Saturday, July 31, 2010
Arkansas Politics Beebe's responsibility
Posted by Max Brantley on Sat, Jul 31, 2010 at 7:57 AM
John Brummett is right, of course. Gov. Mike Beebe can't explain away the question of state vehicle oversupply — if there is one — by saying the bulk of the cars are in constitutionally independent agencies — highways, Game and Fish and colleges. The legislature appropriates their money; he signs the legislation. All are governed by commissions and boards composed of gubernatorial appointees. He could — and should — demand full accountability.
I've called before for a computerized database of every state vehicle and, where appropriate, names of employees to which they are assigned and which employees are cleared for use of free cars for personal commutes. (Yes they pay a piddling tax, in some cases but not all, for the commuting privileges.)
I tend to think the problem is overblown and that the abuses are small. But it doesn't mean they should be dismissed out of hand.
Brummett ends by echoing my earlier suggestion that the explosion of state-paid cell phones might be worth a look, too. People with reason to know tell me you'd be surprised, for example, at the international calls made on some of them, particularly by certain very highly paid state employees.
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Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
Please push for a database of all state money spent on private companies and non-profits too. I know you've said it was a great idea so I'm just reminding you! I would suggest it but have no sway with Beebe.
Cell phone usage can be very expensive, and I bet the state is charged much more than those of us on family plans. Wonder if AT&T gets all state business. Do they have to bid or does the state get a discount for volume? I bet not. Probably why AT&T just put DSL in Arkansas City. Population of a few hundred people but home to our next Speaker of the House.
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Beyond the number of phones and their uses is the question of how the cost of similar phones vary from agency to agency. On agency may be paying $20.00 per month while another agency pays $60.00 a month.
And if state employees are going to reimburse the state for personal use, it ought to be at the same rate that the state reimburses employees for the use of their personal cars, not some token amount. I haven't received a state check for milage since teacher training in 1996 but, if I remember correctly, the state has a set # of miles they figured between any two cities in the state and their reimbursement was less than the federal deductible amount for business use of a personal vehicle.
When a certain Conway rep used to drive the long way to Little Rock for meetings so the distance would be over 50 miles and he could be reimbursed, I thought of how many "regular" state employees were denied the same "gift".
The Vice President for Student Services at Pulaski Tech has a college issued (and paid for--including monthly $100 bill) iPhone. I can see where she needs an iPhone to perform the duties of her job. NOT!
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