Many of the functions of local and state government in West Virginia could be handled just as well as they are now — or better — with fewer people and less expense. That seems obvious.

Slimming down the size of government takes both political power and courage, however. That is why no one has been able to make it happen.

As West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee told our reporter, making government more efficient and less costly is one of the key recommendations in the “West Virginia Forward” plan prepared by WVU, Marshall University and the state Department of Commerce.

Gee and others involved in the plan already have begun discussing it with some of the state’s political leaders. Efforts to implement some “West Virginia Forward” ideas will be made during the Legislature’s regular session early next year.

Eliminating unnecessary state regulations and layers of local and state government will be one of the first initiatives, Gee said.

But the new study is far from the first time such efficiencies have been recommended. Consolidating some county boards of education and some county governments, and merging some municipal and county governments have been suggested many times.

Every time, those promoting the efficiencies run into brick walls — hard.

There are many reasons for that. High on the list is that consolidation eliminates jobs. Merge two county governments, and several officials ranging from sheriff to commissioner lose their positions. They don’t like that idea and they use their considerable political muscle to fight it.

Loss of local control sometimes is feared by citizens. For example, some worry that consolidating school systems will result in lower quality education.

That does not have to happen. In fact, handled properly, it can mean much better schools.

Change of the type envisioned in “West Virginia Forward” can be intimidating to many people. They ask what’s wrong with the way we’ve done things for generations?

Good question. Look around, fellow Mountain State residents. How is the way we’ve done things for so many years working out for us?

Not very well.

Legislators and Gov. Jim Justice are going to be asked to make radical changes, requiring enormous political courage. Doing that may cost some of them their jobs in state government.

But is that why we elected them? To do what they must to get re-elected?

No. We sent them to Charleston to make West Virginia a better place for our children and grandchildren. They need to start doing just that.