Our View: Guarding the Guard for state's taxpayers

Especially in these tough budget times, every dollar spent by the state must be spent wisely. That includes money spent by the California National Guard.

The Sacramento Bee ran a series of articles last week on financial problems at the Guard. The most glaring irregularity, according to the Bee: "Maj. Gen. William H. Wade II, who led the Guard from late 2005 through early 2010, boosted his salary by working hundreds of days on federal duty while being paid by both the federal and state governments. About $155,000 of his state income was beyond the statutory limits for dual pay."

To address this and other financial problems, Senate Bill 921 has been proposed by two state senators, Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, and Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana. It would, in the bill's language, "establish the Office of the Inspector General within the Military Department" of the state, which runs the Guard. The IG would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, and would be "independent of the chain of command of the Military Department" and serve "at the discretion of the governor."

It is not unusual, within limits, for a Guard member to receive two government paychecks, Chuck DeVore told us; he's a former Irvine assemblyman and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Guard. He's currently running for supervisor in Orange County. He said that someone in the private sector who is in the Guard would be paid, for example, for his civilian job while getting a military salary on weekends of service.

The same with someone who works in government, but also serves in the Guard. The Guard commander, Mr. DeVore said, "is essentially a state bureaucrat who serves in uniform. But he also has to be in a deployable unit." So the double-dipping is justified, "but only to a certain limit" set by state law.

Gen. Wade allegedly exceeded that limit. In particular, he did not fill out time sheets, as Guard members are required. Gen. Wade left the Guard in 2010 and currently serves in Italy as NATO's deputy chief of staff for operations.

DeVore also pointed out that "more than 95 percent of the Guard's funding comes from the federal government. So auditing the Guard mainly is a federal responsibility." Federal investigators, according to the Bee, are looking into this and other alleged financial improprieties.

Still, DeVore said, it probably is a good idea for the state itself to make sure the money is being spent properly "because the federal guys don't have the jurisdiction to look into state active-duty pay."

Lieu said the bill would involve no additional cost to taxpayers because it merely shifts the inspector general's post from reporting to the guard's commander, to reporting instead "directly to the governor. He'll be the eyes of the governor with the guard, outside the chain of command, serving as an independent watchdog officer."

The bill currently is in the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee; no hearing date has been set. This seems like a good bill to us that could preclude future abuses.

As well as its federal duties, the California National Guard's state duties include helping Californians during natural disasters. In addition to saving money, efficiency will make it do a better job.