The Price Of Government: Getting the Results We Need in an Age of Permanent Fiscal Crisis - Hardcover

Osborne, David; Hutchinson, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465053637 ISBN 13: 9780465053636

Publisher: Basic Books, 2004

Synopsis

Government fiscal problems have reached crisis proportions and generated headlines all over the country. In Oregon, schools are forced to close early because money to operate them runs out. In New York City, firehouse closings cause celebrity-studded neighborhood protests. Twenty-two state governors, from both parties and all regions of the country, have proposed tax increases to make up for falling revenues, rising expenses, and falling federal support. In Washington, the federal government projects a half-trillion-dollar deficit. The fiscal crisis in government at every level is the most severe it's been since World War II.Where David Osborne's 1992 New York Times bestseller Reinventing Government was descriptive, showing readers a new model of government then emerging around the country, The Price of Government is prescriptive. It offers specific solutions, drawn from the authors' ten years of experience applying reinvention strategies, and shows how to apply them in the context of a permanent fiscal crisis. The authors describe how a budget process that starts with results, not spending programs, has been a springboard for transformation in governments at all levels. The Price of Government will interest everyone who is concerned with how our tax money is spent--and how to get the government we need to thrive and prosper.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"If you care about the future of American government, read this book. Under America's current economic plan, fiscal crisis is here to stay, and there is only one way out: We must fundamentally reinvent the way we spend the public's money. Like Reinventing Government before it, this book shows us the way." -Al Gore, Former Vice President of the United States

"When I was Mayor of New York City, Reinventing Government was required reading for my staff. This new book should be required reading for those who serve the public in cities and states across America-and in Washington. Public servants should always remember that the money they're spending is not their own. Osborne and Hutchinson teach how to wring value out of every tax dollar, with a revolutionary approach to budgeting and a relentless focus on accountability and results." -Rudolph W. Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City

"As this book says, 'We are waist deep in the worst fiscal crisis since World War II.' Most politicians are so afraid of this mess that they hide behind slogans, gimmicks and blame to divert attention. Citizens want better. This book shows them how to get it." -Jesse Ventura, Former Governor of Minnesota

"Houdini would love this book! Most analysts believe that American government is increasingly trapped between escalating costs and lower tax rates-a condition that promises frustration and hardship for decades to come. But now along come management guru David Osborne and his colleague Peter Hutchinson with ways out of the maze. Drawing upon the stories of innovators across the country, they offer hope that we can indeed learn to do more with less." -David Gergen, Director, Center for Public Leadership, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

"Mayor Hahn's use of Osborne and Hutchinson's budget process in Los Angeles really got the City's bureaucracy focused on outcomes and results in record time. It's a powerful tool that has changed the dull and dreaded budget process into one filled with creativity and innovation." -Morley Winograd, Marshall School of Business, U.S.C

About the Author:

David Osborne, author of Laboratories of Democracy, is a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, Governing, and other publications. He is also a consultant to state and local governments.Ted Gaebler, former city manager of Visalia, California, and Vandalia, Ohio, is president of the Gaebler Group, a division of MRC, a public-sector management-consulting firm, in San Rafael, California. Peter Hutchinson is founder and President of The Public Strategies Group. He previously served as Commissioner of Finance in Minnesota, where he introduced several innovations in state budgeting and fiscal management. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0465053637
• ISBN 13: 9780465053636
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384