What We've Learned About Cutting Budgets

Virtually all public budgets have been scrutinized in rare ways in recent years, and they will continue to be, as we are in only the early years of what promises to be a generation of severe budgetary pressures. Entitlement crises caused by immense demographic shifts will be at the core of imbalances, which is not to say they will be the only cause.

Rudy Boschwitz served on the U.S. Senate’s Budget Committee. Tim Penny coauthored what became known as the Kasich-Penny budget-cutting bill while in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jay Kiedrowski, John Gunyou, and Peggy Ingison served as finance commissioners for Governors Perpich, Carlson, and Pawlenty, respectively.

American Experiment President Mitch Pearlstein moderates the discussion, which focuses exclusively on cutting budgets and reforming programs in smartest possible ways. Questions about the wisdom of various tax policies, of course, are always legitimate when talking about such matters. For this particular event, though, all lasers are on reducing expenses while also strengthening governmental performance.