In a very tiny article in today’s Daily News it was reported that Chris Ward the Executive has resigned from his $100,000 part time job with New York Independent System Operator (a not for profit corp).
Having heard that the salary portion of this benefits package was only $30,000 we did a little research and found that although board members salaries appear to be small the total compensation packages are quite large.
In the 2005 tax filing nearly $5.5 Million was paid as compensation of Officers and Directors while another nearly $9 Million was paid in other Management and non program related salaries.
What is more interesting is the distribution of funds to former Officers, Directors, Trustees and Key Employees.
The four listed in 2005 received over $200,000 in compensation.
They also received contributions to employee benefit plans and deferred compensation plans to the tune of over $2.25 Million.
These are the figures directly from the 2005 IRS 990 form.
Why is a not for profit’s Board members being paid in compensation rather than salaries and being paid $2,000 to attend monthly meetings, $1,500 a day for committee meetings and $750 apiece for phone conferences?
How many of the other current and former Board Members are current state city and Authority employees?
Someone should be looking into this.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
AND THEY WONDER WHY WE HAVE A DEFICIT
Last week it was reported in the New York Post that over 30,000 former New York residents may have improperly collected millions in NY Medicaid payments while being registered in other states' Medicaid programs.
And what is being done?
You guessed it another audit.
New York state's Medicaid Inspector General James Sheehan has ordered his staff to investigate the claims of the former residents.
Here are a few questions for the Inspector General;
Why were former NY residents even allowed to apply for NY Medicaid benefits?
Isn't there a process in place to validate a recipients address?
If not is a process going to be implemented?
Who is going to handle the current workload if your staff needs to review all of these past payments?
What if anything is going to be done to those found to have improperly received these funds?
This is just another example of why we have such a deficit and why nothing gets done.
We will spend hundreds of hours on this review and what will we get.
An audit report and a huge overtime bill from the Medicaid staff.
What's worse is nothing will come of the report and no one will be held responsible for improperly receiving the funds or allowing it to happen.
That's the problem with the system.
There is little or no oversight and it takes a newspaper report to get them to do anything.
If they want to do an audit here is a suggestion.
Do an audit of the cost of all of the past city and state audits compared to what was actually recovered as a result of the audits.
Guarantee that you will need your red pen to post that result.
What makes matters even worse is that it is extremely rare when any audit recommendations are even implemented.
But that is business as usual when it comes to government.
And they wonder why we have a deficit.
And what is being done?
You guessed it another audit.
New York state's Medicaid Inspector General James Sheehan has ordered his staff to investigate the claims of the former residents.
Here are a few questions for the Inspector General;
Why were former NY residents even allowed to apply for NY Medicaid benefits?
Isn't there a process in place to validate a recipients address?
If not is a process going to be implemented?
Who is going to handle the current workload if your staff needs to review all of these past payments?
What if anything is going to be done to those found to have improperly received these funds?
This is just another example of why we have such a deficit and why nothing gets done.
We will spend hundreds of hours on this review and what will we get.
An audit report and a huge overtime bill from the Medicaid staff.
What's worse is nothing will come of the report and no one will be held responsible for improperly receiving the funds or allowing it to happen.
That's the problem with the system.
There is little or no oversight and it takes a newspaper report to get them to do anything.
If they want to do an audit here is a suggestion.
Do an audit of the cost of all of the past city and state audits compared to what was actually recovered as a result of the audits.
Guarantee that you will need your red pen to post that result.
What makes matters even worse is that it is extremely rare when any audit recommendations are even implemented.
But that is business as usual when it comes to government.
And they wonder why we have a deficit.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
$500 Billion Just a Drop in the Bucket
Another day another elected official indicted.
Today Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was indicted for failing to disclose thousands of dollars he received.
Although he is the first sitting Senator indicted since 1993 he joins his congressional colleague Rep Don Young who is also under investigation.
Just two examples of what is so wrong with the system.
Now we don’t want to accuse these men of anything until they are convicted but let’s go out on a limb and assume they are guilty.
What do you think will happen to them?
Worst case scenario they will plea deal down and retire with full pensions on our dime and wind up working for some lobbyist corrupting future electeds.
Now let’s picture the same scenario if we had a political pre nup in place. (http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43838)
Both of these guys would be forced to repay all they were convicted of stealing and would forfeit their tax free pensions.
Wouldn’t that be great!
With the state of the economy, one only had to listen to Governor Paterson tonight, we really need to start taking a serious look from the top on down.
Our elected officials, the Authorities and right on down to you and me.
Is it only me or does anyone else think that there is something wrong with the fact that it costs hundreds of millions to become president.
Hell, it is even going to cost $2 Million to become a Congressman on Staten Island.
People putting up that type of money are going to be looking for something in return.
Its time to limit our exposure.
If we don’t the $500 Billion deficit will look like a drop in the bucket in a few years and they only ones who will be able to afford to retire will be our elected officials.
Today Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was indicted for failing to disclose thousands of dollars he received.
Although he is the first sitting Senator indicted since 1993 he joins his congressional colleague Rep Don Young who is also under investigation.
Just two examples of what is so wrong with the system.
Now we don’t want to accuse these men of anything until they are convicted but let’s go out on a limb and assume they are guilty.
What do you think will happen to them?
Worst case scenario they will plea deal down and retire with full pensions on our dime and wind up working for some lobbyist corrupting future electeds.
Now let’s picture the same scenario if we had a political pre nup in place. (http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43838)
Both of these guys would be forced to repay all they were convicted of stealing and would forfeit their tax free pensions.
Wouldn’t that be great!
With the state of the economy, one only had to listen to Governor Paterson tonight, we really need to start taking a serious look from the top on down.
Our elected officials, the Authorities and right on down to you and me.
Is it only me or does anyone else think that there is something wrong with the fact that it costs hundreds of millions to become president.
Hell, it is even going to cost $2 Million to become a Congressman on Staten Island.
People putting up that type of money are going to be looking for something in return.
Its time to limit our exposure.
If we don’t the $500 Billion deficit will look like a drop in the bucket in a few years and they only ones who will be able to afford to retire will be our elected officials.
INVITATION TO SHARE WHERE TO TURN RESOURCES
NYDIS Announced closure of city's last remaining 9/11 recovery program today.
Slowly but surely all of the available 9/11 services are shutting down.
Please be advised that we will continue to link all available 9/11 services through our Where to Turn Crisis Relief Network. (www.where-to-turn.org)
We will continue to keep you updated with 9/11 news with the help of Arnie Korotkin and will continue to post upcoming 9/11 events on our calendar.
As services are discontinued we will try to connect those in need with remaining resources.
We have over 800 Resources linked to our site as our services have expanded to any victim of tragedy.
If you are a service provider or a not for profit organization and would like to be included please forward a short description of your organization as well as a link to your website to info@where-to-turn.org and we will include you in our network. (civic and community groups invited as well)
If you do not have a web site we will create a web page so that your organization can be displayed.
Please note that we are trying to collect information on all Staten Island Organizations and link them.
The gloomy economic forecast will make it even more difficult for small not for profits that are the backbone of support for many in need.
By sharing information in addition to a little common sense coordination we hope to make people aware of all of the services still available to them on Staten Island and throughout the country.
We will also be coordinating joint projects to share resources as we are currently doing with the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries with the Veteran Grave Markers.
We hope that you will take advantage of our site and in doing so help us help those in need.
Slowly but surely all of the available 9/11 services are shutting down.
Please be advised that we will continue to link all available 9/11 services through our Where to Turn Crisis Relief Network. (www.where-to-turn.org)
We will continue to keep you updated with 9/11 news with the help of Arnie Korotkin and will continue to post upcoming 9/11 events on our calendar.
As services are discontinued we will try to connect those in need with remaining resources.
We have over 800 Resources linked to our site as our services have expanded to any victim of tragedy.
If you are a service provider or a not for profit organization and would like to be included please forward a short description of your organization as well as a link to your website to info@where-to-turn.org and we will include you in our network. (civic and community groups invited as well)
If you do not have a web site we will create a web page so that your organization can be displayed.
Please note that we are trying to collect information on all Staten Island Organizations and link them.
The gloomy economic forecast will make it even more difficult for small not for profits that are the backbone of support for many in need.
By sharing information in addition to a little common sense coordination we hope to make people aware of all of the services still available to them on Staten Island and throughout the country.
We will also be coordinating joint projects to share resources as we are currently doing with the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries with the Veteran Grave Markers.
We hope that you will take advantage of our site and in doing so help us help those in need.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
MTA Prepares To Take Us For Another Ride
In today’s economy nobody can argue that it is very difficult to make ends meet.
Normal people like you and I have to cut back tighten our belts and make the best of it.
But not the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
They just announce that in order to keep their heads above water that they will need to implement another fare hike.
This less then a year after the fare hike that did not produce any of the improvements that it promised.
And what is being done about this?
The Governor is convening yet another panel to look into the mismanagement at the MTA.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it.
Didn’t they convene a panel a few weeks ago to investigate mismanagement of yet another Authority at Ground Zero?
Doesn’t anyone see a trend here?
The Authorities are left alone to run wild and unchecked while paying their executives exorbitant salaries and benefit packages as the strap hangers get left holding the bag.
What was that famous saying about those that don’t learn from history will be destined to repeat it?
Obviously nobody remembers as far back as 2003.
It was only five years ago that a state audit concluded that the MTA had secretly shifted hundreds of millions in surplus money to create an appearance of a huge deficit so that they could mislead riders into thinking a fare hike was needed.
Once again no one was held responsible because we are dealing with an “Authority”
You can convene as many panels that you like and it will not make a difference unless we get some type of control or eliminate these Authorities entirely.
Our pockets will continue to be picked while theirs will continue to be filled as long as they are the ones left driving the bus.
Normal people like you and I have to cut back tighten our belts and make the best of it.
But not the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
They just announce that in order to keep their heads above water that they will need to implement another fare hike.
This less then a year after the fare hike that did not produce any of the improvements that it promised.
And what is being done about this?
The Governor is convening yet another panel to look into the mismanagement at the MTA.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it.
Didn’t they convene a panel a few weeks ago to investigate mismanagement of yet another Authority at Ground Zero?
Doesn’t anyone see a trend here?
The Authorities are left alone to run wild and unchecked while paying their executives exorbitant salaries and benefit packages as the strap hangers get left holding the bag.
What was that famous saying about those that don’t learn from history will be destined to repeat it?
Obviously nobody remembers as far back as 2003.
It was only five years ago that a state audit concluded that the MTA had secretly shifted hundreds of millions in surplus money to create an appearance of a huge deficit so that they could mislead riders into thinking a fare hike was needed.
Once again no one was held responsible because we are dealing with an “Authority”
You can convene as many panels that you like and it will not make a difference unless we get some type of control or eliminate these Authorities entirely.
Our pockets will continue to be picked while theirs will continue to be filled as long as they are the ones left driving the bus.
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