Dear Governor-Elect Markell:
While we are delighted that you will be taking the reigns of the government here in Delaware, we certainly understand that you begin governing with some of the greatest challenges of many generations.
Certainly, you don’t need any more problems to fix, but the People’s Settlement needs attention, and quickly. The Office of Auditor of Accounts released the first report. According to this report:
This report specifically addresses the allegation that the Executive Director diverted State funds, which were earmarked for specific grants and programs, to unauthorized programs.
There will be more reports of other allegations, but review of this report will detail for you the complete incompetence of the Executive Director and the Board of Directors of this once venerable organization. Just the responses by the PSA claiming no knowledge of an Auditor’s data request ought to be enough to see that the PSA Board has no idea what is going on at their organization. This report details contract compliance violations as well as a real lack of urgency on behalf of this Board to ensure that they are aggressively serving the population that really needs the People’s Settlement.
Mr. Wagner has provided detailed recommendations to increase management oversight and accountability. But I know that you will look at those recommendations as a successful businessman and know that these pretty basic items would have been the very basic requirements of a competent board capable of hiring and managing a competent Executive Director.
What is needed, is for the State to say No More. No More funding until such time as the Board is dissolved and replaced with individuals who have some basic management capabilities and who will care about the survival of People’s Settlement. No More funding until the newly seated Board hires a new, competent and committed Executive Director. This is going to be seen as very draconian and hard-hearted. But if the State is clearly cutting back on services and support for pretty much everything, you cannot send any scarce funds to this organization that we already know is not functional.
I don’t know if legally you can directly make changes to this Board and Director, but you can certainly with hold funds until they get their act together.
Respectfully,
Cassandra M, DelawareLiberal.net Editor
ps. The real meat of this thing comes in Appendix A of the AOA document. This contains the AOA comments as well as the PSA responses. It is completely mind-boggling. It is alot of info to read, but just take a look.