Cuomo Unveils Plans for Greater Government Efficiency
Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed his plan to streamline government, a plan which he says will save $100 million next year and $600 million over the next five years.
“State government must be reinvented from top to bottom to cut inefficiencies and reduce waste,” Mr. Cuomo said. “We can no longer accept the status quo where the excess of government falls on the backs of taxpayers, who receive little in return. It is a new day in Albany, and these steps will transform government to work better for the people at a lower cost.”
The reforms include changing the procurement process by harnessing the state’s power to reduce costs, eliminating empty space leased by the state, modernizing information technology systems, improving customer service, and streamlining business services.
It remains to be seen if Mr. Cuomo can pull off such an ambitious efficiency target, but it is worth noting that it is hard to find “efficiencies” without some measure of pain.
Here in the city, former Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith was likewise charged with streamlining government, which often meant laying off unionized city workers, something that they, of course, didn’t much cotton to. Read More
