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This
year’s session of the General Assembly, with a
little luck, will continue moving Virginia toward
the formation of a better, more accountable and
more business-like state government.
We’ll know a lot more in a few weeks when
this year’s session ends.
Right now there is lot to be excited about.
Sure,
the angst from last year’s tax battle continues
to bubble. And,
frankly, a lot more money is pouring into the
state coffers than many thought was possible.
Some tax cuts will pass, such as moving up
the reduction on the food tax and eliminating the
advance sales tax payment forced on businesses a
couple of years ago.
But there’s room for more.
Lifting the current cap on the car tax
makes sense at this stage.
The promise by Governors Warner and Gilmore
and by the General Assembly to finish the cut in
the car tax should be finalized.
Some
really good bills are moving through the
legislature. Many
legislators realize this is the time to lay the
groundwork for significant improvement in the
state budget and spending process down the road.
It will be interesting to see just how
committed the legislature is in making state
government more accountable, more business-like,
and more transparent.
There
is an effort to amend the budget to create the
position of Inspector General, and the creation of
a “Citizens Budget” is moving on a number of
fronts. These
two efforts could make a huge difference in the
perception of the state trying to get a better
handle on its $32 billion a year budget.
With a doubling of spending over the past
ten years, it is critically important that the
citizens see a state government that is more
accountable and more transparent in the way it
works.
And
then there is the effort to have each new governor
conduct a top-to-bottom performance review of how
well the state government is doing in each agency--how
well our money is spent and how well the agencies
are doing in fulfilling their missions. Other states are doing this from
South
Carolina
to Texas
to California.
Indeed, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of
California completed a top-to-
bottom
performance review of that mega-state government
in just nine months.
This would give each legislator as well as
business leaders and others interested in an
efficient government the needed benchmarks to
review how well our state is doing and what
improvements were made during a governor’s term
in office.
The
Administrative Process Act will require the
Department of Planning and Budget to detail the
economic impact of proposed regulations on small
businesses. This
will be a huge benefit to small businesses that
are the job-producing engines of our economy.
Indeed, if this legislation passes, it is
hoped that a group of small business leaders will
be brought to the table when regulations are being
drafted so that the state bureaucrats understand
what has to be done by small business to comply
with those regulations.
Many times government just doesn’t
understand how complicated and how expensive the
regulations are to fulfill. This input could be a
huge improvement.
There
is legislation that will more actively encourage
state employees and agencies to bring new ideas to
the table on how to make government more
efficient. These
bills will give those who bring cost saving ideas
to their leadership a share of the money saved.
This incentive could have a large impact on making
“better and more efficient government” a team
sport with our state employees.
And
then there is the area of improving the innovative
Public Private Transportation Act that was the
baby of Sen. Walter Stosch, R-Henrico, a few years
ago. These
pending bills would allow local governments to
accept unsolicited proposals for transportation
projects. Another
bill would do the same for regional transportation
authorities. If
Virginia
is to bring the private sector into a more
involved relationship in solving our
transportation problems, these efforts to broaden
the PPTA makes sense.
These
bills are largely the creation of the Cost Cutting
Caucus-- a bi-partisan group of reform-minded
legislators. This
important caucus has brought Democratic and
Republican leaders to the table to discuss how to
really improve our state government.
This Cost Cutting Caucus proves that good
government is not the purview of only one
political party.
These
are just a few of the bills that our legislators
can pass that will greatly improve the way state
government functions.
Of course, as the old saying goes, “the
proof is in the pudding”, so we will have to
wait a few more weeks to see just how serious our
elected leaders are in their public statements
about making government more accountable and more
efficient. It
will be interesting to say the least.
--
January 31, 2005
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