Rethinking government: Be willing to make waves

“The folks back home have ... asked us to do the hard thing now for the future of this state.

“And that means drilling down in every area of government to redefine our responsibilities and commitments going forward.”

—Gov. Sonny Perdue, State of the State address

The Great Recession has ensured, for now, that we can’t afford the current level of government in Georgia. That’s especially true given the no-new-taxes mood in the General Assembly.

In this time of billion-buck fiscal shortfalls, our public leaders should do much more than just stanch deficits using short-term cuts and worker furloughs. For Georgia’s future, we should undertake the tougher, politically risky task of determining whether the government we have is what we actually need.

Rethinking government at all levels and winnowing it to a most-efficient core will require large measures of both political courage and out-there innovative thinking.

Gov. Sonny Perdue helped launch the debate with his recent proposal to convert some statewide elected offices to positions appointed by a governor. That’s a small start, but much more is needed if the state’s politicians are to truly achieve their goal of overhauling governance. To do so, public officials statewide must examine radically different ways of reframing and resetting government while continuing to provide, at minimum, the basics required in a civilized society.

Each region, county, municipality and school district must determine what governance 2.0 looks like for them as they work to gain efficiencies. Given current fiscal straits, taxpayers should demand that business as usual be yanked off the table.

Much of the analysis of rethinking government beyond typical reactionary budget-cutting or slapdash tax hikes should focus on the few buckets that hold the most dollars. In Georgia, that’s education, health care and public safety, which total 85 cents of every dollar in state spending.

For starters, we offer a few thoughts on consolidation. Some may be good ideas; others not so good. Either way, it’s time to stop dismissing ideas that could save real money because of politics and history. We need to brainstorm fully on how to make government much more efficient and effective.

● Let’s consider education, which consumes about 57 percent of spending in the amended 2010 budget.

With 180 school districts in Georgia, it’s natural to ponder whether reducing that number would lead to leaner, smarter government.

Studies indicate that economies expected from such mergers can be frustratingly elusive. But combining districts warrants consideration if significant savings seem likely. Call it where local control meets fiscal reality.

● With 159 counties, more than any state besides Texas, it’s logical to consider reducing Georgia’s county count.

● Along a similar line, given the continuing debate over re-creating Milton County, could there be fiscal merit in absorbing Fulton County operations into the city of Atlanta? There’s precedent for that nationally. The city of St. Louis has functioned for more than a century as both a municipality and county.

● Another way to save money could be to revolutionize use of both technology and flesh-and-blood teachers in the state’s schools. In an age when most Georgia k-12 students are better-versed in technology and its uses than their parents probably are, we should consider expanding electronic learning.

Whiz-bang school software can’t supplant the hands-on work of dedicated teachers, but given that many kids already spend more time playing video games than running around outdoors, we can certainly do more with this emerging tool that lets children advance at their own pace, using digital lessons tailored to their performance.

Kelly McCutchen, president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, cites research that suggests using computers in new ways can cut costs and maximize teachers’ efforts, allowing them to work more closely with students who’re using self-guided electronic systems. “When you think about fundamentally transforming education, that’s what’s going to do it,” McCutchen said.

Retooling our education methods and systems will require upfront investment in electronics and training, but this could result in significant savings over time. That likely holds true for other areas of government as well.

Similarly radical thinking will be required to slash costs elsewhere.

At the more-local level, enhancing regional government efforts could yield newfound savings and improve bottom-line results. There’s political risk in advocating increased regionalism over iron-clad local control, but doing so could produce needed savings and improved results.

● What could be gained, for example, by empowering the Atlanta Regional Commission to assume new oversight over some universal government functions? In Minneapolis-St. Paul, a similar agency oversees transit and wastewater operations. In Portland, Ore., the regional Metro agency handles recycling and solid waste disposal and runs the zoo and convention center.

Cutting budgets isn’t easy. Retooling government is even more taxing, but it could yield needed efficiencies and better performance for both the Atlanta region and Georgia.

Andre Jackson,
for the Editorial Board

Atlanta Forward: In coming weeks and months, we will look at major issues Atlanta must address in order to move forward as the economy recovers. Look for the designation “Atlanta Forward,” which will identify these discussions.