As a Town Meeting Member and as a Selectwoman in my former small town, I fought like HELL to force the town to "rebate" excess "free cash" at the end of each fiscal year. Excess free cash, for those not up on municipal finances, is another word for SURPLUS, or more precisely, "what the town overcharged and over-collected in real estate t…
As a Town Meeting Member and as a Selectwoman in my former small town, I fought like HELL to force the town to "rebate" excess "free cash" at the end of each fiscal year. Excess free cash, for those not up on municipal finances, is another word for SURPLUS, or more precisely, "what the town overcharged and over-collected in real estate taxes during the prior budget year and which clearly was not needed in the budget, because it wasn't spent." The bureaucrats used the "surplus" as their slush fund for their pet projects that would NOT have passed in the budget (due to the frivolous nature of the pet projects) at the annual Town Meeting. In my former town, it ranged from $5 million to $12 million each fiscal year. Believe me when I tell you, the collective gasp from every bureaucrat agency in town, and (shockingly, to me) a large minority of residents, was like I was demanding their firstborn. They are ALL pigs at the trough. There is definitely something pathologically and psychologically satisfying to them, that they live vicariously through spending other people's money. They don't need to purchase or build it for their own use or ownership, but they get this addictive "high" in spending the money. It's another form of insanity.
It's that 'use it or lose it' stress. I worked at a zoo in research, we had a zero based budget each year, and each year in Nov our lab manager was shopping for anything we could possibly spend it all on so the next year we wouldnt have a budget reduction. He said it reaked havoc on his personal finances since hed look for the more expensive options at work but then go home and be willy-nilly about grocery costs and stuff. Sometimes there was up to $70k he'd try to spend down. Never occured to him maybe we shouldnt get it...
Yes , that’s the inefficiency of the government. I am probably a drop in the bucket but I reported it to DOGE as one of the systems of waste. Yearly grants should be needs based and not fixed amounts. You spend what you need and the rest goes back if you overestimated. You need more money next year, you are not penalized and can receive it. It never made sense to me that the government couldn’t understand or deal with that yearly expenses on research will never be the same.
I remember MANY years ago that is you did not spend your allocated budget that the next fiscal year you would be given less... this was from our very own government!
Not just special education. All of education "had" to spend out the money before the next allocation. Otherwise, the next allocation would be for less money than the current one.
@Sarah- I was talking to my MIL once about my father's and stepmother's things and how she'd never get in the way of anything we want whenver ever Dad died. She leaned over the table and said "Honey, death changes people." That resonated with me. Now, Dad died in 2001 and stepmother is now 97 and the best stepmother anyone in life could ever have. She has never denied us anything. I haven't wanted anything (scratch that. One thing and it mysteriously disappeared. Just a small statue my grandmother used to have in her house) but I'll tell you this: 2 of my 4 siblings have become monsters and stepmother isn't even dead yet. She has a book of requests from us kids and other family members. My one sister asked for a couple of small momentos, one brother hasn't asked for anything (he lives his life with his head buried in the sand), my husband recently asked her for Dad's turntable and some LP records of crooners from the 60s and 70s, I asked for nothing but she is giving me an opal bracelet because we share a birthday. The other two siblings? The one who lives in state has been clearing out the house for years, much of it my grandmother's things. I showed up once for a visit (NY to FL so it was obviously planned) and there were BOXES of Gramma's things on the kitchen table they were loading into their van. I mentioned it'd be nice if the rest of us could get a chance to see what's there. They hastily left for home. The other brother? You should see how thick my stepmother's notes are of what all he wants. He just filled up a POD from her house (she's had to move in with a family member 3 hours away from her home) and had it delivered to his place in the NE. Death (and money) most certainly DOES change people. Or does it simply bring out what was already there?
AnneR. Many years ago I worked for a county govt. At the end of the fiscal year if your dept had money left in its budget, you were urged to spend on anything - just spend it - all of it or you next years budget would be reduced by the amount you did not spend. It was then that I assumed all govt worked the same way.
As a Town Meeting Member and as a Selectwoman in my former small town, I fought like HELL to force the town to "rebate" excess "free cash" at the end of each fiscal year. Excess free cash, for those not up on municipal finances, is another word for SURPLUS, or more precisely, "what the town overcharged and over-collected in real estate taxes during the prior budget year and which clearly was not needed in the budget, because it wasn't spent." The bureaucrats used the "surplus" as their slush fund for their pet projects that would NOT have passed in the budget (due to the frivolous nature of the pet projects) at the annual Town Meeting. In my former town, it ranged from $5 million to $12 million each fiscal year. Believe me when I tell you, the collective gasp from every bureaucrat agency in town, and (shockingly, to me) a large minority of residents, was like I was demanding their firstborn. They are ALL pigs at the trough. There is definitely something pathologically and psychologically satisfying to them, that they live vicariously through spending other people's money. They don't need to purchase or build it for their own use or ownership, but they get this addictive "high" in spending the money. It's another form of insanity.
I have always found that if you give any group, club, church, government especially, extra or surplus cash, they will find a way to spend it.
It's that 'use it or lose it' stress. I worked at a zoo in research, we had a zero based budget each year, and each year in Nov our lab manager was shopping for anything we could possibly spend it all on so the next year we wouldnt have a budget reduction. He said it reaked havoc on his personal finances since hed look for the more expensive options at work but then go home and be willy-nilly about grocery costs and stuff. Sometimes there was up to $70k he'd try to spend down. Never occured to him maybe we shouldnt get it...
It's the same in hospital budgeting!
Yes , that’s the inefficiency of the government. I am probably a drop in the bucket but I reported it to DOGE as one of the systems of waste. Yearly grants should be needs based and not fixed amounts. You spend what you need and the rest goes back if you overestimated. You need more money next year, you are not penalized and can receive it. It never made sense to me that the government couldn’t understand or deal with that yearly expenses on research will never be the same.
I remember MANY years ago that is you did not spend your allocated budget that the next fiscal year you would be given less... this was from our very own government!
Exactly… Giving it back?! Unheard of!
Frantic meetings near the end of the fiscal-- "Come on, guys, we need to spend this fast!"
I lived that every October for all the time I was with the federal courts .
Scientific grants as well.
In special education, there would be a rush to spend out the money before the next allocation.
Not just special education. All of education "had" to spend out the money before the next allocation. Otherwise, the next allocation would be for less money than the current one.
I think our Military budgets the same, the month of September(before fiscal Oct 1st) is Buy whether or not needed.
I think “ spending other people‘s money” deserves an acronym: SOPM.
Or OINK
Squandering Quantities Unnaccountably Every End of Era
SQUEEE
Or "sop 'em". I like. 😄
This⬆️
I would love to play a game of Monopoly with Trump. I bet he would win every game hands down.
Reminds me of how I used to ask boyfriends to wrestle with me. I'd lose every time and loved it. Sorry--TMI!
TMI, lol.
Or Catan
Ann,
I wish Florida would rebate its surplus to Floridians.
Maybe in reduced or zero property tax🤔🤞
Take it to a vote of the people. That’s what the Oregon did. They voted in a Refund to the people for any surpluses each year.
I’ve never seen a rebate in OR. When did it start? What’s it called? I’d sure like a rebate on my horrendous RE taxes.
It’s absolutely astounding how money can change people for the worse.
@Sarah- I was talking to my MIL once about my father's and stepmother's things and how she'd never get in the way of anything we want whenver ever Dad died. She leaned over the table and said "Honey, death changes people." That resonated with me. Now, Dad died in 2001 and stepmother is now 97 and the best stepmother anyone in life could ever have. She has never denied us anything. I haven't wanted anything (scratch that. One thing and it mysteriously disappeared. Just a small statue my grandmother used to have in her house) but I'll tell you this: 2 of my 4 siblings have become monsters and stepmother isn't even dead yet. She has a book of requests from us kids and other family members. My one sister asked for a couple of small momentos, one brother hasn't asked for anything (he lives his life with his head buried in the sand), my husband recently asked her for Dad's turntable and some LP records of crooners from the 60s and 70s, I asked for nothing but she is giving me an opal bracelet because we share a birthday. The other two siblings? The one who lives in state has been clearing out the house for years, much of it my grandmother's things. I showed up once for a visit (NY to FL so it was obviously planned) and there were BOXES of Gramma's things on the kitchen table they were loading into their van. I mentioned it'd be nice if the rest of us could get a chance to see what's there. They hastily left for home. The other brother? You should see how thick my stepmother's notes are of what all he wants. He just filled up a POD from her house (she's had to move in with a family member 3 hours away from her home) and had it delivered to his place in the NE. Death (and money) most certainly DOES change people. Or does it simply bring out what was already there?
A reliable source shared how one family member showed up with a truck during the funeral and cleared out possessions they wanted.
@Peace- that's intolerable
AnneR. Many years ago I worked for a county govt. At the end of the fiscal year if your dept had money left in its budget, you were urged to spend on anything - just spend it - all of it or you next years budget would be reduced by the amount you did not spend. It was then that I assumed all govt worked the same way.