Lex Talionis
Inciteful
Hording of cash, this time.
Apparently the parks department has seen how the HOV funds have been systematically looted by the state, and so began hoarding cash off the books a dozen years ago.
On the upside, the parks should remain open.
Also, proving an old adage, “The last one to leave will be blamed for everything until the next one leaves,” the recently departed Lopez is taking the heat for this fiscal malfeasance.
Lex
From: http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_21121187/california-parks-director-resigns-amid-scandal
Ruth Coleman, California parks director, resigns amid budget irregularities
SACRAMENTO -- The director of California's state parks system resigned Friday after officials discovered that her department had $54 million in unspent money in its accounts that it had not reported to the state finance department, even while the state said parks were so short of money that many needed to be closed.
Ruth Coleman, who had led the agency since 2003, stepped down, and the department's second-in-command, Acting Chief Deputy Director Michael Harris, was fired.
California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird said the state Attorney General's Office will be investigating and the state Department of Finance will be conducting a comprehensive audit.
"It's our goal to make sure we get to the bottom of this," Laird said.
Laird said that the parks department had $20.4 million in an account that takes money from park entrance fees and concession contracts, and $33.5 million in the state's off-highway vehicle fund, that the department had essentially kept shielded from the state finance department for more than a decade.
The disclosure comes at a politically difficult time for Gov. Jerry Brown, who pushed for more than a year to close 70 state parks -- one quarter of the entire park system -- to save $22 million as part of efforts to balance the state's budget.
"This is deeply disappointing because we just went to many partners around the state to get them to step up and cover the shortfall," Laird said. "I'm truly sorry about that."
In the end, the closures, which were to have happened on July 1, did not occur because dozens of private groups, cities and private companies came forward with donations. Brown is asking voters to raise taxes in the November election, and polls show the measure locked in a tight race.
In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News on Friday, Coleman said she did not know about the accounting problems until several days ago.
"I was not aware of this excess fund balance," she said. "We were beginning actions to correct it. But I do take responsibility for actions of staff."
Coleman said no taxpayer money is missing and there had been no embezzlement. Laird said a preliminary investigation showed the under reporting of the money began at least 12 years ago, under Gov. Gray Davis' former parks director Rusty Arieas.
"It was an action to keep it accumulating and not report it, not an action to spend it," Laird said.
Laird said he does not know how many people were aware of it, or what their motivation was.
One parks department official said it appears there was an error in accounting formulas years ago, and that as the money accumulated in the funds, staff members did not want to admit the mistake, possibly for fear that the finance department would take the money away.
The disclosure is the second major hit for the state parks department this month. On Sunday, the Sacramento Bee reported that former deputy parks director Manuel Lopez had approved $271,000 in vacation buy backs for parks staffers without authorization. Coleman demoted Lopez in October and in May, he resigned under pressure.
On Friday, Coleman said Lopez was responsible for concealing the the $54 million in unreported money.
"It was part of his job," she said. "He did not elevate it to my attention."
She said she learned of the problem when Lopez's successor, Aaron Robertson, uncovered it as part of an investigation into his actions. Calls to Lopez went unanswered Friday.
Court records show Lopez, who lives in Granite Bay, filed for bankruptcy two days ago, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Sacramento. He reported $648,759 in assets, and $707,748 in debts.
The political fallout was swift on Friday.
Officials in Sonoma County pulled a $17 million parks funding measure that had been planned for the November county ballot.
"I don't see how we can go forward," said Caryl Hart, Sonoma County's regional parks director, in an interview with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Elected officials were outraged.
"Where does it end? If one department can hoard $54 million for 12 years, who else is playing the same tricks of deceit and thievery?" said State Sen. Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa.
The chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, Bill Blumenfield, D-Van Nuys, announced his committee will open hearings into the parks funding irregularities in August.
Larry Gerston, a professor of political science at San Jose State called the issue "a black eye" that won't help the governor as he tries to build trust and support for his tax measures.
"It's hard to cry wolf and say you are out of everything when there are accounts like this lying around," said Gerston. "But rushing to judgment with so many questions unanswered is probably not a wise thing to do."
Coleman said she hopes the extra money will be used to help shore up the state's ailing parks system, which has a $1.3 billion maintenance backlog, rather than spent other ways by the Legislature.
Meanwhile, California Natural Resources Agency Undersecretary Janelle Beland has been appointed by Brown as acting interim parks director.
Apparently the parks department has seen how the HOV funds have been systematically looted by the state, and so began hoarding cash off the books a dozen years ago.
On the upside, the parks should remain open.
Also, proving an old adage, “The last one to leave will be blamed for everything until the next one leaves,” the recently departed Lopez is taking the heat for this fiscal malfeasance.
Lex
From: http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_21121187/california-parks-director-resigns-amid-scandal
Ruth Coleman, California parks director, resigns amid budget irregularities
SACRAMENTO -- The director of California's state parks system resigned Friday after officials discovered that her department had $54 million in unspent money in its accounts that it had not reported to the state finance department, even while the state said parks were so short of money that many needed to be closed.
Ruth Coleman, who had led the agency since 2003, stepped down, and the department's second-in-command, Acting Chief Deputy Director Michael Harris, was fired.
California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird said the state Attorney General's Office will be investigating and the state Department of Finance will be conducting a comprehensive audit.
"It's our goal to make sure we get to the bottom of this," Laird said.
Laird said that the parks department had $20.4 million in an account that takes money from park entrance fees and concession contracts, and $33.5 million in the state's off-highway vehicle fund, that the department had essentially kept shielded from the state finance department for more than a decade.
The disclosure comes at a politically difficult time for Gov. Jerry Brown, who pushed for more than a year to close 70 state parks -- one quarter of the entire park system -- to save $22 million as part of efforts to balance the state's budget.
"This is deeply disappointing because we just went to many partners around the state to get them to step up and cover the shortfall," Laird said. "I'm truly sorry about that."
In the end, the closures, which were to have happened on July 1, did not occur because dozens of private groups, cities and private companies came forward with donations. Brown is asking voters to raise taxes in the November election, and polls show the measure locked in a tight race.
In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News on Friday, Coleman said she did not know about the accounting problems until several days ago.
"I was not aware of this excess fund balance," she said. "We were beginning actions to correct it. But I do take responsibility for actions of staff."
Coleman said no taxpayer money is missing and there had been no embezzlement. Laird said a preliminary investigation showed the under reporting of the money began at least 12 years ago, under Gov. Gray Davis' former parks director Rusty Arieas.
"It was an action to keep it accumulating and not report it, not an action to spend it," Laird said.
Laird said he does not know how many people were aware of it, or what their motivation was.
One parks department official said it appears there was an error in accounting formulas years ago, and that as the money accumulated in the funds, staff members did not want to admit the mistake, possibly for fear that the finance department would take the money away.
The disclosure is the second major hit for the state parks department this month. On Sunday, the Sacramento Bee reported that former deputy parks director Manuel Lopez had approved $271,000 in vacation buy backs for parks staffers without authorization. Coleman demoted Lopez in October and in May, he resigned under pressure.
On Friday, Coleman said Lopez was responsible for concealing the the $54 million in unreported money.
"It was part of his job," she said. "He did not elevate it to my attention."
She said she learned of the problem when Lopez's successor, Aaron Robertson, uncovered it as part of an investigation into his actions. Calls to Lopez went unanswered Friday.
Court records show Lopez, who lives in Granite Bay, filed for bankruptcy two days ago, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Sacramento. He reported $648,759 in assets, and $707,748 in debts.
The political fallout was swift on Friday.
Officials in Sonoma County pulled a $17 million parks funding measure that had been planned for the November county ballot.
"I don't see how we can go forward," said Caryl Hart, Sonoma County's regional parks director, in an interview with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Elected officials were outraged.
"Where does it end? If one department can hoard $54 million for 12 years, who else is playing the same tricks of deceit and thievery?" said State Sen. Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa.
The chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, Bill Blumenfield, D-Van Nuys, announced his committee will open hearings into the parks funding irregularities in August.
Larry Gerston, a professor of political science at San Jose State called the issue "a black eye" that won't help the governor as he tries to build trust and support for his tax measures.
"It's hard to cry wolf and say you are out of everything when there are accounts like this lying around," said Gerston. "But rushing to judgment with so many questions unanswered is probably not a wise thing to do."
Coleman said she hopes the extra money will be used to help shore up the state's ailing parks system, which has a $1.3 billion maintenance backlog, rather than spent other ways by the Legislature.
Meanwhile, California Natural Resources Agency Undersecretary Janelle Beland has been appointed by Brown as acting interim parks director.
