OMB Chief Says “Aloha” During Fiscal Crisis
While funds are being vetoed for those who rely on Human Services, the office that recommends how funds should be spent is reportedly getting a “makeover” and the Director is in Hawaii for a “conference.”
Sources tell CIF that while Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Debra Gottlieb is reportedly in Hawaii for a “financial officer’s conference,” renovations and other questionable expenses continue at the OMB office on St. Thomas.
The funding source for these expenses is an alleged $2 million surplus in the OMB budget that was “encumbered” at the end of the last fiscal year. Among expenditures reportedly coming from these funds are:
- $21,000 for new blinds
- $10,000 to refurbish recently renovated conference rooms
- $22,000 for a stateside trainer to teach classes in Microsoft Office programs – while these same training programs are available (free) through the local Department of Personnel
- $160k for staff training on “performance based budgeting”
- $36,000 for “uniforms” for OMB staff
- Bids are reportedly out for 10 new laptop computers with network cards for senior staff to replace new computers purchased last year that are now deemed “too big and cumbersome.”
And, we are told, more renovation plans are on the books for the upcoming months.
Naturally, we asked how, in this time of fiscal crisis, this surplus was not questioned or reallocated to projects more critical than renovations, training and travel. We were told that the now infamous “financial management system” (which is still not fully operational) was the tool that would allow the Legislature to view this type of financial data.
All this, while the elderly and other needy residents are told to say “aloha” to critical programs and services. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
This is plain stupidity and arrogance, and as far as I can see, it’s all been brought on by DeJongh. He put this Gottlieb character in the job, eh? What does Gottlieb have on him that he would even consider one of the above actions permissible? Do we also have Millen to thank for allowing this? Seems Nellie was right, there probably was money available when she brought the bill forward, but OMB pulled a quick one and snagged the money 1st.
Like J.J. Estemac asked, is the governor listening? Or is he listening, but don’t really give a damn?
This is more of the crap that should really tick us off so much that we no longer believe a word he says.
Didn’t he mention in some territorial address that we were going to run short on money since so many years of taxes were not yet collected? He heard everything, chewed on it a bit, then spit it back out at us, thinking he was feeding his younguns. We MUST replace this financial fiasco driven man with a whole new administration. And, for that matter too: I want new senators, except for O’Reilly. Lets fill the government with honest, hard working men and women this coming election.
This is one of the reason why I have deliberately not paid my property taxes and I don’t plan to until I forced to do so. They would just have more money to steal and splurge. The FEDS need take takeover. They make me sick.
And we have borrowed $220 million to make payroll???
Anyone ever hear of tele-conferencing? Hawaii……just how much is this costing taxpayers? But then again the general slush fund is for those in charge.
If this travel is allowed, how much other useless ‘conferences’ are happening?
Why are we training for performance based budgeting? Have we hired accountants who can not do their jobs or do not possess the degrees to do so?
Transparency???????
Did the Finance Dunce go to Hawaii also?
Let time I checked, Mr. Dawson was suppose to go to St. Croix last night to testify at thee legislative hearing.
I just checked the pricing on a round trip ticket (economy class) from STT to Hawaii……$1,700!!! Of course that is for ONE seat and all airlines now charge extra for persons not being able to fit in a seat without putting the armrest down. So unless Ms. Gottlieb went first class at over $3,500 for the ticket, she had to buy TWO economy class seats to travel. Add on the cost of the conference, hotel stay, meals…….I think we need to know why she went and what the VI gains from her trip.
http://www.acsac.org
I saw one topic that may be useful, but not useful enough to warrant such an expensive trip. The trip could have been cancelled within 72 hrs of conference with no charges applied.
Not sure of the need for travel to Hawaii, but travel to Frederiksted for the hearing on the Alternative Markets Act (AMA) would have been in order.
AMA, facilitates asset-backed securities transactions, to provide for special purpose financial captives and for other purposes. This sounds sexy, but what is it?
The only testifiers were financial experts and not government employees. I thought the government had some heavy-hitters in finance. Likely they are just heavy and don’t understand this legislation.
Here is a link to the invited testifiers: http://www.legvi.org/LEGVI2008/calendar/LegislativeCalendar.pdf
The sponsor of the legislation was devoid of explaining the functions of the AMA. Additionally, there wasn’t a post-auditor report demonstrating the value added by AMA legislation.
NO JOKE. Its time to wipe the slate clean. Get rid of all the old has-been senators and governor, and start anew. DeJongh is coming forth as being a real screw-up, and all those people he put in position are screwing us common folk as bad as he is. Just look at Hill, if he wasn’t holding up the bill that would disband VIWMA, we the people of the USVI would not be paying the wasted money AGAIN that VIWMA is spending on this biased harmful deal with WAPA and Alpine. Heck, we could have had not only a stationary mammography machine, but also multiple mobile macines for those who cant get to the hospital without calling an ambulance. We could have bought microwave ovens for EACH person in the meals on wheels program, and supplied good food for a week that would easily be reheated in the microwave. We could have bought vans that would move kids from say Williams Delight to the Boys & Girls Club, where these kids of our future could learn valuable socializing skills.
Hell, we have SO MANY good people in our community, territory, that could have done so many positive things with the money Gottlieb and others like her have inconsiderately and wastefully spent.
We have to wipe the slate clean next election. Even if some senator actually did something to benefit the population who most needed it, have they really done enough? I just dont see it yet, but maybe something will change.
My question is what exactly is Ms. Gottlieb doing in Hawaii? What type of conference is she going to that would benefit us? Was this trip finance in advance? Did the government know all along about this trip? There are so many questions to be answered.
Anonymous, you asked if the Finance Commissioner went to Hawaii. I just found out that he did!
This is not the first trip to HAWAII for the Director. She went before with Comm. of Finance Claudette Anderson.
OMB Director Gottlieb is in Hawaii getting her hair braided!!!!!!!
According to the link above, the seminar/conference was for computer security. Oh my….travel to Hawaii for that?
By the way, just where do all the ‘old’ computers go when they are replaced? Seems we are always getting new computers in the government……I think the senate also got all new one’s this year….
Are these members of the same cabal that took a junket to Palau (South Pacific) a few years ago? How are they able to justify traveling to Hawai’i or Palau in a way that will benefit Virgin Islanders? The more things change; the more they remain the same…
Would this Gotlieb lady be the daughter of Eugene Gotlieb? If so,the fruit,as they say,don’t fall far from the tree.