For years, the fact West Virginia state government is inefficient and not accountable to the people who shovel money into it — legislators — has been apparent in one fact or, rather, lack of it.

Lawmakers daring to ask for a bottom-line figure on the number of motor vehicles owned by the state have been told, sorry, we can’t give you that. We don’t know.

Oh, the bureaucrats insist they do have a number, but legislators never seem able to get what they consider a reliable one. Once again this year, a bill was introduced (HB 4170), mandating that an accurate inventory of vehicles be kept.

Somehow, it ended up being parked in a House of Delegates committee.

How hard can it be to draw up a list of every car and truck owned by taxpayers? HB 4170 should be enacted, if only to establish whether the bureaucrats are capable of making a list.