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Who Is Guarding The Hen House In Madison
My goodness, the news coming out of Madison this week makes it seem that nobody but nobody in Governor Walker’s administration has any idea on how to responsibly run the joint! I mean really!
First we have reports that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has overpaid at least one contractor for work that wasn’t performed! It seems so egregious that US Representative Gwen Moore is suggesting that we need a federal investigation into the state’s use of federal highway funds.
Meanwhile, Gov. Scott Walker acknowledged the department’s misspending on the contract calling it “completely wrong, completely unacceptable.”
He said changes were made in the aftermath of the 2015 case to help prevent additional waste.
“There should never be a situation like that,” he said earlier this week.
The Journal Sentinel’s investigation detailed how WisDOT was using special provisions on megaprojects in the state’s southeast region that made it difficult to track spending on certain items. In at least one case, the arrangement resulted in a contractor double billing for about 1,500 truckloads of gravel, and the state knowingly paying for it.
The special provisions were used another 30 times for work on the Zoo Interchange, making it impossible for taxpayers to know if another $1.6 million was spent on work never done or materials never received.
Department officials say they have changed policies and beefed up oversight to ensure the practice has not continued.
He said changes were made in the aftermath of the 2015 case to help prevent additional waste.
“There should never be a situation like that,” he said earlier this week.
The Journal Sentinel’s investigation detailed how WisDOT was using special provisions on megaprojects in the state’s southeast region that made it difficult to track spending on certain items. In at least one case, the arrangement resulted in a contractor double billing for about 1,500 truckloads of gravel, and the state knowingly paying for it.
The special provisions were used another 30 times for work on the Zoo Interchange, making it impossible for taxpayers to know if another $1.6 million was spent on work never done or materials never received.
Department officials say they have changed policies and beefed up oversight to ensure the practice has not continued.
Read more: http://bloggingblue.com/2018/10/who-is-guarding-the-hen-house-in-madison/
Note: The blog thread at the link provides information related to other reports of mismanagement that occurred within state government.
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