| State Auditor Brian Sonntag discovered last February that the State Liquor Board couldn’t account for $421 million in sales. An audit report released Aug 14, has uncovered another $839,706.90 in unauthorized payments to a vendor who submitted false billing records to the Board. This vendor inflated delivery weights on 600 shipments by 5,000 pounds each, billed for 1,370 deliveries that were never made, and double-billed for 273 orders.
Here’s the kicker — the State Liquor Board’s staff member who reviewed the vendor’s billings and personally delivered payments has a relationship with this vendor that a reasonable person could judge to be a conflict of interest.
The State Auditor’s Office has repeatedly criticized the Department of Transportation (DOT) Washington Ferries stating: “Should improve internal controls over ticket sales and revenue collection at terminals.”
In addition to new Narrows Bridge Tolls we subsidize Ferry Fares to the tune of a third (33 percent).
The Liquor Board’s and the Ferry system’s problems continue, because the people we send to Olympia do not care, are lazy, or find “benefit” in such loss of State funds. Olympia would drown in money if it just plugged the leaks. Government is obviously in need of a serious house cleaning.
Remember this before you Vote to support Referendum 51. First things first! Stop the drip, drip, drip!
We in the 26th District should clean out our dustbins in the house and senate sending Randy Boss, Democrat Candidate for the State Senate, and Lois McMahan, Republican Candidate for Representative Position 2, to Olympia. Two votes, voting in your interest — not the interest of Frank Chopp and Gary Locke.
Joe Murray
Gig Harbor. |
