newsobserver.com projects - audits - Comments

Re: Audit: State parking spaces unused

wdk05 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:36:54 -0400

Good to see the State Auditor hard at work. Must have been tough to find 18 parking spaces not assigned to anyone. I bet those 400 state employees who can't find a spot to park each morning are very happy now, their troubles are over. Wonder if we will ever see an auditors report showing that they wasted 18 sheets of paper and no telling how many hours preparing this report?

Re: Rand's specter halted Easley audit

Kingixolib — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:57:39 -0400

Career politicians breed corruption and lies. Vote them out or they die in office.

Option one....you win
Option two....you lose

Re: Rand's specter halted Easley audit

PoliticalJunkie — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:39:39 -0400

Great point Paul.

You ought to file one if nobody else has.

Re: Rand's specter halted Easley audit

PaulTerrell — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:15:59 -0400

I guess anyone can file a ethics complaint against Rand. I am surprised someone in the Republican Party has not.

Re: Rand's specter halted Easley audit

bellaparola — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:33:21 -0400

How is it not a conflict of interest for Rand to be lawyering against an outfit whose budget he basically controls? Is there any real protection in the state ethics laws and enforcement of them?

Re: Rand's specter halted Easley audit

Isaac136 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:56:31 -0400

Same old same old. One would have hoped that Beth Wood brought a fresh perspective to the job, but the same ole boys are calling the same ole shots. At least Les Merritt wasn't part of the machine.

Somebody should request woods email

PoliticalJunkie — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:20:53 -0400

There is a lot more to this cover up.

Re: Rand's specter halted Easley audit

cdtew — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:18:31 -0400

Tony Rand and Marc Basnight should be tarred and feathered. When will this state get sick of their corruption?

If you move to this state, and don't know anything about its politics, know this: voting Democrat will ensure the continuation of corruption. Either vote Republican or vote for nothing at all.

A Cold Fish

PoliticalJunkie — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:43:16 -0400

Is what we have in the Auditor's office. Beth Wood takes her marching orders from Rand and Basnight. She ain't doin' nuthin' they don't tell her to.

Never thought I'd pine for the return of Ralph Campbell like I'm doing these days.

Re: Wood: 'Cold eye' needed to stop waste

melted — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:51:43 -0400

Cheers for State Auditor Beth Wood. Three of the legislators who will not like this are Tony Rand, Marc Basnight and Joe Hackney.

Re: Audit blames plan administrators

jesmyopinion — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:47:57 -0400

I am surprised they were not given a raise, or gotten a promotion...

Re: Blue Cross: Audit already underway

robdarich — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:08:30 -0500

Blue Cross should know when to shut up, why the chirping? I should know when to shut up too, but seriously - who talks during an audit when nobody's asked them a question? That's business rule number stupid since everyone knows it, even those who can't count.

Un Jour Ailleurs and soup de jour.......

domewatcher — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 07:21:49 -0400

Opie and Andy just can't understand the European trip?

Opie: “Pa, I read in the audit report where one receipt said it was for a ‘meal for 4.’ The total was $227.00.”
Pa: “Well, Op, those Frenchies eat high on the hog.”
Opie: “But, Pa. It turned out to be a bill from “Un Jour Ailleurs.”
Pa: “Those French restaurants all have funny names. Like that Chinese place in Tarboro….Lin’s Super Buffet. Man, that’s fine eatin’.”
Opie: “But, Pa, the bill really turned out to be from a ladies dress shop. That’s what “Un Jour Ailleurs” is….a ladies clothes store.”
Pa: “Well, Op, I know a little Frenchie talk. The French word “jour” translates to “soup.” When you get older and go to one of those ‘two-fork diners’ in Cary you will see a blackboard that says, “Soup de Jour.” That means ‘soup of the day. “
Opie: “But, Pa, why would it say “Soup de Jour” if “jour” means “soup? They already have soup written up there and adding jour is saying it twice?”
Pa: “It’s called a double negative. They use them a lot in Cary.”
Opie: “Oh.”
Pa: “And the “Un” means “one” in France. Dual means two and trace means three. And then “ailleurs” means “ailing or sick.” See, Op, mothers always give soup to sick children. So these 4 ladies went to get some soup after all the stress of missing their flight and changing hotels. Women get stressed out sometimes…….. and soup is the best thing to calm a woman down. Always remember that, Op.”
Opie: “I’ll remember that, Pa. ‘Un Jour Ailleurs“ means one bowl of soup for ailing women.”
Pa: “Good, Op. Keeping women calm is a good way to avoid felonies.”
Opie: “So you think the auditor made a mistake? I mean, about the linen jacket?”
Pa: “That’s the thing, Op. The soup was probably made from linen. Linen is a member of the potato family…..freshly washed sheets always smell like a baked potato. See, Op, the French eat snails and turtles and French bread. So they probably eat linen jackets rather than giving them to the Salvation Army.”
Opie: “Gosh, Pa.”
Pa: “Everything is pretty simple if you just take the time to sit down and think it through.”
Opie: “Why didn‘t the culture people try to figure this all out before they went on the trip?”
Pa: “That is the question, dear Op, to suffer the pangs and arrows……...”
Opie: “It’s hard for the average taxpayer to figure it out, ain’t it, Pa?”
Pa: “Op, I don’t think the average taxpayer is meant to understand. Just vote for more of the same. They‘ll do it again and we will complain and then they will do it again and we will complain. I think it‘s called a Ponzi scheme or either the Circle of Gold or robocalling.”
Opie: “Gee, Pa. I can‘t wait to go to Cary and order “Un Jour Ailleurs!”
Pa:’’ “Op, you’ll fit right in.! But tell them you want the soup hot. They eat a lot of cold soup in Cary. I‘ve never understood that…..cold soup? But then again I‘ve never understood Cary.”

Re: Auditor: Easley trips excessive

rapidtransit — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:29:30 -0400

I read in today's N & O that Mary Easley hired Senator Rand to represent her in the trip scandal. Are there likely to be charges in this. I remember that Gov. Easley said that it was all due to the exchange rate and that made cheeseburgers cost sixty bucks. It looks like the auditor has found more than the dollar devaluation. Change the name to the cultural of corruption instead of culture of corruption. Sad.

Being the "Good Steward."

domewatcher — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:14:46 -0400

Opie and Andy are still discussing the audit report on the museum goodwill tour:

Opie: “The audit report stated that the additional cost to the state resulting from the missed flight was $3,041.49.”
Pa: (whistle): “That’s a lot of money, Op.”
Opie: “It really is, Pa. How could that happen?”
Pa: “I don’t know, Op. Must have had a flat tire on the state bus or something.”
Opie: “Who pays for that extra $3,041.19?”
Pa: “I believe, at first, the taxpayers were going to have to pay but I think the auditor has said that maybe they ought to stick someone else with the tab.”
Opie: And then changing hotels in France had a total extra cost of $5,252.67.“
Pa: “It’s really adding up, isn’t it, Op?”
Opie: “I didn’t know we had that much money in the whole state. Who pays that?”
Pa: “Well, Op, they’re still trying to figure that out…..but that’s not the point. The point is that the state should be good stewards of the taxpayer’s money.”
Opie: “What’s a steward, Pa.”
Pa: “Op, that’s a person who takes care of other people’s money or an airline employee. And some stewards are on boats and some are winos. But most are on airline flights.”
Opie: “But they missed their flight.”
Pa: “And the steward made them pay….big time.”
Opie” “I don’t want to take care of other people’s money if I’m gonna waste it like that.”
Pa: “Opie, you’d never do that. You are a good boy and I raised my youngun’ right. No, you’d take care of other people’s money better than your own. Just like when Rev. Tucker preached about the “Good Steward." You‘d do the right thing. That‘s what my boy would do…..the right thing.”
Opie: “I would, Pa. I’d stay away from felonies.”
Pa: “I’m proud of you, Op. Go on that trip with the culture club and teach them about the culture of spending someone else’s money…..wisely. Just because it’s not your money does not mean you should waste it. Wasting money is bad, Op.”
Opie: “I know, Pa. What do you think the auditor said when he saw the expense records from the trip.”
Pa: “Op, the News and Observer is a family newspaper and I do not think they would print what the auditors said when they went through those receipts. Opie, have I ever told you what an expletive is?”