Who's at fault for Baltimore's misplaced $40 million?
The Baltimore Sun's Annie Linskey is reporting on $40 million "found" by an audit in a Baltimore City account, and, as expected, reaction is strong.
The message boards on the Baltimore Sun's Web site are alive with several interesting thoughts and observations:
a) Poster Occam raises the question of why previous audits had not raised questions about this account. Are auditors at least as much to blame as the city finance department?
b) George-WNEC sheds some light on municipal financing practices, alerting us that government officials are often adept at "hiding" money in sub-accounts so that their agency budgets don't get penalized for unspent funds by seeing reductions in subsequent years. While that doesn't seem to be what happened here, but it's an interesting observation.
c) And Jethro666 coyly raises a good point: Where was O'Malley's vaunted CitiStat program while these funds were accumulating.
Let the debate continue. Here's some more questions: Should heads roll? If so, whose?
Or is this just something that happens in large, complex organizations, especially those with workforces of, shall we say, uneven talent?
Comments
Who's at fault?
I'll try to sum it up in three words.
One Rule Party.
The American Eagle needs two wings to fly. A right and a left.
Posted by: Carole | April 16, 2009 9:34 AM
I have been asking so many times and called the departments for some explanation of this.None was able to be given.
I am afraid it will be forgotten in a couple days.
I would like someone to trace for me the process of how this money goes from someone making a partial property tax payment to the city. What account does it go to? What financial institution? How could there be no record of $40 million? Why do we even need an audit to find this money? Do they not get statements, or am I totally misunderstanding the process?
Shouldn't someone lose a job for misplacing $40 million?
Posted by: Rrichboy | April 16, 2009 9:53 AM
This money will buy a whole lot of gift cards for the Mayor won't it?
Did they EVER find the $50 million they lost a few years back?
Posted by: Fed Up | April 16, 2009 1:43 PM
How in the world would anyone be surprised at this, the brilliant people who run this state and city still say they have no idea what happened to the 50 million on North Ave. Just proves that it is true when I tell people we are all good little sheep in this country who continue to follow the politicians when they lead us right into "slaughter", just like the nice little sheep that we are!!!!!
Posted by: Mike B. | April 18, 2009 7:33 AM