For the New Year I have made a resolution to turn up the heat a bit (yeah I know like I don't do that enough anyway), and start with how our local government is organized and who answers to whom. Take the following for example:
This organizational chart clearly shows the Mayor answers to who? The citizens of the Metro Louisville that's who. In short he answers to us. But we already knew that didn't we?
With this in mind I have a couple of questions that need to be asked concerning the dire straits we are supposedly in financially. Namely where is the CAFR? The CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) has always been readily available by mid December online. As of today it is not there. MSD had theirs up by November 13 with less manpower so what gives.
Could it be that since it is under such scrutiny now, and the police and others have requested it, that perhaps Jerry is apprehensive in releasing it? Could it be the CAFR did not show the $20 million deficit he says we have? Does he need more time to rework the numbers to reflect what he wants them to show not what is actual?
Many of us are waiting to see the CAFR and we all want an explanation as to why he has not released it yet. There are way too many questions and very little answers to his budget deficit. In short we are asked to "trust me I am the Mayor." This has worked for almost 20 years for him but cannot work any longer.
In short, I do not trust you Mr. Mayor and neither do most of the citizens I talk to everyday.
There I said it and do I feel better. Now copy the following and send it to Mayor Abramson here:
Office of Mayor Jerry Abramson Metro Hall / 4th Floor
527 W. Jefferson St.
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 574-2003
Dear Mayor Abramson:
As your boss and employer, I am requiring you, as a condition of your continued employment, to provide me the 2008 CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) and the documents requested under the Kentucky Open Records Act by the Fraternal Order of Police to them immediately.
The chart heading above, which you have used in the 2003-2007 CAFRs, show that the citizens of Louisville are your boss. I, as a citizen of Louisville, am your boss.
Your failure to provide these documents immediately will be sufficient proof of malfeasance by you and subjects you to legal disciplinary actions, up to and including removal from your job.
Remember, I am your boss. Please comply immediately.
Signed,
Now that you have done that don't you feel better too?
Demand transparency and demand an answer to our questions. It is our City and he is our employee.
JUST ADDED: I stumbled across this while researching other info. It is interesting to note Abramson has a history of violating open records request and using others to do it. The following link is one example of an AG decision from 1993.
93-ORD-134
This is a part of that decision:
The City of Louisville erred in failing to provide "a detailed explanation" of the cause of the delay and arranging for inspection at the earliest possible date. "Timely access" to public records has been defined as "any time less than three days from agency receipt of the request." OAG 84-300, at p. 3. In OAG 83-23, at page 4, we expressly held that an agency had not acted in accordance with KRS 61.870 to 61.884 "in its failure to allow inspection or make a proper response to [a] request to inspect records after three months from the date of [the] initial request." See also, OAG 91-200; OAG 92-35. Although Mr. Lukins offered repeated assurances that the City had begun the process of identifying and compiling the requested records, he did not designate the place, time and earliest date on which the records would be available for inspection. We believe that a delay of this duration is inconsistent with the Open Records Act.
Read the entire decision for all the details but it clearly shows how "games" were being played then, and certainly should give us cause for alarm today as Jerry apparently still feels he can circumvent law.
I was looking for the CAFR myself, this morning, have been every day for the last couple of weeks. Maybe the employees who create it are on furlough?
ReplyDeleteThe old City Law Dept. reviewed every Open Records, and that was OK, except when it caused such delays - as it often did. Lukins (who is a nice guy) was just a pawn for Tina Heavrin.
I do wonder, though, WHY was it so difficult in that case to locate records that should have been readily at hand?
Good work, Ed. I added a link to this post on The Valley Report.
ReplyDeleteWhere does it say (legally) that this document must be out by Dec. 31st? Since it is late, what is the recourse, a lawsuit? A complaint to ... who?
ReplyDeleteOfficially I have found no statute requiring the CAFR be out by December, however, they have made it a precedent to do so. Also in order to qualify for the finance award (get real another bogus award) they must submiyt a CAFR by December 31 to be considered.
ReplyDeleteAbramson is not going to miss out on an award.
I suspect that what really needs to be done is to pursue all these matters with the IRS, Kentucky Revenue Cabinet, and to start asking why the local government cannot provide a record of city finances upon public request of said information.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, these records were requested some time ago now that our city administration cannot provide this I have to question what information has been sanitized from the records and what has been hidden under some general fund.
I used to work in accounting at one point for a career and it is not uncommon for managers, accountants, and hired guns to hide financial records. As I was told once nearing an audit by a private accounting firm hired by the parent corporation. I was told to create a document that did not exist or had been lost by the previous accounting clerk. Instead of readily admitting that there was an issue of lost paperwork or misplacement, I was required to make up a document stating as such at the expectation of a manager and if I did not then I would have been hunting a new job. Thank God I finally quit that job and pursued other goals because I find it repulsive that falsification of documents is not only allowed but in some cases openly expected by corporations.
That' the thick and thin of the situation and you can bet that something of the like is going on in the current administration under mayor abramson. Lower case intended.
The latest excuse is they are waiting for the State Auditor to verify the CAFR. Funny thing is Crit LuAllen is still State Auditor and has been through this process many times.
ReplyDeleteSo the question is why is it taking so long this time?
Could it be that the rumor of Jerry Abramson calling his "pal" in New York and telling him to send the money back to Louisville is reason for the delay?
Could it be that the CAFR is being changed as we speak to hide the corruptness of missing money or hidden money?
We shall soon see.
And I agree I would love an IRS audit. Hold this Mayor accountable!