Back in the early 2000s then Indiana Gov. Mitchell formed the blue ribbon committee with one objective in mind: look for state government waste.
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Highlights:
-They found they owned 48 planes for congressional and state use. They pared it down to 4.
-They found 38k cars being used by state employees. They dropped it down to 6k (included police cars), and they were no longer allowed to use them as personal vehicles.
-They found public libraries (receiving state funds) were wasting millions each year, stopped that.
-They found the public employee retirement fund had two accounts, exactly the same, just one was for the state legislators, the other was for all state employees. They combined them and saved $30 million(!) PER YEAR In trade fees.
The list went on and on. Indiana went from being in the top 10 wasteful governments to top 5 most fiscally sound.
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Moral of the story is, yes. All states should either audit themselves or be forced to be audited (LOOKING AT YOU CALIFORNIA!!)
I like your style, Rooks. I would guess that conservative states are looking at this alternative for fiscal responsibility for elected officials. They don't need a public automobile when they get an allowance for travel, anyways. Use that money to purchase gasoline for your own private vehicle and then go traipsying around your district.
I would love for DOGE does the States, but the States have control. Except that the feds could ask for justification for the excessive or questionable funding.
Each state should be working to clean up waste, fraud and abuse but, any state receiving federal funds can be audited by the Feds.
The audit may be limited to the project or program that received and uses the federal funds, but it would still expose massive corruption.
Agreed. Handled well, a publicly exposed federal audit in a given state can be used as a springboard to push a full state audit.
Especially with existing precedents, if you encounter much resistance it only adds fuel to the fire to push harder and get it done.
Very well stated, Fren.
PA gives Congresspeople "per diems" a free car, etc. Costs millions.
I agree with you, start with California!
California will be a monster, just like the fed. But it needs done.
Yes audit Michigan
yes crawl up Whitmers ass with a microscope although she might like that
If a criminal was truly innocent of a crime they would want all to be done to clear their name. Witnesses, footage, DNA, etc. Dems want nothing, but for the investigators to go away. What else would a normal person need to see to see guilt?
State gov is exactly the same as federal gov, just on a smaller scale. We'll never be free until DOGE gets to sniff everyone. Internal audits from their own would be a joke as they are likely in on it.
Sniffer = AI? Counter AI? Who holds the keys? AI war? What's the long term prognosis?
Be careful which doors you open, some don't close afterwards
i think you are right each state should have independent auditors cleaning up the waste..........
I'd like them to audit Pennsylvania to find out why millions are plowed into education every year. It's killing people via property taxes and unsustainability.
State education is another of those golden cows. Can't touch it! It's education! If you do you don't care about the kids!
Yes please, or state level branches.
Austin is such a poorly run city. They let criminals and violent homeless run amuck and stab innocent people with machetes and beat them with chains. We pay an exorbitant amount in pot homeless programs as well.
Schools are awful and some are 100% Spanish primary speaking. I doubt they’re all here legally
Definitely New York, my home state. They announced a while back they were going to spend $58 million, I think, to take care of criminal aliens. Makes us here very happy, NOT! Gov. Hochul is the yokel.
It’s insane that the WTC complex is owned in some fashion by the Port Authority.
Michigan needs it real BAD
YES!! Pretty PLEASE audit NJ department of education - absolute Fking crooks!!!
It's a cartel.
I have personally witnessed, as a vendor, EXTREME waste, fraud and abuse - deliberately throwing NEW materials into the dumpster to balloon the budget... and other things.
Meanwhile, property taxes are WAY out of control AND 75% of them go towards "education" - and the kids graduate illiterate.
I'd love to see it, but I don't expect the federal government can audit states. However, they should audit any federal government funds given to states.
Agreed. Feds audit fed funded programs, then citizens pressure state to audit the rest in wake of the federal scandals.
The states are going to have to clean up their financial act now. The federal tit is about to be pulled out of their mouths.
WEST COAST STATES! Big corruption on the left coast.
Every state’s a coastal state!
Audit them all!
Any State that received Federal Money, those programs/projects/agencies should be audited. Not sure Feds should audit States unless they used Federal Funds.
Would I like the California Government audited? I sure would, but I think that would overstep States rights in the original Constitution.
Agreed. Feds audit fed funded programs, then citizens pressure state to audit the rest in wake of the federal scandals.
this would be the best way to do it. i think it would be massive overreach for the feds to audit stuff that wasnt fed funded. i know a lot of states would definitly set it up, but also there will probably be a good chunk that wont
We would welcome it in ohio