THE OREGON RIP-OFF

 

 

Rodney Stubbs
March 18, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

Salem, OR. --The AP headlines blared on April 7, 2006, "Audit finds ODOT overspent in use of outside consultants." A corresponding groan could be faintly heard from Oregon taxpayers in the background. According to the AP: "The Oregon Department of Transportation's use of outside engineering consultants cost the state about 20 percent more than it should have, according to a Secretary of State audit released this week."

The audit found that as the state's $3 billion bridge repair effort got underway a few years ago, the agency failed to aggressively negotiate prices with consultants. Lawmakers provided $700 million for design engineering services but no funding for additional in-house engineers, according to the audit report. The audit also noted that the agency was losing qualified engineers at an "alarming" rate as they quit to go to work for the consulting firms doing the work. Five out of seven bridge unit managers left the department to work for consultants between September 2003 and January 2004, the report said."

The report was supposed to uncover massive fraud in ODOT's use of public dollars, that was swept under the carpet for political reasons. I bet, those five highly paid Bridge Engineers retired with full PERS benefits based on their salary at time of retirement. Oregonians will pay millions for each of these five retirees over the course of the next 10 to 20 years.

Those retirees will also gain from their new jobs with the private sector for bringing the contracts to the new employee. The cost to Oregonians is measured in the millions of dollars and the auditors they will keep quiet to learn how to rip off Oregon taxpayers in the future. All the while, our Secretary of State Bill Bradbury covers up the indiscretions of State Agencies and Departments all across Oregon.

© 2006 Rodney R. Stubbs. All rights reserved.