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Get it out yourself

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Illinois

An old rule of politics is, if at all possible, when you discover that you’re about to get hit with a negative story, try to get out in front of it with a reform.

Mayor Daley used to do that all the time with the Tribune. Trib reporters would file a Freedom of Information Act request, and a team in the mayor’s office would then carefully review the documents to see if there were any potential problems. The deficiencies would then be corrected and the Trib would either have to write about how the mayor reformed an agency, or ignore the story altogether. Eventually, the Trib decided to shotgun dozens of FOIAs at once to confuse the opposition.

Anyway, that story came to mind when I read the Sun-Times this morning.

When employees with Illinois Property Asset Management learned they won a $25 million state contract, they went out to dinner to celebrate.

They spent $495. And taxpayers picked up the check.

That “celebration dinner,” as it appeared on an expense report, is among $35,000 in business and travel expenses by the firm now under fire by Gov. Blagojevich’s administration — which hired the politically connected company in January 2004 to save taxpayers money by assessing state property holdings and space needs.

So, how did this problem come to light?

Administration officials said Tuesday that these and other bills have prompted an internal investigation and have cast a black mark on a company they insist is filling a vital cost-saving role as the state struggles to balance its budget. […]

The investigation should be done by mid-May. The company will be given a chance to dispute the findings.

And I love this part.

(GOMB spokesperson Becky) Carroll said she could not say how the Illinois Property Asset Management expenses came to the governor’s attention. Nobody with the company or the state is under criminal investigation, she added.

Interesting.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 7:27 am

Comments

Central Management Services’ spokepersons love to point out how the tens of millions in contracts that Blago has given out has saved the State $600 million. Has anyone actually seen where these savings have actually occurred. I doubt it! My guess is their talking about projected savings, which like most of the Blago budgetary savings are just smoke and mirrors. The voting public needs to remember that Blago has increased State expenditures by $2 Billion. Let’s stop talking about the George Ryan “fiscal crisis” and start looking at the Blago fiscal mess.

Comment by ChicagoDog Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 8:36 am
The article quotes Brian Chapman of CMS…funny, this is the same Brian Chapman that headed up the consultant team for Mackenzie and Company (a similar CMS ‘cost savings initiative’ contract that was signed during the dawn of the Blagojevich administration). He was later hired by CMS. Perhaps he’s coming down hard on iPAM so the focus stays there and not on the Mackenzie contract. Nah, that would be a little too Machiavellian. Right?

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 8:52 am
What about all the other out-of-state, high-powered (and expensive) consulting companies the gov has hired to consolidate services?

I assume these will be audited, too?

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 8:56 am
I’m still trying to figure out why the state needed to hire consulting firms to figure out how to save money. First, we’re spending money we don’t have on firms, big money, to possibly save money in the future. Huh?

Second, anyone else wonder why the head of CMS abruptly decided to leave after two years? Oh I know, he never planned on staying long term, but now that pretty much everything has to go through there to get approved we have an even bigger mess. Consolidating state services isn’t actually saving money or making things better, because some of the stuff we’re getting as a result is crap. Not just that it takes forever to get stuff.

Third, maybe cut some of the bureaucrats in the middle of everything, the deputy assistants, assistant deputies, the deputy governors (what the heck are those anyway), and such that suck up money and staff and do what????

I haven’t seen savings on the front line. I continue to see cuts and wow! are they starting to hurt. I can’t believe what a mess this state is in. Oh, wait, I’m a state employee, I’m wasteful and lazy and it’s all my fault. Haven’t heard that in a while, but it’s sure to come again.

Someone needs to come show Filan how to do real math quick or get the gov to tell the difference between red and black ink.

Comment by Tessa Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 2:09 pm
Tessa: If you are a state employee, then why are you posting a comment on state time??? Perhaps you are one of the bureaucrats who are expendable…

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 4:00 pm
Apparently SunTimes did not mind getting played by the GovBlagoofers. Must mean the CMS audit will be a dozey

Comment by reddbyrd Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 4:11 pm
Ah, not on state time right now. I requested and was approved time off today, because of some issues there. Better to clear my head here than to waste tax dollars there, don’t you think? I value my job and love what I do.

I’m also giggling at the thought of being an expendable bureaucrat. 1) If you knew how much those above me dislike me, 2) if you knew how much I never, ever want to be a member of management. Well, let’s just say, you couldn’t be further from the truth.

Comment by Tessa Wednesday, Apr 20, 05 @ 4:20 pm
Maybe Holland is one of the the protectors of the status quo. People who don’t like change in government. I guess it is wrong for anyone who wants to challenge that. Tough start for the newly named director, Paul Campbell. What’s his background anyway is he qualified for the job?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 7:37 pm