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Headlines
Needy States Use Housing Aid Cash to Plug Budgets
Only 27 states have devoted all their funds from the banks to housing programs, according to a report by Enterprise Community Partners, a national affordable housing group. So far about 15 states have said they will use all or most of the money for other purposes.
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Headlines
Census state pension survey 2007-1010
The U.S. Census collects key data from selected state and municipal pension funds every year. State Budget Solutions consolidated the data for the 222 largest state administered defined benefit pension funds from fiscal years 2007 through 2010 to present an overview of each state's pension funds. See how your state is doing.
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Headlines
Latest studies show growing pension peril
Recent studies by the U.S. Census Bureau, GAO, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the Harvard Kennedy School detail the continued deterioration and chance of failure of public pension systems within the overall local and state government fiscal crisis. Read these studies and be aware of the extent of this pressing problem.
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Headlines
Local and state governments look for creative ways to fund transportation projects
Constrained budgets and deficit reduction efforts mean federal fewer dollars for infrastructure. As such, the burden is shifting more to state and local governments, which are being forced to find creative funding solutions.
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Research
"GASB Won't Let Me" - A False Objection to Public Pension Reform
Pension reform is a separate issue from amortization. These two issues have been conflated by those invoking the GASB proviso for closed DB plans, but this has only sown confusion. This is clearly demonstrated when the reform is structured with amortization payments on total payroll. In this way, the growth in the base for amortization payments is unaffected by the reform, so there is no policy reason for changing the schedule of these payments. The funding schedule for amortization is a red herring, irrelevant to the fundamental policy decision for pension reform. Amortization pays for past debts; pension reform lays a path toward a responsible future.
- View All News Stories
Budget timeframe: Biennial
Fiscal Year begins: July 1
Gov. John Kitzhaber
Office of Governor John Kitzhaber
900 Court Street NE
Room 254
Salem, OR 97301-4047
Phone: (503) 378-3111
Fax: (503) 378-8970
http://governor.oregon.gov/
George Naughton, Budget and Management Administrator
Department of Administrative Services
155 Cottage Street, NE U10
Salem, OR 97301-3965
Phone (503) 378-3106
Fax: (503) 373-7643
http://www.bam.das.state.or.us
george.m.naughton@das.state.or.us
2012 Legislative Calendar: Regular Session convenes February 1, adjourns March 6.
Legislative Budget Leaders:
Rep. Phil Barnhart (D), Co-Chair, House Revenue Committee, rep.philbarnhart@state.or.us 503-986-1411
Rep. Vicki Berger (R), Co-Chair, House Revenue Committee, rep.vickiberger@state.or.us 503-986-1420
Sen. Ginny Burdick (D), Chair, Senate Finance and Revenue Committee, sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us 503-986-1718
Sen. Frank Morse (R), Vice-Chair, Senate Finance and Revenue Committee, sen.frankmorse@state.or.us 503-910-9066
Sen. Richard Devlin (D), Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Ways and Means, sen.richarddevlin@state.or.us 503-986-1719
Rep. Peter Buckley (D), Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Ways and Means, rep.peterbuckley@state.or.us 503-986-1405
Rep. Dennis Richardson (R), Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Ways and Means, rep.dennisrichardson@state.or.us 503-986-1404
For information on the legislators elected on November 2, 2010, please see the Ballotpedia Oregon page.
Want a more robust, long-term look at your state's fiscal health, beyond the budget? There are two parts: Click here for the FY2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report compiled by the state government, and click here for information on the state's pension liabilities.
Oregon is required to pass a "balanced budget." Section 291.216(2) of the State law requires a budget report to set forth the aggregate figures to show a "balanced relation between the total proposed expenditures and the total anticipated income." Section 291.254 then requires State agencies to reduce their expenditures should probable receipts be less than what was anticipated. Article IX, Sections 2 and 6 of the 1859 Constitution allow a tax, for the ensuing year, to pay for a deficiency from the previous fiscal year. Oregon law forbids the carrying over of a deficit from one year to the next.
The State maintains 21 individual funds. The State does not budget on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) basis. Budgeted funds include: the General Fund, Federal Funds, Lottery Funds, and Other Funds. We do not know how many funds are included in "Other Funds" and cannot conclude how many are budgeted from information provided by the CAFR. [from the Institute for Truth in Accounting]
Find the state's bond ratings here.
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Budget Processes and Systems :
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SOLUTIONS: Oregon
Budget solution report offers 100 ideas
In light of Oregon facing a budget crisis, the Taxpayer Foundation has issued a master list of budget balancing ideas that do not require raising taxes. These ideas have been collected from Oregon lawmakers, think tank groups, taxpayer organizations, unions, policy analysts, Democrats, Republicans and even ideas utilized in states across the nation.
K-12 Education :
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HEADLINES: Oregon
Governor releases budget counterproposal
Unlike a Feb. 1 plan by the Legislature's chief budget writers, the Democratic chief executive said Thursday he wants to tap reserves to avert the closure of Santiam Correctional Institution in Salem, block a further shift of inmates to other temporary beds, and ease or cancel some smaller cuts in education and human services.
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HEADLINES: Oregon
Oregon's K-12 schools get shrinking share of state budget
An analysis of 10 years of state budgets shows schools are receiving a steadily shrinking share of Oregon's revenue pie.
- View All Oregon articles
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Solutions: Oregon
How to Turn Oregon’s Business Climate Around
Article presenting the elimination of the Oregon state income tax and the end forced unionism as solutions to both budget problems and lack of business growth.
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Solutions: Oregon
Budget solution report offers 100 ideas
In light of Oregon facing a budget crisis, the Taxpayer Foundation has issued a master list of budget balancing ideas that do not require raising taxes. These ideas have been collected from Oregon lawmakers, think tank groups, taxpayer organizations, unions, policy analysts, Democrats, Republicans and even ideas utilized in states across the nation.
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Solutions: Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Alaska, Michigan
State Budget Solutions with Bob Williams
Video of Bob Williams addressing the underfunded state pension fund problem facing so many states. He states that the public cannot afford the benefits and suggests defined contribution programs as a solution.
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Census state pension survey 2007-1010
The U.S. Census collects key data from selected state and municipal pension funds every year. State Budget Solutions consolidated the data for the 222 largest state administered defined benefit pension funds from fiscal years 2007 through 2010 to present an overview of each state's pension funds. See how your state is doing.
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Latest studies show growing pension peril
Recent studies by the U.S. Census Bureau, GAO, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the Harvard Kennedy School detail the continued deterioration and chance of failure of public pension systems within the overall local and state government fiscal crisis. Read these studies and be aware of the extent of this pressing problem.
-
"GASB Won't Let Me" - A False Objection to Public Pension Reform
Pension reform is a separate issue from amortization. These two issues have been conflated by those invoking the GASB proviso for closed DB plans, but this has only sown confusion. This is clearly demonstrated when the reform is structured with amortization payments on total payroll. In this way, the growth in the base for amortization payments is unaffected by the reform, so there is no policy reason for changing the schedule of these payments. The funding schedule for amortization is a red herring, irrelevant to the fundamental policy decision for pension reform. Amortization pays for past debts; pension reform lays a path toward a responsible future.
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OPINION
Public pension 'best practices' omit 1 thing: How do we pay benefits?
Hey, young public employees, what are you going to do when your pension checks bounce after you paid in for decades? That is what will happen in many - maybe all - states and municipalities sooner or later if they do not reform right now. If you want to see the future, just look at Illinois. One citizen there did, and came up with a real reform plan that might work.
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OPINION
COMMENTARY Municipal, state workers should take their pension money and run, fast
Public employees should take their pension money now and run to avoid risk of getting reduced benefits - or nothing - in the future. It's the best deal for them and for taxpayers. A growing chorus of credible voices including the Government Accountability Office, a Federal Reserve bank and now the Harvard Kennedy School Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government confirm state and local government finances are "spiraling out of control" and even draconian reforms only make it "more likely" that future benefits will paid in full.
- View All Pensions
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OPINION: Pensions
Public pension 'best practices' omit 1 thing: How do we pay benefits?
Hey, young public employees, what are you going to do when your pension checks bounce after you paid in for decades? That is what will happen in many - maybe all - states and municipalities sooner or later if they do not reform right now. If you want to see the future, just look at Illinois. One citizen there did, and came up with a real reform plan that might work.
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OPINION: Pensions
COMMENTARY Municipal, state workers should take their pension money and run, fast
Public employees should take their pension money now and run to avoid risk of getting reduced benefits - or nothing - in the future. It's the best deal for them and for taxpayers. A growing chorus of credible voices including the Government Accountability Office, a Federal Reserve bank and now the Harvard Kennedy School Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government confirm state and local government finances are "spiraling out of control" and even draconian reforms only make it "more likely" that future benefits will paid in full.
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BLOG: Pensions
COMMENTARY: This plan could save municipal, state workers' pension checks
Hey, young public employees, what are you going to do when your pension checks bounce after you paid in for decades? That is what will happen in many - maybe all - states and municipalities sooner or later if they do not reform right now. If you want to see the future, just look at Illinois. One citizen there did, and came up with a real reform plan that might work.
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BLOG: Pensions, Federal Government Impact
COMMENTARY: Fed screams softly in warning about public pension crisis
This is what it sounds like when the Federal Reserve Bank screams: "Much has been written about the various headwinds restraining economic activity over the near term. However, our economy also has other headwinds to confront over the medium- to-longer-term. ... the finances of some state and local governments are also under stress and in need of serious adjustments." - Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Sandra Pianalto
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BLOG
Weekly State Budget Update
This week's state budget update from Bob Williams, President of State Budget Solutions.
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