Negotiating a budget

Leading, reacting? Does it matter if the policy that results is a good one? The fact is that the development of a state budget has to be a conversation among many parties — the governor, the Legislature, the state’s citizens, the business community and its advocacy groups. The document, which is the single most important policy document any government can craft, outlines priorities and assigns dollar amounts to allow the state to put them into practice. The process, which begins with the governor’s budget address and unveiling of his budget, only works when everyone speaks his or her mind and is willing to compromise.

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet