Gov. Bob McDonnell has just announced a “government reform initiative” that will eliminate two state agencies and 19 boards and commissions, and consolidate another 23 boards and commissions. Sounds really impressive… until you realize that the reforms are touted to save only $2 million a year.

In a budget exceeding $40 billion a year, $2 million is chump change. If I were governor and saw it laying on the floor, I wouldn’t stoop over to pick it up. (Actually, I would pick it up. I’m just engaging in hyperbole here.) Making the changes is better than not making them, so this does represent progress of a sort. But let’s not kid ourselves, this is not what we’re talking about when we discuss the need to reinvent government.

The two agencies slated for the deep six are the Virginia National Defense Industrial Authority and the Board of Towing and Recovery Operators. Among the boards and commissions to be eliminated are the Interagency Dispute Resolution Council, the Virginia Council on Indians and the Virginia Juvenile Enterprise Committee. Yawn.

The most positive change to come from this initiative doesn’t affect agencies, boards or commissions at all. The governor is also de-regulating three professions: hair braiders, mold inspectors and remediators, and interior designers. Good. The state had no business meddling in those professions in the first place.

Now that we’ve gotten the easy stuff out of the way, maybe we can focus on the stuff that really matters.

— JAB