News clips:
Turnpike
neighbors plead for noise help - WEST BOYNTON · Unwilling to
surrender to blaring noise, suburban residents beseeched state Department
of Transportation officials Tuesday night to reconsider sound walls for
their communities, even though studies already disqualified 10 of 15
communities along Florida's Turnpike. 7/31/02
Restore
whistleblower's job
It takes guts to see something going wrong at work, and speak up about
it.-- That's why Florida has a tough law meant to protect state employee
"whistleblowers" from being fired when they speak out. It's
troubling to see state agencies fighting to strip them of that shield.---
Mavis Georgalis was a manager at the state Department of Transportation
until April 1. That day, she says, she was pushed by DOT officials into
signing a letter of resignation. That happened, she says, because she and
another worker filed complaints about the performance of DOT contractor
Yang Enterprises. The department has since admitted that some of Yang's
invoices were "questionable." 7/22/02
DOT
won't reinstate contract manager who accused House Speaker
TALLAHASSEE -- The manager of a computer contract between one of House
Speaker Tom Feeney's legal clients and the Florida Department of
Transportation is not protected by the state's whistle-blower law and
should not be returned to her job, a DOT attorney argued Friday.
Mavis Georgalis, the DOT worker who oversaw an $8 million computer
contract with Yang Enterprises of Oviedo, for whom Feeney serves as
general counsel, was forced to resign April 1.
Georgalis was one of two DOT workers pushed from their jobs after telling
DOT investigators that Yang was submitting fraudulent invoices to the
state and that Feeney, R-Oviedo, was improperly using his position to
benefit his client.
.... for more see Special
report: Feeney investigation
Tangled
ethics: Yang controversy spotlights loopholes
On Nov. 21, House Speaker Tom Feeney was getting ready for a special
session to cut more than $1 billion from the state budget - including $20
million from the state Department of Transportation.6/11/02
State
tree funds in legal limbo
The state Department of Transportation plans to
withhold roughly $12 million from Jacksonville's tree protection program
while the state considers a legal challenge to the law.
More
roads may be future
At a time when the Enron scandal is prompting calls for
tighter financial and ethical controls nationwide, Florida lawmakers are
moving ahead with legislation that would loosen financial restraints over
multimillion-dollar toll-road projects and could allow government workers
to bid on projects they oversee.
Florida's
toll enterprise
The Department of Transportation's plans to turn tolls into an enterprise
offer a reckless and unfair approach to state road planning.
Maloy
accuser sues state DOT
She says she was unfairly demoted
A Florida Department of Transportation employee who filed a sexual
harassment complaint against Rudy Maloy in 1996 is now suing the
department, saying it "whitewashed" an investigation into her
allegations.
For
once, a state agency does the right thing
It's rare to see one state agency take action that embarrasses another,
but it happened this week.
Maloy
subject of DOT inquiry
-
Rudy Maloy, suspended from the Leon County Commission in May, now is in
danger of losing his job at the state Department of Transportation after
an internal investigation found widespread violations of state policies.
Turnpike
shirts not made in America - With
their postcard images of sugary beaches, pink flamingos and lush palms,
the state's popular toll-taker turnpike shirts are a tribute to all things
Florida -- with one notable exception.8/1
 | SHADY DEALINGS
Over the past few years, I have seen DOT return to correct many
contractor errors. The little problems can be handled, but it
is the big ones that blow us away. Contractors that bid twice
to three times the actual cost to do the work correctly, then get
paid when it is done incorrectly.
When upper management is brought into the fold at the point of
liquidated damages, the issue is usually swept under the rug and the
contractor continues to receive payment and work. Contractors
who bid on projects, win due to lowest entry, then call every other
day asking questions on how to do the job.
Obviously, if they knew what they were getting into, they would not
need to call. What does this do to the workforce. It
demoralizes them because there is already enough work out there for
them to do without having to handle duties the contractor was paid
to perform.
The irony of it all is that a greater number of these contractors
were former "high management" officials within the
Department. Let's see: there is a State Secretary, an
Assistant State Secretary, a few District Secretaries........well
you get the picture. Ironically, all had a hand in a number of
projects planned during their tenure which ended up in the hands of
companies they now work for today.
Kind of makes one wonder about the conflict of interest issue when
one sees that the controversial contracts they "barreled"
through the system are now being run by these same individuals.
Employees are being told this is good because these
individuals bring knowledge and experience to the table.
Unfortunately, a number of these individuals spent a majority of
their time in the political arena and were not actually involved
with the real work. They couldn't tell the difference between
a loader and a forklift if they were given the choice.
Who is leading the pack into further privatization of the
Department? Look at the current "leaders" and the
time they have left for retirement. Many will have at least 28
to 30 years and are still too young to leave. Oh, they could
stay in the DROP, however why do so when you can lay your own
"golden brick road." Think I am kidding? Look
in our PPS system and pull up some names of the Secretary's top
players in the Leave Program. Call me "stupid," but
it is these same individuals who are pushing for further
privatization and turning the other cheek when major issues arise.
Why? Because the less bad advertisements received about
contracting out work, the better their opportunity in the future.
Don't believe me? O.K., here is my final
summation. Remember Ben Watts? He was the previous
Secretary. He was a major proponent of the High Speed Rail
project. When Legislature passed the bill during his tenure he
decided to suddenly leave his position. No change in Governor
or Cabinet (which is usually the case for resignation/retirement).
He just left. Guess where he ended up. I believe as
President or Vice-President of the company in Orlando which won the
contract for High Speed Rail. Kind of ironic that he land...
...Limbo, 4/14/01 (message truncated - Limbo please send in the
rest)
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Why do we have to go behind most contractors and re-do
every job for them? Rework drainage structures because the contractors drove
a guard rail post through them. Rework sign structures that were put up wrong or the contractors failed to show up and do the work... Slopes
around bridges were not put back to the existing grade. Or steel showing
where they tore lose their forms from the bottom of bridge decks too quick.
Is this not overhead? And does not the public always wonder why we are out in a lane blocking traffic.?. We have one crew were
I work that is having to redo the work of a crew that has 3 people on it
where the crew calls for 9. One that calls for 7 and only 4 are working on it. We have the equipment just setting in our yards with no one to operate them. We have backhoes ,graders,
gradalls ... we have 8 dump trucks with only two drivers.
If he wants to contract something out let him contract us some people and give them
completive wages and bring the few workers we have up to the private work wages. We can do the work, we are doing it now.
...Concerned employee and taxpayer 3/31/01
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Does the Tax-Paying- Public really know what it will cost them when
the governor removes State Workers from Transportation? Right
now we (The State) are paying between $22-28 dollars an hour for a
consultant to do the same job as I am at only 15 dollars. Also
They are paid for their electric, telephone, computers,vehicles, and
everything else that is needed to finish the project.
Therefore, that 22-28 dollars an hour is more like 32-38 dollars an
hour. And if you ask the contractors who they prefer
inspecting their work they will all tell you they prefer state
employees because they ARE on the job all the time not like
Consultants.
...Jack 3/26/01
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As a contracts inspector I have seen the contracts our office
handles go from 4.5 million to 7.2 million dollars in the last two
years. Same number of staff, same pay for almost double the work.
Smaller, yes. Smarter, you've got to be kidding. Better paid, that
will be the day. (unless you are upper management) Great site, keep
up the good work.
...Rogo 3/26/01
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Management has an electronic bulletin board for damage control.They
routinely edit out messages that offer an alternative point of view.
...Leanord 3/26/01
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