The Massachusetts budget
Just for fun, I decided to go through the Massachusetts budget and decide which things I would cut. I am kind of libertarian and believe that the only things taxes should pay for are the military, roads, and the legal system, so be warned that if you believe in government-funded social programs, you aren’t going to like this budget. I basically tried to cut everything that isn’t absolutely necessary for the state to function. However, there might be many more things that could be cut, since the real state budget is very long and complicated, and I did not know exactly what some of the items were. I generally did not cut anything unless I had a good idea of what it was.
It is based on the fiscal year 2009 budget. To save time and space, I didn’t list what each line item was, so you need to look at the 2009 budget to see that. Below are all the line items that I would cut, with the amount of money I woud cut in parentheses next to them. They are organized by department, in the order that they appear in the 2009 budget. Next to the name of each department is the amount of money that my cuts would total for that department. The grand total is at the end. Line items that I would not cut are not listed.
Without further ado, here is the list:
EXECUTIVE ($300,000)
0411-1005 ($300,000)
TREASURER AND RECEIVER-GENERAL ($2,050,000)
Office of the Treasurer and Receiver-General
0610-0060 ($350,000), 0611-1010 ($1,700,000)
MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL ($17,912,723)
0640-0300 ($12,658,827)
Department of Veterans’ Services
1410-0015 ($50,000), 1410-0100 ($98,000), 1410-0250 ($2,827,430), 1410-0251 ($2,278,466)
STATE AUDITOR ($859,745)
0710-0225 ($859,745)
ATTORNEY GENERAL ($4,466,909)
Office of the Attorney General
0810-0021 ($3,067,021)
Victim and Witness Assistance Board
0840-0100 ($610,100), 1840-0101 ($789,788)
OFFICE OF CAMPAIGN AND POLITICAL FINANCE ($1,285,141)
0920-0300 ($1,285,141)
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION ($70,000)
0940-0102 ($70,000)
EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE ($60,958,410)
Department of Revenue
1201-0164 ($6,547,280), 1233-2000 ($17,241,130)
Reserves
1599-1004 ($8,250,000), 1599-1971 ($2,000,000), 1599-2008 ($1,500,000), 1599-2009 ($2,420,000), 1599-6901 ($23,000,000)
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ($603,289,788)
Department of Fish and Game
2310-0306 ($497,148)
Department of Agricultural Resources
2511-0100 ($400,000), 2511-0105 ($12,000,000), 2511-2000 ($1,500,000)
Department of Conservation and Recreation
2800-0600 ($750,000), 2810-0200 ($2,024,405), 2820-2000 ($1,000,000)
Department of Early Education and Care
3000-1000 ($13,867,894), 3000-2000 ($25,410,771), 3000-2050 ($1,349,658), 3000-3050 ($79,091,314), 3000-4050 ($197,745,274), 3000-4060 ($213,569,917), 3000-5000 ($10,000,000), 3000-5075 ($12,138,739), 3000-6000 ($1,738,739), 3000-6050 ($4,558,000), 3000-6075 ($2,900,000), 3000-7000 ($13,192,235), 3000-7050 ($9,555,694)
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ($8,395,738,878)
Office of the Secretary
4000-0050 ($300,000), 4000-0112 ($5,845,000), 4000-0265 ($1,700,000), 4000-0300 ($145,368,773), 4000-0301 ($2,225,904), 4000-0352 ($3,500,000), 4000-0355 ($1,888,616), 4000-0430 ($111,900,000), 4000-0500 ($3,121,385,000)
Executive Office of Elder Affairs
4000-0600 ($2,158,355,058), 4000-0640 ($288,500,000), 4000-0650 ($20,000,000), 4000-0700, ($1,535,816,000) 4000-0870 ($122,700,000), 4000-0875 ($5,500,000), 4000-0880 ($211,100,000), 4000-0890 ($40,300,000), 4000-0891 ($5,200,000), 4000-0895 ($19,400,000), 4000-0990 ($16,500,000), 4000-1400 ($16,591,488), 4000-1405 ($304,600,000), 4000-1420 ($238,900,000)
Office for Refugees and Immigrants
4003-0122 ($650,000)
Division of Health Care Finance and Policy
4100-0060 ($17,513,039)
OFFICE OF DISABILITIES AND COMMUNITY SERVICES ($1,131,082,344)
Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
4110-1010 ($8,351,643), 4110-1020 ($369,796), 4110-2000 ($10,663,291), 4110-3010 ($3,045,455), 4110-4000 ($1,923,538)
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
4120-1000 ($647,128), 4120-2000 ($10,982,471), 4120-3000 ($8,561,446), 4120-4000 ($12,449,034), 4120-4001 ($88,889), 4120-4010 ($884,393), 4120-5000 ($5,868,362), 4120-6000 ($10,933,588)
Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
4125-0100 ($5,783,283)
Department of Youth Services
4200-0010, ($5,657,621) 4200- 0100 ($22,828,627), 4200-0200 ($25,719,287), 4200-0300 ($105,563,546), 4200-0500 ($3,300,000)
Department of Transitional Assistance
4400-1000, ($68,136,719) 4400-1001 ( $2,932,760), 4400-1025 ($722,345), 4400-1100 ($58,872,706), 4401-1000 ($27,720,672), 4401-1100 ($7,000,000), 4401-2000 ($302,742,675), 4401-2007 ($1,200,000), 4401-2119 ($6,927,953), 4403-2120 ($87,224,342), 4405-2000 ($219,304,536), 4406-3000 ($36,281,684), 4406-3010 ($1,200,000), 4408-1000 ($72,476,084)
OFFICE OF HEALTH SERVICES ($547,236,615)
Department of Public Health
4510-0100 ($21,911,667), 4510-0106 ($35,000), 4510-0110 ($7,457,772), 4510-0600 ($4,133,923), 4510-0715 ($850,000), 4510-0716 ($500,000), 4510-0720 ($250,000), 4510-0790 ($1,246,896), 4510-0810 ($3,623,068), 4512-0103 ($37,666,608), 4512-0106 ($1,500,000), 4512-0200 ($80,557,456), 4512-0201 ($5,000,000), 4512-0202 ($5,000,000), 4512-0225 ($1,000,000), 4512-0500 ($3,147,016), 4513-1000 ($7,620,000), 4513-1002 ($13,565,092), 4513-1010 ($6,500,000), 4513-1012 ($24,600,000), 4513-1020 ($42,936,049), 4513-1023 ($84,076), 4513-1024 ($350,000), 4513-1026 ($4,753,239), 4513-1111 ($14,709,996), 4513-1130 ($6,391,677), 4516-1000 ($15,653,231), 4530-9000 ($4,055,586), 4570-1502 ($1,000,000), 4580-1000 ($51,581,508), 4590-0250 ($17,457,134), 4590-0300 ($12,750,000), 4590-0915 ($144,881,131), 4590-1503 ($1,000,000), 4590-1506 ($3,500,000)
OFFICE OF CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILY SERVICES ($810, 480,452)
4800-0015 ($77,337,703), 4800-0021 ($5,000,000), 4800-0036 ($740,076), item between these that has no number ($313,792,694), 4800-0041 ($229,554,705), 4800-0091 ($3,000,000), 4800-0151 ($319,171), 4800-1100 ($157,262,697), 4800-1400 ($23,473,406)
OFFICE OF HEALTH SERVICES ($1,948,946,099)
Department of Mental Health
5011-0100 ($38,359,864), 5042-5000 ($76,201,535), 5046-0000 ($322,068,305), 5046-2000 ($22,452,466), 5047-0001 ($36,228,259), 5095-0015 ($181,899,591)
Department of Mental Retardation
5911-1003 ($73,863,906), 5911-2000 ($14,137,324), 5920-2000 ($569,561,352), 5920-2006 ($2,000,000), 5920-2010 ($137,437,683), 5920-2020 ($87,971,902), 5920-2025 ($129,159,457), 5920-3000 ($56,094,228), 5920-3010 ($6,264,413), 5920-5000 ($7,700,000), 5930-1000 ($187,545,814)
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF TRANSPORTATION ($602,663)
Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission
6006-0003 ($602,663)
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ($4,000,000)
7002-0013 ($4,000,000)
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ($194,355,127)
Department of Workforce Development
7002-0012 ($8,100,000), 7003-0604 ($1,500,000), 7003-0701 ($21,000,000), 7003-0702 ($11,038,500), 7003-0803 ($5,500,000), 7003-1641 ($200,000), 7004-0099 ($12,244,245), 7004-2475 ($5,750,000), 7004-3036 ($2,171,925), 7004-3045 ($500,000), 7004-4314 ($490,401), 7004-9005 ($66,500,000), 7004-9024 ($33,047,202), 7004-9030 ($4,000,000), 7004-9033 ($4,000,000), 7004-9201 ($4,500,000), 7004-9316 ($5,500,000), 7004-9317 ($700,000)
Division of Standards
7006-0066 ($300,000)
State Racing Commission
7007-1200 ($250,000), 7007-1300 ($1,460,000), 7007-1500 ($1,102,854)
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION ($429,679,412)
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
7010-0005 ($16,780,047), 7010-0012 ($21,615,313), 7010-0020 ($1,450,000), 7027-0016 ($3,119,517), 7027-0019 ( $4,129,687 ), 7027-1004 ($470,987), 7030-1002 ($33,802,216), 7030-1003 ($3,740,000), 7030-1005 ($2,900,000), 7035-0002 ($31,176,348), 7051-0015 ($1,247,000), 7053-1909 ($5,426,986), 7053-1925 ($4,277,635), 7061-0012 ($229,000,000), 7061-0029 ($2,974,554), 7061-0222 ($400,000), 7061-9404 ($13,391,393), 7061-9408 ($9,175,041), 7061-9411 ($1,000,000), 7061-9412 ($17,500,000), 7061-9604 ($2,032,758), 7061-9610 ($550,000 ), 7061-9611 ($5,550,000), 7061-9621 ($765,000), 7061-9626 ($2,770,500), 7061-9634 ($712,000), 7061-9805 ($250,000)
Department of Higher Education
7066-0009 ($467,500), 7066-0015 ($2,000,000), 7066-0016 ($1,285,000), 7070-0031 ($1,965,638), 7520-0424 ($5,670,398), 7100-0300 ($1,917,454), 7100-0700 ($166,440)
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY ($35,315,801)
Criminal History Systems Board
8000-0110 ($6,732,924), 8000-0125 ($4,928,494), 8000-0202 ($120,000), 8100-0111 ($3,600,000)
Municipal Police Training Committee
8800-0200 ($2,911,398)
Department of Correction
8900-1100 ($1,200,000), 8910-0002 ($155,040), 8910-0003 ($2,600,000), 8910-0010 ($2,700,829)
Parole Board
8950-0002 ($292,244), 8950-0008 ($600,000)
Registry of Motor Vehicles
8400-0016 ($600,000), 8400- 0100 ($8,874,872)
DEPARTMENT OF ELDER AFFAIRS ($292,399,411)
9110-1455 ($57,533,656), 9110-1500 ($48,199,305), 9110-1604 ($4,202,915), 9110-1630 ($106,715,568), 9110-1633 ($40,368,041), 9110-1636 ($16,246,087), 9110-1640 ($225,000), 9110-1650 ($250,000), 9110-1660 ($2,789,031), 9110-1700 ($450,000), 9110-1900 ($6,804,740), 9110-9002 ($8,615,068)
LEGISLATURE ($252,634)
Commission on the Status of Women
0950-0000 ($252,634)
GRAND TOTAL: $14,481,282,150 (that’s over $14 billion that my budget would save compared to the 2009 budget)