auditing the auditor
i find it somewhat curious that the revelation of a rapid succession of city department management scandals (malfeasance in inspectional services, missing funds in the city clerk's office, all sorts of illegal shenanigans at the water department, large-scale theft undetected within the parking department, etc.) has still left many in the city undeterred and in full defense of the present city auditor in her bid to earn a renewed contract.
my impression from the outside (i've only been here 5 years--i'm still an outsider) is that the city is rife with cronyism and corruption to a current degree impossible to assess, as that iceberg's tip always seems to be growing larger. code words like "professional city management" have been used to supposedly reassure us that some who are more-relatively-new to this government of ours (let's use "the bernies" for lack of a better team name) remain tireless in their pursuit and rousting out of bad leftover seeds from before their time, and i think if i understand it correctly, we're supposed to be on their side about everything so they can continue to root out the root causes of our collective misery. the bernies' successes include the banishment of ex city councilors caught with their hands monkeying with the wheels of justice and proper city administration, fbi probes to nail all the guilty parties to the city's trees, and many other achievements. and good on 'em for it.
however, the opposition to the bernies (let's use "the coxes" for lack of a better team name) is rallied around what they perceive to be an ongoing affront to loyal and honest city residents, many of whom not given fair opportunity to be loyal and honest city employees, currently being supplanted by a more-professional-than-thou class of under-performing wannabees from out of town. i'm not sure what successes the coxes can legitimately claim over the past few years, as the bernies do have an irrefutable point that most all the miscreants currently coming to light happen to come from the previous city administration(s), but, see, here's where i'm starting to see at least some legitimacy to at least some of coxes' points.
let's say the current corruption from past indulgences towards bad apples coddled and left with hands in public cookie jars is everywhere. let's say the bernies are right about what it is they're standing up to oppose. let's face it--observed history is not going to refute that point of view with any real energy. it seems like most every city department is turning up with some pretty egregious examples of extremely bad and untrustworthy public-trust behavior. shame on the coxes for being so poorly adapted towards clean hiring practices. but the chickens come home to roost in our public coop have been roosting here for a good long time now. (the bernies are the only management team i've known in all the years i've been here). at some point, it stands to reason you can start to lay fair blame to the current group of foxes.
and so we are brought back to the contract renewal or non-renewal of the sitting city auditor.
"better than when i found it" is fine resume-ese for getting the next job. but it's cold comfort to taxpayers currently finding out about just how much amazing malfeasance has been perpetrated without any apparent oversight whatsoever. tens of thousands in parking money stolen, and we weren't even keeping receipts for the pickups from the kiosks? seriously? i mean, i'm 30 years from having taken that auditing course back in business school, but i think the whole point of keeping track of money is keeping track of money, know what i mean?
i really appreciate the improvements--i surely and sincerely do. but i think it's pretty clear to everyone but the bernies that we can do better. (makes one wonder if they ever imagine their own shit stinks, while they're railing against the stench permeating the place from before they took over). don't get me wrong--i am in NO WAY asking for a return of the cronyism days of unfettered coxology. these losers we're rooting out on an almost daily basis are an absurd embarrassment to the past culture not cleaned up by the last group of losers in charge. (much like being adamantly opposed to the horrible failures of the obama administration does NOT make me stupid enough to want to re-elect someone from the party that got us headed down this road in the first place).
can we please open up the application process for a new auditor? our old one was very nice, and maybe even has left things better than when she found it. (not something barry o can claim, but lets not digress). but that's no basis for renewing a contract in the face of so many breaches of duty that have occurred. there has to be a consequence. there has to be a better candidate.
let's find one.
please, bernie?
my impression from the outside (i've only been here 5 years--i'm still an outsider) is that the city is rife with cronyism and corruption to a current degree impossible to assess, as that iceberg's tip always seems to be growing larger. code words like "professional city management" have been used to supposedly reassure us that some who are more-relatively-new to this government of ours (let's use "the bernies" for lack of a better team name) remain tireless in their pursuit and rousting out of bad leftover seeds from before their time, and i think if i understand it correctly, we're supposed to be on their side about everything so they can continue to root out the root causes of our collective misery. the bernies' successes include the banishment of ex city councilors caught with their hands monkeying with the wheels of justice and proper city administration, fbi probes to nail all the guilty parties to the city's trees, and many other achievements. and good on 'em for it.
however, the opposition to the bernies (let's use "the coxes" for lack of a better team name) is rallied around what they perceive to be an ongoing affront to loyal and honest city residents, many of whom not given fair opportunity to be loyal and honest city employees, currently being supplanted by a more-professional-than-thou class of under-performing wannabees from out of town. i'm not sure what successes the coxes can legitimately claim over the past few years, as the bernies do have an irrefutable point that most all the miscreants currently coming to light happen to come from the previous city administration(s), but, see, here's where i'm starting to see at least some legitimacy to at least some of coxes' points.
let's say the current corruption from past indulgences towards bad apples coddled and left with hands in public cookie jars is everywhere. let's say the bernies are right about what it is they're standing up to oppose. let's face it--observed history is not going to refute that point of view with any real energy. it seems like most every city department is turning up with some pretty egregious examples of extremely bad and untrustworthy public-trust behavior. shame on the coxes for being so poorly adapted towards clean hiring practices. but the chickens come home to roost in our public coop have been roosting here for a good long time now. (the bernies are the only management team i've known in all the years i've been here). at some point, it stands to reason you can start to lay fair blame to the current group of foxes.
and so we are brought back to the contract renewal or non-renewal of the sitting city auditor.
"better than when i found it" is fine resume-ese for getting the next job. but it's cold comfort to taxpayers currently finding out about just how much amazing malfeasance has been perpetrated without any apparent oversight whatsoever. tens of thousands in parking money stolen, and we weren't even keeping receipts for the pickups from the kiosks? seriously? i mean, i'm 30 years from having taken that auditing course back in business school, but i think the whole point of keeping track of money is keeping track of money, know what i mean?
i really appreciate the improvements--i surely and sincerely do. but i think it's pretty clear to everyone but the bernies that we can do better. (makes one wonder if they ever imagine their own shit stinks, while they're railing against the stench permeating the place from before they took over). don't get me wrong--i am in NO WAY asking for a return of the cronyism days of unfettered coxology. these losers we're rooting out on an almost daily basis are an absurd embarrassment to the past culture not cleaned up by the last group of losers in charge. (much like being adamantly opposed to the horrible failures of the obama administration does NOT make me stupid enough to want to re-elect someone from the party that got us headed down this road in the first place).
can we please open up the application process for a new auditor? our old one was very nice, and maybe even has left things better than when she found it. (not something barry o can claim, but lets not digress). but that's no basis for renewing a contract in the face of so many breaches of duty that have occurred. there has to be a consequence. there has to be a better candidate.
let's find one.
please, bernie?
posted by kad barma at 6:40 PM
5 Comments:
I follow this, except for the appeal to Bernie (well, and suggesting everyone opposed to Bernie is a Coxite—too much like "left and right" in a three dimensional systems). In my mind the Auditor is a creature of the Council and must not be seen as in any way connected to the City Manager. The Auditor is the beat cop on Bernie's block. They shouldn't be too friendly.
On another issue, have I mentioned that in Print Preview long paragraphs run off the right side of my screen, reaching all the way down to Nesmith Street?
Regards — Cliff
I know I've oversimplified and ignored the literal reporting hierarchy, but the thing I'm on about is the coincidence of the majority (all?) of the auditor's supporters coming from the Bernies side of the aisle, and the detractors among the anti-Bernies. (Much fairer and more accurate than to try to resurrect the empty chair and call it "Coxes", I agree, and I also agree it's not a simple binary equation either). I know why folks like to work with an auditor with whom they think they can work, but, clearly, that blurry line has been so completely obscured by scandals unaudited that something needs to change. Auditors should consistently be both feared and disliked, and the abilities to cause both should be at the top of the list of criteria for hiring the next one.
(The plea to Bernie was to let it go, and support the hiring of a new and better independent check and balance to his administration. Seriously, if he and his people are so good and squeaky clean, they ought to welcome clearer audit approval from a more clearly impartial (and competent) source.
Ya, it's not like we have an outside Auditor come in and snoop around, or anything.
I say that, having at one time supported sending Ms. Wright on her way. For the "greater good," as it were.
However, having learned what she faced when she got here and seeing C. Mercier have her back, I have been convinced Lowell is better served staying the course.
That said, I don't think it is wise to keep an Auditor on, indefinately. It is a position that could potentially benefit greatly by having new "eyes" on the books.
Though, that loops me back to my first point.
When looking back to compare today's position, I would have you consider what is considered in calculus as a differential. An example would be the unemployment numbers - in early 2009 it was around 7% (a guess, I have not taken the time to look it up) whereas now it is 8.1%. That says we are not better off today than in early 2009, at least by one measure.
However, now look at the differential, or the rate at which unemployment was occuring in early 2009 vs. now. January 2009 shows a job loss in excess of 800,000 whereas August 2012 shows a job gain of 96,000. That paints a different picture.
You may consider our city government with the same view - maybe there are still problems, but the rate of rooting out the scoundrels has increased.
Fair point, Joe, and that'll be my go-to rationalization should the CC renew the contract. Though I sure wish it was the auditor, and not other people, who were doing all the "rooting out" for which your credit is being given. ;-)
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