Grassroots Organization, Strong America Now, Helps Propose Long-Term Solution to Financial Crisis

AUSTIN, Texas, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Grassroots organization, Strong America Now, helped announce and draft legislation with Representative Raul Torres (TX-33) that could cut Texas spending by billions of dollars without cutting programs, raising taxes or using the state's Rainy Day Fund. The legislation is being presented today to the Government Efficiency and Reform committee.

"We have allowed ourselves to be trapped in a false choice of either drastic cuts in spending or increasing revenue – either by raising taxes or further tapping the Rainy Day Fund," said Rep. Torres. "This legislation offers a long-term solution to our financial crisis without having to do either."

HB 3149 would establish a pilot program within the Texas Workforce Commission that demonstrates the improvements and resulting savings through using a proven process improvement method known as Lean Six Sigma.

"The state of Texas faces a significant and dangerous budget deficit and the current system of operating our state government is outdated, inefficient, and extremely costly," said Torres. "When I learned about Lean Six Sigma from the process' pioneer and Strong America Now founder, Mike George, I immediately recognized that this could move our state in the right direction."

Lean Six Sigma restructures an organization's work to make it better, faster and cheaper. Businesses and the private sector have successfully utilized waste elimination for several decades. This process is embedded in local, state and federal government. The City of Irving in Texas has greatly benefited from implementing Lean Six Sigma, which has already saved the U.S. Army and Navy billions of dollars.

The Texas Workforce Commission pilot program established by HB 3149 will serve as the subject of a joint study to determine Lean Six Sigma's effectiveness and make the necessary recommendations for applying this program to all state agencies.

"This is an opportunity to change the way Texas government thinks about spending money," said George, who is a witness at the bill's hearing today. "We all realize something has to change and I know Lean Six Sigma can be the answer. I'm glad to be an advocate of this process, as are all of the members of the organization I founded, Strong America Now."

The co-sponsors of HB 3149 are Linda Harper-Brown (TX-105), John Garza (TX-117), and Bill Zedler (TX-96).

About Strong America Now:

Strong America Now, founded by Michael George, the pioneer of Lean Six Sigma, is a nonprofit, grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to educating citizens about the danger of our rising deficit and debt. Strong America Now has a solution that eliminates waste, saves money and improves operations. For more information about Strong America Now and Lean Six Sigma please visit www.strongamericanow.com.

SOURCE Strong America Now