What a way to run a business — or a government. After reading in Sunday’s Journal-World about the 130 new vehicles sitting unused in a state government parking lot in Topeka, observers would have to conclude that it’s little wonder the state of Kansas is going broke.

The numbers in this story are stunning. The Kansas Department of Administration says the state owns 8,661 vehicles. Of those, 1,500 are committed to the state motor pool where employees can check out cars for daily travel or trips out of town.

Wow, that’s a lot of cars. How does the state use them all?

The answer, unfortunately, is that the state doesn’t use them all. A review of the motor pool records indicated about 500 of 1,500 cars are used only rarely. Even more stunning are the 130 cars the state purchased new that remain unused in a state parking lot.

The vehicles — 2002 and 2003 models — were purchased last year and in January as replacements for other state vehicles. But because they haven’t been needed, the vehicles, with an estimated value of $2 million, now sit idle.

Bids on the vehicles were received from various dealers, and they were purchased from the low bidders. That may mean the state got a good price on the vehicles, but no price is a good price on a vehicle that isn’t needed and isn’t used.

The vehicle report surely will raise taxpayers’ suspicions that this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wasteful government spending. Hopefully, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ touted “top to bottom” review of state spending will uncover other such spending abuses. It will be a public relations nightmare for the state, but recognizing the problem may be the first step to solving it.

The state’s vehicle purchases may be a case of “this is the way it’s always been done.” If so, it should now be done another way. It’s great that the state apparently has decreased its demand for state vehicles. Now it needs to figure out a way to reduce its inventory.