Dear Hecate:
Is it true that that the Senate puts it's own budget recommendations together with little or no attention to either the Governor's Budget or the final House budget?
Hecate says:
First of all, the Senate leadership does pay a great deal of attention to the Governor's budget because the budget document serves as the Administration's workplan for funding and implementing all of our government's public structures.
Two small examples that have been in the news lately. If the Administration is truly committed to providing quality training programs for foster parents, there will be a line item in the Governor's budget that provides enough money for the Department of Social Services to design and implement such a program. If the Administration is truly committed to repairing all the ancient dams and levees to prevent the flooding of homes and farm land, there will be a funded line item in the Governor's budget to do that.
The Senate's job is to analyze the Governor's budget or workplan and to propose some alternative ways to allocate resources -- line item by line item.
Second of all the Senate pays a great deal off attention to the initial House Budget and especially to the amendment process, because the House has already gone through a line item by line item process of proposing alternative ways to allocate resources. One example that has been in the news lately is the good work done by local aid advocates who succeeded in adding over 70 million dollars to the Chapter 70 line item. What was the response from the Senate? A very early announcement during the same week that the Senate was planning to include even MORE money to Chapter 70.
So the Senate will go through a budget debate next week, having already announced most of their major priorities and alternative ideas for how our public structures from the Department of Social Services to the Department of Bridges ought to be funded. There will be a list of line items that are higher than the Governor's Budget and the House Budget, and another list of line items that are lower. No doubt the Senate debate will result in some corrections and some earmarks, but we expect no major new bold million dollar initiatives. Of course we could be wrong. Again.
Who is Hecate?
Hecate is a Greek Goddess who served as a guide and coach at the crossroads of Hades, where after crossing the River Styx, Greek souls found themselves facing three choices: the Elysian Fields, abode of the great and heroic; the Fields of Asphodel, for all who had led a blameless but ordinary life; or to Tartarus, a sunless land of punishment for criminals.
Hecate's best known role in Greek mythology was guiding Persephone, the goddess of spring, on her annual journeys between Hades and Earth. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Hecate is portrayed as a nurturing and protective guide for Persephone on those annual journeys.
