IT'S going to be really difficult to trim $43 million from the government of Guam budget, if we can’t even save a small portion of that – $50,000 – by eliminating the need to print primary election ballots for an uncontested non-partisan race.

Such are the difficulties facing government budget managers, for every expenditure, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is mandated by some law or held hostage to common practices ingrained in GovGuam workers.

Consider, as an example, the letter Public Auditor Doris Flores Brooks has sent to the Speaker of the 31st Guam Legislature, Judith T. Won Pat. “Because of the government’s strained financial condition, I urge that the Legislature immediately authorize the Election Commission to cancel the uncontested primary for Public Auditor,” Brooks writes.

That may seem a little self-serving, since Ms. Brooks is the candidate seeking re-election, but consider the Catch-22 in which GEC finds itself. According to Maria I. D. Pangelinan, executive director, current law requires that GEC print and tabulate a separate ballot for Public Auditor, even though there is only one candidate and therefore no race. The incumbent ought to go straight onto the general election ballot, bypassing the primary.

What would that save? According to Brooks in her letter, “The Commission will have to print approximately 50,000 ballots for the uncontested office of Public Auditor and count those that are cast.” It seems like an unnecessary expense and a lot of administrative work for a non-race.

Ah, but not so fast. Dr. Ron McNinch weighs in: “The cost savings are a good point,” he told Variety, “but ensuring the public [has] an active electoral process is also important if this is to remain an elected position.” A buck a ballot is a small price to pay, he suggests, to ensure that process.

And so it goes. Every tax dollar spent, every procedure questioned, all efforts to streamline and eliminate redundancies notwithstanding, even little savings are just really tough to make.

Hence the letter to Speaker Won Pat. “As I understand it,” Brooks writes, “the Election Commission feels that its hands are tied on this issue because of specific sections of Guam law.” So, she suggests, change the law, something only the Legislature can do, to save $50,000.

Whether they will want to do that remains to be seen. But judging from this small example, cost savings in the government are painstakingly difficult to realize. It almost makes you feel sorry for the members of the governor’s cost-cutting task force.