Category: Really stupid ideas from politicians

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When Boss Hog and the Good Old Boys Decide to Hoodwink Uncle Sam on Road Contracts…

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CHARLOTTE, NC— For years the crooks have been hoodwinking the government when it comes to minority set-asides for contracts and the taxpayers have been paying the price.

Once in awhile the government manages to uncover the fraud perpetrated by those who have been getting rich from their schemes.

This is yet another win for the good guys. If you know of similar schemes call the FBI.

Kevin Hicks, 43, of Monroe, N.C. and former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Boggs Paving Inc. (Boggs Paving) entered a plea of guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer for his role in an $87 million fraud scheme involving government-funded construction projects, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Hicks is one of the eight named defendants charged with government procurement fraud and related offenses. During the relevant time period, Hicks served as the CFO for Boggs Paving and Boggs Group, and was in charge of Boggs Paving’s accounts payable and receivable, job cost accounting, human resources and information technology. Today, Hicks pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

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THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY now on newsstands from Glen Burnie to Ocean City

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The monthly print edition of THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY can now be found on newsstands all over Maryland. Reaching far beyond the Southern Maryland region, look for THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY in major stores in Prince Georges County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Queen Anne County, Talbot County, Worcester and Wicomico on Maryland’s Eastern Shore as well as in Delaware. The print edition will soon be distributed in Northern Neck Virginia as well. Advertisers may reach Larry Jarboe at 240-298-5253 or Ken Rossignol at 301-535-8624.

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CSX to make Charles County drivers believe they are in a living hell as they perform long-delayed crossing repairs

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The State Highway Administration (SHA) is working with CSX Transportation to manage traffic, publicize the closure, and inspect the project. CSX Transportation will perform all repairs and manage the traffic detours. Work includes removal of existing track and crossings, grading and preparation of the track beds, installation of new precast concrete crossing panels, reinstallation of rails and paving of the asphalt crossing approaches.

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St. Mary’s Deputy shooting at fleeing criminal on highway collected big bucks on paid vacation

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Pay roll records provided in a public information request to THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY by the St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Department revealed that Deputy Philip Joseph was punished for firing his gun at a fleeing criminal who was driving on Rt. 5 in Charlotte Hall.

The punishment? Deputy Joseph was ordered to sit around in an administrative leave status, at full pay, the Sheriff’s Department conducted an “investigation”. In the process, Dep. Joseph collected $32,496 in paid administrative leave, for doing absolutely nothing. No work, no light duty, not fired, just an extensive and expensive vacation, courtesy of the taxpayers. The total pay for Dep. Joseph in the 2013 fiscal year was $99,235 with $6,150 in overtime as well.

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St. Mary’s County officials exposed Social Security numbers for all employees of Sheriff

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As St. Mary’s Sheriff Tim Cameron is a state official, indeed a constitutional officer of the state, his staff of clerks and cops are considered county employees and the agency is required by law to be funded by the county commissioners. Therefore, compliance with the state law requiring disclosure of public information to the public could be considered to have to adhere to Executive Orders of the Governor.

Of course, had St. Mary’s County’s Finance Director, Elaine Kramer or County Attorney George Sparling felt compelled to verify the data provided in the Public Information Request, they might have spotted the illegal distribution of employee Social Security numbers to the public. An electronic distribution, as requested for fiscal year 2011, was simple and but four columns, without intricate records of sick leave, annual leave, contributions to pension and FOP dues, worker’s compensation, Medicare contributions and so on.

St. Mary’s County is not the only government entity that makes illegal dumps of social security numbers. The Internal Revenue Service, indeed the very agency caught up in the scandal over illegally auditing conservative groups, the Office of Tax Exempt Organizations, reportedly did an electronic dump of over 100,000 social security numbers in a public information request to PublicResource.org. as reported in Human Events in 2013

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Taxpayers picked up tab for elected school board members to chow down at fancy seafood house at resort

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In Oct. 2013, members Chris Barclay, Shirley Brandman, Phil Kauffman, Justin Kim, Pat O’Neill, and Rebecca Smondrowski enjoyed a gourmet dinner with Superintendent Joshua Starr, BOE chief of staff Roland Ikheloa, and staff assistant Laura Steinberg. The meal was at Fager’s Island restaurant during the annual Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) conference in Ocean City. An itemized bill obtained by ABC7 lists $15 seafood appetizers, and lavish entrees like the $42 surf and turf, $39 lobster tail and $33 sea bass. The entire dinner-for-nine cost taxpayers $509.

“These are dollars that Montgomery County teachers desperately need for supplies, textbooks and resources, and you’re buying the appetizer and the lobster,” Janis Sartucci, a leading member of the Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County, remarked.

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Virginia Democrat Del. Joe Morrissey found with underage girl; indicted on felony sex charges

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A Henrico County Circuit Court special grand jury was convened after a man called police last August to check on the welfare of his 17-year-old daughter. Police found the girl with Morrissey at the legislator’s home. The girl and Morrissey denied any impropriety.

Morrissey’s attorney, Anthony Troy, said at the time that the girl worked in Morrissey’s law office and that she had gone to her boss’s home for advice about family problems. He said there was nothing inappropriate about their relationship