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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Needed: Impartial Government Audits

Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a broken nation confidence when he announced that government would step in to help the weak and start the stalled wheels of industry.

Six decades later, as Americans honor President Roosevelt’s passing from life into history, confidence in government nearly has disappeared. But government’s goals - education, justice, etc. - are crucial as ever.

Legislators need to figure out what doesn’t work - and why. They need to figure out what will work. And they need to monitor the results of their reforms.

What legislators need is performance auditing.

In many states, performance audits have been a godsend. Saving millions. Improving services.

But in Washington state, performance audits have been banned. That, voters, is an indictment of a state government that has been run by and for the bureaucracy.

Legislators cannot fulfill the public’s hopes until they permit independent performance audits.

Pending in the Legislature this year are two bills that purportedly would authorize performance auditing. Both bills, however, have serious flaws.

Performance audits are a well-defined endeavor. Auditors conduct them. Washington state has an elected auditor - a good one. Current law authorizes Brian Sonntag to perform financial audits and legal-compliance audits but not performance audits.

Sonntag has served the public interest fearlessly. One recent audit turned up sloppy handling of cash and state property and noncompliance with state laws in the state Department of Labor and Industries. Today, his office will release an audit of the University of Washington, which a spokesman said will disclose numerous problems ranging from fraud and falsification of records to inadequate policies and procedures. Yes, audits embarrass the powerful, but they can provoke change leading to better stewardship of public funds.

Meanwhile, the House’s performance-audit bill would allow the auditor to scrutinize program effectiveness but only if and when the Legislature gives permission. The Senate would ban performance auditing by the auditor, assigning the task instead to a new bureaucracy overseen by the Legislature. That’s unwise, because legislators have a political stake in programs they create.

The public deserves unhindered performance audits by a separately elected official. Namely, the auditor. Brian Sonntag has shown he’s worthy of the task.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Webster/For the editorial board