Leader's decisions criticized

Leader's decisions criticized

One of the state's most highly regarded private child welfare
officials, Chris Card, stepped down after state investigators
questioned his `business choices.'

BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER



Chris Card, one of the architects of Florida's controversial effort to
privatize the state's child welfare system, accepted sports tickets
from a company that does business with the state and made ''business
choices'' that cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, a report
says.

Less than a week after Card, a longtime confidante of Gov. Jeb Bush,
announced he was stepping down as director of the Tampa-based child
welfare program Hillsborough Kids Inc., state investigators released a
report criticizing Card for what they called a host of poor decisions
that cost taxpayers more than $80,000 in unnecessary expenses.

The report by the Department of Children & Families' inspector
general, released late Friday, said Card accepted free tickets to a
basketball game and a hockey game.

'He stated he `wished he had not accepted the tickets,' because of the
appearance of impropriety,'' the report said.

With his departure earlier this week, Card becomes the most recent
official to fall prey to a withering scandal surrounding agency
contracting. An inspector general report last summer accused then-DCF
Secretary Jerry Regier and others of accepting tickets and steering
state money to friends and cronies.

A 20-year social service employee, Card, 49, helped design and was one
of the most vocal proponents of Florida's ongoing effort to hand the
state's child welfare system over to consortiums of locally run
private social-service groups. His first project, overseen by the
Sarasota YMCA, was generally regarded as a model for the state.

Government and academic experts considered his work as director of
Hillsborough Kids, the Tampa-based lead agency, to be a kind of litmus
test for the future of privatization. Critics suggested it would be
difficult for Card to recreate his success in a large, urban county
with significant social ills, such as poverty and large-scale
immigration.

Though in operation only about 18 months, Hillsborough Kids already
had run into trouble. The agency most recently came under fire over
the death of an infant under its care. Hillsborough Kids supervises
4,962 children in state care, including 3,341 in foster or relative
care.

Reached by The Herald, Card said the report criticized him for
practices that are common among executives of not-for-profits. While
not seeking to ''justify'' the decision to accept sports tickets, Card
said leaders of not-for-profits routinely attend such events in order
to recruit new donors and sponsors.

''I tried to meet some people who could help out our cause,'' he said.
``We needed the resources.''

''Everything I've ever done, I did with the intention of improving
things for these kids,'' said Card. ``It's in my heart and soul. These
kids deserve a better system. I think community-based care was a
serious attempt to provide that.''

Alia Faraj, a spokeswoman for Bush -- who had appointed Card to
transition teams before beginning both terms as governor -- expressed
sadness Friday over the contents of the inspector general's report.

''The governor is disappointed, and it's absolutely unfortunate,''
Faraj said. The community-based care agencies, she said, ``have a
responsibility to the children who are in their care. We are dealing
with the public's dollars, and it's important that we hold these
agencies to the highest standards.''

Said Bill Spann, chief of staff for DCF Secretary Lucy Hadi: ``Public
service is a sacred trust, and it's even more so when you are serving
the vulnerable children of the state of Florida. We expect more, and
we demand more from those who choose to serve our children.''

According to the report released Friday:

• Hillsborough Kids signed a contract with Verizon to provide
telecommunications services, though the agency still was under
contract with a rival company, ITC Deltacom. The new contract cost the
state a $23,000 ''cancellation'' penalty.

Card said he was advised to switch to a new telecom company because
ITC Deltacom was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, and his
advisors warned him children and foster parents would be at risk if
the agency was left with no telecom service.

• Card allowed former HKI employees to keep laptop computers,
cellphones and company credit cards months after they were no longer
employed by the agency. And 20 computers were stolen from HKI in
August 2002.

Card acknowledged a handful of former employees were allowed to use
agency equipment after they were taken off Hillsborough Kids' payroll.
The employees, however, continued to work for Hillsborough Kids as
contractors or consultants and needed the laptops and phones to
fulfill their obligations.

• Overall, Hillsborough Kids ''mismanaged telecommunications
expenses'' from September 2002 through December, costing taxpayers
more than $80,000.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...e/10763752.htm
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.

BTW, Chris Card was the loumouth who appeared in the Verizon radio spots.

Looks like he has been taken down, too.

How many directors in FL of DCF under Jeb Bush?

Dirty, corrupt business.....

jWex found:

Subject: Leader's decisions criticized
From: wexwimpy
Date: 1/29/2005 5:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

Leader's decisions criticized

One of the state's most highly regarded private child welfare
officials, Chris Card, stepped down after state investigators
questioned his `business choices.'

BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER



Chris Card, one of the architects of Florida's controversial effort to
privatize the state's child welfare system, accepted sports tickets
from a company that does business with the state and made ''business
choices'' that cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, a report
says.

Less than a week after Card, a longtime confidante of Gov. Jeb Bush,
announced he was stepping down as director of the Tampa-based child
welfare program Hillsborough Kids Inc., state investigators released a
report criticizing Card for what they called a host of poor decisions
that cost taxpayers more than $80,000 in unnecessary expenses.

The report by the Department of Children & Families' inspector
general, released late Friday, said Card accepted free tickets to a
basketball game and a hockey game.

'He stated he `wished he had not accepted the tickets,' because of the
appearance of impropriety,'' the report said.

With his departure earlier this week, Card becomes the most recent
official to fall prey to a withering scandal surrounding agency
contracting. An inspector general report last summer accused then-DCF
Secretary Jerry Regier and others of accepting tickets and steering
state money to friends and cronies.

A 20-year social service employee, Card, 49, helped design and was one
of the most vocal proponents of Florida's ongoing effort to hand the
state's child welfare system over to consortiums of locally run
private social-service groups. His first project, overseen by the
Sarasota YMCA, was generally regarded as a model for the state.

Government and academic experts considered his work as director of
Hillsborough Kids, the Tampa-based lead agency, to be a kind of litmus
test for the future of privatization. Critics suggested it would be
difficult for Card to recreate his success in a large, urban county
with significant social ills, such as poverty and large-scale
immigration.

Though in operation only about 18 months, Hillsborough Kids already
had run into trouble. The agency most recently came under fire over
the death of an infant under its care. Hillsborough Kids supervises
4,962 children in state care, including 3,341 in foster or relative
care.

Reached by The Herald, Card said the report criticized him for
practices that are common among executives of not-for-profits. While
not seeking to ''justify'' the decision to accept sports tickets, Card
said leaders of not-for-profits routinely attend such events in order
to recruit new donors and sponsors.

''I tried to meet some people who could help out our cause,'' he said.
``We needed the resources.''

''Everything I've ever done, I did with the intention of improving
things for these kids,'' said Card. ``It's in my heart and soul. These
kids deserve a better system. I think community-based care was a
serious attempt to provide that.''

Alia Faraj, a spokeswoman for Bush -- who had appointed Card to
transition teams before beginning both terms as governor -- expressed
sadness Friday over the contents of the inspector general's report.

''The governor is disappointed, and it's absolutely unfortunate,''
Faraj said. The community-based care agencies, she said, ``have a
responsibility to the children who are in their care. We are dealing
with the public's dollars, and it's important that we hold these
agencies to the highest standards.''

Said Bill Spann, chief of staff for DCF Secretary Lucy Hadi: ``Public
service is a sacred trust, and it's even more so when you are serving
the vulnerable children of the state of Florida. We expect more, and
we demand more from those who choose to serve our children.''

According to the report released Friday:

• Hillsborough Kids signed a contract with Verizon to provide
telecommunications services, though the agency still was under
contract with a rival company, ITC Deltacom. The new contract cost the
state a $23,000 ''cancellation'' penalty.

Card said he was advised to switch to a new telecom company because
ITC Deltacom was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, and his
advisors warned him children and foster parents would be at risk if
the agency was left with no telecom service.

• Card allowed former HKI employees to keep laptop computers,
cellphones and company credit cards months after they were no longer
employed by the agency. And 20 computers were stolen from HKI in
August 2002.

Card acknowledged a handful of former employees were allowed to use
agency equipment after they were taken off Hillsborough Kids' payroll.
The employees, however, continued to work for Hillsborough Kids as
contractors or consultants and needed the laptops and phones to
fulfill their obligations.

• Overall, Hillsborough Kids ''mismanaged telecommunications
expenses'' from September 2002 through December, costing taxpayers
more than $80,000.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...e/10763752.htm
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become
a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at
http://www.aclu.org/action.







Subject: Leader's decisions criticized
From: wexwimpy
Date: 1/29/2005 5:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

Leader's decisions criticized

One of the state's most highly regarded private child welfare
officials, Chris Card, stepped down after state investigators
questioned his `business choices.'

BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER



Chris Card, one of the architects of Florida's controversial effort to
privatize the state's child welfare system, accepted sports tickets
from a company that does business with the state and made ''business
choices'' that cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, a report
says.

Less than a week after Card, a longtime confidante of Gov. Jeb Bush,
announced he was stepping down as director of the Tampa-based child
welfare program Hillsborough Kids Inc., state investigators released a
report criticizing Card for what they called a host of poor decisions
that cost taxpayers more than $80,000 in unnecessary expenses.

The report by the Department of Children & Families' inspector
general, released late Friday, said Card accepted free tickets to a
basketball game and a hockey game.

'He stated he `wished he had not accepted the tickets,' because of the
appearance of impropriety,'' the report said.

With his departure earlier this week, Card becomes the most recent
official to fall prey to a withering scandal surrounding agency
contracting. An inspector general report last summer accused then-DCF
Secretary Jerry Regier and others of accepting tickets and steering
state money to friends and cronies.

A 20-year social service employee, Card, 49, helped design and was one
of the most vocal proponents of Florida's ongoing effort to hand the
state's child welfare system over to consortiums of locally run
private social-service groups. His first project, overseen by the
Sarasota YMCA, was generally regarded as a model for the state.

Government and academic experts considered his work as director of
Hillsborough Kids, the Tampa-based lead agency, to be a kind of litmus
test for the future of privatization. Critics suggested it would be
difficult for Card to recreate his success in a large, urban county
with significant social ills, such as poverty and large-scale
immigration.

Though in operation only about 18 months, Hillsborough Kids already
had run into trouble. The agency most recently came under fire over
the death of an infant under its care. Hillsborough Kids supervises
4,962 children in state care, including 3,341 in foster or relative
care.

Reached by The Herald, Card said the report criticized him for
practices that are common among executives of not-for-profits. While
not seeking to ''justify'' the decision to accept sports tickets, Card
said leaders of not-for-profits routinely attend such events in order
to recruit new donors and sponsors.

''I tried to meet some people who could help out our cause,'' he said.
``We needed the resources.''

''Everything I've ever done, I did with the intention of improving
things for these kids,'' said Card. ``It's in my heart and soul. These
kids deserve a better system. I think community-based care was a
serious attempt to provide that.''

Alia Faraj, a spokeswoman for Bush -- who had appointed Card to
transition teams before beginning both terms as governor -- expressed
sadness Friday over the contents of the inspector general's report.

''The governor is disappointed, and it's absolutely unfortunate,''
Faraj said. The community-based care agencies, she said, ``have a
responsibility to the children who are in their care. We are dealing
with the public's dollars, and it's important that we hold these
agencies to the highest standards.''

Said Bill Spann, chief of staff for DCF Secretary Lucy Hadi: ``Public
service is a sacred trust, and it's even more so when you are serving
the vulnerable children of the state of Florida. We expect more, and
we demand more from those who choose to serve our children.''

According to the report released Friday:

• Hillsborough Kids signed a contract with Verizon to provide
telecommunications services, though the agency still was under
contract with a rival company, ITC Deltacom. The new contract cost the
state a $23,000 ''cancellation'' penalty.

Card said he was advised to switch to a new telecom company because
ITC Deltacom was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, and his
advisors warned him children and foster parents would be at risk if
the agency was left with no telecom service.

• Card allowed former HKI employees to keep laptop computers,
cellphones and company credit cards months after they were no longer
employed by the agency. And 20 computers were stolen from HKI in
August 2002.

Card acknowledged a handful of former employees were allowed to use
agency equipment after they were taken off Hillsborough Kids' payroll.
The employees, however, continued to work for Hillsborough Kids as
contractors or consultants and needed the laptops and phones to
fulfill their obligations.

• Overall, Hillsborough Kids ''mismanaged telecommunications
expenses'' from September 2002 through December, costing taxpayers
more than $80,000.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...e/10763752.htm
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become
a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at
http://www.aclu.org/action.