Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 16, 1994 TAG: 9409160047
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The public safety subcommittee of the Governor's Commission on Government Reform last month recommended doing away with the annual safety inspections, which cost Virginians about $60 million a year. The subcommittee proposed requiring inspections only when a vehicle is sold.
But Kenneth W. Butler, chairman of the transportation subcommittee, said his panel should have had an opportunity to look at the issue. At his request, the executive committee agreed to put the matter on the full commission's Sept. 28 agenda.
The commission will conduct four public hearings on its recommendations in October. The recommendations, aimed at trimming bureaucracy and saving money, will be presented to the 1995 General Assembly.
Rhett Clarkson, public safety subcommittee chairman, acknowledged that eliminating the annual safety inspections ``is a controversial issue.'' However, he said there is no evidence the inspections enhance highway safety.
``Why are we spending $60 million on something we don't know if it works or doesn't?'' Clarkson said.
Butler said he was not convinced the inspections are ineffective. He said it seems likely that some safety-related repairs would not be made if the inspection program is dropped.
Clarkson said the percentage of motorists who ignore needed repairs would be tiny. ``The deterrent is that the driver doesn't want an unsafe car because he's the one behind the wheel,'' Clarkson said.
Commission member James C. Wheat III suggested a study of the issue, but Clarkson and commission member Mark Crain said it already has been studied enough in other states.
Another commissioner wondered how the proposal would affect service-station operators who conduct the inspections for $10 and, in most cases, make the necessary repairs.
0 to avoid the hassle of getting their car inspected.
The executive committee also heard commission Chairman Otis Brown's recommendations for streamlining state government, including:
Reducing the ratio of managers to subordinates from the current 1-to-4.5 to 1-to-8.
Consolidating agencies so that no Cabinet secretary oversees more than six.
Reducing the levels of management between agency head and customer from as many as 13 now to a maximum of six.
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro editon.