Toothless watchdogs.

Heath Haussamen has a story up this morning, link, on efforts
by State Representative Joseph Cervantes, to get movement
on complaints filed under the Fraud Against Taxpayers Act.

Apparently, the Attorney General's Office cannot keep up with
the number of complaints that have been filed; more than 100.

Why not? underfunded. Just like the State Auditor's Office.

Haussamen reports that
Attorney General Gary King
echoed the statement that we have
heard again and again from
State Auditor Hector Balderas.

“If you spend $100,000 or so helping us move these cases, we might bring millions of dollars in.”

Balderas has said, give me 1% of the budget to ferret out corruption and I can save taxpayers 3-5%.

Regardless of how strapped we are for cash, we need to fully fund every agency whose job it is to end fraud, waste, and abuse in government.


It's a no brainer.




photo Mark Bralley