Richard S. Davis: I-900 audits usher in Age of Accountability

In 40 years we’ve gone from the Age of Aquarius to the Age of Accountability.

Aquarius was fun. Accountability is work.

“If it feels good, do it,” the Aquarian mantra, doesn’t cut it anymore. We’ve grown tired of being the done-to rather than the doers. Public opinion polls portray a crisis of confidence affecting every major American institution, from the news media to Congress, from business to government, from church to state.

In his book “Words That Work,” Republican pollster and corporate consultant Frank Luntz writes, “Accountability is the attribute and action Americans most want from Washington (D.C.), even more than they want it to provide lower taxes or better services.” Luntz understands that we’re tired of being taken for granted — or just being taken.

Voters don’t trust big business or big government, he says, because we believe they “are out of control and answerable to no one.” In our populist state, we want them to be answerable to us.

That’s why we cling to initiative and referendum as checks on our elected representatives. And it’s why Gov. Chris Gregoire, who recognized early the appeal of accountability, highlights her GMAP (Government Management Accountability and Performance) program at every opportunity. Gregoire continually positions herself as the chief executive demanding results and holding underperformers to account.

That’s good politics and good policy. In a skeptical state, however, it’s tough to pull off. The public rarely takes the CEO at her word.

And that’s why Initiative 900 came about. Since his election in 1992, State Auditor Brian Sonntag has promoted performance audits to gauge government’s performance and identify opportunities for improvement. But it wasn’t until the voters passed I-900 in 2005 that he got the authority.

Now, we’re beginning to see the payoff or, more properly, the prospects of a payoff. So far, six performance audits have been completed, with five more expected by the end of the year. The auditor’s office estimates their recommendations would produce a five-year cost savings of $1 billion. That’s a six-to-one return on the taxpayers’ investment in the audits.

That’s good, but we’ll get neither the savings nor the quality improvements until the responsible public officials take action on the recommendations. That’s accountability.

During the I-900 campaign, Sonntag said that he wasn’t going to play the “gotcha” game. Today, he calls the audits “an effective management tool to improve government operations.” Folks clamoring for a hammer to pound the bureaucracy may not welcome Sonntag’s “better government” approach. Yet, it’s the right strategy.

Last week, for example, Sonntag released a massive audit of the state Transportation Department’s efforts to manage and reduce Puget Sound area congestion. They urged the department to make congestion relief a priority (did they really need to be told that?), recommended more highway investment – possibly including high-occupancy toll lanes – and called on the Legislature to put someone in charge of regional transportation decisions in the Puget Sound area.

The department and some lawmakers balked a bit, but no one can argue that the status quo has been a success. We can do better by following best-practices already working in other states. The audit adds substance and perspective to challenges that will not disappear soon.

Another audit produced a quick response. Last August the governor directed key staff to implement recommendations of a performance audit she requested following media reports of sexual misconduct by some health care providers. The audit identified several problems, including lax credentialing, that can be addressed administratively and legislatively.

Accountability goes hand in hand with transparency, another early 21st century buzzword. The audit process allows agencies to respond, requires public hearings, and provides for follow-up reports. It’s an open, dynamic feedback loop that accommodates new information and promotes public participation. Occasionally, recommendations will be rejected for good reason. Experts may disagree. The audits provide the essential first step: a solid, fact-based platform for informed debate.

Although polls show the public values accountability over performance, I wouldn’t make too much of that. It’s just that we know that we get better results when people are held responsible. The audits tell us how well government’s doing its job. But paper reports don’t assure accountability. Knowledgeable, engaged voters do.