Walker may make her mark with budget

One of the most liberating political realities is when an incumbent decides he or she is not running for re-election again and so can basically do whatever he or she wants — really follow true ideals instead of looking out for political potholes.

Next Monday, you may see Gov. Olene Walker take such a freedom.

Walker, who Nov. 5 took over for former Gov. Mike Leavitt, who resigned to become head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, will then unveil her recommended 2004-2005 budget.

While Walker, 72, won't say it yet, it appears she will not seek the GOP nomination for governor next year. And if that's so, she really only has one budget — and one legislative session — to make her mark. Her Monday budget announcement may reflect such a political independence.

Wednesday, she announced the public education part of the budget, saying she wants $115 million in new money going to schools.

Trouble is, considering other basic state needs, there is not an extra $115 million for schools next year. So Walker has to find some additional money.

She's going to tell us where Monday.

But, like every other governor every year, there are only so many places to look.

Maybe she'll suggest a gasoline tax increase — which would allow her to take tens of millions of dollars in sales tax revenue out of various highway funds.

Maybe she'll suggest putting off some state road projects for a year or so, and so take sales tax money now going to roads for public education.

Maybe she'll scour any number of pots on one-time monies — and not worry about where that money will come from in 2005 to continue a higher public education budget because she won't be around then to have to worry.

Maybe her budget will have a combination of all those three things — with a few more I'm not bright enough to figure out on my own.

We may all be surprised by her cash-finding ability.

For Walker, no budget slouch herself, has at her disposal Leo Memmott, the former staff budget director for the Legislature. Memmott, retired from the Legislature, is one of her key policy advisers.

Reporters and others used to joke that Memmott had coffee cans full of cash buried around the Capitol grounds, for when at the end of every legislative session lawmakers struggled to find $1 million here, another $5 million there to balance out the budget, Memmott always seemed to come through.