Posted on 09/13/2004 8:53:40 AM PDT by watchout
Millions in grants, but scant oversight State is auditing funds to nonprofits Sacramento -- Community groups and local agencies that received millions of taxpayer dollars were subjected to scant government oversight and sometimes used questionable business practices to spend the money, according to a review of the grant process by The Chronicle.
As state and federal investigators continue to probe a $500,000 grant earmarked for a San Francisco community center that was never built, state auditors are scrutinizing dozens of other grants that were distributed through the state Parks and Recreation Department.
Most of the pork barrel allocations were secured by individual lawmakers between 1999 and 2002, when California's coffers were flush with cash. The audits, conducted by both the state Parks and Recreation Department and the state controller's office, cover funding for everything from a roller coaster in Fresno to online archives of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society of Northern California.
Grants secured by lawmakers are distributed through Parks and Recreation even though many of the projects seemingly have little to do with parks or recreation. A Chronicle review of grant records plus interviews with state officials and grant recipients shows shoddy business practices by some groups, poor record keeping and infrequent interaction between the state and recipients. -- A $492,500 construction project to build a Boys and Girls
Questions of how well the money is tracked surfaced after
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
How do you define liberats delights?
SPENDING
Other
People's
Money
They can give away millions of dollars, but cannot make sure to save enough to even read the reciepts?! No wonder California is broke now, the dhimmicrats threw the money away.
bump buying up land
Its this way in every state.
The money is coming from all the bonds issued from ten years of ballot measures created by the "Urban Planning & Conservation League." (Gerald R. Meral-Now Retired) Californians have been hoodwinked and looted by this travesty and it will continue to pressure Sierran landowners into becoming "WILLING SELLERS!"
They will also find that some of theses $BILLIONS will have worked their way into influencing local elections in very unsavory ways!!! I sure hope this MSM liberal newspaper keeps digging, but I'm sure they'll be pressured to STOP IT!!!
Here's APs whack at it..
CA: State handed out millions in grants but provided little oversight
So where is the legislation that allowed this to happen, and what do we do to get it abolished?
Is anyone on the forum good at ferreting out bad laws?
The Sixteenth Amendment.
Beyond the range of your weapon your only protection is at the polling place.
From the 19th century through WWII the polling place did provide California taxpayers some modicum of protection from the tyranny of elected officials. Since the "new deal" era however taxpayers have slowly had their franchise eroded and been relegated to a position of witness to the process. Today a taxpayer's individual influence is generally limited to the executive branch and we all are painfully aware how fragile that franchise has become.
Like death and taxes two things are obvious in California politics today. Who represents your political district is your choice and generally reflects the extent of your interest/participation in the process. It is easy for a charming charlatan to hijack the executive in troubled times.
Be careful how you vote. Choose your representative based on principal, not emotions. There will always be a Gilbert Cedillo or an Arnold Schwarzenegger waiting in the wings to charm your fancies. Think first, vote second.
bump
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.