More or less...

I have cartoon clipping over my desk that depicts three office doors in a hallway. The first door leads to the "Federal Department of Making Government Smaller", the second door leads to the "Federal Department of Making Government Smaller, Regulations Division" while the third door leads to the "Federal Department of Making Government Smaller, Regulations Oversight Committee".

The Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform just released its recommendations on streamlining local government. True to form, it took 47 pages to make 27 suggestions. It took 15 pages before the first suggestion was made.

Its not that I'm opposed to streamlining government, as long as that streamlining includes downsizing and eliminating the non-governmental functions that government has taken on over the years, but I'm a little skeptical when a bunch of bureaucrats get together to help us out and save us money.

A couple of years ago they decided to streamline the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. To cut expenses, a lot of local license branches were closed. I haven't been able to find one person that saw a reduction in the cost of their plates because of the streamlining, (although I did save a couple of bucks because my truck got older).

They've made some far reaching suggestions, and naturally, the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform is calling for the creation of a new office to oversee their recommended reforms. That's probably the first part of the plan that will be adopted. And since they're creating a new office anyway, how about adding a division to that office to track just how much money the taxpayers will actually save. Not just how much will be taken by a different agency or office, but how much they will actually save.

It shouldn't take a very big office.

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