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Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, (R-Idaho), on what the federal government can learn from how the state reduced its spending.
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Cure a sick economy -- -- -- my next guest hello Idaho governor of Butch -- it's all about getting spending under controlling you have to practice what you preach.
And in his state the governor has been doing just that governor very good to have you thank you it is all about getting spending under control but you put your view you know.
Money and mouth in the same direction here.
What are you doing in Idaho and why do you think it -- national.
So adolescents.
Well the first thing we decided that we we're not gonna balance the budget simply by raising taxes we were gonna look to see where we could cut where we can make more efficiencies where we can.
Could co locate government and that's exactly what we did my first budget in 2007.
I had served in the house for six years and watch that continue to grow grow and I said that's not gonna happen in Idaho.
And so my first budget in 2007 was 3.2 billion my budget last year was 2.2 billion so we can go down.
We see what would I find fastening your example governors ever that well.
If you think about Paul Ryan gets -- -- he does for just wanted to slow the growth.
In spending you reversed it so it is possible to go when reverts.
It is possible now to be fair I had about 400 million in savings that also spent so the real.
The real cut was about 600 million what it was was a cut it was a cut in it was a tough cut but.
Not just like Paul Ryan Paul Ryan not only have the courage to say and do the right things relative.
To the big items in the budget but he also had the honesty to tell.
And if you can't combine honesty and courage then you're not gonna make it now you know governor I saw was reduced its all there hello -- -- what do you -- -- distributed -- -- Units on granny off a cliff always this is a guy I was just trying to curtail the growth to -- to curtail the growth of entitles not.
-- reasons I was zairians and it that's the hell you'd get in this country for just trying to do that is there really -- appetite.
Publicly.
To get spending under control if everyone says -- -- minutes my -- -- -- listen.
The editorial vigilantes in Idaho came out in full force when we started -- -- those cuts we just said we still have to do the right thing we can depend doing the right thing we can't.
-- doing something that we probably shouldn't -- because it's popular opinion.
And I would tell you this I won my first election but right at 50% I want this last election by 60%.
And so you get to people tell them the that the truth you get the people on your side they recognize that that we want to run government the same.
-- that they run their small businesses and their -- they.
Have to balance their budget they simply can't raise the price of their product.
How did you sell the tough stuff so there.
-- which we sold the tough stuff because we said.
You know what's the alternative when we made our education changes we totally reformed education we took away seniority.
We've made it so that they could only negotiate for salaries and wages and a benefits.
And they had to do that in public they could no longer go close the door and negotiate with the union behind closed doors.
Besides taken away the seniority we also.
Added pay for performance so we -- to keep the best teachers in the classroom.
And we wanna reward them for and so we're gonna be -- out to about 41 million dollars this year.
285%.
Of the teachers in Idaho that reward the good ones because they preformed so we've we've what we've done the right thing.
And that's we can do that in this nation.
Not to -- just have to have the Romney Ryan ticket.
I thought you're gonna say Obama Biden.
That are -- you very much thank you governor very.
