Cutting the waste

A ST. TAMMANY NEWS EDITORIAL

Yesterday, an advisory group made up of state legislators and government officials sat down and began a process by which they hope to cut down on the waste in government spending, yet improve the efficiency of government services to the people.

The Commission on Streamlining Government was created by the Legislature in their last session, and was the brainchild of our own Sen. Jack Donahue, R-Covington, who authored the legislation creating the commission. Donahue is also the commission’s chairman. The commission is divided up into five groups that will investigate ways to reduce the size of the state government. The areas to be investigated are setting benchmarks for efficiency, outsourcing and privatization of certain government functions, integration of information technology, the elimination of duplication and non-essential services and civil service and employee benefits. This is a tall order for government officials to cut the size of our state government. It is a tightrope act, to say the least. The commission has to cut waste and improve efficiency, yet keep essential services. However success is essential if our state is to come out of the current economic morass intact.

Over the years state government has become bloated and costly. We applaud the Legislature and Gov. Bobby Jindal for finally taking the bull by the horns and looking at ways to pare down the giant state bureaucracy that we call a government. Streamlining will make government more efficient, less costly and more responsive to the people the government serves — the taxpayer. In this time of talk about the federal government taking over car companies and healthcare, it is refreshing to hear about politicians who actually want to cut government. Good luck gentlemen.