Missouri's Use of Federal Funds 'Most Unusual'

Bob McCarty Writeshttp://bobmccarty.com/2010/05/03/missouris-use-of-federal-funds-most-unusual/ | 5-3-10 | Bob McCarty

[BobMcCartyWrites]

Compared to other states, Missouri’s response to open-records requests seeking detailed grant spending records turned out to be among the most unusual.

[BobMcCartyWrites]

Out of all the 50 states and Washington, D.C., Missouri’s response to open-records requests seeking detailed grant spending records in electronic form such as a spreadsheet turned out to be among the most unusual, according to a report, the "Price of Peril", released today by the Center for Investigative Reporting.

This isn't the first time Missouri has made the news regarding homeland security. Remember the little matter of the Fusion Center and the report about the militia movement militia movement which garnered national media attention one year ago? But I digress.

According to this entry in the CIR report, the Missouri Emergency Management Agency told CIR researchers that processing the request would cost $285. After the payment was made we received 22 pages of paper records containing only generic listings, e.g. “contractor services” and “other authorized equipment.”

The researchers submitted a second request asking for entirely separate information, namely oversight documents that would show how effectively Missouri had administered its grants. This time, they had to pay $211, but the state then sent the same 22 pages. A grant manager apologized and agreed to refund a portion of the charges, plus make available the additional material, but we still had not received them as of November 2009. What records have been provided by Missouri you can download here.

Issues with Missouri’s federal grant spending continued to be exposed in 2009, the report continues. The Homeland Security Department’s inspector general that summer questioned $752,000 in expenditures out of $6.3 million worth of grants awarded to a search and rescue team in Missouri’s Boone County. The FEMA program covers personnel and supply costs for special task force deployments needed in the event of an emergency.

Federal auditors argued that $466,000 in spending didn’t comply with grant guidelines, and $285,000 more lacked needed documentation, such as invoices, to show how it was used. Local officials disputed some of the findings but also again pointed to previous finance staffers and said they acquired a new accounting software program as well as hired new managers.

Missouri stands as but one example of federal spending going awry at the state level due to a serious lack of accountability. To find out how your state rated in its use of homeland security dollars, click here.

[driftdiver]

And now we see why the govt is driving us into bankruptcy.

[Gaffer]

Looks like the Show Me State has figured out a way to make more cash....charge for answering FOIA submittals.....and then “delay, obfuscate, delay, question-the-questioner, delay, obfuscate, delay, delay, delay all the while adding a charge for each new quest....nice gig!