Inspector General finds unnecessary spending at Commission for … Commission NOLA Article.pdf ·...

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(http://ads.nola.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nola.com/politics/2015/06/inspector_general_wasteful_spe.html/694979904/Popu (http://www.nola.com/) Greater New Orleans Menu Set Weather Search Sign In Subscribe 1 comment Print (http://blog.nola.com/politics/print.html? entry=/2015/06/inspector_general_wasteful_spe.html) Email (mailto:? subject=Inspector%20General%20finds%20unnecessary%20spending%20at%20Comm ) (http://ads.nola.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nola.com/politics/2015/06/inspector_ State Inspector General Stephen Street has released a report detailing wasteful spending by the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf. (Photo by Ben Myers, NOLA.com | The TimesPicayune) (http://connect.nola.com/user/kevinlitten/index.html) By Kevin Litten, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune (http://connect.nola.com/user/kevinlitten/posts.html) Email the author | Follow on Twitter (https://twitter.com/kevinlitten) on June 02, 2015 at 2:00 PM, updated June 02, 2015 at 2:02 PM Inspector General Stephen Street on Tuesday (June 2) released a report detailing what it said was unnecessary spending on contractors and equipment by the Commission for the Deaf. The investigation was launched in 2012 after the Inspector General was informed of complaints about spending by the commission. Much of the investigation centered on the use of contractors paid for using a fivecent tax on telephone lines paid by consumers funds the Commission for the Deaf. The report comes two years after a confrontation between Gov. Bobby Jindal and the commission over a proposal to raise that tax by two cents, as detailed in this column by John Maginnis. (http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2013/05/gov_jindal_wont_hear_of_tax_to.html) The commission argued the increase was needed because of a decrease in land lines as people switched to cell phones, The Associated Press reported. (http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/06/bobby_jindal_deaf_communicatio.html) As Maginnis noted, a disease known as Usher syndrome helps make Louisiana the top state for having deaf and blind residents because the disease disproportionately affects residents of Acadian descent. Inspector General finds unnecessary spending at Commission for the Deaf Sponsored by: (http://ads.nola.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nola.com/politics/201 breaking news/live events Latest live event and breaking news, weather, sports and entertainment updates as they happen. Enter your email address OPTIONAL Enter Zip Sign up today! Check here if you do not want to receive additional email offers and information. See our privacy policy (/privacypolicy/) video of the day Tom Benson leaves trial: 'I'm still walking so I feel good' (http://videos.nola.com/times picayune/2015/06/tom_benson_ See, share your New Orleans videos! (http://videos.nola.com/) NOLA.com TV (http://videos.nola.com/times- picayune/index.html) Most Read Tax holiday OK for guns, not so for storm and school supplies says Senate committee

Transcript of Inspector General finds unnecessary spending at Commission for … Commission NOLA Article.pdf ·...

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    State Inspector General Stephen Street has released a report detailing wasteful spending by the Louisiana Commission for theDeaf. (Photo by Ben Myers, NOLA.com | The TimesPicayune)

    (http://connect.nola.com/user/kevinlitten/index.html) By Kevin Litten, NOLA.com | TheTimes-Picayune (http://connect.nola.com/user/kevinlitten/posts.html) Email the author | Follow on Twitter (https://twitter.com/kevinlitten)

    on June 02, 2015 at 2:00 PM, updated June 02, 2015 at 2:02 PM

    Inspector General Stephen Street on Tuesday (June 2) released a reportdetailing what it said was unnecessary spending on contractors and equipmentby the Commission for the Deaf.

    The investigation was launched in 2012 after the Inspector General was informed ofcomplaints about spending by the commission. Much of the investigation centered onthe use of contractors paid for using a fivecent tax on telephone lines paid byconsumers funds the Commission for the Deaf.

    The report comes two years after a confrontation between Gov. Bobby Jindal and thecommission over a proposal to raise that tax by two cents, as detailed in this columnby John Maginnis.(http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2013/05/gov_jindal_wont_hear_of_tax_to.html) Thecommission argued the increase was needed because of a decrease in land lines aspeople switched to cell phones, The Associated Press reported.(http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/06/bobby_jindal_deaf_communicatio.html)

    As Maginnis noted, a disease known as Usher syndrome helps make Louisiana the topstate for having deaf and blind residents because the disease disproportionately affectsresidents of Acadian descent.

    Inspector General finds unnecessaryspending at Commission for the Deaf

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  • The Inspector General detailed several ways the Commission for the Deaf's ExecutiveDirector, Naomi DeDual, authorized unnecessary spending on services.

    Among the findings:

    The Commission for the Deaf spent almost $440,000 to distribute freetelephone equipment to deaf and hardofhearing people in the state using privatecontractors, even though the Inspector General found that five other statesdistribute those devices without using contractors. If the commission ceased usingprivate contractors, more money could have been spent on the deaf and hard ofhearing for other services. The spending was in addition to nearly $517,000 inequipment spending.Although the Commission for the Deaf allows for spending on sign languageinterpreters in emergency situations, 61 percent of the times that money wasspent on interpreters was for nonemergency use. To authorize the payments,DeDual classified the spending as "other situations."Contractors were paid $186,655 — or about $150 per patient — to schedule examsand verify income to determine whether deaf or hard of hearing residents wereeligible for hearing aids. That expense was "avoidable," the Inspector Generalfound, and meant less money was spent on the actual hearing aids for residents inneed of them.DeDual authorized nearly $6,000 in public funds to repay debts for customers ofthe Deaf Services Center, even though the commission had no obligation to repaythat debt. 

    The biggest piece of the spending was on the contractors that provide equipment to thedeaf and hard of hearing. The Inspector General looked into how other states distributesuch equipment and found that vendors either mailed equipment directly to people,states provided people with vouchers, or the program was administered by stateemployees.

    According to the Inspector General, DeDual told investigators that the commissionused contractors because state law prohibited the use of vouchers or direct mailservices.

    "Neither we nor the assistant director of the Louisiana Office of State Purchasing andTravel could find any such statute, rule or regulation," the Inspector General wrote."Ms. DeDual was similarly unable to cite the law to which she referred."

    The Inspector General recommended the commission stop relying on thirdpartycontractors to perform the service so it can provide more equipment to people in need.It also outlined suggestions for new systems the commission should implement todocument invoices and find ways to "more narrowly define allowable services whichqualify to be provided with public funds."

    In a letter to the Inspector General, Louisiana Department of Health and HospitalsInterim Deputy Secretary Hugh Eley disagreed with most of the findings, writing thatthe commission had "consistently provided a highlevel of service to Louisianaresidents." 

    "While the department appreciates the recommendation to clarify language in themanual and improve some systems, we strongly believe the (commission) has operatedeffectively," Eley wrote.

    DeDual referred questions about the report to a department spokeswoman who couldnot immediately be reached for comment.

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     (http://connect.nola.com/user/CRJ2/index.html)This would be a more balanced report if the writer had quoted from the commission's responsesas much as he quoted from the OIG's findings. The services provided are extremely unique andit is not always easy for the average layman to understand services to the deaf and hard ofhearing. Many of the OIG's findings are subjective, and anyone interested in this situation needsto go to the report and read the commission's responses before forming a judgement. The OIGperforms a valuable public service but in this case I feel that they have overstepped somewhat,making recommendations that are unrealistic considering the handicapped population that isbeing so wellserved.

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