Audit of Mayor Bowser's snow removal finds many problems

[Anonymous]

This is why we will never be a state.


Yes, because states and the federal government have pristine records when it comes to financial management.

Did you miss the part about where this was an audit completed by the DC Government? This is DC policing itself.

[Anonymous]

Cronyism and contracting incompetence in the DC government need to be addressed. Still, the overall result is better for DC residents than the dark days of the Marion Barry era when DC had perhaps 7 working snowplows and the Mayor-for-Life's announced plan to deal with snow and ice was "spring." More like Barry's concept of "snow removal" was accomplished on a mirror with a straw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think she made a political calculation that the blowback from a failed snowstorm response would be greater than from wasteful spending. She was caught unprepared and that was her choice. It was pretty clear after 2-3 days of the cleanup that the contractors were piling on, they were taking every last bit of snow off of the streets long after things were passable. To her credit I'll say it seems like the work that was paid for actually got done, the trucks were out there and the snow was being moved.

I think you're right, and I also think she used the opportunity to reward her favorite contractors.

PP here, and I basically agree with you. A more nuanced view might be that her contributors have such sway within the administration that once the lid to the cookie jar was taken off there was no putting it back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think she made a political calculation that the blowback from a failed snowstorm response would be greater than from wasteful spending. She was caught unprepared and that was her choice. It was pretty clear after 2-3 days of the cleanup that the contractors were piling on, they were taking every last bit of snow off of the streets long after things were passable. To her credit I'll say it seems like the work that was paid for actually got done, the trucks were out there and the snow was being moved.

I think you're right, and I also think she used the opportunity to reward her favorite contractors.

I agree with this too. The larger issue is why the DC government doesn't have contingency plans and protocols to rely on when making these calculations. These should be in place, and probably discussed with the Council. It's not just snow but overall emergency management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This is why we will never be a state.


Yes, because states and the federal government have pristine records when it comes to financial management.

Did you miss the part about where this was an audit completed by the DC Government? This is DC policing itself.

The point is that waste, fraud, and abuse (regardless of who uncovers it, whether public or private) is not a bar to representative government.

[Anonymous]

Quick Correction.. in DC the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor is an arm of the legislative branch (City Council) not the executive branch.

So, this isn't really the executive branch policing itself; that would be the Office of Inspector General.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think she made a political calculation that the blowback from a failed snowstorm response would be greater than from wasteful spending. She was caught unprepared and that was her choice. It was pretty clear after 2-3 days of the cleanup that the contractors were piling on, they were taking every last bit of snow off of the streets long after things were passable. To her credit I'll say it seems like the work that was paid for actually got done, the trucks were out there and the snow was being moved.

I think you're right, and I also think she used the opportunity to reward her favorite contractors.

PP here, and I basically agree with you. A more nuanced view might be that her contributors have such sway within the administration that once the lid to the cookie jar was taken off there was no putting it back.

So the conclusion is her political instincts are good, her management needs work.

[Anonymous]

Any mention in the D.C. audit of how the national guard performed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any mention in the D.C. audit of how the national guard performed?

Did they do anything at all?

I doubt it. Bowser just wanted to siphon taxpayer money to her crony contractors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She is just as corrupt as can be.

I think she's a bigger idiot than truly corrupt. Though that's not exactly reassuring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She is just as corrupt as can be.

I think she's a bigger idiot than truly corrupt. Though that's not exactly reassuring.

Perhaps she is not personally corrupt. But she has some corrupt "supporters" who want favors and trough feeding. Since she came into office, she's shown indifference to ethical standards, as she's tried to reward the DC kleptocracy and political nomenklatura.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This is why we will never be a state.


Yes, because states and the federal government have pristine records when it comes to financial management.

Did you miss the part about where this was an audit completed by the DC Government? This is DC policing itself.

The point is that waste, fraud, and abuse (regardless of who uncovers it, whether public or private) is not a bar to representative government.

I understand your message: you assert that these are separate, unrelated issues.

You would also surely assert that it is an unrelated, separate issue that the democrats will undoubtedly pick up 2 highly progressive senators and at least one very liberal congressperson.

The reality of the situation is that DC needs congress to go along with their statehood plan.

And the politics DO matter. Further, it's difficult to make the argument that DC "deserves" statehood when there is overwhelming evidence of DC government incompetence at virtually every level.

Furthermore, if voting is really so crucial to the few (600K) residents, there is nothing meaningfully preventing most from just moving a few miles away to become Maryland residents.

In sum, don't hold your breath on DC statehood.

[Anonymous]

Plus, after days of warning drivers not to park on snow routes, she then voided over $1,000,000 in parking tickets.