Free Republic

When snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory, as happened this session with performance audits, it is tempting to settle for anything that comes close to what you have fought for, especially if the journey has been difficult and fraught with failure. Such is the case with performance audits of state government. We have been working for more than a decade to secure independent, comprehensive performance audits, and lawmakers came closer than ever to adopting them this past year. Instead, we got HB 1064. Unfortunately, the new performance audit law requires that an “advisory” board of political appointees “establish...

OLYMPIA—A compromise to secure Republican votes for transportation tax increases was reached today in the Senate. The adopted compromise authorizes performance audits of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Today’s vote directly conflicts with the Senate’s previous vote on ESHB 1064 (performance audits for state government). Senate Democrats previously rejected amendments offered on ESHB 1064 by Sen. Bill Finkbeiner and Sen. Pam Roach that would have granted the state auditor authority to conduct independent comprehensive performance audits of all of state government, including DOT. As approved, ESHB 1064 exempted DOT (transportation reviews were left to an unelected Transportation Audit Board) and...

Boo. Hiss. The Legislature is missing an opportunity to pass a piece of meaningful performance-audit legislation. It has approved a watered-down bill instead, all but ensuring a citizens' initiative will tackle the job later this year. Performance audits are checks on government programs that find if they are getting desired results, are redundant or efficient. Right now, the state auditor's office audits agencies to make sure money is going where it is supposed to be going, but these financial checkups do not assess a program's worth or impact. Democratic State Auditor Brian Sonntag has done an exemplary job auditing the...

It's official: a majority of our legislators don't trust the state auditor. How else do you explain their refusal to grant the state auditor the authority to conduct independent comprehensive performance audits of state government without having to first receive the permission of an unelected political board? Never mind the fact that the state auditor is elected by the people and is directly accountable to us; apparently this check and balance isn't comforting enough for Olympia, which fears the state auditor may run amok on an accountability power trip. And that would be a bad thing for the taxpayers? For...

Approves restrictive House bill OLYMPIA—The Senate fell one vote short today of adopting truly independent and comprehensive performance audits. Instead the Senate approved ESHB 1064, which creates an unelected political board to establish the criteria of any performance audits instituted. The bill passed by a vote of 30-19.Amendments offered by Sen. Pam Roach (R) and Sen. Bill Finkbeiner (R) would have allowed the state auditor to establish the scope of performance audits and conduct them without having to gain permission from an unelected political board. Both amendments failed by votes of 24-25. The language in the defeated amendments closely resembled...

On March 20, Tim Eyman kicked off signature gathering for his latest initiative, I-900, which would mandate performance audits of government programs. One guest that night at Salty's in West Seattle stood out from the usual Eyman crowd of anti-Olympia zealots: state Auditor Brian Sonntag, a Democrat. In fact, Sonntag's appearance at the Eyman shindig was so noteworthy that master of ceremonies David Boze, a host at conservative-talk station 770 KTTH, jokingly referenced it. "Brian Sonntag is the only guy I know who'd come as guest of honor to a campaign kickoff for an initiative he didn't even support," Boze...

OLYMPIA—Today State Auditor Brian Sonntag released the 2004 Statewide Accountability Report highlighting 41 audit findings issued against state agencies. Of the 41 audit findings, 23 are repeat findings from last year's audit. An additional 16 management letters (problems identified that don't rise to the level of a finding) were issued to agencies (including 7 regarding audit findings from last year that have not been resolved). In addition to the 41 audit findings, the state auditor highlighted the following "audit challenges": • In addition to refusing to provide electronic records, agencies are using other methods to cause delays in our audits...

OLYMPIA—Sen. Pam Roach (R-Auburn) introduced a new performance audit bill today (SB 6076) which closely resembles the draft bill the state auditor's office (SAO) and House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) previously worked on but was never brought to the House floor for consideration. With today's deadline for bills to be passed out of committee looming, it is unlikely SB 6076 will meet the deadline. However, with the full Senate yet to take action on the performance audit bill passed by the House (ESHB 1064), it is possible Sen. Roach's new performance audit bill could resurface as a striker amendment to...

It looks like Olympia's recent attention to priority-based budgeting has drawn the interest of the federal government. In a recent study presented to Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlighted Washington's priorities of government (POG) budget reform as a model to adopt in reviewing and crafting the federal budget. The GAO's report entitled, "Reexamining the Base of the Federal Government" notes: States and other nations also have engaged in reexamination exercises. States have variously examined their bases, through cutback management, performance and strategic planning, budget reform, and privatization/contracting out. In recent years, various states have reexamined their various programs and...

Oh, what a difference a few words can make! And a few words are the difference between a performance audit bill taxpayers could have applauded and the one the House passed last week. It sets off warning bells of "here we go again." The bill the House approved—ESHB 1064—improves on proposals from recent years, but it unfortunately doesn't include the most important ingredient: independence! The House version does not authorize the state auditor to conduct independent performance audits; instead it allows an unelected political board the power to determine what type of audits will occur. This violates accounting standards for...

OLYMPIA—Despite the efforts of Rep. Mark Miloscia (D-Federal Way), Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle), Rep. Mike Armstrong (R-Wenatchee), and a long list of bi-partisan House members, the House today approved a bill (74-22) that falls short of granting the state auditor the authorization to conduct independent and comprehensive performance audits of state government without having to first gain approval from an unelected citizen board. U.S. General Accountability Office standards for auditing (often referred to as "yellow book" standards) require auditors be independent both in fact and appearance from personal, external, and organizational impairments to independence. The citizen board as structured in...

If you want to witness Washington state lawmakers make critical decisions affecting your pocketbook or business, you once again have two choices – watch on TVW or from the public galleries in the Legislative Building. Legislators are again working in the beautiful, 76-year-old edifice that was refurbished at a cost of $120 million. Aside from the gubernatorial controversy, lawmakers will be debating answers to vital fiscal questions: 1. Will they stick with the priorities of government, or raise taxes? 2. Will they eliminate waste? 3. Will they make it easier to retain workers by reforming the costly workers’ compensation and...

"It's tough being Republican in this state," Rossi joked with the crowd of 75 - mostly Republicans - who filled the reception hall at Hawthorne Funeral Home and Memorial Park. "You have to win three times." ... "Achievement and accountability have to be the cornerstones of the K-12 education system," Rossi told the crowd, who applauded loudly. "We cannot achieve great things by lowering our standards." ... He also said he approves of performance audits, which aim to reduce government waste and improve efficiency. "The first question always should be, ‘Should government be doing this function in the first place,'"...

OLYMPIA, WA – Thanks to several hundred members of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF), a large newspaper ad will appear in The News Tribune tomorrow alerting voters to those candidates who have gone on the record as supporting comprehensive, independent performance audits, and those who have not. The ad features the Washington state flag with the words “PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY” displayed above it, followed by the caption: “Does it matter to you? Does it matter to those who want your vote?” Text of the ad continues, “As taxpayers, we have a right to know that our hard- earned tax-dollars are being...