Opinion: Wagner creates dicussion on state spending
OPINION
The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News Editorial Board
Many of the important points being made about state funding these days are not coming from the outgoing or incoming governors but from our auditor general.
Usually we don’t hear much from this statewide office that audits school districts, government agencies and fire departments, among other entities.
But Auditor General Jack Wagner is changing that. He is taking on charter school funding, the gaming control board contracting and the governor’s bond deals.
In doing so he has managed to give much needed specifics to the broader conversation in our state about how we spend public funds and how some agencies may choose to do business.
Take for example Wagner’s call for a moratorium on creating new charter and cyber-charter schools until we take a deep look at how they are funded.
He asks important questions about a funding formula that he says is flawed and is costing taxpayers millions of dollars more than it should at a time when it can least afford it.
Then there is Wagner’s battle with Gov. Ed Rendell on his bond spending. Wagner railed against Rendell’s $1 billion bond issue, calling it a bad deal for taxpayers because of its unprecedented size and because it increases Pennsylvania’s debt load during tough financial times. We agree with Wagner that Rendell should have asked for a minimal amount — as all other previous governors leaving office have done in recent time — and believe his focus was important on this issue.
And in his latest salvo, Wagner, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in the May primary, said last week the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board failed to adhere to state procurement procedures or to comply with the Sunshine Act when it awarded $7 million in contracts for legal and other professional services through competitive sealed bid, emergency and sole-source contracts.
In general, when our past auditor generals have made news there was a hint — at times more than a hint — of political grandstanding involved. But in Wagner’s case the issues he has highlighted resonate with many of us.
Perhaps it is the economic times, but we have to ask: Why wouldn’t the state take a hard look at how we fund a growing segment of our schools or how much money we are on the hook for when our elected officials issue bonds?
His idea of an early retirement incentive to pare down the state workforce also makes sense.
We say to Auditor General Wagner, keep up the good work. We need a fiscal watchdog who is not afraid to look at both political parties and point fingers.
As 2011 rolls around we also want to suggest two audits for Wagner’s list. One would be looking at as many state government agencies as possible. At a time when we are seeing the potential for more state worker layoffs, he should look for as many inefficiencies and ways to cut costs as possible.
Our other proposal would be the city of Harrisburg. Given the state capital is now officially considered a “distressed city” and that it has yet to provide the public with a completed 2009 audit of the city’s finances, it is ripe for the auditor general’s focus.
The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News Editorial Board
Many of the important points being made about state funding these days are not coming from the outgoing or incoming governors but from our auditor general.
Usually we don’t hear much from this statewide office that audits school districts, government agencies and fire departments, among other entities.
But Auditor General Jack Wagner is changing that. He is taking on charter school funding, the gaming control board contracting and the governor’s bond deals.
In doing so he has managed to give much needed specifics to the broader conversation in our state about how we spend public funds and how some agencies may choose to do business.
Take for example Wagner’s call for a moratorium on creating new charter and cyber-charter schools until we take a deep look at how they are funded.
He asks important questions about a funding formula that he says is flawed and is costing taxpayers millions of dollars more than it should at a time when it can least afford it.
Then there is Wagner’s battle with Gov. Ed Rendell on his bond spending. Wagner railed against Rendell’s $1 billion bond issue, calling it a bad deal for taxpayers because of its unprecedented size and because it increases Pennsylvania’s debt load during tough financial times. We agree with Wagner that Rendell should have asked for a minimal amount — as all other previous governors leaving office have done in recent time — and believe his focus was important on this issue.
And in his latest salvo, Wagner, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in the May primary, said last week the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board failed to adhere to state procurement procedures or to comply with the Sunshine Act when it awarded $7 million in contracts for legal and other professional services through competitive sealed bid, emergency and sole-source contracts.
In general, when our past auditor generals have made news there was a hint — at times more than a hint — of political grandstanding involved. But in Wagner’s case the issues he has highlighted resonate with many of us.
Perhaps it is the economic times, but we have to ask: Why wouldn’t the state take a hard look at how we fund a growing segment of our schools or how much money we are on the hook for when our elected officials issue bonds?
His idea of an early retirement incentive to pare down the state workforce also makes sense.
We say to Auditor General Wagner, keep up the good work. We need a fiscal watchdog who is not afraid to look at both political parties and point fingers.
As 2011 rolls around we also want to suggest two audits for Wagner’s list. One would be looking at as many state government agencies as possible. At a time when we are seeing the potential for more state worker layoffs, he should look for as many inefficiencies and ways to cut costs as possible.
Our other proposal would be the city of Harrisburg. Given the state capital is now officially considered a “distressed city” and that it has yet to provide the public with a completed 2009 audit of the city’s finances, it is ripe for the auditor general’s focus.
