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A budget should reflect the values and priorities of our nation and its people.

By finding waste and abuse in entitlement programs, and eliminating it, we can ensure that the funds that are put into these programs go to the people that need them the most.

Funding and maintaining programs from Head Start to Pell Grants must be a high priority.

My highest priority is to make sure we get Americans back to work. And that we have rising incomes again and that we have a deficit reduction program in place that convinces the world that we're on track to having a balanced budget.

The idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hardworking middle class taxpayers - that's an old idea that's failed every time it's been tried.

What's really important to me is that we have fiscally responsible balanced budgets.

I think we need a very, very serious effort, primarily through tax policy to provide incentives and encouragement for people to save and invest and expand their businesses and to create more jobs. The kind of thing we did in the early Reagan years, 30 years ago. I think that's essential.

Our priority must be to build a path towards balancing the budget, and we cannot tolerate growing deficits.

My No. 1 priority is growth in the economy. Tax reform will be our first and most important part of that.

Setting the state budget is one of the most important tasks we undertake at the state Capitol - because after all, it's the people's money - not the government's.