Posted on 10/29/2009 7:52:08 AM PDT by SmithL
California has two governments – the people we elect and the people who decide what really happens.
Case in point: This week's revelation that the state has spent millions of dollars on vehicles that have sat idle, in some cases for years.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a big deal a few months ago about cutting down the number of cars and trucks the state owns. He signed an executive order to trim the state's vast fleet by 15 percent and touted a big state car sale. The "Terminator" star even autographed some of the vehicles to help sell them.
Earlier this year, a state purchasing agent you've never heard of autographed a Department of General Services purchase order for $1,237,030.37 to buy 50 Toyota Priuses that then sat idle on the top floor of a state parking garage until The Bee started snooping around. In the wake of The Bee's revelations about the purchases, a General Services manager resigned this week.
Why does this kind of thing happen? How is it that the top official in California's government can give orders and speeches about saving the state money while the bureaucracy goes the other direction?
We're not talking about the Army. Schwarzenegger isn't a general. And state managers and purchasing agents aren't troops who follow his orders at any cost.
"The guy who signs the purchase orders has more power than most of us understand,"
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
But you already knew this, didn’t you?
At the federal level, the State Dept and the CIA follow their own agenda, and it doesn't matter very much who is placed in charge of the organization.
Government should do very little. We ought to have small bureaucracies with limited scope of operation. This maintains freedom, reduces costs, and minimizes corruption.
Well, this raises an interesting question. Do 50 unused Priuses sitting in a state garage unused have a smaller carbon footprint than 50 SUVs sitting in a state garage unused?
Also, perhaps, a second question. Was the Prius dealer from whom these cars were purchased a Democrat donor?
That is $24,740.60 per car. The base MSRP is $22,000 according to Edmunds.
Civil service and unions.
Initiated in theory for "fairness", the unintended consequences allow "public servants" to set up personal fiefdoms as untouchable public MASTERS.
‘a democrat donor’
ding ding ding winner
ThomasThomas wrote: “That is $24,740.60 per car. The base MSRP is $22,000 according to Edmunds.”
..... That Edmunds figure doesn’t include taxes and purchasing manager commission.
;-]
"All politics is local."
With Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Education, and so many other useless teats on the boar, the Fedrool Gum't has usurped our children's future, unless the tenth Amendment is re-started!
It would actually be a blessing to see this present system fail. Where the fight will be, is the assets which belong to the people. Imagine a new gum't with lands full of energy to sell... and people with minds to use that power to bring us back from the edge!
Many will die. They are the one's most dependent on the gum't teats! Time will tell, "they" say!
” That Edmunds figure doesn’t include taxes and purchasing manager commission”
Nor does it include purchasing 50 autos at a whack which should involve some sort of a discount.
ThomasThomas wrote: “That is $24,740.60 per car. The base MSRP is $22,000 according to Edmunds.”
..... That Edmunds figure doesn’t include taxes and purchasing manager commission.
;-]
Me (ThomasThomas) again.
State purchase, what taxes?
purchasing manager commission? Do those go to the seller or buyer?
I heard a few more details on local radio.
They bought 50 cars so other departments could buy them from Department of General Services. The only good reason to do this would be to get volume deals and save the state money. I have bought new cars below MSRP while only buying 1 car at a time. I would think that a purchase of 50 might warrant a little discount even for a car in high demand. So they added extras like A/C or paid too much, probably both.
;*)
Business as usual in California gubamint. Thanks!
..... ‘twas meant strictly as a small joke. But now that you’ve got me thinking, I wonder if it possibly had something to do with spending down the department’s funds at year end. No good bureaucracy likes to leave any loose change in the coffers at the end of a fiscal year - otherwise they risk a cut in next year’s appropriation.
50 Toyota Priuses = lots of target practice
ThomasThomas wrote: “That is $24,740.60 per car. The base MSRP is $22,000 according to Edmunds.”
..... That Edmunds figure doesn’t include taxes and purchasing manager commission.
;-]”
No state pays state sales taxes to itself. Certainly NOT in Calif. I have been a bookkeeper there for over 25 years, and have processed sales tax reports when materials were sold to Cal Trans for road work- Gravel, Etc.
Commissions? Possibly.
ThomasThomas wrote: “That is $24,740.60 per car. The base MSRP is $22,000 according to Edmunds.”
..... That Edmunds figure doesn’t include taxes and purchasing manager commission.
;-]”
No state pays state sales taxes to itself. Certainly NOT in Calif. I have been a bookkeeper there for over 25 years, and have processed sales tax reports when materials were sold to Cal Trans for road work- Gravel, Etc.
Commissions? Possibly.
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