Mead Says State Remains Strong

During his State of the State address yesterday as Governor Mead spoke of his proposed budget trimming, Mead took a shot at the US Congress which has not passed a federal budget for several years.  Mead told the Wyoming Lawmakers that unlike the federal government,Wyoming is bound to live within its means.  Mead told the lawmakers, “We’ll keep our budget as flat as possible, not doubling every ten years as it did the last decade. We will fund important items that position Wyoming well for the future but always draw the line on over spending.”  Mead admitted that this may involve difficult decisions, but he said what comes out of the session needs to be about the state’s future and not about personal or political popularity.   Mead credits the state’s energy resources, tourism, agriculture, natural treasures, businesses, and most of all, the state’s citizens for keeping the state as strong as it is.  That, he says, is significant since not the case of every state around the country at this time.  However, to keep the state solvent, he is urging the lawmakers to pad the “rainy-day account,” reduce the budget, cut the size of the government, and streamline state regulations; all of which would place the state in a better posture to weather tough times if they come.