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San Francisco-based non-profit agency Economic Opportunity Council (EOCSF) was expected to receive $159,000 in stimulus dollars for various/questionable "weatherization" projects. Today, however, those funds were yanked.
"The CSD has deemed the EOCSF high risk and has taken immediate action to stop the impending transfer of stimulus dollars," said Arnold-appointed California Inspector General Laura Chick. "However, this issue now rests with the Federal Government to determine if the State is required to not only continue to fund this agency, but also to give it Recovery dollars. As we saw on Wall Street, there needs to be a line in the sand when it comes to inappropriately spending taxpayer dollars."
EOCSF's areas of concern? A whopping $542,478.47 in "disallowed expenditures including co-mingling funds, board of directors retreats at a luxury casino, coffee services, drinking water and flowers"; severe "[f]inancial management deficiencies with no feasible plan to bring the agency into compliance"; and serious doubts about the weatherization work to obe completed.
According to EOCSF's site -- which could use some serious stimulus funds, too, because the site is downright painful to look at -- the Weatherization program is a project that helps low-income residents (e.g., the elderly, the handicapped) "by lessening the impact of the high cost of energy." Such services would have included "weather stripping of doors and windows, installation of clock thermostat, adjustment of gas appliances and general advice on how to conserve energy in the home."
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that website is SO 1996.
Let them say what they want; vodka is an effective weatherization tool.
You know the economy's in deep shit when they start actually paying attention to how the non-profits are spending taxpayer money. Never thought I'd see the day.
"retreats at a luxury casino, coffee services, drinking water and flowers"
I really need to start a "non-profit".
unlike those at goldman sachs, of course.
oh I know what that is. That's a scam that's been going on for years. It is cash distributed once a year to welfare/Social security recipients in nearly all of the non profits in San Francisco. Usually it's a couple hundred dollars a year per resident. the staff at the non profits help fill out the forms, the residents get checks a few months later.
none of it was ever used for energy...most of it was used for drugs...that's the real scandal
Yup. I think ten-plus years ago it was "grants for recycling programs," the reason is always changing.
it's called HEAP
http://www.csd.ca.gov/Programs/Low%20Income%20Home%20Energy%20Assistance%20Program%20%28LIHEAP%29.aspx
it's far bigger than just that one non-profit
just tip of the iceberg on this one
This is the Halliburton of the Obama administration. I once read a press report on a state agency saying what it was going to do with this money. They were going to spend $100 million on 10,000 homes. That's $10,000 per house. That's probably $10 per square foot, since these are likely smaller homes to begin with. To compare, I'm well under $1 per square foot on weatherizing our house.
Soon, like today, "weatherizing" will be synonymous with blowing government money.