Lawmakers will need to give proper weight to government waste study

In a time when state budget shortfalls could soar to $500 million, we are sure lawmakers are under increasing pressure to find that “silver bullet” solution that is quick and painless.

But we’d all be fooling ourselves if we believe that type of shortfall can be easily made up. It will take some serious budget pruning, dipping into the rainy day fund and eventually revenue increases to shore up the state’s budget.

Whether the revenue increases mean tax hikes remains to be seen and will likely be a determinant on whether the oil, gas and/or coal industries are able to rebound.

In the meantime, lawmakers should consider some of the recommendations from the study, which was funded by two private, nonprofit conservative groups — the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.

The largest savings are projected to come from implementing tighter control over the state Division of Highways, which a recent audit found could save $25-$50 million per year.

After that, other significant budget savings aren’t likely unless lawmakers want to look at closing colleges or consolidating public school districts. Both of those moves would be highly unpopular and aren’t likely in an election year.

But the state could shave costs elsewhere, such as in the Courtesy Patrol program, which is provided by a private contractor that appears to have rather high administrative costs. The study says that move would save $2.8 million.

And another $1.5 million could be saved if the state sells an airplane that is only used about three times a year.

As for ideas to cut funding to various fairs and festivals around the state, we believe that logic is faulty. Many of these events help to spur the economy and create a sense of community, the value of which can’t be underestimated in terms of quality of life.

The study also recommends that the state form an independent commission to uncover waste and fraud, hire an outside accounting firm to do an audit of the state’s books and create an inspector general’s office and other programs to limit waste.

But it would seem that all of these moves would also create additional expenses at a time when the state can ill afford potential government waste.

With that in mind, we urge lawmakers to tread lightly in terms of the study’s recommendations.

There is no concrete evidence that the plan would work, and in the end it could be as wasteful as any program targeted in the report.