Zero-Based Budgeting Comes to Washington
Wilson, James Q.
THE ALTERNATIVE: AN AMERICAN SPECTATOR VOLUME TEN, NUMBER FIVE / FEBRUARY 1977 James Q. Wilson Zero-Based Budgeting Comes to Washiugtou You remember ZBB--tkat government reform candidate...
...Of course I am serious...
...As I was saying," Pettypoint went on, somewhat stiffly, "we then ask the Park Service to justify each dollar of its budget and every activity it carries out...
...Isn't it...
...Smith asked incredulously...
...James Q. Wilson is Henry Lee Sbattuck Professor of Government at Harvard...
...His most recent books are Political Organizations and Thinking about Crime...
...the speaker gasped for breath, as he shook convulsively with laughter, "that we are analyzing whether it makes sense to leave Independence Hall open...
...Pettypoint," the Director replied...
...Smith, you tell Senator Henry Jackson, the chairman of the Interior Committee, that we are considering what would happen if we closed all the national parks...
...Here is what we will do," the Director continued...
...The President of the United States is serious...
...This year...
...Pettypoint bristled...
...Even those in the state of Washington...
...Wait until the Daughters of the American Revolution finds out that we are...
...Crestfallen, Pettypoint said plaintively, "Well, maybe the Park Service is not the place to begin...
...I firmly believe that, as a result of this ZBB exercise, the public will realize that we need more money for more parks...
...Nothing's ever secret any more...
...But that isn't the purpose," Pettypoint rejoined...
...He arrived to find the entire senior staff of the Park Service seated around a big table...
...He broke up in laughter...
...Gotcha, chief...
...I suppose ZBB would work best if applied to a program that didn' t have this kind of organized public support...
...Hear, hear," one said...
...I understand," the Director replied, allowing a thin smile to crease his stern features...
...An aide started to rise, but was waved back to his seat by the Director...
...What we do," Pettypoint continued, "is to assume that the agency--in this case, the Park Service--has no money at all and then...
...Howls rang through the room...
...But stress to the Senator that it is just a mental experiment, a planning exercise...
...Here's bow it will work...
...One man staggered to the drinking fountain, and another had to loosen his tie to avoid choking...
...The Alternative: An American Spectator February 1977 5...
...Smith, wiping his eyes, shouted: "Hey, Pettypoint, did you know that some of those women in the Garden Club can hit a moving White House staffer at twenty paces with a potted geranium...
...I suppose the Sierra Club is bound to find out that we are thinking of closing Yellowstone...
...You will have to show us how much of your product or service you can produce for a given amount of money...
...Gorstwinkle started to giggle uncontrollably...
...Everything," Pettypoint replied...
...We probably won't really close any of the parks in his state...
...Only after a pin dropped noisily to the floor did everyone realize how quiet the room had become...
...We will all be serious...
...The Audubon Society will suspect that we might be cutting back on bird sanctuaries," someone remarked...
...Gorstwinkle, I want you to get right to work on making up a list of national parks in the order of their importance, so we will know which ones to leave open if we can't reopen all of them," the Director said...
...Two older Park officials had turned pale, and the hands of another began to shake uncontrollably...
...Of course, I won't be able to keep the list secret, chief...
...The Director stared at him for a long moment...
...You know, Freedom of Information and all that...
...Men," the Director finally said, "I think we ought to cooperate 100 percent with this splendid idea...
...He decided to drop in on an agency getting ready to use it, and selected the National Park Service in the Department of the Interior...
...He collapsed back in his chair, overcome with hilarity...
...This year...
...the Director asked innocently...
...Murmurs of outraged disbelief erupted, but the Director silenced the room with a firm glare...
...Sir, you can't be serious...
...In fact, within the next three months...
...Especially those in Washington," the Director replied...
...Justify everything ?" the Director asked...
...Everybody around the table nodded...
...Charles Pettypoint, the newly-installed efficiency expert in the White House, was eager to see at firsthand how Zero-Based Budgeting was working...
...Pettypoint to explain ZBB to his aides...
...Oh, but we are, Mr...
...Name one...
...Suddenly, a beatific expression of sudden enlightenment spread across Smith's face...
...THE ALTERNATIVE: AN AMERICAN SPECTATOR VOLUME TEN, NUMBER FIVE / FEBRUARY 1977 James Q. Wilson Zero-Based Budgeting Comes to Washiugtou You remember ZBB--tkat government reform candidate Jimmy Carter promised...
...A long pause...
...Pettypoint is serious...
...Right away...
...The Director seemed pleased to have so distinguished a visitor, and asked Mr...
...You are not looking at this constructively...
...Well, the idea is to get the most out of the taxpayer's dollar by making sure that every cent we spend is justified...
Vol. 10 • February 1977 • No. 5
