Government Workers Fired Because They "Hid" Surplus

Friday's Chronicle headline

Ex-Director Ruth Coleman (Sac Bee photo)

"Surplus Scandal": an only-in-California headline:

The director of California's state parks department resigned, her deputy was fired and the state attorney general launched an investigation Friday after state officials said the agency hid a surplus [bold added] of $53 million over the past 12 years.

Comment: if they had merely spent (wasted) the money, they would not only have kept their jobs, they'd probably have gotten promotions.

Question: if they had told the higher-ups about the surplus, would it still be there?

Quit laughing so hard, you'll hurt yourself.