Getting Lean in Jacksonville

Those who believe government is too big have a tendency to scoff when (as has happened since the Florida property tax cuts were ratified by voters in January) advocates forecast fiscal doom and gloom. They argue that there's fat to be cut, and that imposing big tax cuts can force government officials to make the hard decisions about unnecessary spending.

An interesting article in the Jacksonville Times-Union makes a broader case, applicable to governments, corporations and plain 0ld citizens, that sometimes we need to have a gun to our head before we do what's smart. The city of Jacksonville is replacing the least-fuel-efficient motor vehicles in its fleet with gas-sipping hybrids. The good news is that this is having a measurable impact on the city's transportation budget:

The effort is shaving $3 million from the proposed fleet management budget in a year when statewide property tax reform and a sluggish economy are expected to cramp city finances.

The bad news is that the economy is relentlessly pushing these costs up in a way that cost savings just can't cover:

While city officials say fleet cutbacks have saved $3 million, the fleet department's proposed 2008-09 budget, $48.6 million, grew by $11 million.
Skipper said a 47 percent jump in the cost of fuel was mostly to
blame, but the budget would be closer to $51.6 million without the efficiencies.

In other words, fuel prices are imposing big new costs on local governments at a time when the mandate from the state is that locals must cut costs.

One more reason why this is not the best time to be holding a gun to local governments' head and demanding more efficiency.

So should the example of Jacksonville's saved $3 million be used as ammo by anti-tax advocates looking for examples of "government waste?"

Only if they're prepared to make the same admissions themselves. Private citizens and companies nationwide are responding to high gas prices in exactly the same way the city of Jacksonville has done, by driving less and buying more fuel-efficient cars. If these folks are willing to characterize their past purchases of gas-guzzling SUV's as "wasteful," then it's acceptable to describe Jacksonville's actions in the same way. But don't expect such an admission from most Floridians anytime soon...