Auditor General Jack Wagner held a news conference today to express concern with the long-term debt incurred by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. He said the Commission’s debt has increased 181 percent since the enactment of Act 44 of 2007. Under the provisions of Act 44, the Commission is required to provide $450 million per year to PennDOT for funding for roads and bridges and mass transit. Wagner pointed out the Commission is required to make these annual payments for 46 more years and it will add at least $20 billion in additional debt to the Commission. He cautioned that if the Commission were to default on the obligations then Pennsylvania taxpayers would be required to assume the debt. Wagner called on the General Assembly to amend or repeal Act 44. Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story.
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Posted by Jeff | Tags: Auditor General, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, transportation funding | Category: Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Auditor General Jack Wagner held a press conference today to discuss flaws in the state’s funding formula for charter and cyber charter schools. He urged that before education funding is expanded for alternative forms of education, existing flaws in the charter and cyber charter school funding formula need to be addressed. Auditor General Wagner went on to discuss discrepancies in the funding formula, particularly for cyber charter schools. Check the Capitol Toolbox for the full story later today. Posted by Virginia | Tags: Auditor General, charter school, education, funding | Category: Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Auditor General Jack Wagner today called for increased state spending on the Commonwealth’s roads and bridges and said the issue should be the top priority of the General Assembly during this fall’s session. Noting his training as a safety engineer and the fact Pennsylvania ranks first in the number of structurally deficient bridges in the US, Wagner said, “We need to do more and we need to invest more.” He also argued that increased investment in infrastructure “would improve public safety and the state’s economic competitiveness while creating thousands of new jobs.” Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story. Posted by Jeff | Tags: Auditor General, Transportation | Category: Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Auditor General Jack Wagner held a press conference today to release a special report indicating potential waste, fraud, and abuse in Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card use and focusing on DPW’s lack of cooperation in completing an audit on the same subject. Wagner explained due to the department’s refusal to provide information, his office cannot assure the public that taxpayer money is being properly administered when it comes to EBT card use. The full story will be available later in the Press Conferences section of the Capitol Toolbox. Posted by Jason | Tags: Auditor General, DPW | Category: Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Auditor General Jack Wagner held a press conference today to release a special performance audit of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s Wine Kiosk Program. During the press conference, Wagner detailed how the audit shows the program has lost money and has failed four out of its five objectives. He called for radical and dramatic changes in the LCB’s contract with Simple Brands (the company providing the kiosks) or terminate the contract entirely. He detailed how the program has provided losses to the LCB of $1.12 million. Check the Press Conferences section of the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story. Posted by Jason | Tags: Auditor General, Wine | Category: Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
AG Wagner this morning unveiled highlights of a special report showing the need for public input prior to spending or changing spending for tobacco settlement dollars. He says $1.34 billion was “quietly redirected”, specifically: • $432.4 million to the General Fund for unspecified purposes • $795.3 million to fund Medicaid long-term care for seniors and persons with disabilities • $121 million to the General Fund for a required PSERS contribution Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for full details. Posted by Rebecca | Tags: Auditor General, PSERS, Tobacco Settlement Fund | Category: Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Auditor General Jack Wagner held a press conference today to discuss inaccuracies in the State Tax Equalization Board’s (STEB) 2008 market value report. He noted a lack of internal oversight and the failure of STEB’s computer system to accurately calculate market values caused inaccurate findings in the board’s 2008 report, which is used to determine local subsidies and will affect future reports. The Auditor General gave recommendations for reform and said if the board does not reform it should be abolished. Check the Capitol Toolbox later this afternoon for the full story. Posted by Jason | Tags: Auditor General, State Tax Equalization Board | Category: Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
Noting the Commonwealth spends $4 billion per year through its procurement process, Auditor General Jack Wagner said today that changes in that process ”would create transparency and save taxpayers at least $200 million a year if we could realize savings of only 5%.” He told reporters, “A review of DGS’ contract data illustrated that the current procurement process has too many no-bid contracts, sole source contracts, emergency contracts and change orders which eliminates competition in the bidding process.” Check the Capitol Toolbox later today for the full story. Posted by Jeff | Tags: Auditor General, Department of General Services, procurement, state contracts | Category: Press Conference | One comment - (Comments are closed) | Share:
Auditor General Jack Wagner held a press conference today to release a special performance audit of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The Auditor General detailed $7 million in contracts being awarded in violation of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act. Wagner also discussed how board members are charging the maximum amount for reimbursements, instead of actual expenses. In response to the findings of the audit, Wagner said the conduct of the board “raises serious questions about the integrity and conduct of the board, which undermines the public trust.” The rest of the story will be available early this evening under the Press Conferences section of the Capitol Toolbox. Posted by Jason | Tags: Auditor General, PGCB | Category: Press Conference, Uncategorized | Comments are closed | Share:
Auditor General Jack Wagner said he is “appalled” by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s decision not to print the increased toll information on the toll tickets given to drivers who use the turnpike. He commented that the decision “lacks transparency and accountability” and announced he will be sending a letter to the Turnpike Commission to express his concerns. Wagner also reiterated his opposition to Governor Rendell’s $1 billion bond issue. Check the Capitol Toolbox later for the full story. Posted by Jeff | Tags: Auditor General, Pennsylvania Turnpike | Category: Press Conference | Comments are closed | Share:
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