wexwimpy
July 26th 04, 03:04 PM
Mr. Regier's mess
Our position: The DCF chief should take leave pending a probe of his
agency.
Posted July 26, 2004
The reputation of the state Department of Children & Families can't
stand another scandal.
Yet once again the state's giant social-services agency finds itself
mired in an embarrassing mess. A little more than a week ago two top
administrators at DCF resigned under pressure because they received
weekend trips and other gifts from people doing business with the
agency.
DCF Secretary Jerry Regier isn't much better because he and his wife
partied with a contractor doing business with DCF, and even stayed
overnight at a beach house owned by that contractor.
What a disappointment. Mr. Regier was recruited two years ago by Gov.
Jeb Bush as a reformer for the troubled agency. Now Mr. Regier and his
leadership have become part of the problem.
A stinging report by the state's chief inspector general detailed a
laundry list of unethical activities by Mr. Regier and several of his
top aides. That included social relationships, trips, overnight stays
and gifts that, according to the report, were "unethical, or gave the
appearance of ethical impropriety."
The report said that the inspectors "determined that a senior
management employee inappropriately influenced/attempted to influence
DCF contracting actions by circumventing state purchasing requirements
in order to hire a pre-selected vendor. Additional violations of
procurement laws and policies were revealed."
Now this report is being reviewed by the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement. It's clear that a rigorous criminal investigation is
warranted.
Mr. Regier has apologized for his "lapses," but that is not enough.
Many questions remain about how contracts have been awarded on Mr.
Regier's watch. Until those questions have been answered, Mr. Regier
has a duty to take a leave of absence from his post at DCF. How can he
make policy decisions when there are questions about his judgment and
leadership?
This scandal is a major blow to the governor's intent to privatize
many of the core functions of DCF by contracting companies and
non-profit groups to handle responsibilities such as foster care of
neglected and abused children.
How can those efforts possibly move forward when the inspector
general's report shows that the decision-making process may be
corrupt? That report validates many worries expressed by people who
criticized the privatization approach in DCF.
It's noteworthy that Oklahoma's chief inspector is conducting an audit
of a contract awarded by the state's juvenile-justice agency, which
Mr. Regier ran two years ago. Officials there want to determine if the
proper procedures were followed in awarding that contract.
Unless all the questions can be resolved here and in Oklahoma, Mr.
Regier isn't fit to run DCF.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped261072604jul26,1,6374249.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.
Our position: The DCF chief should take leave pending a probe of his
agency.
Posted July 26, 2004
The reputation of the state Department of Children & Families can't
stand another scandal.
Yet once again the state's giant social-services agency finds itself
mired in an embarrassing mess. A little more than a week ago two top
administrators at DCF resigned under pressure because they received
weekend trips and other gifts from people doing business with the
agency.
DCF Secretary Jerry Regier isn't much better because he and his wife
partied with a contractor doing business with DCF, and even stayed
overnight at a beach house owned by that contractor.
What a disappointment. Mr. Regier was recruited two years ago by Gov.
Jeb Bush as a reformer for the troubled agency. Now Mr. Regier and his
leadership have become part of the problem.
A stinging report by the state's chief inspector general detailed a
laundry list of unethical activities by Mr. Regier and several of his
top aides. That included social relationships, trips, overnight stays
and gifts that, according to the report, were "unethical, or gave the
appearance of ethical impropriety."
The report said that the inspectors "determined that a senior
management employee inappropriately influenced/attempted to influence
DCF contracting actions by circumventing state purchasing requirements
in order to hire a pre-selected vendor. Additional violations of
procurement laws and policies were revealed."
Now this report is being reviewed by the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement. It's clear that a rigorous criminal investigation is
warranted.
Mr. Regier has apologized for his "lapses," but that is not enough.
Many questions remain about how contracts have been awarded on Mr.
Regier's watch. Until those questions have been answered, Mr. Regier
has a duty to take a leave of absence from his post at DCF. How can he
make policy decisions when there are questions about his judgment and
leadership?
This scandal is a major blow to the governor's intent to privatize
many of the core functions of DCF by contracting companies and
non-profit groups to handle responsibilities such as foster care of
neglected and abused children.
How can those efforts possibly move forward when the inspector
general's report shows that the decision-making process may be
corrupt? That report validates many worries expressed by people who
criticized the privatization approach in DCF.
It's noteworthy that Oklahoma's chief inspector is conducting an audit
of a contract awarded by the state's juvenile-justice agency, which
Mr. Regier ran two years ago. Officials there want to determine if the
proper procedures were followed in awarding that contract.
Unless all the questions can be resolved here and in Oklahoma, Mr.
Regier isn't fit to run DCF.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped261072604jul26,1,6374249.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.