With many states on track to spend more than they're taking in, the work of state-focused groups to find ways of making government smarter and smaller are more needed than ever.

The latest example comes from Maine, where the Maine Heritage Policy Center has identified $217 million in reasonable spending cuts (PDF) to close the budget gap. The cuts come from reducing positions in state employment, making efficiencies in state universities (82% of their employees don't teach), and aligning other spending programs so that they're in line with national averages.

Another place to save money is by trimming back on spending in the operations of the legislature and the governor's office (PDF). Spending on both have increased dramatically, with the legislature's budget going up 84% in 10 years, and the governor's office more than doubling its spending in eight years.