State Auditor Wants More Effective GovernmentBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Wednesday, January 25, 2012 | |
State Auditor Suzanne Bump told Berkshire Chamber members she wants to use her office to help make government more efficient and more effective. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Suzanne Bump has been shaking up the state auditor's office, refocusing its mission from just ensuring compliance to making government more efficient and effective.
A year into her post, Bump said she's using her experience as former state secretary of labor and legislator to bring a broader perspective to the office's objectives and find ways to collaborate.
"The role of the state auditor is to follow the money," the Great Barrington resident told members of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce at an "Eggs & Issues" breakfast on Wednesday at the Country Club of Pittsfield.
The traditional questions, she said, "have been what did you spend, where did you spend it and what did you get for it?"
But with the advent of new technology, analytic tools and data, she said a fourth question has to be added: "How can we do it better the next time?"
Bump pointed to audits of special education collaboratives as an example of crafting better government policies. Her office found one collaborative in particular engaging in "off the charts, egregious activities" that included spending money on Kentucky Derby tickets and having school district vendors serving on the board.
Her office added recommendations to its report, which was taken up by the Legislature. The resulting bill passed this week was "a great example of how different parts of government work together," said state Rep. Theresa Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, who attended the breakfast.
More typical of the work the auditor's office does is the investigation into the probation department's determining of eligibility for free legal counsel. Bump's office found a 98 percent rate of noncompliance on procedures in 27 courts and some $47 million spent on public defense that could not be justified.
But a continuing probe into fraudulent Medicaid billing practices also found children being subjected to multiple X-rays and flouride treatments in excess of medical standards, raising issues of public health.
"That's not just bad, it's horrifying," said Bump. "It's that human element that we always have in front of us we are auditing and what makes the work so meaningful."
More of the "new work" her office is doing in looking at systems includes a review of the state's use of business tax incentives that has spurred the creation of a legislative commission.
"The state gives up $2 billion every year to business tax breaks," she said. "Maybe that is a good thing. Maybe we actually are finding it is keeping its goals in stimulating the economy, creating jobs, providing competitive business atmostphere ... but what we learned in our initial analysis for a billion dollars of the $2 billion is there are no measures of success. We don't know if any particular tax program is meeting its goals."
Bump chats with Fairview Hospital President Eugene Dellea at the Berkshire Chamber's 'Eggs & Issues' breakfast. |
Bump said audit teams have to be asking the right set of questions when they go into any agency. She wants to bring a different array of perspectives by hiring staff with public adminstration degrees, economists and other financial backgrounds.
"I need to be hiring people with a broader view of the world," she said.
Bump is the 25th auditor in an office established in 1848. Though elected, most of her predecessors had lengthy terms, including previous Auditor Joseph DeNucci who served 24 years.
Her first move on taking office was to commission an audit of the department by the National State Auditors Association, which found critical deficiencies. Her most immediate goal is ensuring that those deficiencies are rectified and improving morale and mission focus.
"The tone at the top has enabled us to focus more effectively on the area of governement spending where the potential risk to taxpayers and to people who rely on government services is the greatest," she said.
She oversees about 240 employees, about half auditors. Like most government agencies, the auditor's office has had to struggle with budget cuts and less staff. But Bump said cutting oversight capacity can end up wasting taxpayer dollars.
"If you can't afford the program oversight, you can't afford the program."
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| Bump wants a "more effective government?" This from the woman who last November was caught sending fundraising letters to agencies she was auditing shaking them down for donations. Bump is another disgraced Beacon Hill hack. | | from: Bump and grind | on: 01-26-2012 07:58AM
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