Scandal Reveals Cracks In System

Scandal Reveals Cracks In System

South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
Posted July 31 2004

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First it was the Florida Department of Children & Families. Next came
the state university system. Now comes word in the form of another
audit that a growing scandal involving contracts and cronyism has
spread to the State Technology Office.

Unfortunately, this week's revelations from the state Auditor
General's Office aren't striking the right chord in Tallahassee. No
one in authority seems interested enough to determine whether the
disclosures of contract abuses and ethical lapses warrant further
scrutiny to see whether taxpayer money has been wasted, or whether any
state or federal laws have been violated.

At issue is a series of contracts valued at $325 million that ended up
in the hands of two politically connected vendors. Unfortunately, how
the money got there shows a faulty state contracting process that is
rife with favoritism and lacking in accountability.

The technology office, according to the auditor general's report,
failed to justify the need for contracts totaling $325 million. The
audit also found bids were skewed in favor of two of the 39 vendors
who showed interest in pursuing the state contracts.

The vendors are known quantities in Tallahassee. Accenture created the
flawed database of "potential felons" that Gov. Jeb Bush and Secretary
of State Glenda Hood had to eventually scrap. The second firm,
BearingPoint, has surfaced in connection with a separate government
probe of contract problems over at the Department of Children &
Families. Both companies have developed close ties to Bush,
legislative leaders and department heads. The result: they seem to get
first dibs on lucrative contracts.

At least three of DCF's top administrators have resigned in the wake
of troubling revelations of accepting gifts from companies doing
business with the department. DCF head Jerry Regier has apologized to
Bush for ethical lapses, and now his job hangs by the proverbial
thread.

Where will it end? More importantly, what will it take to get
government officials in Tallahassee to fix the way the state awards
contracts to private firms?

At the moment, Bush is standing by Regier. Florida's attorney general
says the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Leon County State
Attorney's Office. The auditor general says its hands are tied unless
the office gets a request to probe further from either the governor,
the speaker of the House or the Senate president. To date, those three
haven't asked.

This week's audit raises troubling questions about privatization and
the relative ease with which state agencies can squander taxpayers'
dollars on sweetheart deals. The government's unwillingness to address
the problem is even more outrageous.

State leaders don't need any more motivation to reinforce higher
ethics in awarding government contracts. They had better take action
to stem this budding scandal before the cost -- and the stench -- of
doing business with the state gets any worse.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opi...news-editorial

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