City Council has been a Nightmare

[apriled]

Houston we have a problem! I believe the City Council has been an absolute nightmare, and at a minimum pure enablers of bad financial behavior with public money, and have very misguided priorities, public safety last. Of course, now their tune is changing.

As a founding member of Little Chicago Watch and former spokesperson for Hire Here, I have spent years monitoring the bypassing of bid law in taxpayer funded contract opportunities. City Council members have enabled bid law violations under their watch. I know, because I have confronted documented contracts that were never advertised head-on for many years. My efforts have had little impact, because I have been trying to change this pattern since 2009. There is big money involved, and I am a mere annoyance to them, $$$$.

As one local advocacy group stated to me, "we bring proof of these activities to them, and the Council members dislike us for bringing these matters to their attention." Honestly, the Council does not really want to know about the city contracting processes, it is simply better not to know is their attitude.

Further, I will never forget Ladd and Robinson condoning the bypassing of bid law on a $900,000 contract stating that "it was not that serious." I have the meeting minutes, and that is what they stated.

Bypassing of advertising contract opportunities or bid law occurs to ensure that contracts end up in the laps of friends, or to control the outcome. It is unlawful and excludes fair competition from minority and small business.

In the end, I remain hopeful that truth will rise to the surface on the contracts that these Council members enable with silence.

www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/15/most-council-members-are-planning-to-run-again/?local

[Justin Thyme]

If they are breaking the law I would think that some prosecutor with jurisdiction here would be willing to do something.

[apriled]

They= those administering the purchasing policies, formally Paul Page, speaks for itself.

[ssmynkint]

I would think that some prosecutor with jurisdiction here would be willing to do something.

Wish it were so, but sure doesn't seem to be.

[JC]

Looked into Burke profiting from the $75k gang study?

[apriled]

I cannot imagine anyone that understands the magnitude of what has transpired, stating oh well, "it's not that serious." Both of these companies have realized a windfall of contacts through a bypass mechanism called change orders, or one source vendors within the past 18 months, when the scope of work is new or separate job, and there are many vendors. Other businesses cannot compete because the deal is rigged. yep, rigged. At this point, after being beat down on this issue, LCW just keeps a register of all the contracts we believe were not advertised in accordance with bid law.


littlechicagowatch.com/2012/02/10/bid-law-violated-in-high-place/

littlechicagowatch.com/2011/10/14/rental-property-and-city-contracts-profitable/

[TNBear]

I am shocked, yes shocked, to hear that such scullduggery could be ocurring here. I'm sure there is a simple explaination; the shitheels are as crooked as a dog's hind leg.