The governor has challenged state agencies to cut travel expenses by at least 15 percent by "doubling-up" on rooms when possible, but also by using the federal guideline for lodging at all times.
Gov. Sanford's challenge is merely a "recommended travel guideline," but it is one that all agencies should take to heart.
If anything, the governor was too lenient in his recommendation, but he realizes that a culture won't be changed overnight. His recommendation that agency heads require economies in travel should go a long way to alter a mindset among too many public employees who believe, "If it's not my money, I don't have to worry about it."
That was the attitude within the Beaufort County public school system. A pair of retreats scheduled this spring cost taxpayers a pile of money.
In May, 80 James J. Davis Elementary School staff members participated in training activities at a Myrtle Beach hotel. The trip cost about $17,000. The school paid $10,444 for 45 hotel rooms for two nights ($104 a night plus taxes). The remainder was spent on food, beverage and travel.
A trip scheduled for 35 Whale Branch Middle School staffers was canceled, but taxpayers still received no benefit for $10,600 of the proposed $14,500 to be spent on the trip. The stay was to cost between $179 and $199 a night per staff member, plus dinners of $32 and lunches of $16 per person.
The trips were financed with grant money but all of it was still taxpayers' money.
A slew of aphorism could be used. "Waste not, want not," is one. That's a point we think the governor is trying to make by getting state government to trim a portion of the state $32 million travel budget.
The governor has led by example. He points out that in the first six months of his administration, the executive staff has spent $1,996 in mileage and hotel expenses compared to $12,249 in those same two categories during the first six months of 2002, a decrease of 84 percent.
While the governor is establishing a good example, he isn't the first to sound the alarm and ask for restraint in spending taxpayers' money. The Legislative Aduit Council, which examines government spending and programs, has suggested ways to cut expenses. LAC also uncovered examples of travel expenses gone awry at the S.C. Department of Commerce.
LAC recemmended in 1992 that government employees be limited to the federal lodging guidelines, which today incidentally are $65 a night in Columbia and $106 a night in Charleston. In-state per diem for meals is pretty reasonable at $6 for breakfast, $7 for lunch, $12 for dinner.
The 1992 LAC report cited key savings in state travel by establishing a centralized travel management system, contract for discount airfares, reduce the number of state-owned passenger aircraft, reduce the size of state-owned vehicles and revising personal vehicle reimbursement policies.
A July 2002 synopsis of Department of Commerce expenses sshowed that agency operating costs for some of its aircraft ranged from $1,814 to $3,877 per flight hour. "We also identified some high-cost flights that indicate a need for the department to give greater attention to the use of its aircraft and consider less expensive alternatives," LAC said.
Following that lead Sanford announced Friday that through better utilization and coordination between the agencies, the state will be able to sell three underutilized aircraft for nearly $1.1 million. This sale also will save the taxpayers about $120,000 in annual operating costs. "It is believed that the three research institutions, which own a combined total of five planes, could also reduce their fleet and save the state an additional $600,000 annually," a summary of finding from Friday's announced said.
The governor's advisors have some good ideas that will save the state money. Stashed away on a shelf somewhere in the governor's office or some other government office probably are plenty of LAC and other agency recommendations to save money, maybe more than the 15 percent in travel budgets the governor has recommended. But surely agency heads could find at least 15 percent to cut from travel budgets. He hasn't asked them to stay with Tom Bodett at Motel 6. Why, they could stay at several other motel chains and get a free breakfast and pizza at night to boot.