State auditor finds more waste

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LIVING LIBERTY

March 2003

State auditor finds more waste

The state auditor has published his 2002 annual report on government. Keep in mind as you read these “lowlights” that he is not permitted to do comprehensive performance audits. These are the findings of a limited financial audit.

• $952,105 in fraud uncovered.

• The state overpaid claimants and service providers by about $1.2 million, in addition to $1.9 million in questionable payments.

• In 50% of the cases reviewed, DSHS did not investigate alerts sent by the Social Security Administration (SSA) regarding invalid SS numbers or deceased recipients.

• DSHS staff reported they routinely delete as many as 2,000 SSA alerts each month without investigation.

• At least $725,774 was paid by the Department of Labor & Industries in workers’ compensation to ineligible recipients, including $92,426 paid to incarcerated individuals and $387,700 paid to deceased individuals.

• The Employment Securities Division is not complying with eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance.

• The Department of Labor & Industries is unable to account for more than $4.7 million in employer industrial insurance premium payments, which were recorded as received but never deposited.

• The Ferry System failed its fifteenth audit in a row.

• Ferries lack adequate internal controls over travel payments. Two Chief Engineers may have been paid at least $100,000 more than allowed.

• DSHS still does not have sufficient internal controls over drugs in Western State Hospital pharmacies.

Imagine the savings if the state auditor was permitted to do real, comprehensive performance audits!

Living Liberty is the Evergreen Freedom Foundation's monthly newsletter. It provides updates on the issues and projects EFF is currently working on. You will also find commentary on state and sometimes federal government issues.

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Contact: Marsha Richards, Communications Director, (360) 956-3482

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Evergreen Freedom Foundation
P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507
Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874
Email: effwa@effwa.org

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1 Part Honesty; 2 Parts Arrogance

At a March 23, 2005, House Appropriations hearing on a bill to gut the voter-approved I-601 spending limit, Rep. Jim McIntire (D) asked a supporter of I-601�s two-third supermajority requirement for the legislature to raise taxes the following question:

"Can you name a time when we [legislators] have actually not just set it [supermajority requirement] aside by majority vote? I mean, this is in many respects a procedural motion that has no bearing. It�s a statutory constraint that cannot constrain any legislature that chooses as a majority to set it aside . . . have we ever used a supermajority [to raise taxes]?"

- Rep. Jim McIntire (D - 46)
(360) 786-7886

Despite the arrogance of some state officials, Washington's constitution is clear: "All political power is inherent in the people..."

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