Policy Issue Guidelines for this Conservative
Problem
Goal
Methodology (How you are going to deal with something)
Follow Up
So what does all of this
stuff mean? This is how I think legislation should be written. First you find
a problem that you think needs to be solved. Then you develop a specific goal,
like decrease spending by X%. A bill should be focused on only one goal. Next
you get into your methodology – your overarching way dealing with the problem.
Finally you get into the specifics (ie what needs to be changed to accomplish
your goal, how much, and in what manner something must be changed. After you
are done, at some point you have to look at the bill you made and see what the
actual results are. There may need to be tinkering in the specifics if you
didn’t get what you wanted to happen. This is not exactly continuous quality
improvement level stuff, but it is probably closer to it than what the current
congressmen use.
When Not to Spend
When should the government not spend money? They
should not spend money when they are running deficits or debt. Also government
should not spend money because they have free resources to spend. It is the
taxpayers’ money that is being spent, not the government’s.
One Time Versus Perpetual
This is about spending. Is a bill/program a onetime
cost or a continuing expense? Onetime expenses are preferred. This is the fix
a problem and then be done with it approach. Perpetual expenses (like programs)
are playing with fire. Take pretty much any social program in the history of
the US. The cost of a continued program has been understated. You may not be
able to scrap the program once it has gone on for a while.
Decision Criteria
Just for some fun here are some decision criteria I
would use. Maybe this is not criteria so much as what I would want to know. i
had a list of criteria in my mind, but I am struggling to remember them.
Remember that congress is spending the taxpayer’s money and has a responsibility
to do so responsibly.
Cost
- * Start-up cost and transition costs for program or bill
- * Operating cost of program or bill, broken down as a series of yearly cash outflows
- * Ending cost
- Hidden costs – like debt interest, salary increases associated with program
- How is this going to be funded, how are cost overruns funded/dealt with
Scope
- Who/what is covered by bill
- Who/what should be covered by bill
- Who/what is not covered
Rationale and other
stuff
* Why is this bill necessary (if
it is)
What are you
trying to accomplish
Why are you
trying to accomplish this
Who will it
help
Who will it
hurt
What rights
if any are surrendered
Should this
be done at this particular government level
One time or
perpetual
Threat of
dependency
Is there an
out (way to end bill/program)
Is it really
worth it
Alternatives
Further
questions
* Will this add to the deficit/debt? –
Y/N
* Is this a transfer program? –
Y/N
* Is there a private alternative? –
Y/N
* Does this potentially infringe on free market
forces? – Y/N
* Does this have a dependency potential? –
Y/N
* Does this limit rights? Y/N (if so how)
Original Post Date: 03/20/11 (sorry about the possessed formatting)
No comments:
Post a Comment