Another lousy audit
Friday, Jun 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
How long before they finally get a management problem right?
The Blagojevich administration combined four state agencies under one name but failed to merge them into a single, efficient government department, the auditor general reported Thursday.
The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation lacked an organization chart, failed to consolidate accounting systems, prepared four separate versions of some reports and maintained different employee policies, Auditor General William Holland found.
The state also hired a consultant to help with the merger, but the timetable in the $700,000 contract means the consultant’s recommendations won’t be adopted until three or four years into the life of the new department, the auditor found. […]
But auditors found problems that went beyond the initial turmoil of combining the agencies. The problems continued at least into the fall of 2005, they said.
In its official response to the audit, the new department listed a number of problems that have complicated the merger, including a lack of space to house the combined agencies and trouble consolidating the various licensing and enforcement systems.
But in a telephone interview, Martinez said everything is going according to plan.
Yeah. Right to plan.
The complete audit can be found here.
- ChicagoDog - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 5:54 am:
The never ending stream of news stories on agency incompetance will continue until Blago is turned out of office or he takes some interest in the day to day operation of government. I’ve said it a gazillion times in this forum, when you allow people without college educations, petty criminal records, and work histories that are distinguished by a total lack of any management background is it any wonder the agencies are so fouled up. These are the sort of people running Human Services (look a the Secretary’s staff), Corrections (see most of the Assistant Wardens and some of the Wardens), Conservations, DOT and DCFS (take your pick). It is sad, sad, sad.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 6:09 am:
Pick an agency.
Review their ‘plans’.
Run screaming into the night.
- state worker #1 - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 6:16 am:
IDOT went through a ‘reorganization’ three years ago and we have yet to see an organization chart. The Districts were ‘realigned’ and District Engineer’s were fired (I mean they were asked to retire). Director positions and Deputy Director positions were created at the drop of a hat (it was stated earlier that some of the positions were doing the same work as other positions). Professional Engineering positions were changed to Technical Management position, etc
- zatoichi - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 7:32 am:
This is a shock? The silo mentality is alive and well in many departments. “This is how we did it 20 years ago and this is how it is still done now…if you want to work here”. Plans? Who needs plans? Just bring in a high paid consultant to say how things should be done. That way the consultant takes all the blame when it does not work and you keep your job. Say nothing without approval from higher ups who do not understand the ripple impact of what they are deciding to do. Dilbert lives.
- Lori - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 7:58 am:
Every audit done under Blagojevich’s tenure has been horrible but the citizens of Illinois don’t care so why should he?
- Cassandra - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 10:45 am:
Well, corporations hide behind law firms and accounting firms (remember Enron and all those
financial moves that Anderson approved) so it’s not surprising to see state government doing the same thing with consultants.
For taxpayers, it means we are paying double or triple, though. If the political hacks that Blago hires to staff the state agencies are unable to do the work, then hire a politically
connected consultant to do it. Taxpayers will be too clueless to notice that they are being stiffed financially and the hacks and hack consultants sure aren’t going to complain.
- Mr. Ethics - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 1:52 pm:
Dean Martinez also appears on the clout list posted a few weeks back. What else can he say other than everthing is going to plan?
- Anon - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 3:46 pm:
Dean is actually a good guy. It’s the people he reports to in g-Rod’s office who are the problem.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 4:18 pm:
Blagojevich sets the tone of his administration. If he does not have an interest in daily governing in Springfield, then neither will anyone else. This is what happens.
- Papa Legba - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 4:45 pm:
Another day another mess exposed. It is getting rather routine. I think the next audit should say the whole state is really f’ed up and it seems to be getting worse - things need to be fixed from the top down.
Cassandra -
Your constant ranting about state workers is getting very old. You made your point about two months ago. Get a new catch phrase. Please! FYI. There are employees of the state who aren’t hacks and appointees and do their jobs very well. Those people are dedicated and work hard. I know, I have walked in those shoes. Unless you are an employee of the State reserve your comments for your pet cat. We know you are resentful of state workers, but enough is enough.
- Lazystateworker - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 4:46 pm:
Several articles have been issued confirming that these types of mergers do not work. They don’t work because no one in this administration takes any time to learn what the proposed agencies do. You cannont merge an agency that regulates nationally with ones that do not.
- Swami - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 5:37 pm:
The audit is totally pathetic. But all of the audits completed are pathetic. New question of the day - which state agency audit is the worse? Should taxpayers continue to pay the salaries of those responsible or should they all be FIRED?
- Jechislo - Friday, Jun 2, 06 @ 8:04 pm:
If Blago had developed an intricate plan to screw up State Government as much as he possibly could in 3 years, he couldn’t have even come close to what has actually happened to State Gov’t since the last election. Internally, the State is crumbling in almost every Agency. But, nobody outside of Government really cares as long as it doesn’t affect them directly. It may not be affecting them right now, but this guys’ policies will negatively affect almost everyone in Illinois eventually. Then everyone will see how disastrous this schmuck really was. And, to top it all off, I’m betting he gets re-elected. If he does we won’t be rid of him for another 6-8 years with all of the grand jury hearings and trials to come when they prosecute ol’ Rod. Rod will do time in prison just like Ryan will do time. Illinois; it used to be a fairly decent State - but not anymore.