Published: December 10, 2007 11:01 am      

Murphey to lead state surplus inventory

EDMOND — House Speaker Lance Cargill said his recent tour of the state’s surplus inventory reminded him of the closing scene of the 1980s movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

“The movie cuts to a scene of a gigantic warehouse filled with thousands of wooden crates. Workmen box the Ark up and then roll it into the maze of the massive warehouse, presumably never to be seen again.”

To remedy the situation, Cargill has tapped state Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, to lead the effort to modernize specific aspects of state government.

Murphey, along with Edmond Rep. Ken Miller, will assist with research into ways to streamline government and save taxpayer funds, Cargill said. “Just as in any business, the state needs to maintain an accurate inventory of its assets.”

Cargill said a first step of the review will be to inventory what the state owns.

Murphey and Cargill recently toured the state’s surplus inventory and observed the process for disposing of state assets.

Murphey said the centralized inventory process is reported in an incomplete and haphazard matter and needs to be standardized so taxpayers can realize what the assets of the state actually are.

“In addition to upgrading the inventory control system it is also important for the state to modernize the application of the state’s centralized purchasing system. Individuals from IBM Business Consulting Services have testified that as much as $70 million could be saved annually if the system was reformed,” Murphey said.

He indicated that the committee’s work likely will result in legislation being filed in the next two months in order to begin the modernization process.



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