A report by Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner raises troubling questions about the state's management of its vehicle fleet.

But not only does the commonwealth need better monitoring of its vehicles, it needs to prove that the state really does need a fleet of more than 16,000 vehicles.

With the state facing the prospect of a budget deficit approaching $3 billion in June, the Rendell administration and lawmakers must cut every dollar of unnecessary spending. The vehicle fleet is not outside the realm of scrutiny.

But beyond the size of the fleet, Wagner's findings raise more troubling questions about how Keystone State government officials are spending taxpayers' money. The findings are far from flattering.

For example, most people wouldn't pay out-of-pocket for repairs to their vehicle if the work was covered under the vehicle warranty. In some instances, according to Wag-ner's findings, the state did just that.

However, that issue, although serious, is minor in comparison with the total picture encompassing the vehicles, which cost the state nearly $73 million to buy, maintain, fuel and insure. When asked, the Department of General Services, which is supposed to be overseeing the vehicles, was unable to provide up-to-date details on who drives the state-owned vehicles and whether they are being allocated appropriately.

Wagner alleges that 51 state agencies, boards and commissions have been extended too much leeway in deciding who gets the cars and how they are used and monitored.

The attitude of entitlement by those with the vehicles also is reflected in a requirement that General Services be given monthly odometer readings for each vehicle.

Approximately 40 percent of those with the vehicles did not do so and, as troubling as that is, General Serv-ices officials failed to actively pursue the information — or call attention to officials beyond the department that a problem existed.

Such a scenario reveals the possibility of state vehicles being used for something other than state business.

It's more evidence that when "other people's money" is being spent, there is less incentive for ensuring that every dollar is spent prudently.

On the subject of misuse of vehicles, the auditor general suggested that General Services make it easier for the public to report misuse of state vehicles. While General Serv-ices Secretary James Creedon said he agreed with that suggestion, he pointed out that his department already fields a steady stream of complaints.

Which raises the question: Is the department really following up on those complaints, since the complaints continue to come in?

To its credit, General Services in December centralized automotive recordkeeping under a new customer service division. Meanwhile, the department has announced plans to issue a uniform vehicle policy for all agencies this spring — a policy that should have been in place from the early days of the Rendell administration rather than during its last two years.

"This (Wagner's) report is simply jaw-dropping," said Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson.

He said that, prior to Wagner being asked last March to examine how state vehicles were being used, lawmakers were unaware of the extent of the problems. And, of course, neither were the taxpayers, the people who pay the bills.

With that knowledge now in hand, there's no excuse for inaction. And, needed changes should be implemented without delay.

At the same time, there's no excuse for the state to have more vehicles than it really needs — and 16,000 sounds like more than is necessary.