Watchdog says Sanders is balking
Bond panel requests documents
February 05, 2007 Plain Dealer
Spokesmen for a watchdog agency charged with keeping tabs on the $1 billion Cleveland school construction project are complaining that CEO Eugene Sanders isn't giving them the cooperation they need.
Alfonso Sanchez, acting chairman of the Bond Accountability Commission, and member Robert Jackson say Sanders refuses to give them $150,000 he promised last summer and is insisting that the district has the final say over what records they should be given.
"It takes away our independence," said Sanchez, who maintains there should be no restrictions on access to documents.
Sanders referred all questions to Daniel Burns, the district's chief operating officer.
Burns insisted Friday, the commission will get $150,000 once a statement is signed. He says he views it as an agreement with a contractor.
Burns said he told commission officials two weeks ago their document requests were being readied, though it might take until April to get them all together.
The original panel got $750,000 from foundations but ran out of money in 2005 and closed its doors. Last summer, Sanders and Mayor Frank Jackson pledged to revitalize the commission.
In 2001 voters were promised that if they approved a $335 million bond issue for construction, an independent agency would scrutinize spending for them.
The mayor's office did not respond. More....
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Would or should these documents not be made public record anyway? In light of recent events, I would be suspect of any restrictions placed on documents to be viewed by an oversight board.
KING
Well, if you Clevelanders had bothered to perform due diligence about Sanders, you'd know what we Toledoans had known for some time since Sanders was hired from some corrupt executive-search firm: Sanders is strongly against public participation. He's the stereotypical backroom "deal maker" who can't tolerate anyone sniffing around his deals who is not part of the tiny minority of elite involved.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, enjoy your goddamn elitist pig. He'll stuff tens of millions of your tax dollars into the pockets of all kinds of special interests and he'll do virtually anything to avoid being responsible for it to the people who actually created that wealth. But, hey, you got your well-dressed and degreed Black man as your Super -- so congrats getting your feel-good diversity moment. (Too bad about gettin' financially raped while you enjoy that feelin'.)