Spending a huge surplus

Deseret Morning News editorial
Published: Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 11:45 p.m. MST
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In terms of a fiscal legacy, state lawmakers in the 1990s left a pretty good blueprint for the ones in office today. They were faced with year after year of surpluses, and yet when the great technology bubble burst in the economy, Utah was one of the few states able to weather the storm, albeit with a few leaks and a lot of buckets for bailing.

Now, the mid-session revenue projections issued this week once again show a large surplus. That's welcome news for all those lawmakers struggling to decide how to prioritize the state's spending. But it shouldn't be viewed as the answer to everyone's problems. Lawmakers still need to prioritize, and they still need to use fiscal restraint.

And while they're doling out money for important things such as roads, education and state pay raises — each of which is worthy — they shouldn't forget some of the little things that tend to get overlooked in good times and bad. Programs for the poor and homeless need attention. Adult education needs special attention. It provides hope for people who learn the value of schooling late in life, but it also provides recent immigrants an important avenue for success. Ultimately, it can prevent many other costly social problems.

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We hope lawmakers will give the LeRay McAllister Critical Land Conservation Fund the money it deserves. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. recommended $5 million toward this in his budget. It's money that would go a long way toward preserving important open spaces and, as a result, help to maintain Utah's quality of life despite a high growth rate. In past sessions, lawmakers have all but ignored this important fund.

Lawmakers shouldn't ignore the Children's Museum of Utah's proposed Discovery Center, either. It needs $3.5 million in state money to help it complete its fund-raising goal. That money would pay off in huge dividends. The new center promises to be a source of fun and education for millions of children, as well as a destination place for both locals and visitors. Located at the Gateway, it has the potential to become a valuable amenity for the state.

The latest revenue projections add $48 million in one-time money and $74 million in ongoing money, on top of several hundred million that already had been projected. Surely, the state can use the one-time funds to take care of some of its long-suffering capital needs, such as to shore up the Marriott Library at the University of Utah, which is in danger of collapsing in the event of an earthquake.

Of course, the list of legitimate state needs is, in fact, never-ending. In many ways, a sudden influx of cash near the end of a session can be almost more difficult to deal with than a budget that allows leaders to say they simply have no money to give.

The tech-stock crash of the late '90s isn't likely to repeat itself soon. But economies do go in cycles. We agree with legislative leaders who want to proceed slowly and carefully. They should follow their predecessors in terms of shoring up the rainy-day fund and exercising caution.

But they ought to seize the opportunity to fund some of the little-noticed needs, as well.

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