By SENATOR JOHN J. BENOIT
 

Over the past few years, the gifted researchers from the State Senate Republican Caucus have captured insightful snapshots of real-life government waste in action. These witty and all too regular installments, called “Waste Watchers,” have brought to light dozens of tales of egregious activity in State and local governments.

 

Since taking Senate office in December, my Chief of Staff has regularly posted these features here on the FlashReport, continuing a great tradition from my predecessor, Senator Jim Battin. All told, these features have exposed nearly $500 million in wasteful spending.

 

The Governor recently launched an initiative aimed at encouraging all Californians to report government waste anonymously through a new website. The initiative’s name, “Waste Watchers,” is a tribute to the popularity and catchiness of what legislative Republicans have been uncovering all along.

I am so thrilled and excited to see the Governor renew this drive to end waste in government. I am hopeful that it inspires all citizens– cognizant of the down economy and its effects on government revenue – to take an active role in helping our government conserve every penny.

 

Short of completing these submission forms myself, I would encourage the Governor’s staff to check the Waste Watchers archives right here for a few starting points.

 

You can see many of the highlights still posted in their entirety by scrolling through Senator Battin’s archived posts, my Chief of Staff Barry Nestande’s posts, and the Caucus’ Restore California website.

 

The State has set up a whistle blowing hotline at the Auditor’s Office. In the last six months of 2008, this hotline received 2,163 calls of suspicious behavior. One of their latest audits, investigating just nine complaints, uncovered $1 million in waste. Clearly, this is only the tip of the iceberg. By the time these wasteful ways make it into a newspaper report or Waste Watchers installment, it becomes too cumbersome legally to collect the wasted funds back.

 

Curbing waste alone won’t erase the entire deficit. However, every year, hundreds of millions of dollars in funds lost to waste accumulates and encourages a workplace where carefree practices fester.

 

Maybe we would be better able to weather this budget storm had the State immediately implemented the 2004 California Performance Review, repealed SB 1419 which restricts school districts from competitively contracting non-instructional services, and collected California’s full reimbursement for illegal immigrant prisoners – measures I’ve championed throughout my legislative career.

 

If the State is to run a lean operation, it must get tough on waste, encourage employees to reshape their workplace, and take every suggestion – especially those highlighted already on the FlashReport – seriously.