COMMENTARY

October 21, 2004

Taxes for services not government jobs

If asked why they pay taxes, most citizens would not respond: "To provide tax-financed employment." Instead, they might say: "To purchase necessary services that only government can provide." And they might assume government has a responsibility to provide those services as efficiently and effectively as possible.

A reasonable belief, but consider what some in state government perceive as a potential "problem" with measures that would make government spending more accountable.

While working to craft the state's 2005-07 budget, Washington's Vulnerable Children and Adults budget team is exploring "more effectively investing human service dollars by focusing on investments in evidence-based practices." They hope this will improve service for clients and give taxpayers a better return on their investment.

The group noted a Washington State Institute for Public Policy report which stated: ". . . many currently funded prevention and early intervention programs in the state have not been rigorously evaluated. Thus, for many programs in Washington, there is insufficient evidence at this time to determine whether they produce positive or negative returns for taxpayers." The budget team also concluded: ". . . the same statement might well be made about many state funded treatment programs."

While evidence-based practices sounds like a common sense approach to budgeting, a potential "problem" with such a reform was identified: "Many of the state's vendors are funded almost solely with state contract dollars. Termination of contracts with vendors who provide services believed to be ineffectual may impact those organizations' ability to remain in business. There would be incentive for the state's contractors to lobby for less rigorous evaluation standards. To retain vendors, it might be necessary to invest in technical assistance to them to shift their programming to services shown to be evidence-based."

Say what? We thought we were being taxed to provide essential services, not to ensure the employment of someone at our expense. The idea that taxpayers should continue paying for "ineffectual" services so the businesses and individuals providing those services can keep collecting money is absurd.

Former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith said it best: "Government should be measured the same way every other enterprise is measured—by results. We shouldn't talk in terms of programs funded or salaries paid, but, rather in terms of neighborhoods protected and workers trained. If people aren't getting a dollar's worth of service for every dollar they pay in taxes, then government isn't helping them—it's ripping them off."

Contact: Jason Mercier | Budget Research Analyst | 360.956.3482

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org