[nfbmi-talk] some comments on newsline and rsa monitoring

[joe harcz Comcast]

Comments on Newsline Defunding

 

 

September 56, 2010

 

Colleagues:

 

Please note the following reference from the contentious March 20, 2009 MCB meeting:

 

“Mr. Cannon concluded his report by commenting on the federal monitoring visit recently conducted by RSA.  He said that the Federal audit which occurred

the first week of March was an eye opening and helpful week of meetings.  Items that were brought to MCB's attention were cash match agreements, Newsline

support and Business Enterprise Program expenditures including contributions to B E P retirement and rent.  Other preliminary feedback by the federal officials

focused on Comprehensive Needs Assessment, staffing and inadequate general fund appropriation by the state legislature.”

 

Now, this goes to my contention that something very ugly related to inappropriate cash match agreements have gone on for some time and that is what jeopardized Newsline. When Cannon found he couldn’t manipulate the money for adding to the state match for MCB then apparently he threw Newsline under the bus, or allowed it to be thrown under the bus.

 

But, this also belies his contention made recently at the budget meeting and at the August MCB meeting that MCB always got or never had problems with its required, legitimate matches from the General fund.

 

Newsline is a victim like other programs of mismanagement and only the tip of the iceberg. Note: that it is now going on 18 months since the RSA monitoring on site happened. And note that Cannon and MCB are still hiding information related to MCB’s activities including funding as we now go into another Fiscal Year.

 

Note as well that to this very date only MCB and its sister agency MRS do not have finalized monitoring while all other agencies surveyed in FY 2009 do.

 

Sincerely,

 

Joe Harcz