Price Tag $500K: Baltimore Schools Under Fire for Wild Spending Spree (That Included a Trip to Hooters)
- Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:01pm by
Erica Ritz
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(Photo: AP)
The Baltimore school system is coming under fire after The Baltimore Sun obtained its spending reports through a Maryland Public Information Act request.
Though Americans are often told they need to pay more taxes for teachers (and “roads and bridges”), it seems as though the city of Baltimore mismanaged roughly half a million dollars of taxpayer money over the last year and a half.
The Baltimore Sun begins (all subsequent emphasis added):
Despite tightening school budgets and a perpetual rallying cry for more funding, Baltimore school administrators spent roughly $500,000 during the past year and a half on expenses such as a $7,300 office retreat at a downtown hotel, $300-per-night stays at hotels, and a $1,000 dinner at an exclusive members-only club, credit card statements show.
City school officials defend the majority of the credit card expenditures… as “the cost of doing business,” saying only a handful of “outliers” show questionable judgment or disregard for taxpayer money.
“We are working around the clock to engage our partners and move our agenda forward,” said Tisha Edwards, chief of staff for the school system. “Every transaction has a business purpose in mind.”
Among those transactions were a $450-per-person office retreat at the downtown Hilton, during which the 16 employees of the Information Technology Department were also treated to a $500 dinner at Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao; and a $264 lunch for students at Hooter’s.
The Baltimore Sun continues:
A review of credit card transactions and receipts by The Sun found that the bulk of the expenditures — about $300,000, generated by 16 central office employees — were made under a new procurement-card program that has operated with virtually no controls or oversight since it began in January 2011.
Card statements show that many of the expenditures violated the school system’s own protocols and restrictions for use of the cards, such as a prohibition on using them for travel or to buy gifts for employees.
[...]
Still, the schools chief — whose card, sometimes used by his assistant, incurred a $66.77 charge to Victoria‘s Secret on Valentine’s Day that was later removed after the system reported it as fraudulent — defended the program.
Tisha Edwards, chief of staff for the school system, said that $67,000 in travel to conferences for a handful of administrators– including an $8,000 trip to Las Vegas for a bullying conference– is merely an indication of the school’s “overinvestment in professional development.”
Other outrageous charges reportedly include, via the Baltimore Sun:
One cardholder charged $97,000 worth of student leadership grant funds to the card to take students on several trips out of town.
Several cardholders exceeded the $500-per-transaction and $1,500-per-month limits imposed by the rules, and officials said that many of the cards were permitted to have no limits at all. And those who did have spending limits circumvented them by splitting charges into multiple transactions, which is also prohibited.
[...]
About $4,700 worth of transactions made by [Jerome Oberlton's] department included trips to retail stores like Bath & Body Works, Ross, Walmart, the Dollar Tree and BJ’s Wholesale Club to buy snacks and refreshments, and gifts and decorations for holiday banquets, birthdays and baby shower celebrations, records show.
City school officials have ordered Jerome Olberton to pay back $5,000 of the dishonest charges, saying: “We have to remind people that they are using resources entrusted to them by the citizens and that they understand that just because it might be good intent, it might not be right — or look right.”
Edwards added: “But we believe there’s almost always a purpose. And it always has to do with the work of children.”
Though an investigation is underway, City schools CEO Andrés Alonso tried to downplay the theft, saying: “These are a fraction of a budget, are budget-approved expenses and categories…The expectation is at the end of the day, the [educational] outcomes improve.”
Click here to read the Baltimore Sun’s entire report.
(H/T: Weasel Zippers)
–
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Comments (69)
toiletclogga
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:15pm“One cardholder charged $97,000 worth of student leadership grant funds to the card to take students on several trips out of town.”
Lord, I pray this guy isn’t with the second mile!
Report Post »mecanic
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 9:27pmtisha say it be arite, just keep yo money comin and we be spendin it arite.
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 11:31pmThats what Obama wants, wild drunkin spending of our tax money. He is letting the greed of others & him distroy our great nation right before our eyes.
Report Post »HKS
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 11:35pmObama says this is why we need more education money, for the kids ya know.
Report Post »DarkJello
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 11:46pmThis is exactly why we are going bankrupt.
Anyone with 3 brain cells knows that this type of waste is rampant!
And the “educators” have the gall to defend the expenses!!
Report Post »Live-Free
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:15pmAs the Teachers Union always says…….it is for the students
Report Post »rich_b
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 10:51pmoutside the trip to hooters, it looks like little was spent on actual students
Report Post »DIR
Posted on August 27, 2012 at 12:46am@RICH B
I’m sure the students trip to Hooters was very educational. The kids were treated to the proper function of a hooter: used to lure paying customer to a eating establishment and something metaphorically suckled to get cash from the government.
Report Post »doomytram
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:12pm“We are working around the clock to engage our partners and move our agenda forward,” said Tisha Edwards, chief of staff for the school system. “Every transaction has a business purpose in mind.”
Well Tisha, Move our agenda forward? Who’s agenda does that sound like? Problem is Tisha that Public schools isn’t a business. “If you got a business, you didn’t build that!” Running around spending money doesn’t mean you have a business or do any edumacating. Race for the top for big doo doo Obozo dollars. Obozo preaches to the Unions that Schools are a business. That’s why the Atlanta schools cheat for the students, so they can get big millions from a defunct Dept. of Edumacation.
Report Post »MetalPatriot
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:44pmHer statement jumped out at me too.
Our neighbor is an administrator in the Los Angeles school district. He supports this type of “spend it or lose it” mentality. When I called him on it he went into a lenghty rationalization. Bottom line, nobody cares as long as they get some of the pie.
I explained how more money is “invested” each year while student performance is stagnant. He simply stated, “That’s not true.”
People, there lies the problem. The minds and souls of our educational administrators are irrational and poisoned. My neighbor makes an emphatic plea that his primary goal is to help children, yet most of his conversation is inundated with tooting his own horn about his career path.
I’m 44 going to school. Yes, it’s very late in life to take on this task. I want to improve myself. I asked my professor about why students seem less educated than in the past, say the 18th century. His answer was both honest and revealing…
“The only people that were educated were the wealthy. Now, we recognize the importance of developing thought, reasoning, analysis for all economic levels. It’s good for society.”
I teased about “educating the unwashed masses.” He chuckled and said, “Yes, that about sums it up.”
Do we all need educations? It seems like the USA has lost its technological edge. Where do we go from here?
ericnnnghm@msn.com
Report Post »toiletclogga
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:09pmCan a brotha get a lapdance?
Report Post »mmmmarilyn
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 10:09pmHooters is a burger joint, Get a life
Report Post »toiletclogga
Posted on August 27, 2012 at 6:45amGet a sense of humor!
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on August 27, 2012 at 8:23amSomebody loan me 50. I’m hungry. Do they do breakfast? ‘Yes, ma’am. I’ll have the Eggs and Legs. with two large glasses of milk, please’.
Report Post »502_eagle
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:03pmA perfect example of how spoiled kids these days are. When I was in school we never got to go to Hooters.
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on August 27, 2012 at 6:35amHey, at least they could have taken them down to The Block.
OMG Nov 6, 2012
Report Post »deltaecho
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:53pmBaltimore: hahahahahahahahahaha! The lesser people.
Report Post »Macman1138
Posted on August 27, 2012 at 8:01pmAmen, brother! The whole city is a ghetto.
Report Post »The IT Director spent $250,000 a few months ago on lavish offices for himself and his cronies. The IT techs went on a 4 day work week because there wasn’t enough money to pay them for a full work week.
I call Baltimore “Mogadishu on the Chesapeake.”
randy
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:52pm“We are working around the clock to engage our partners and move our agenda forward,” said Tisha Edwards, chief of staff for the school system. “Every transaction has a business purpose in mind.”
What transactions would those be? Hookers?
Report Post »doomytram
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:02pmWhat Tisha Edwards doesn‘t understand is that the Public Education isn’t a business. The Dept of Edumacation and the School system think that the Agenda “Commie Indoctrination” is a business. The So called Edumacators Executives spend four a hundred a night for a hotel room and stay at a Holiday Inn with their IPad’s perpetrating like they are in business. Edumacation isn’t a business and yes got a public edumacation and stayed in a Holiday Inn last night.
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:46pmas long as the unions run the schools..there will be this kind of theft all over the country…until we the people decide we have had enough and bust the unions and that joke in washington called the dept of education we will have corrupt union vermin infesting our schools…and the kids will become dumber and dumber …..its up to us.
Report Post »oldduffer
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:11pm100% correct. Harry Reid is constantly pandering to the teachers union here and wants state and local taxes raised. Teachers Union and other unions here bussed workers to the polls and paid some with dinners, buffets etc. and God knows what else at Casinos downtown. All on the taxpayer dime. Happens all over. First way to break the grip is eliminate tenure and affirmative action. We have a right to work state. You work in a union business you do as the union says! Education is a gigantic business. Our schools are filled with illegals that are now Obama legals.
Report Post »Oneirishman
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:39pmWe should create one agency who’s sole propose is to track all government expenditure. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) if you will. An agency that is honest, diligent, and above reproach in all matters of accountability when it pertains to taxpayer monies (Brickbat).
Report Post »hi
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:30pmIf they don’t spend it, they won’t get the same amount of funding next year.
That it what is wrong with government. There is incentive to spend. Whereas, a small business watches expenditures like a hawk.
Report Post »objectivetruth
Posted on August 27, 2012 at 10:06amThe idea originally was meant to go to depts that had hugely varying budgets to begin with.It was meant to cover the big projects with the excess returned and to have their budgets set at normal levels.It wasn’t ever meant to be extended to the school system.I think they started using this method in other areas thinking that they could keep the dept from banking money.In essence banking and collecting at the same time.Sadly in areas where this would make sense it can’t be done due to this rule[think snow removal and other DOT functions-Imagine your state not going over budget due to the fact someone smart enough banked the cash in warm years.So if a snow crisis hit everything needed was there and without being overbudget]
Report Post »338lapua
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:29pmITS ALL FOR THE CHILDREN EVERYBODY!!!! That makes it okely-dokely. (credit Ned Flanders).
Report Post »These are educators, and as such are above reproach. Move along…..nothing to see here.
momrules
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:24pmThieves can always justify why they steal. In my opinion that is what these people are. Thieves.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:23pmIt is easy to curb this type of spending. State if you make any illegal charge to the card, you will be fired period. There will be no reason to arbitrate the your reasoning, the union will not back you and you will not be hired again anywhere in the education arena.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:35pmThat’s why the Department of Education has got to go, along with most of the agencies that aren’t supported by the constitution.
Report Post »dblaess
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:20pmJust remember the liberal mantra: It’s for the kids!
Report Post »starman70
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:20pmJust see what happens when progressives get their hands on taxpayer’s money.
This is just ONE school system in America. How many others are doing the same thing or worse?
Oh, I forgot, it’s OK for things like this to happen!! Just look at Obama’s vacations and golf outings and how much that cost the taxpayers.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:12pmThis is one example of the idiocy of public schools and this waste of taxpayer money is happening all over this country.The NEA cries for increased spending every year and produces a sub par product so we need to end the public school system not just because it’s unconstitutional but it wastes our money and the NEA fights to keep bad teachers in the classroom,scrap the whole system.
Report Post »QuincySmith
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 9:56pmSlayer;
While the district seems to think it is a business (‘cost of doing business’ and ‘every transaction has a business purpose in mind’), the actually provide a sub par SERVICE, which should be provided by the private sector.
Report Post »TheGoverness
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:10pmThis is SOP here in The People’s Republic of Maryland!
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:10pmThese DEMOCRAT thieves stole the money“For the Children”
Report Post »Angel_light
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:09pmthey say they need more funding , then they go and throw it all away like this. wish i could smack every last one of these low lives. all in favor?
Report Post »momrules
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:23pmI just raised my hand.
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:23pmAye.
Report Post »GREENDOG
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:08pmHooters is worth it.
Report Post »streetrodder
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:19pmRight on!
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:59pmThey should’ve gone to NYC today. I heard it was free.
Report Post »FloridaFarmGirl
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:08pmThis is beyond a tradegy!! Kids don’t vote so no one is there to care about them. Can you imagine what would happen if the school system and unions actually cared about all of our children and their education? Time to overthrow the teachers unions and get back to the basics, which is teaching our children and giving them the best possible chance to excel in life.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:07pmDamn, there were no Hooters around back when we got to go on field trips. About the best we could do was check out Hooterville on Pettycoat Junction and Green Acres.
Report Post »I’ve been deprived….and….I want to sue somebody.
GREENDOG
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:11pm16 employees of the Information Technology Department were also treated to a $500 dinner at Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao. How did 16 people only spend $500 bucks. What did they order, pb&j?
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:05pmbut but its for the CHILDREN
Report Post »Cabo King
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:05pmUnion clowns!!!!!
Report Post »Cabo King
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:04pmOh just brush it under the table, we wo t hear anymore about this!!! right Nobama
Report Post »Angel_light
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:09pmsounds accurate
Report Post »