there is any money left in the budget at the end of the year, they might not be able to justify getting even the same amount next year. So people look for inventive ways to spend the money that is left in their budgets. There is little concern that the hard-earned dollar of the taxpayer is being spent, perhaps foolishly.
Libertarians strongly believe in fiscal responsibility. Therefore we would suggest that a bounty hunter approach be taken to governmental budgets. This would involve requiring governments to publish their budgets on the internet in a form that the layman could understand, and then anyone who can detect waste would be awarded 10%, say, of the amount saved the first year. The total amount saved could then be returned to all taxpayers every year thereafter.
Any present candidates who would like to adopt a position in favor of such a program may contact me and I will send them more complete details of how such a bounty hunter program would work. I think that it would make all government employees more careful about how they spend tax dollars.
Robert Hofer
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