Governments in Massachusetts use a labyrinth of nonprofit agencies to carry out a host of public needs — from special education to poverty relief — but the failure to regulate some of these agencies has become a sad, familiar story in the state. The latest chapter involves a Somerville anti-poverty program.
Back in 2010, a state review found serious weaknesses in the basic fiscal management of the Community Action Agency of Somerville. But no one did anything to address the questions swirling around the agency, which receives $5.6 million in state and federal funding to run Head Start programs in Somerville and Cambridge.
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the people of Mass don't care about corruption, they could care less that their tax dollars are going to crooks. they elected John Tierney didn't they, enough said.
So why didn’t the 2010 findings trigger action by the state? The state Department of Housing and Community Development is belatedly conducting its own audit. Where has it been for two years? That’s a question Governor Deval Patrick should be asking. The citizens of Massachusetts deserve an answer. ******************************************************************************************************* No. That's a question that the citizens of Massachusetts should be asking Deval Patrick.
Both, actually. Gov. Patrick should be asking this of his staff, and the citizens should be asking him about why this was allowed to happen.
Unfortunately, we mostly hear about the problem situations with non-profits, while the vast majority, hundreds of them, go about their business efficiently, lawfully, responsibly, and, by and large, successfully. From large to small, non-profits, as the editiorial mentions, perform a wide range of services to the Commonwealth's citizens. It's too bad they get tarred with the same brush as the bad apples. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It;s also important to realize that the educational services of the Somerville Headstart program have been delivered very well over the years. It's unfortunate that the management of CAAS let that program down, as well as the rest of us.
And you can be sure that every one of these ethically challenged appointees is a Democrat. This is what happens in a one-party state: cronyism, lack of oversight, no follow-up. I used to say that Massachusetts is the most corrupt state in the nation, but I've softened on this issue. Now I think we may be tied with Illinois for the top spot. After all, their governor got a longer prison term than our speaker.
It's amazing that the Department of Housing and Community Development(DHCD) will now initiate an audit of Non-profit entities. Wait a minute, isn't the newly appointed DHCD director a former Non-profit director? Talk about the fox guarding the hen house. One wonders if he'll take a look at his prior "Non-profit" employer.