SPRINGFIELD - An analysis of audit reports covering the last three Illinois governors shows Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration has been plagued by substantially more reports of mismanagement and waste than his two predecessors.

A comparison of audits for 22 major state agencies dating to 1997 found Blagojevich has had nearly as many problems running state government as former Govs. George Ryan and Jim Edgar combined.

The survey looked at yearly audit findings for agencies that are under the governor's control at similar points in each of their administrations.

For Blagojevich, the survey determined that auditors raised questions about the proper use of taxpayer dollars in 326 instances. Former Gov. George Ryan's administration had 137 findings in the second half of his one term, while auditors found 203 problems within agencies overseen by former Gov. Jim Edgar during the second half of his second term.

Analysts say the problems uncovered by Auditor General William Holland's office may indicate how serious a governor is about managing the state's resources.

Edgar, who served from 1990 to 1998, said audits are a "necessary evil" that help keep a democratic government operating.

"It's one of the checks and balances," Edgar said in a recent interview.

Audits are a key way for lawmakers to view how the executive branch of government is performing. They also can be used for oversight purposes when approving programs and budgets requested by the governor.

"It's a tool whereby we can continue to pound on the administration," said state Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican and member of the General Assembly's Legislative Audit Commission.

Righter said the audits show that the Blagojevich administration is "stumbling and lurching" in its role as a custodian of tax dollars.

State Rep. Julie Hamos, D-Evanston, said members of the audit commission are "looking at the innards of state government."

And, sometimes, the view isn't pleasant, she said.

Hamos believes high turnover among agency directors and too few state workers may have led to a breakdown in the management of government.

"It's fairly startling," Hamos said. "Agencies are trying to do more with less. They are often just not able to do the paperwork. I don't know if they can do that with this reduced headcount."

Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero questioned the method of the review.

"Aggregating the audit process in this way is unfortunate because it gets away from the real purpose of the audits, which is to help our state improve its performance and become more efficient," Guerrero said. "We welcome rigorous audits because they allow our agencies to better achieve their goals."

The administration, however, has not always welcomed the results of the audits.

In 2005, an audit of a major state agency revealed questionable payouts to politically connected contractors and insiders.

The response from the Blagojevich administration was swift: They questioned the accuracy of the auditor.

Within days, however, the administration was backpedaling, saying its attack on Holland's integrity was a mistake.

"In retrospect, it is clear that our response was overly aggressive and defensive," said Michael Rumman, former director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services.

More recently, auditors struggled this year to complete a review of the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services because agency officials wouldn't initially provide some information for which auditors repeatedly asked.

Righter said the administration's attitude toward criticism is troubling.

"Not only are they inept, but they are arrogant," Righter said.

Guerrero also contends that administrations can't accurately be compared because factors used by Holland's office to measure performance may change over time.

"Over the years, the standard of what is material seems to have broadened to include things that may not have made an audit in years past," Guerrero said.

The survey of reports going back 11 years indicates that some state agencies are more likely than others to present management problems for governors.

Audits of the sprawling Department of Human Services, which oversees the care and treatment of thousands of mentally and physically disabled wards of the state, typically have uncovered high numbers of problems. An audit of the Department of Human Services covering the final two years of Edgar's final term in office found 24 problems.

During Ryan's final year in office, auditors found 17 problems. The most recent audit of the agency under Blagojevich's watch found 31 problems.

Other agencies with high numbers of findings under each governor include the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Corrections, both of which have seen dramatic cuts in employees.

Edgar said he worked hard to find qualified people to head his agencies as a way to make sure state government operated with as little waste as possible.

"Our directors knew they were going to be held accountable," Edgar said.

A key for Edgar was hiring people who were familiar with how state government operates.

"A lot of them had come up through the ranks," said Edgar, a Republican.

Edgar suggests that the switch from decades of Republicans in charge to Blagojevich's ascension in 2003 may have triggered a loss of institutional memory that helps keep state government operating.

"If everybody is new, you're going to have problems," Edgar said.

But, Hamos added, after six years in office, Blagojevich no longer can use that as an excuse.

Observers say Blagojevich's record with auditors isn't the only indication that there are management problems within state government.

Many appointments to various state boards and commissions are unfilled. There is a lengthy backlog of pending requests for clemency.

In the case of the Carterville School District, the governor pledged to give the district cash to upgrade one of its buildings but took nearly two years to fully pay the money.

"It just is a sign that they think process doesn't matter," Righter said. "There is a stunning lack of regard for putting one foot in front of the other."

Following are some examples of findings contained in recent audits of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration:

n The Illinois Department of Transportation and local agencies were delinquent in performing bridge inspections during the 2007 fiscal year.

n The Illinois Department of Agriculture did not inspect weighing and measuring devices at least once annually as required by state law.

n The Office of the Governor ordered and received 140 thumbprint scanners and associated software for their computers more than a year and a half ago and has not yet put most of them into use.

n The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency was not in compliance with the Illinois Historic Preservation Act.

n The Illinois Department of Human Services had inadequate procedures for the disposal of confidential information.

n The Illinois Department of Revenue violated provisions of the State Finance Act by prepaying $4.4 million in future fiscal years' expenses out of appropriated funds and creating false and misleading billing invoices to support the payments.

Source: Illinois Auditor General's office

Kurt Erickson can be reached at kurt.erickson@lee.net or 789-0865.