Budget restraint is essential, so is proper public investment

Budget restraint is essential, so is proper public investment

In a column that appeared in multiple Nebraska newspapers, OpenSky Executive Director Renee Fry wrote, “Limiting budget growth is responsible and laudable. Tax dollars should never be wasted. But limiting budget growth at the expense of adequate public investments can lead to dire costs that far outweigh the financial price of properly investing in vital public services.”

In the column, Fry notes that Nebraska in the past decade has felt the consequences of not prioritizing smart investments in vital services like schools, health and human services and corrections. While lawmakers in recent years have repaired much of the damage caused by inadequate investments in key services, challenges remain and will be even more difficult to face considering lawmakers face a $234 million budget shortfall next session.

As a note of clarification, the column references the 3.7 percent growth in the current budget. Some recent reports have cited different rates of growth, ranging from 3.5 percent to 3.7 percent. The 3.7 percent growth cited in the OpenSky column came from the Legislative Fiscal Office’s current General Fund Financial Status (see line 33). Read the full column online.