STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
E-MAIL: info@mississippiwebsite.com
WEB SITE: www.mississippiwebsite.com
STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
E-MAIL: info@mississippiwebsite.com
WEB SITE: www.mississippiwebsite.com
JACKSON -A North Carolina consulting firm will be paid $750,000 for an 18-month study of the Mississippi Department of Transportation's management practices.
By TIMOTHY R. BROWN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Friday, August 18, 2006
I have little faith in the PEER Committee, this is do to actually having dealing with the committee.
Is spending your money (taxpayers and voters or Mississippi) on a consulting firm a good idea? If our elected officials which are paid, and sometimes serves the taxpayers of Mississippi, should be able to investigate and determine if MDOT is spending your tax dollars in the right way.
The $750,000 of your taxpayers money needs to be spent in other areas, like the promised teacher pay raises, or improving the school building.
JACKSON -A North Carolina consulting firm will be paid $750,000 for an 18-month study of the Mississippi Department of Transportation's management practices.
Our elected officials should conduct there own study, they are already paid which would save $750,000.
TransTech Management Inc. will begin evaluating and making recommendations to MDOT by April 1.
If TransTech is going to start April 1st, I guess that means we the taxpayers had no say in spending $750,000 or our money.
I don't remember hearing about and bill being passed, or the date which I could vote on the issue.
PLEASE VOTE ON MY ONLINE INITIATIVE PETITION
MISSISSIPPI PETITION - 2004 BALLOT
Click here
The study comes more than three months after a legislative watchdog committee report criticized MDOT's management practices and questioned how the agency justified financing of two statewide road projects.
If I am not mistaken we have a state agency, (Mississippi Management and Reporting System.) I have emailed the agency and asked if they could save the Mississippi taxpayers the $750,000.
The Legislature is also considering a bill to direct MDOT to make changes in management and fiscal reporting.
I would like too know if MDOT is doing it's job first, before making any changes. If its not broke, don't try and fix it.
The House has voted to scrap the election of the Transportation Commission members and go to an appointed board. The Senate has not agreed to that proposal.
I do agree on having an appointed board, once someone is elected it is all most impossible to remove the person.
If appointed you can fire the person.
Transportation Commission members rejected the findings of the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Committee. They say PEER didn't understand the complexities of managing the 1987 Four-Lane Program and the gaming road system put in place in 1994.
I will try to get the PEER Committee's report and place it in a web page. I have emailed the PEER Committee and request information.
Tuesday, Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown, with two other commissioners and TransTech officials, said the PEER report was one of the main reasons the department decided to hire an outside firm.
If our elected officials and state agencies believe that MDOT has committee a crime, we here in Mississippi should be able to conduct an investigation without hiring an outside consulting firm.
"With any large agency, everybody understands that there are always areas for assistance and procedures that can be improved," Brown said. "That's why we, the Transportation Commission and MDOT, have made the decision to hire an outside objective firm to identify any areas that need improvement."
There is not an agency in Mississippi that does not need improvement. Check my web site:
www.mississippiwebsite.com
click here
TransTech of Greensboro, N.C., is a leading management, policy and financial consulting firm for transportation agencies. It will look into the PEER findings.
I still think spending $750,000 of our tax money is a waste of time and money.
Max Arinder, executive director of PEER, said in December that the road widening projects begun 13 years ago will cost billions of dollars more than expected because transportation officials did not estimate correctly for inflation.
I would place the blame on our elected officials before I would blame MDOT!!
The PEER report depicted a disorganized department without a system for tracking progress of the road programs.
When did the PEER Committee know about the disorganized departments?
What year/s?
The report also said costs for the four-lane program estimated at $1.6 billion in 1987 will now run at least $5 billion.
Again, I would look at our elected officials first. With inflation the price of $5 billion may be about right.
Commissioner Zack Stewart, who represents the northern district, said costs were underestimated for the 1987 program partly because the Legislature wanted a "bare bones" program funded by gasoline taxes.
Our Mississippi legislatures wanted a "bare bone" program. This may be an indication of why the cost is now $5 billion.
"There has not been one shred of evidence that this department did not make the best use of all its highway dollars," Stewart said. "That's not to say that we can't be more efficient."
And we the taxpayers of Mississippi do not need to pay $750,000 for an out of state consulting firm.
Brown said TransTech "will have free rein to draw their own conclusions without any interference from MDOT. They will be able to spell out the good, the bad and the ugly."
Before I would hire a consulting firm to review MDOT, I would conduct reviews on many other state agencies like the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources/Tidelands Trust Funds.
John Cameron, president of TransTech, said his company will focus on MDOT's project development and management, which are two areas PEER looked at in its study.
Only two project areas, why not all of the MDOT's areas?
"We can't come here and do this kind of work for a department that is under this kind of scrutiny and not be mindful of the PEER report," Cameron said. "A portion of our work will look at the PEER report ... but it is not the principal reason why we are here."
Let's see if we the taxpayers only have to pay $750,000, or has this price been under estimated?
Cameron said he has seen in less than a week that there are many critics of MDOT.
There are critics for all of Mississippi State Agencies, this is one state where out elected officials and state agencies believe, "We the People" work for them.
"After all, it is a department or agency of state government that is supposed to be serving the citizens of the state," he said.
This may be done in North Carolina, but not here in Mississippi! Serving the people of Mississippi is so far down on our elected officials and state agencies list you may never find it.
"We are looking at a blank sheet in terms of being able to start. Past methods and procedures will not stand in the way."
To understand MDOT's procedures, you may want to look at there sheet. Perhaps they are on track, and are doing the right things.
Brown added: "The PEER report talked about piecemealing, but it didn't give any evidence. But this is an opportunity ... to look at these kinds of things."
Be careful you do not want to get Mississippi elected officials and/or state agencies on your bad side, they can be deadly.
On the Net - Transtech Management Inc.: www.transtechmanagement.com
http://www.peer.state.ms.us/414.html
PEER Committee's report on MDOT
STEVE A. McCALEB
COMMENTARY