General Assembly reconvenes: Forget dogma; only decisions will do

The Gold Dome is not a courthouse, but Georgia’s future goes on trial starting Monday as the General Assembly resumes session.

Before our elected leaders are tasks of an enormousness that’s nearly impossible to overstate. Georgia’s very big problems demand real solutions, not dogma or politically popular stall tactics. If inaction carries the day or, worse yet, short-sighted or inapt decisions are made, our state’s well-being will be stunted for years to come.

This is not the year for any of that. Unlike times past, when a well-oiled economy kept state coffers full, no such savior shall be found in 2010, thanks to the recession.

Georgia is facing a state budget that’s almost $4 billion smaller than just two years ago, a reduction of 15 percent.

The factors affecting the state’s fiscal calculus don’t stop with just a recitation of the hard times we’re facing, either. Georgians must add in the potent variable of November’s elections that will affect all statewide offices and legislative districts. That means partisan gamesmanship will likely be in high gear.

Next, plug in the political uncertainty that’s the product of a dominant Republican Party still limping from the alleged scandal that forced the resignation of House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

Finally, toss in the budget, which is slamming headlong into the constitutional mandate for balanced spending. That leaves no option but to tally the tidal waves of red ink and make the hard choices needed to make revenues match the current reality. Doing so will involve making large cuts in state spending. Legislators should also have the courage to consider at least modest hikes in some taxes or fees.

It’s easy to give a rousing campaign speech about cutting fat from bloated budgets, but the easy marbling has already been sliced off the budgetary roast. So truly difficult choices face us.

Most state spending in Georgia is concentrated in areas most reasonable people would be loath to call nonessential. For the fiscal year that began July 1, for example, 57 percent of recommended state spending was targeted for education. Health care was 21 percent. Public safety totaled 8 percent and 5 percent went toward debt service. That’s 90 percent of the budget total right there.

The billion-dollar questions will come in where to cut further without damaging our chances for recovery once this recession fades away. Do we really want to slash education too much further across the board, given that a teachable, well-prepared work force is a key selling point in efforts to draw companies and their jobs to Georgia? At risk are hard-won statewide gains in education.

Cramming more inmates into fewer prisons isn’t an attractive choice, either. A more-dangerous one is to turn felons out onto the streets early, creating more work for police departments already stretched pretty thin.

In fairness, it’s likely that prudent cuts can yet yield some millions more in savings with minimal harm to core governmental functions. Finding another billion or more to cut will be extraordinarily difficult. And legislators should consider whether doing so will imprudently hinder our ability to plan for the infrastructure we’ll need once the economy recovers. If we don’t solve transportation woes, for example, economic development — and tax revenue — will suffer, perhaps permanently. Ditto for water. That cannot happen.

In these times, it does make sense to search for efficiencies by looking at state government from the bottom up. Are there agencies that can be reduced in scope or function, merged, or even eliminated?

Elected leaders should also examine ways to boost revenue without unduly slamming taxpayers. DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis took that politically bold step last week, suggesting that both serious cost-cutting and a tax hike were needed in his county.

Yes, Georgia’s low taxes and pro-business environment have played a big role in the state’s prosperity. That philosophy should remain, but are there new sources of income that would not swamp either businesses or households? We think so. Legislators should have the courage to seek them out.

Georgia’s present challenges are of a level not seen in generations. This legislative session will test our state’s ability to provide real leadership. Our future rests on how well they rise to the task.

Andre Jackson,
 for the Editorial Board

In coming weeks and months, we will look at major issues Atlanta must address in order to move forward as the economy recovers. Look for the designation "Atlanta Forward," which will identify these discussions.