Audit finds 59 violations of Missouri’s Sunshine Law

Sometimes people ask how we came to our transparency checklist items, and we’re always pretty surprised because we think they are self evident (however you can find the full rational here). I find this especially true for are audits.

Recently, Missouri’s auditor found out that there had been 59 Sunshine Law compliance problem between 2008 and 2009. Over 45 governmental bodies were reported having issues with meeting minutes and agendas; 30 reported problems with minutes for closed meetings; and 18 failed to provide justification for a closed meetings.

Have you seen this type of thing in your state? What’s the juiciest scandal your auditor has found?

Organizing Committees for Transparency

In an effort to educate those wishing to take a closer look at local government, Dr. Fusco, former superintendent in Branford, Connecticut put together a manual on forming a Citizen’s Audit Committee (CAC).

Dr. Fusco’s work in combination with the Yankee Institute reinforces the need to form citizen committees in order to tackle larger problems within local and state government. Too often investigative citizens tackle issues as single units but there are huge benefits of combining efforts. Simply put, more ground can be covered than any one individual is able to accomplish, especially when dealing with the complexities of local governments or school boards.

“A Citizens Audit Committee can do what school boards and town officials are either unwilling to do for political reasons or unable to do because of a lack of skill, information, and time.”

An additional benefit of CACs is that they will provide, “independent and objective oversight to budgeting and spending practices by assessing whether there is efficiency or effectiveness.”

This document was also written in order to help explain confusing terminology, which often is where concerned taxpayers end up hitting a roadblock. Even motivated individuals can get tripped up with the jargon used in many of the government forms.

The report also provides strategies of where to begin to look for discrepancies and then ultimately what citizens should do once they have found meaningful data. Reaching those who can utilize the findings becomes the next important step so that problems can be amended and preventative measures can be put in place for the future.

Through the efforts of the Yankee Institute more citizens will have the tools to effectively expose problems that exist in public offices and combat corruption by alerting those who pay for it- the everyday taxpayer.

Follow up on the lavish lifestyle of Charles Flowers

An editorial appeared in the Wednesday edition of the Chicago Tribune, which outlined in greater detail the irregularities found in the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education budget. Included in this report are the shocking expenditures that Charles Flowers assumed would go unnoticed by the Cook County taxpayers. Unfortunately for him they have been noticed and a memo has been sent to Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez for their review into the taxpayer-funded shopping spree. A few of the shocking expenditures include:

• Changes for thousands of dollars in private expenses for him and his family on a trip to Mississippi
• $15,000 in cash advances for two employees, including his sister that holds a position as his administrative assistant
• Money paid towards his nephew who only worked eight hour days but received pay for nine

In addition to these purchases, Flowers still could not account for 70% of the receipts for charges made on this government card as mentioned in the previous blog entry. The state’s attorney will have her hands full as more details are uncovered regarding just how much taxpayer money was wasted at the command of Superintendent Flowers.

The Importance of Hosting School Budgets Online

Corporate bailouts have been in the news as of late, but how about personal bailouts? Well, Charles Flowers, the superintendent of the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education was found recently to be skimming the district’s cash account when his paychecks just were not enough. Oh yeah, and this scheme also included his two sisters and nephew.
Phil Kadner of the Southtown Star reported that

Less that a year after his election, he approved a $6,000 cash to his sister Barbara Flowers. “These repayments were to occur each pay period stating on April 4th 2008.”

When the state auditor general became involved it was found and reported that, “the payroll register does not show any repayments between this date [April 4, 2008] and June 30, 2008.” This money, paid out illegally, and unbeknownst to the taxpayers, was used for various personal purchases whose receipts have conveniently been hard to locate. When asked about the allegations of theft, Dr. Flowers claimed that the bills were “repaid from his personal bank account.” Apparently the money was taken and paid back, all without proper documentation that would come with having the receipts on hand. No harm right? It will be interesting to see what the Illinois State’s Attorney will think of that story.

When it is all said and done, I think it’s safe to say that the taxpayers of greater Suburban Cook County will be calling for greater transparency within the district’s expansive public budget.
Actions that Cook County taxpayers will likely call for might mirror the measures that just have been enacted in Freeland and Bullock Creek schools in Michigan. These two schools are the first in the state to post their checkbook registers online as part of a ‘Show Michigan the Money’ statewide transparency project by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Ultimately, something tells me that this will not be the last case of abuse we hear of within the public school systems in Illinois. This will especially be the case if the budgets become available to a wider range of taxpayers and watchdogs interested in where their money goes; both for planned projects and anything illegal in nature that might be going on.

Chicago Tribune outs Senators against recall

The Chicago Tribune came out with their own little attempt at transparency today when they published the names of the Illinois state senators that voted against giving Illinois voters the option of recalling their elected officials. Much to my delight, it came with a complimentary “happy new year” verbal thrashing as well.

So as the impeachment process escalates, remember: We’re in this disheartening situation because of choices Blagojevich has made. We’re here, too, because so many members of the Illinois Senate have enabled him. They had the chance to let us vote him out of office. They sided with him, and against the people of the state.

NICE!!!

And, here is the list of offending, liberty-snatching senators:

*Michael Bond
*James Clayborne Jr.
*Jacqueline Collins
*John Cullerton
*James DeLeo
*Deanna Demuzio
*William Haine
*Don Harmon
*Mike Jacobs
*Emil Jones Jr.
*Kimberly Lightford
*Terry Link
*Iris Martinez
*James Meeks
*Antonio Munoz
*Michael Noland
*Kwame Raoul
*Heather Steans
*John Sullivan
*Donne Trotter
*A.J. Wilhelmi
*Gary Forby (D) [did not vote]
*Mattie Hunter (D) [did not vote]
*Martin Sandoval (D) [did not vote]
*Louis Viverito (D) [did not vote]
*Chris Lauzen (R) [not present]

I hope the Trib remembers to publish those names again prior to the election, and when their ed board meets to make endorsements for 2010 and 2010. Based on this paragraph…

As we said at the time: Senate Democrats blocked recall. They didn’t just show distrust for voters. They showed contempt. Eight months later, here we are, having to rely on the legislature to impeach and convict a governor the people cannot recall. Don’t forget who brought us here.

I think we can assume they will.

To learn about Recall, visit Ballotpedia.

What is a greater call for transparency?

Kate Campaigne asks from the Illinois Policy Institute’s Open Illinois blog, “Transparency would help inject direly needed sunshine into government spending and shine a light on the pay-to-play politics, corruption, and insider deals swallowing up our state. After this monumental arrest, how can elected officials say no to implementing transparency?”

Good question. There has been the usual parade of outrage from public officials from both sides of the aisle, and a growing call for a special election instead of an appointment (as stated in the IL Constitution now) but no major elected official is talking transparency.

So the real question becomes, who will step up to the plate to take a leadership role in implement the transparency legislation needed? The IL governor’s race will be a crowded event. Candidates: Show IL voters your commitment to them (and all taxpayers) by working to pass comprehensive transparency legislation. The Illinois Policy Institute, Americans for Prosperity Illinois, and For the Good of Illinois have been local champions- seek them out, and get it done.

For non-elected officials: Look here for ideas on how you can help the Sunshine Review Open Government project, and keep your politicians’ feet to the fire. Fighting corruption should be up to every citizen, not just the US Attorney.

Investigate Chicago Vote Fraud, receive a zeroed-out budget

Apparently, Chicago Ward 50’s alderman Bernie Stone is going public with his lust for political payback against Inspector General David Hoffman. At a recent budget meeting, Stone threatened to zero-out Hoffman’s department budget in response to his prosecution of Stone’s ward superintendent for issues relating to vote fraud.

The Tribune reports:

Hoffman’s office started to investigate 50th Ward vote fraud after getting tips following Stone’s narrow 2007 runoff re-election over challenger Naisy Dolar.

The probe ended up with Cook County prosecutors charging Stone’s 50th Ward Supt. Anish Eapen with official misconduct, absentee ballot fraud and mutilation of election materials. Prosecutors alleged Eapen, a member of Stone’s political organization, used his influence to manipulate absentee voters and, in one instance, mark a citizen’s ballot to gain votes for Stone.

Absolutely outrageous. Of course, Eapen pled not guilty to the charges. I hope he’s working on a deal that drags more Chicago vote fraud out into the sunshine.

In other Chicago corruption news, the Sun-Times reports that 44 new investigations were started July-September 2008, in contrast to only 8 in the same quarter in 2007.

The 44 probes last quarter included 10 allegations of falsified employment records, six claims of misuse of county property, malfeasance by Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office and a complaint of bribery.
…
And the Sun-Times reported this week that an investigation found county purchasing agent, Carmen Triche-Colvin — who’s husband, State Rep. Marlow Colvin is county president Stroger’s best friend — violated county policies for awarding contracts and used a fax machine in violation of federal law.

Let’s hope that these investigations lead to punishment for any wrongdoing, fraud, and misuse of public trust, but also serve as deterrents to people desiring to continue along the old Chicago Way of doing business.

IG discovers stench in Chicago sanitation dept

Chicago is often called “The City that Works,” but according to a report by Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman, that title should not necessarily include the city’s sanitation department.

It only takes a quick review of the day’s headlines to know it’s going to be another bad, bad day for Mayor Daley, who is on the cusp of releasing a city budget that is an estimated $420 million in the red.

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: Trashing the taxpayers

For years, the Daley administration has used city jobs in Streets and Sanitation to reward political workers. The bloating comes with a price, and now we know it — about $21 million a year. That, according to the inspector general’s report, is the total when you add up the money spent on the city wages for no work, plus other lost savings.

That’s $21 million Chicagoans pay every year for nothing.

Chicago Tribune: Your tax dollars at work

Like his father, he has bought labor peace during his 19-year tenure, in part by not demanding an end to such wasteful nonsense as the three-man garbage crew; many suburbs deploy one-man trucks. Now comes elaborate proof that the mayor’s garbage operation is a costly scam on taxpayers… With budget dollars tight and taxpayers furious with every level of government, maybe Daley finally will attack systemic cheating like this rip-off by garbage workers. He’ll never have a better excuse to downsize these three-man crews.

Shockingly (NOT!), union leaders are already crying foul, offering up a conspiracy theory that claims Mayor Daley is in cahoots with the Inspector General in an attempt to justify cutting sanitation jobs before Daley’s big red budget release.

Chicago Sun-Times: Garbage crews ‘paid to do nothing’ city surveillance finds

Lou Phillips, business manager for Laborers Union Local 1001, said it’s no accident that Hoffman issued his report at a time when hundreds of laborers are targeted for layoffs to ease a budget crunch.

“Sounds a little bit like a witch hunt to me. They’re laying off 1,080 people. Over 300 are members of Local 1001. Read between the lines,” he said. “It could be a downed truck. It could be between loads. There’s a number of different situations” that could cause down time.

Downed truck. Truck between loads. Right, right, right…

Read the full report for yourself- and prepare to be disgusted.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Admits He Lied Under Oath

Nothing is more disappointing than when a public official believes they are above the law and abuses the public trust. That is exactly what happened with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. His decision to lie under oath and to continue to deny it has cost the taxpayers of Detroit thousands of dollars and brought shame upon every elected official in Michigan. I hope the stiff penalties that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is facing will serve as a warning to other elected officials that it is better to tell the truth than lie to the American people.

If you would like more information about this item I have posted an article about the subject.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who will lose his job because he lied while under oath at a police whistle-blower trial, has just pledged to tell the truth as he prepares to admit his guilt as part of a plea deal he just struck with the Wayne County Prosecutor.
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The deal calls for Kilpatrick to plead guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice by committing perjury, agreeing to serve four months in jail, pay up to $1 million in restitution, and serve five years’ probation. He also agreed not to run for office during that five-year span.

The mayor will turn over his state pension to the City of Detroit, which paid $8.4 million to settle two whistle-blower lawsuits three former cops filed against the city. The mayor was charged with eight felony counts ranging from conspiracy to perjury to misconduct in office to obstruction of justice after the Free Press revealed that the mayor lied on the witness stand during a police whistle-blower trial and gave misleading testimony about whether he intended to fire a deputy police chief investigating allegations of wrongdoing by members of his inner circle.

In a rushed monotone, Kilpatrick told the court: “I lied under oath in the case of Gary Brown and Harold Nelthrope versus the city of Detroit … I did so with the intent to mislead the court and jury, to impede and obstruct the disposition of justice.”

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Louisiana Transparency: Still under construction

Although Louisiana has become Ground Zero for transparency progress, there is still a long way to go until state and local governments can really develop a reputation for clean and efficient government. After reading local LA news, I have a couple of suggestions for any public servant’s transparency “to do” list.

#1- Develop written procedures and guidelines for government credit cards BEFORE waste and theft occur. Audit statements monthly.

Example you should not follow: Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price has recently found himself in hot water (again) when an audit found he had misused his city credit card to purchase private vacations and other personal expenditures. Some city councilmen commented publicly that they had no knowledge these expenditures were taking place. My solution? Put all expenditures online for journalists, taxpayers, and even the city council members to scrutinize and take a proactive stance against corruption and sneaky spending with public funds.

#2- Give public information to the public, with or without request. No questions, no excuses.

Example you should not follow: Robert Morgan of TheTownTalk.com points out in a recent column that government employees often do not understand basic open records law, and may choose to delay the delivery of requested documents in error. Mr. Morgan names names in his article, citing examples from Rapides Parish Schools and the city of Alexandria.

I will continue to watch Louisiana’s media and new media for updates on how they are finding their way to the land of milk, honey, and open government.

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