Initial messages of Governor W. P. Hobby to the thirty-sixth legislature, state of Texas: Jan. 14, 1919 and Jan. 22, 1919. Page: 21 of 32
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GOVERNOR'S MESSAGES.
21
.
introducing as many bills as they see
fit, and pushing them through as rapidly
as they may be able, but there
can never be an intelligent management
of the State's finances as long
as the temptation is constantly held
out to the individual member to secure
whatever he can for his district.
This is the very foundation of the
pork barrel system, and this system
will never be abolished until the individual
member is limited in his access
to the public treasury.
The establishment of the budget
system may be brought about either
by an amendment to the Constitution
or by the passing of a statute. The
former method would probably be the
better, but until the Constitution is
amended I recommend that it be done
by statutory enactment and joint
rules of the two houses. The Constitution
already provides that the Governor
shall report to the Legislature
the expenditures during the last two
years; thus furnishing the basis for
an executive budget. To assist the
Governor in carrying out and making
this provision of the Constitution effective,
I recommend that there be
established a budget committee, composed
of the Governor, the Comptroller,
the Treasurer, the chairman
of the House Committee on Appropriations
and the chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee. To this
committee should also be added the
Governor-elect, the Compttroller-elect
and the treasurer-elect, when changes
in these offices are to be made. This
budget committee should meet on
the 15th of November of every even
year and should remain in session
from day to day until the budget is
finally worked out. Public hearings
should be held, the heads of the departments
and public institutions being
called before the committee to explain
and defend the appropriations
for which they are asking. This
budget should be sent to the Legislature
by the Governor, with proper explanations
and comments, not later
than thirty days after the beginning
of the regular session. Provision
should be made to allow members of
the budget committee, or either of
them to be designated by the committee,
to appear before the Legislature
or the appropriate committee to explain
and defend the items of the
budget. As suggested above, provision
should be made for restricting
the power of the Legislature toraise, but not lower, the items of the
budget, and also for restricting the
enactment of appropriation bills introduced
by individual members as
indicated abbve.
I recommend that the Legislature,
by statutory enactment and joint
rules, make such provisions as will
render the budget of this committee
effective.
The effect of such a measure as
herein indicated would be to cause
the Governor and the members of the
budget committee to make a careful
and prolonged study of the revenues
and disbursements of the State government.
It would fix responsitiility
for extravagance and abuses upon
them. It would also bring to the
members of the Legislature the
knowledge and experience of the executive
officials, who have had in their
hands the active administration of
the State's affairs-knowledge and
experience which it is impossible for
the members of the Legislature to
gain otherwise. It would also enable
the incoming administration to gain a
thorough knowledge of the State's affairs
from the outgoing administration.
It would preserve and utilize
the experience gained by the chairmen
of the House and Senate committees
in making out and passing the
budget of the preceding biennium.
And, most important of all, it would
take from the members of ,the Legislature
the constant temptation to approach
the public treasury for the
benefit of their respective districts.
Nothing in this recommendation
should be construed as a reflection
on the Legislature or any member
of the Legislature. It is directed
against a system expensive to the
State, affording temptations to which
human nature renders us all susceptible
and to correct which we are
called upon to surrender certain prerogatives
for the common good.
(b) The Merit System.
I recommend that the Legislature
pass a law instituting the merit system,
in so far as it may be applicable,
to all the departments and institutions
of the State. This system has
proven its very great value in almost
all foreign countries, in the United
States Government, and in a number
of the more important States and the
larger cities of this country.
The constant removal in the clerical
forces of the departments of
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Hobby, W. P. Initial messages of Governor W. P. Hobby to the thirty-sixth legislature, state of Texas: Jan. 14, 1919 and Jan. 22, 1919., book, 1919; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5863/m1/21/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .