It's that audit again. It won't go away.
Does anyone know WHY the BoE paid for 157 cell phone (and walkie-talkie) Nextel accounts?
What were they GIVING THEM AWAY????
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| 2005-2006 BoE audit- page 133 |
As you can see, the bill took $48.4K of OUR money, robbed it from the educational programs it could have been used for.
To put this astronomical expense into perspective, $48K is what HoLa Charter School pays for 1 year of rent at the Boys & Girls Club.
But, more importantly... classrooms and offices have land lines.
Schools don't provide teachers (or Board members) with cell phones NOR pay for their cell phone bills.
WHOSE ACCOUNTS ARE THESE??? Did the BoE pay for the phones, too???
Is this the Old Guard's version of the Verizon's Friends and Family Plan?
Really, this is outrageous. And the auditor noted "no evidence of approval for invoices."
WHO knew about this?
There was one more cell phone account on a different carrier (Verizon) shown on a separate line item and auditor's note "no evidence of approval".
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| 2005-2006 BoE audit- page 134 |
Someone needs to get to the bottom of this phone fleece.
How many years were EDUCATION monies used for 'Friends and Family' cell phone bills? How much has the taxpayer been stiffed?
Not at all unlike the city hall cell phone scandal back in 2005, as reported by the Jersey Journal.
ReplyDelete"A review of Hudson County municipal cell phone records by The Jersey Journal found that Hoboken taxpayers have shelled out at least $230,000 in cell phone bills over the past three years. By way of comparison, Union City - which has a slightly larger population and more city employees - spent just $5,000 during the same period."
"Hoboken also ranks at the top of the list for the number of city cell phones, at 150, which means there is one cell phone per every three of the city's 450 employees. By contrast, much larger Jersey City has 96 cell phones and employs roughly 3,300 people, a ratio of one phone for every 34 employees. Union City has just eight cell phones for its 620 employees, one for every 77 employees."
Unbelievable.
DeleteDo you think it's possible after the JJ expose that those expenses were 'moved' uptown to the BoE?
Can you send me your link?
Yet another outrage!!! It seems that Hoboken's former Board of Education (2005-2006) and its Council and the Robert's Administration felt emboldened enough to steal the City blind. I guess that's what's known as the "Culture of Corruption". You simply cannot make this stuff up!!! Mayor Zimmer has tried so valiantly to clean up this cesspool and she continues to do so...with absolutely no help whatsoever from the Council of No and members of the Old Guard. GA, your expose will hopefully wake people up and push them to speak against this deep seated criminal activity.
ReplyDeleteRudy: With all due respect, when more people hopefully "wake up," Hoboken needs more from everyone than just "speaking against" this ongoing travesty.
DeleteTalk needs translation into effective action to ensure history does not continue to repeat itself. And to ensure that appropriate consequences are attached to inappropriate actions.
MBB, I'd say that speaking up and out is the start- essential- because the information herein won't see daylight in our so-called media and many more people have to understand our opponents' depravity, what's happened under our noses and know the wolf is back at our door.
DeleteAbsolutely, GA. MBB never said it wasn't. But more is needed. "Speaking up and out" already started quite a while ago.
DeleteHonestly, MBB is not sure what else it will take in the ongoing educating-enough-others-to-"wake up"-effort, to effect enough meaningful change.
Persistent apathy has long been a conundrum for "reform." Some active folks also get understandably burned-out from the war of atrician (the parasites always count on that). Others at least care enough to be informed voters, but have no interest in investing energy in the petty squalor of Hoboken politics.
Hopefully, a shift toward more active involvement will gather ever greater momentum.
Obviously, maintaining more integrity in government is a critical factor. Hopefully the momentum there will continue.
The shift to November BoE elections is another good example of translating talk into action. Voter turn-out will of course be the litmus-test.
Much of the massive corruption also warrants effective legal action. But obviously, that also requires immense coordinated effort and expense.
Your excellent sleuthing & reporting are always so invaluable, GA. Blogs like yours have obviously been an essential vehicle for more effectively communicating the message.