Insider cashes in on deal (Jeb's DCF gone wild)

[Rose Siding]

A former Florida social-services insider with deep ties to the Department of Children & Families was paid more than double the amount of a contract with the department, even though agency officials had criticized the contractor's poor performance for months.

In December 2003, DCF officials agreed to pay Mercer Human Resource Consulting $1.6 million for a contract that was supposed to cost $783,000, according to records obtained by The Herald. Charles ''Chip'' Carbone, a former deputy assistant secretary of the DCF's predecessor agency, is a senior healthcare consultant for Mercer.

In December, a DCF official suggested the agency keep the contract open indefinitely so that Mercer could continue to earn money.

''If Chip wants to keep this open so they can get more money, that's another matter,'' wrote Marie Stevens, a disabilities budget official, in a Dec. 31, 2003, e-mail to DCF's developmental disabilities chief, Shelly Brantley. ''Have you heard anything since Chip's meeting with the secretary today?'' she added, in reference to DCF Secretary Jerry Regier.
...
The contract could prove costly to Regier, whose agency is embroiled in a bitter scandal over influence-peddling and cronyism. The controversy began earlier this month when Gov. Jeb Bush's chief inspector general, in a scathing 28-page report, blasted the DCF for giving sweetheart deals to friends of high-ranking officials.

......Way more........
free reg
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/9306037.htm?ERIGHTS=5716016461404948019miami::[e-mail]&KRD_RM=2jkqipmnmimmiiiiiiiiijrkkn

[dw]

1. There's that name again, Jerry Regier

Lots and lots here: http://www.extralove.com/ash_regier.html

[yellowcanine]

2. Why does none of this splatter on Jebbie? Hard to believe he is

totally out of the loop on this. How much money did this guy donate to Jebbie and George?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Same DCF

Isn't this the same Jeb Bush's DCF that gave away and lost track of a child a year or two ago? Was the child found? Was there a death involved? Wasn't Jeb Bush involved enough in it that he had to make a public apology then?

[Ganja Ninja]

4. Of course they pay double.

Then half of the over-payment is kicked back the the Bush Campaign. If you could follow the money I'm betting that's how it works.