State llawmakers question state agency spending

Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills, questioned the tens of thousands of dollars spent on office chairs made by the Prison Industry Authority.

"We’re using free labor, but it seems like I could buy it cheaper from Office Depot,” he said.

Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks, said the expenditures look out of place when lawmakers asked Californians last year to pay higher taxes and vehicle license fees.

"I find these expenditures an insult to every state employee, and to every taxpayer who’s working hard to make ends meet,” said Strickland, vice chairwoman of the Assembly Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review.

Lawmakers recommended that the Department of General Services, which processes government purchase requests, develop an electronic database of all state buildings that have available conference rooms and extend the life of non-emergency vehicles used by state employees.

They were among several recommendations the committee made to reduce costs and improve transparency.

State agency directors testifying before the committee said they have cut costs since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered reduced spending last year. They said the cost to buy vehicles has been reduced by more than 50 percent and that 300 state suppliers have cut their prices.

"Our department has made savings a priority,” said Stephen Amos, chief deputy director of the Department of General Services. "We applaud those suppliers that have executed new contracts with us and partnered with the state in reducing their costs.”

The committee also recommended that the state develop a list of agencies that do not report expenditures or contracts.

In a news conference later Wednesday, Schwarzenegger applauded the committee’s efforts.

"The more we can all look into the government, and check out if there’s any wasteful spending, the better it is for the people of California and the better it is for the taxpayers,” Schwarzenegger said.