One of the things I really like about State Auditor Mike Foley is his willingness to engage in large-scale public shamings of government agencies. The latest victim: the University of Nebraska and its employees' use and abuse of NU credit cards. Great stuff.
In this specific situation it doesn't matter if there are good explanations for many of the purchases or if private funds reimbursed the state. There are oodles of forbidden practices -- such as "pyramiding" charges to avoid spending limits -- that needed to be caught regardless of the legitimacy of the items purchased.
Auditing has to be one of the blandest tasks out there. I'm glad Foley's office brings a little spice to the job.
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I’m a democrat and all for the idea of government programs, public schools, subsidies, etc… but it’s things like this that clearly legitimize the call for smaller government.
I just wish there was accountability when the purchases happen, not just when the audits happen 1-2 years later…
Public shaming is just grandstanding to get elected to higher office. If the worst infractions are the ones that are listed in the article then they should be praised, not flayed.
Like the missing Betamax players from NET? Remember that big headline last year?
I still can’t get over the 15K plane ticket and some of the other things like the pen. Yes, it may have been NU Foundation funds and contributed from private donors, but now that makes me wonder about how wisely they are spending those funds. I understand there will always be emergency types of situations where maybe it was somehow necessary to buy a plane ticket last minute, but 15k could have been used to put a kid through school for a full year.
The other thing I can’t help but wonder is - this timing is HORRIBLE for the university since we’re going into the special session. Is it just coincidental that the report was released the week before the session starts?
Regarding the pyramid charges, hypothetical of course, if a purchase order for $30k+ goes out-of-state because the low-bidder was $100-200 less than a Nebraska business would breaking up the “items” to benefit the Nebraska business be all-around beneficial? Or would saving $100-200 be best? Or does money not trump this at all? (the items in the P.O. are exact)
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