May 21, 2009
 | CHALLENGING QUESTIONABLE SPENDING |
One of the most memorable quotations in the history of our government came from President Harry Truman, who said, "The buck stops here." A plaque engraved with that statement should be on the desk of every member of Gov. Jon Corzine's Cabinet, starting with the one occupied by state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy.
With a state budget shortfall in excess of $2 billion, balancing state revenues and finances is an enormous challenge. One would think all departments understand the desperate need to make sure that not only every tax dollar is accounted for, but as far as humanly possible, every nickel and dime as well. When times are hard, as they certainly are now, New Jersey taxpayers deserve to know how the state spends their money.
Through the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), Assembly Republicans researched and uncovered a lengthy list of questionable spending decisions by school districts in the state, especially those that are state-operated or classified as Abbott districts. These districts receive billions of dollars in state aid from the Department of Education each year.
School employees and officials are still attending conferences at resorts and stay at pricey hotels in Miami, New Orleans, Orlando and at the site of the largest ski resort in Utah. They dined on gourmet fare such as steak filet and crab cakes and topped off their meals with lush desserts.
We found significant sums of money being spent on questionable learning experiences in Abbott districts that have an unacceptably high number of students who are deficient in basic skills. For instance, taxpayers footed a $25,000 bill for eight students to take flying lessons, paid $1,400 for a "clown arts circus" to teach balancing, juggling and the history of clowning, spent $3,600 for engraved brass apples, and $10,000 to film each episode of a school superintendent's monthly cable television program in a state-operated district.
When people are forsaking vacations and otherwise struggling to make ends meet, it is outrageous that some school officials believe they are entitled to travel to places that most people only dream about.
For several years, officials at the Department of Education have admitted proper oversight was lax in some districts and there were too many examples of wasteful spending. They said it had to stop. Four years later, there is still quite a bit of room for improvement. School officials who sanction such spending need to be called to the State House and asked what were they thinking. It is evident that some school board members and superintendents don't fully understand that the money they spend comes from taxpayers, too many of whom are hurting in this economy.
But it was disheartening to hear the response of Secretary Davy and Democratic legislators when the commissioner was asked about these questionable expenditures at a recent Assembly Budget Committee hearing. They seemed to indicate a big deal was being made out of nothing. Ms. Davy said there was no way the Department of Education will ever be able to oversee every school expenditure and that school superintendents are the ones who should be held accountable, not her. She didn't sound like a supporter of "the-buck-stops-here" style of government.
Equally disappointing was the apologist attitude of the Democrats who control the committee. One said he wasn't sure "if it's worth the effort to investigate" why someone chose to stay at a posh hotel. Another took a few examples of waste that were found in the state-monitored Camden school district, did some quick calculations in his head and then concluded that taxpayers should be reassured if only "one-third of one percent" of the money spent there "fell through the cracks."
At a time when every dollar counts, it is distressing that those in positions of authority are not willing to step up and assume responsibility. And state legislators should not be so quick to brush aside such obvious examples of waste.
When it comes to billions of dollars of state school aid, the buck certainly starts at the Department of Education and that's where it should stop, until the taxpayers can be assured it will be spent wisely and prudently.
