CRIT LUALLEN: FINDINGS VERY UNUSUAL IN AUDIT

Crit Luallen today released the findings of her audit on the Louisville Metro Housing Department records and honestly there were no surprises here I assure you. The management of this City has long been under fire from myself, and many others throughout the community, so much so that in fact I personally feel vindicated to a degree knowing that the hours and requests to agencies to check things out have not been wasted.

According to the report from the CJ, (Audit: problems in Louisville housing agency serious courier-journal The Courier-Journal), LuAllen is quoted as saying: "...the mismanagement was so widespread that her team was unable to verify the accuracy of the department’s financial statements."

That is a very telling statement in itself and one that will be mirrored in future findings I am sure.

Welcome to the plight of most of us in Louisville. Folks, as you know I have been asking for an audit of the books for months now. I actually started trying to force transparency and openness during the Mayoral race in 2006 I was in. This is just one example of why we need the audit and we need transparency.

This is also just the tip of the iceberg IMO. In fact I wonder if Jerry's own arrogance is now his downfall. Kimberly Bunton was in charge at the time problems arose and were discovered. She was also appointed directly by Jerry Abramson.

She isn't the first, or the last, Abramson appointee that will be found guilty of gross mismanagement and being in "over her head." When the smoke clears, if the audits continue, we will see a widespread systematic failure of leadership on Abramson's part base don who the "yes" people are versus the ones who can do the job.

In fact I also wonder if Abramson blaming Crit LuAllen for the failure of having a CAFR yet perhaps made her look a bit more closely at the financials. Is the CAFR being delayed because Crit is doing a serious audit on it not a perfunctory one? Of course I am a Crit LuAllen fan and she has always been a person of integrity in my book.

Even with all the garbage going around during the Patton years.

Crit goes on to say "Any taxpayer ought to be concerned when we find an agency this large with a lack of competence, a lack of ethical guidelines and a lack of direction,” she said at the news conference.

You bet we should. After trying to force these issues to light and force someone to take a look at the way things are run here it is great to see that work coming to fruition. But again, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

This is just one indicator from the audit that should alarm each of us as it is system wide within the Abramson regime:

FINDING 08-HFS01-01: Management Of Department Of Housing And Family Services Lacked Basic Understanding Of Programs Within The Department And Did Not Provide Staff Proper Direction And Oversight Of Procedures And Processes, Increasing The Risk For Fraud Or Error

During our audit we noted, based on interviews with the Department of Housing and Family Services (HFS) staff, as well as audit procedures conducted throughout the audit, that those in management positions did not have a basic understanding of the programs within HFS, did not provide proper staff direction, and did not provide proper oversight of procedures and processes.

Several staff and managers interviewed could not tell Auditor of Public Accounts staff what job functions were assigned to them, to whom they were to report, or who they supervised.

How can you run any department like this? And there are more departments than this one like this I assure you. All with Abramson appointees.

Management regularly moved staff from one program or division to another and did not fill program manager positions, which are essential to proper grant administration. This resulted in staff working on and overseeing federal programs with which they were not familiar and without the benefit of knowledgeable management oversight.

Folks this is BASIC Management 101 stuff that severely lacks throughout Metro thanks to political appointments by Abramson. Let's not forget the whole Summers issue recently released where Deputy Mayor Summers has given his kids $64,000 a year jobs without anyone else being considered or applying. Also do not forget the involvement of Summers other son, Will VP of Chemical Bank, with the arena project.

With the recent disapproval of Abramson up to 42%, according to a WHAS poll, could this finally be the beginning of the end for the abusive, arrogant, power hungry Mayor Abramson himself? Many of us hope so. The blatant disregard for we the people of this Louisville and his continuance to believe he is above reproach has to come to an end.

Great work Ms. LuAllen and thanks from one citizen who is grateful this is finally being checked out.

Now let's all hammer the House in Frankfort and force them to pass the transparency bill they are wavering on (yes they are I spoke with a couple House members today) and get the accountability and transparency we deserve.

Stay tuned this will get better........