Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Angelo S. Lynn, the publisher of the Addison Independent.
Running as a Democrat with the support of the Progressive Party, Doug Hoffer offers a thorough knowledge of state government and a penchant for asking the tough questions that Vermonters should want their state auditor to ask. He calls himself a “numbers man,” who hopes to help guide the best public policy possible through an honest and pragmatic examination of the facts.
“Results are supposed to be based on facts,” he says, “and that’s all there is to it.”
That straightforward approach to the job is what gives Hoffer the edge over incumbent Republican Tom Salmon, who is not only under the gun for failing to discover a half-million dollar embezzlement case over the past five years but has, on occasion, used the office as his own political soapbox and to advance his personal ambitions for higher office.
In contrast, Hoffer, 59, has no interest in higher office, and he curries no favors from Democrats or Republicans. Interestingly, as a Progressive, he will likely be a bit prickly in the job and may turn the spotlight on all issues in ways leaders from both political parties do not find comfortable. So be it.
The auditor’s role is not only to review departments of government looking for fraud, waste and abuse, and to audit the state’s financial statements, but to also take a look at legislative issues and programs that may not be as cost-effective as was intended or is being touted by supporters. When asked what his priorities would be as auditor, he is matter-of-fact: You start where the state spends the most money first, he says, because that’s where solving any mistakes makes the most difference.
It’s that meat-and-potatoes approach to the job—nothing fancy, just deliberate work—that also makes Hoffer an appealing candidate.
Furthermore, the auditor’s office can be helpful in proving the Legislature financial analysis involving potential legislation: revising the state aid formula for educational funding, for example; or economic development programs; or even aspects of the proposed changes to Vermont’s health care programs. In that capacity, the auditor’s office must operate free of political influence and with a non-partisan approach to the facts. His political independence works to the public’s benefit.
Finally, Hoffer’s background as a policy analyst for the past 20 years, his decades of experience conducting various audits for the state and for private industry, and a healthy irreverence and skepticism of party politics make him ideally suited as a watchdog on behalf of the public’s interest.
