From the Right Corner: It’s time to get rid of the State Auditor.

I am calling for the abolition of the Office of the State Auditor.

I make that call, not because I don’t think Brian is doing an outstanding job, because clearly, he is. Year after year, Brian Sonntag issues report after report, detailing agency incompetence, agency law violations, agency reticence and agency arrogance.

Hopefully, at one time or another, you’ve had the opportunity to meet Brian Sonntag. Described by the Seattle Times as perhaps the greatest public servant the state has ever produced, Brian is a nice guy, who happens to be a democrat, that is the perfect man for the position of State Auditor (and yes… I voted for him… And yes, I will continue to vote for him as long as he runs… Or as long as the office of State Auditor continues to exist.

Can any of us, for example, forget the 2004 report where Brian detailed both the fact that 88% of the money spent on illegal alien health care was illegally spent and the fact that DSHS was completely unrepentant about that expenditure, effectively meaning that they will once again violate the law and once again, continue to illegally spend those dollars?

We read, time and again, about agencies making the same mistake… incurring the same illegal expenditures… year in, year out. Brian reports these actions… and nothing happens. No one is fired. No one is held accountable. Nothing changes.

So… I’ve just got to ask: if the “Governor,” or the Legislature, won’t take any action based on these horrific reports faithfully, accurately and properly provided by the State Auditor…

Why do we need a state auditor?

The answer is: we don’t. Because the “Governor” or the Legislature won’t act, the Agencies can continue to, in effect, ignore Brian’s reports.

And because the Agencies can ignore Brian… Why do we need Brian?

Again… The answer is, we don’t.

So, sadly, I have concluded that, in this climate of severe budget constraints, let’s save a few million dollars that can be, for example, spent on Italian marble for the Senate Chamber in the Capital Building.

Here is a Columbian editorial addressing the issue. I have no real problem with the editorial, except, of course, it doesn’t go nearly far enough.

The Columbian advocates:

“The Legislature should respond in two powerful ways. Reprimand offending agencies when their crocodile tears start cascading into the budget trough, and grant Sonntag's office full power to conduct independent performance audits as well as financial audits.”

Unfortunately, the Columbian left out the most important action the Legislature can take: which is to take all necessary steps to fire those responsible for these abuses of the people of the state of Washington.

Without holding the individuals within the various offending agencies directly and personally responsible for these violations, year in and year out, there is absolutely no incentive for those individuals to obey the law.

Personal, individual responsibility. If only our state government had it.

In Our View: Slackers, wasters

Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Columbian editorial writers

Any private business that does not welcome a financial audit from a qualified and objective source, and then does not quickly implement recommendations, deserves what it gets: continued inefficiencies, loss of customers and ultimately going out of business.

Many of our 175 state agencies can't or won't follow that simple logic. For these agencies, the boss and the customers are the same: Washington state's taxpaying public.

State Auditor Brian Sonntag's office on Monday released a 193-page compilation of audit findings for last year, and two giant red flags were hoisted immediately: According to the auditor, some agencies drag their feet when examiners come a-knockin'. These slacker agencies should find another metaphor to be more apt. Instead of foot-dragging, they should hot-foot it over to Sonntag's office, salute him, thank him and take a vow of obedience.

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