“Nothing lasts longer than a temporary government program,” said Ronald Reagan. We have a ready illustration of that humorous yet frustrating observation in our own state government.
With the stroke of his pen, the Governor changed our state government this past July all by himself. Such action was warranted, he said, because more than $4.00 a gallon gas prices created an energy emergency and a serious commuter hardship for state employees. Oddly, no one raised the question whether the Governor even has the authority to make such a change in our state government. (He can’t hire and fire, promote, raise the pay, grant vacations, etc. to the same degree for every state employee but he can institute a blanket restructuring of their work week?)
There were no real advance studies, task force review, pilot program, Legislative input and no reference to the legal basis for such executive authority. It was simply announced and went straight to TV interviews local and national. (There was a brief window in July to “work out the bugs” but is anyone bugged that it may now continue permanently without appropriate further evaluations and discussion?)
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget reported a month later that the estimated impact of the Governor’s “initiative to adjust the business hours of state agencies” was being gathered “as the initiative was implemented”. This, they say, will be “replaced with actual data in six months”. This, “READY, FIRE, AIM” approach and experimentation on such a large scale is hard to understand. The Governor’s Office reports that they will decide in one year “whether the change should be made permanent”. I submit that such a sweeping change and decision may not be within the Governor’s exclusive control and authority.
I appreciate the Governor’s energy worries and concern for the working conditions of our public employees. I simply question the lack of thorough examination that such an extensive alteration of our state agencies warrants and whether falling gas prices support the return to the traditional schedule that the private sector continues to follow. (The price of gas has dropped 72% in recent months).
Every Legislative session typically includes a “Repealer Bill”, which addresses the “sunset” or expiration dates set in prior legislation. This ensures that the original purpose and premise of adopted statutes are again examined and found to still be applicable. Utah’s new 4 day government work week needs that same level of review.
The gas pump justification (if you accept the undocumented but as yet uncontested assertion that the new schedule is the best of all options) lasted less than six months. Utah’s gas prices are now reported to be among the lowest in the country. (Less than $1.80 a gallon or roughly 40% of what prompted the earlier “emergency” executive action by our Governor). Is Utah’s new 4 day government work week a “temporary government program” or a permanent restructuring of our state agencies? Will it ever be seriously evaluated and if so, by who and what standards and public policy considerations should govern the outcome?
The Legislature seems to be napping on these questions. However, the substantial drop in gas prices reminds us every day that it is time to rethink and reconsider the change made last summer in light of the more favorable conditions that have occurred since then. (Such good news is hard to find these days in the current economy).
Posted by: LaVar Christensen