Budget Battles is proud to announce the winner of the second annual Black Ink Award, which is given to the person or organization that the readers say had the most positive impact on the year's budget debate.
How The Winner Was Selected
The selection process began in September, when readers were asked to send in their nominations. Readers were then given the opportunity to vote for one of the top five. In alphabetical order, the nominees were: Rep. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; the Congressional Budget Office; Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan; House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill; and Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn.
Much like last year, 1999 made it difficult to select a winner. As the budget debate wore on, it became clear that the still-growing surplus-combined with a budget process primarily designed to reduce a deficit-meant there was a serious disconnect between what was required and what Congress and the White House were willing to do on the budget, spending, and taxes. In addition, there was little or no indication that anyone outside of the U.S. Capitol wanted much of anything done on these issues. The tax cut passed by Congress ended up on the Washington equivalent of the cutting room floor, and only the most extraordinary use of budget gimmicks allowed the House, Senate and White House to agree on anything.
And The Winner Is . . .
Nevertheless, readers responded enthusiastically when asked to pick their choice for budget person of the year, with many more votes cast in 1999 than in 1998. And thanks to a last-minute surge, there was a tie. The winners of the second annual Black Ink Award are Reps. Tom Coburn and John Tanner, both of whom received 42 percent of the total votes and overwhelmed all other nominees.
Federal budget observers give House Commerce Committee member Coburn high marks for continuing to push for spending cuts during the fiscal 2000 budget debate, when the projected budget surpluses were moving even some of the most devoted fiscal conservatives of the past few years to a new position. The fact that Coburn was pushing reductions that could hurt the powerful Appropriations Committee made the effort that much more courageous. [NOTE: When originally published, Coburn was mistakenly labeled a member of the Appropriations Committee.]
Coburn also took the lead in forcing the Republican leadership early in the year to continue to make spending cuts a priority. It was only in the face of what appeared to be overwhelming opposition from within his own party and some stern rebukes from his leaders that Coburn eventually had to back down. In the meantime, however, the mark he left on the fiscal 2000 budget process was unmistakable.
Tanner, a member of the Ways And Means Committee, gets kudos for working both behind the scenes and in public to make debt reduction at least as high a priority as tax cuts and spending increases, especially in his own party. As one of the leaders of the Blue Dogs, the group of fiscally conservative Democrats who have played such an important role on the budget the past few years, Tanner led what at first was a lonely fight to convince his colleagues that using the budget surplus to pay off the national debt could be as important politically as a tax cut. His motion to recommit the Republican tax cut with instructions to use half of the surplus for a tax cut had unanimous Democratic support, and many believe it was critical in stopping a big spending increase or large tax cut.
Several additional points about this year's Black Ink Award:
- Coburn and Tanner were championing positions that can best be described as "conservative"-spending cuts and debt reduction. That might be an indication that overall public sentiment toward spending increases or tax cuts is not as high as some think, that Budget Battles readers are not typical of the public at large, or that the Black Ink Award "turnout" was higher among readers who support these positions.
- Unlike last year, none of this year's nominees had any direct responsibility for budget, spending or tax decisions. All were either outside the budget process, or like the Congressional Budget Office, acted in an advisory role.
- Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan was the only repeat nominee from last year. The other 1998 nominees were President Clinton; the Concord Coalition; Rep. John Kasich, R-Ohio (the eventual winner); Rep. Robert Livingston, R-La.; and Rep. Charles Stenholm, D-Texas.
Question Of The Week
Last Week's Question. There were a number of great answers to last week's question, which asked readers to name the reindeer that should guide Santa's budget sleigh this year. The winner of the "I Won A Budget Battle" T-shirt, which is being sent by overnight delivery so that he can wear it while opening presents on Christmas morning, is Brian Hughes, a senior research associate with Speakout.com. Brian's suggestion would change the classic poem by Clement C. Moore to read, "Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Trillion!"
See You Next Year
Thank you all for reading so devotedly each week, for playing the question of the week contest so enthusiastically, and for your e-mails asking for more information and offering additional insight. Budget Battles and its question of the week will continue next year with all new T-shirts that will read "I Won A 2000 Budget Battle." My best wishes for a very happy and healthy holiday and New Year.
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