Comments on: Comptroller: Taxpayer dollars “squandered” on DOE contracts

By: Gotham Gazette - The Wonkster » Blog Archive » A Lesson in School Contracts

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:02:30 +0000

[...] William Thompson Jr. took on another aspect of the department’s contracting procedures charging that about 20 percent of contracts it let over the last two years ended up costing at least 25 [...]

By: Public Eyes on Public Schools » Blog Archive » Audit finds DOE routinely underestimates contract costs

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:04:59 +0000

[...] to Thompson’s audit of contracts that ended in fiscal years 2007 and 2008, the Department of Education issued 372 [...]

By: ELBAR

ELBAR — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:26:42 +0000

The B.O.E. had multiple vendors that competed for the business, then when the D.O.E. came along only 3 vendors were hand picked to receive all the copier/duplicator business, under the guise that the city was going to save a ton of money. What a scam this seems to have been. This probably sounds like sour grapes but when talking to the schools since we were ousted, they never seem to have anything positive to say about the current arrangements. It’s time we had some good old American competition again.

By: crusader

crusader — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:31:17 +0000

This report is a big Yawn-O-Rama that is surely to be more of the same coming down the pike aas the Mayoral campaign heats up. I just read the report and its own analysis states that no money was wasted, only that schools used more services than was initially estimated! Yet that didn’t stop Thompson from hitting all kinds of innuendo about “waste.” Not to worry Billy. We know that you were and still are Original Criminal Number 1 of the Old Board of Education, that Titanic that was the 110 Livingston Street Ship of Fools. I will never forget.

By: Gotham Gazette - The Wonkster » Blog Archive » Public Schools, Private Money

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:49:49 +0000

[...] benefit of competitive bidding. (For more on other subjects discussed at the hearing see this account of alleged cost overruns from Gotham Schools, a report on how the department’s contracting procedures allegedly hurt [...]

By: Leonie Haimson

Leonie Haimson — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:21:01 +0000

The DOE’s excuses (as usual) are pathetic. They should be budgeting for what they believe these contracts will actually cost — that’s what good business and management practice requires. Instead, each year they lowball the expected costs of contracts in their proposed (and approved) budgets, because they have been criticized for spending too much on contracts, and then shift spending from other categories (like supplies) into the contract lines, hoping that no one will notice.

By: Pogue

Pogue — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:19:16 +0000

How did the DOE Accountability Department miss this?! Aren’t there several hundred, well-paid, managers in that department?

By: Ellen McHugh

Ellen McHugh — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:18:46 +0000

The comptroller’s report lists the estimated cost of the contract at $135,000, which then ballooned to spending of $5.6 million. Ross said his figures suggest the actual estimated cost was $1.35 million. He said the $5.6 million figure could have been even higher had officials not negotiated a price discount.
Thank heaven! The cost over run was only 5.6 million! What would have happened if they hadn’t re-negotiated?
Boss Tweed will be so proud of his tenants! Even he wouldn’t have done as well as that.