LOS ANGELES - Governor Schwarzenegger has ordered a 15-percent reduction of the State of California's motor vehicle fleet after reports surfaced of waste and abuse regarding state-owned take-home vehicles by state employees. The abuse was reported to the newly created Waste Watchers Web site, designed to "help uncover waste in government."

The state currently allows 8,662 workers to have take-home vehicles, reported the Los Angeles Times.

"Any waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars is absolutely unacceptable. If we find it happening, we will take immediate action to correct it," Schwarzenegger said in a July 17 statement. All state departments and agencies have been ordered to immediately identify all surplus vehicles, which will be sold to the public at the Department of General Services' (DGS) "Garage Sale" August 28-29 in Sacramento.

Similar abuse findings were also revealed during an internal Department of Transportation audit available on the Reporting Transparency Web site.

The DGS estimates the state fleet reduction effort to result in a projected savings in the first year of $24.1 million.

As part of the executive order, all departments and agencies must provide a fleet reduction plan that meets requirements issued by the administration. Plans must include keeping the "greenest" vehicles possible, identifying light-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 lbs. or less, and justification of take-home vehicles, among other criteria.

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