A m e r i c a n P o s t - G a z e t t e Distributed by C O M M O N S E N S E , in Arizona
Thursday, March 15, 2012 |
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County Manager David Smith and other high-level county employees played with vendors in their sponsored foursomes |
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 No wonder Maricopa County Manager David Smith has announced his resignation in April. The longer he is still there, the more stories of corruption emerge about the Taj Mahal court tower he insisted on having built with cash in the middle of a recession. We knew something stunk to high heaven about it, especially when he started attacking anyone who dared to investigate the court tower.
Now it's come out that vendors with the county were coerced into buying expensive golf sponsorships in the county's annual charity golf tournament. In exchange they received lucrative contracts on the court tower or other county contracts. 53 vendors contributed a total of $336,877 to the county's charity campaign. Many of them had contracts up for renewal. 40 more companies, some which had contracts with the county, contributed items like weekend stays at a resort for a raffle which county employees could bid on.
Smith actually defended the practice, saying that it was ethical. The court tower's construction manager and general contractor, Gilbane Building Company, also defended the practice. However, government ethics experts interviewed by the Arizona Republic disagree. Judy Nadler, senior fellow in government ethics at Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, says that government risks compromising public trust if it does not draw a clear line between itself and its contracted vendors.
This news comes after 10 county employees resigned, were suspended or were fired for improperly accepting gifts from vendors, including vendors working on the court tower.
It is way overdue to clean up the County Supervisors' office. Getting rid of corrupt Smith is a good first step at ending the culture of corruption. Supervisors Stapley and Brock have announced their greatest public service attempt, they will not be running for reelection..
The Arizona Republic article can be read here. |
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