Colorado Spending Transparency

Currently, some state employee can use taxpayer-funded vehicles for personal commuting to and from work. Last year the Parole Department spent more than $1 million to purchase over 60 new hybrid sedans during “the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression” that saw the state raise taxes and fees and take more handouts from the federal government so that Parole employees could “ride share” to and from work.

As a result of this questionable use of taxpayer funds, Rep. Kent Lambert and Sen. Bill Cadman sponsored legislation to curb the abuse. House Bill 10-1287, “Concerning the use of a state-owned motor vehicle for commuting purposes” passed both the House and Senate but could not escape Governor Bill Ritter’s veto pen.

In a letter to the House of Representatives, Ritter explains why:

the category of employees who are exempt from the reimbursement requirement is too narrow.  Under this bill, a large number of state employees who are required to use a state-owned vehicle as an essential tool for performing their jobs would be financially penalized.  As a result of imposing this financial burden, it would be harder to hire and retain employees in these positions that are vital to the health and safety of the public.

Vetoing this bill does not prevent DPA or other agency heads from continually reviewing the use of state vehicles for commuting purposes and modifying the program in a measured way.  But this bill, however well-intentioned, sweeps too broadly and at too great a cost to public safety and the efficient delivery of essential state services.

Accordingly, I have vetoed this bill.

The Governor is correct, vetoing HB 10-1287 “does not prevent DPA or other agency heads from continually reviewing the use of state vehicles for commuting purposes and modifying the program in a measured way.” Problem is agency heads aren’t doing their job, which is why Rep. Kent Lambert and Sen. Bill Cadman ran the legislation in the first place.

Another problem with the veto is that the estimated $3 million in cost saving will have to be found elsewhere in the budget.  After passage in the Senate, COST reported via the Colorado New Agency:

An honest and humorous comment came from Senator Pat Steadman, who “congratulated Cadman on getting his ‘lead balloon to fly.’” He wanted the estimated $3 million in savings to the state.

“I was scrounging through the sofa cushions looking for spare change for some long bill (budget) amendments and this is one of the places I was looking to – the savings in this bill.”

So state employees still get to enjoy a free ride, while taxpayers pick up the budget shortfall.

Taxpayers sponsored commuting for state employees will be a thing a of past if State Representative Kent Lambert and State Senator Bill Cadman get their way.  Lambert and Cadman are the prime sponsors of HB10-1287, legislation “concerning the use of state-owned vehicles for commuting purposes.”

If passed the bill would put an end to “commuting unless the job description of an officer or employee of a state agencies includes the provision of public health, safety, or emergency response service outside of business hours.” This bill could save the state more $3 million, but it has been assigned to the killing committee, a.k.a. State, Veterans and Military Affairs.

State Representative and Joint Budget Committee member Kent Lambert wants to put the brakes on state employees using taxpayer funded vehicles for their personal commute to and from work.  The Associated Press quoted Lambert,  ”Nobody else in state government is getting a free ride to work, and they shouldn’t be doing it either.”  

Following up on a COST discovery about the state’s fleet vehicles, Lambert plans to introduce legislation to eliminate ”Gov. Bill Ritter’s fleet vehicle program and bar the use of state-owned vehicles for tax-free commuting unless it contributes to public safety.”

What’s interesting is the state’s response to Lambert’s legislation. 

Julie Postlethwait, spokeswoman for the Department of Personnel and Administration, which oversees the state fleet, said department heads decide who gets a state vehicle and the department has no control over the decision. She said the department has been reviewing fleet rules for a year and tried to cut back on the program.

‘It’s a program we offer, and we can’t force other departments to cut back,’ she said.

Raises taxes? You bet.  Tell departments to “cut back” on employees using taxpayer-funded vehicle for their personal commute? No way.

State Representative and Joint Budget Committee member Kent Lambert provides a tremendous amount of information about the state budget and spending on his Web site. 

COST enjoyed digging through a database on state government vehicles.  According to the database, taxpayers have purchased 5534 vehicles over the course of many years.  What’s interesting is that in the middle of the “worst recession since the Great Depression” Parole purchased over sixty 2009 hybrid sedans at a cost of more than $1million.  COST wondered why.  According to sources, apparently the new vehicles were for employees to ”ride share” to and from work.  

COST will let taxpayers decide if that was a good use of their hard-earned money.

Governor Bill Ritter cuts funding for Higher Education and eliminates tax credits for seniors to balance Colorado’s budget.  Yet according to the Associated Press, Ritter spends millions lobbying governmentfor programs taxpayers can’t afford.  COST’s own Amy Oliver Cooke and champion of taxpayers Rep Kent Lambert are quoted in the article. 

If taxpayers want to investigate further on the Governor’s transparency Web site TOP, don’t waste your time.  Lobbying expenditures aren’t available – even in the aggregate.