.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Every day of the 2010 legislative session will cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars, and Senate Majority leader Mike Gronstal vows to end it as soon as possible.

We’re definitely looking for ways to save money, but rushing through the session sounds like a “penny-wise, pound-foolish” approach to the issue. When you look at the significant budget cuts that have been suggested, and then factor in the length of time it will take to debate them, we should hope that the lawmakers will work patiently, not rush for the exits.

There’s no shortage of ideas. The State Government Reorganization Commission came up with a long list of somewhat general points. For example, “e-mail systems would be consolidated wherever practicable and possible” and “mandate use of Department of Administrative Services procurement contracts.”

Iowans for Tax Relief broke down the numbers on its main points. It claims we could save $690,317 by merging the Alcoholic Beverages Division into the Department of Revenue. The group says we’re paying for 25 e-mail systems and 2,000 servers, then offers this example of the alternative: “In 2005, the state of Indiana transferred the state’s various e-mail systems to a single consolidated system. This combined with other improvements to the state’s information technology infrastructure saved taxpayers in the Hoosier State $14 million.”

The Republicans in the House claim we could save $34 million in the first year by selling the vehicle fleet and leasing instead, with ongoing savings of $18 million annually. They say there’s $10 million to be cut from office supplies, service contracts and equipment purchases. They have called for a combination of technology systems that would cut our expenses by $20 million.

If these numbers are anywhere close to accurate, they deserve attention. Most of these topics should be nonpartisan. A lot of them seem like sound business decisions begging to be made.

Let’s take our time and save millions, not thousands.