Issue Position: Balancing the Budget And Cutting Spending

Issue Position

As mayor of Provo I delivered a balanced budget every year. In my first year as mayor, we reduced the city budget by $5.5 million with the full support of city leaders. By increasing efficiency and innovation we decreased the number of city employees per capita while maintaining quality service to our citizens.

As a businessman responsible for tens of millions in sales and hundreds of employees, I know how to create a budget and stick to it by making cuts if necessary. My business experience has served me well as mayor of Provo and will continue to serve me well in Congress where we desperately need courage and creativity to make difficult decisions.

Everyone (okay, most everyone) knows that we simply MUST cut federal spending and balance our budget. We've been saying it is "unsustainable" for many years and we all know that to be true. The task seems insurmountable and whenever cuts are proposed someone is mad about it and threatens to vote supporters out of office. We can't even make the simple--not easy, but simple--decision to cut the rate of growth of the spending!

Well, enough is enough. It's time to at least take a first step even if it is a small one. Think of where we would be if we'd just started making small steps in the right direction a decade ago, or even five years ago! We cannot let the size of the task or political self-interest get in the way of doing the right thing.

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