An article in The World, “ORCCA probe finds no misuse of funds” epitomizes one of the reasons I feel compelled to blog about local issues. To begin, the only item of news reported in the entire piece is that ORCCA was recently investigated by Oregon Housing and Community Services and the rest is three hundred plus words of stenography. In and of itself repeating Lehman’s ramblings about how the agency will recover from its six figure deficits wouldn’t be so bad but the paper never questioned even the most obviously ridiculous claims. It basically printed a press release without vetting the facts.
According to the paper “ORCCA provided a proposal to offset the amount by re-allocating funds.” Considering how long I have been trying to see some sort of plan this would have been news but the reporter, Emily Thornton, confirmed for me today the proposal was verbal and based upon the article, non-specific. Lehman is claiming the Food Bank deficit is just “$110,000 to $120,000” deficit not the combined two year deficit of -$408K reflected in the agency’s own budget documents. It isn’t clear whether Lehman is talking about the 2012/13 fiscal year or the current fiscal year but even if Lehman’s guestimate is correct the term “re-allocating funds” implies ORCCA has at least $120K in discretionary funds just laying around. It does not and the agency cannot use dedicated funds intended for other programs. The term reallocation of funds ought to be a giant red flag to everyone.
The paper reports that Lehman “planned to use grants and donations to fill the gap” and the agency has applied for fifteen grants in the last six weeks. The likelihood of fifteen grant applications in six weeks is slim to none but assuming its true there is no reporting on how much the grants total, or whether any have been awarded or the time frame for receiving the funds begging the question of why the paper printed these statements at all, there is no information there at all. Another consideration Lehman may not be aware of is that grant funds are program specific and intended for services going forward and cannot be used to “fill the gap” left by previous deficits. It’s hard to know which is worse, seeing Lehman’s obvious incompetence or the paper actually giving him an unfettered voice.
ORCCA’s own budget documents reflect a very different story than the one presented by Lehman and confirmed by The World. Is the agency is such disarray that it is operating off of more than one set of books or more than one budget? The real one and the fake one?
1) Where will ORCCA get the funds to make up last years $225K shortfall and the current $177K deficit for the Food Bank?
2) How will ORCCA raise the $980K it needs to purchase the land under the new campus and Food Bank within ten years?
3) How will ORCCA continue to meet its financing obligations to its lenders?
Please ORCCA, just give is a reasoned and responsible plan in writing. That isn’t much to ask.
I love Maslow – always have, always will. No longer work there but am proud to continue on as a donor.
Staff at ORCCA know that SCFS ends the year with a deficit. In the past, there has always been funds to cover it. But those funds were spent on other things after Lehman came on board.
Staff at ORCCA, just want to know the truth. Lying about 15 grants does not make staff like you more. Who were these grants to? How many have been funded? Do these funders know that they are being asked to cover, what is it now, a $200,000 deficit? Hardly likely that they would agree to that.
Another thing you may want to explain to your staff, Mr. Lehman, is how you justify raises in a department with such a huge deficit. Most businesses cut back, ask staff to take a cut in pay, you know, make do with less. But your justification, is that people took on more and got paid more. You don’t make sure the money is in the budget before you give raises? Bet your funders would be interested in that tidbit.
Oh and as for your buddy Danny, does he know that Maslow is one of the organizations that you said you didn’t want to do business with anymore? Bet you forgot to tell him.
“some of my best friends” are women. LOL.
and don’t forget, Kate, that I do have a child and an expense account at the Bachelor Inn. all true! love them pink parts!
Danny Stoddard has shown his absolute disgust with Pink Lady Parts. He just takes it to the extreme and damaged the careers of women who had done nothing to Danny Stoddard, ‘cept be born with Pink Lady Parts.
Go back to your cave Danny, you are a disgrace to our brothers.
Every word is my opinion only, and Danny Stoddard’s own words.
aghast? They printed it that way because they were told to print it that way. They made it look exactly like Lehman and his board and his cronies are clear of any and all blame for what is going on. That’s why, but even on The World POS Facebook page, which they ban anyone from posting who attempts to post truthiness. Trust me.
HEY, DID ANYONE ELSE NOTICE BENETTI’S HAS TAKEN THEIR ADS. OFF THE WORLD FACEBOOK PAGE? EVERY ONE OF EM. NOW THEY ONLY HAVE SEVEN ADS FOR COQUILLE SUPPLY, I know where I”LL never spend another nickle.
Why does Coquille Supply want their neighbors and customers to remain ignorant of what is going on in Coos County I wonder? My opinions only fellas.
Blaming Lehmen for MS-C’s deficit is the equivalent of blaming Obama for Bush’s.
common sense.
the budgets were balanced until Lehman took over but you aren’t interested in facts, all you want to do is perpetuate your campaign against Mary. As for Obama, well Syria speaks for him, he may actually be worse than Bush.
Another post here about an airport board member. Please be kind and give the board that is comprised of friends and supporters of MGX credit where it’s due. How many other small fiscally struggling communities spent millions of taxpayers money to upgrade their terminal only to build another unneeded terminal that has a few passengers only a few times daily nearby? How many arriving tourists elsewhere get to pass a poop cleansing factory along the runway? Or how many communities proudly display a rusted discolored tile terminal exterior? Or matching rusted discolored tiled tower? Or have a fenced in floor from a destroyed hanger? Or have a questionably ineffective manager? Or have a vacant terminal nobody wants to use? Or a business park in which nobody wants to build or lease? Or have abandoned Xerox and other buildings? Or have amateur firefighters not professionals who were available for a few dollars more a day? Or an unmanned tower? Or a tower without radar? Or have covered their large ugly SCDC sign with a canvas sign that shows weather damage after a tenth inch of rain? If CCAP can run a slate of candidates for the airport board, why cant MGX? There are many qualified, with knowledge of lift and drag, to sit on an airport board.
Yeah, that was pretty crappy writing, World. There were more questions in that article than answers and why did they print it anyway? The paper never reported on an investigation to begin with so why report the outcome?
Saaaayyyy, remember when Jeff Precourt got all paklempt and corrected my old self all huffy-like and let me know, in no uncertain terms was he, Jeff Precourt, was NOT Clark Wallworths’ employee, that he, Jeff Precourt was the BOSS of Clark Wallworth, and that what was put in the paper now was HIS. I could hear his shirt buttons popping as I read his email.
That didn’t take long did it??????
How DO they do it? One lackey after another after another? Could it be the five ads from Bennetti on his Facebook page? Would that be enough to remove what scruples or professional skills any person coming into The World might posses? It’s uncanny isn’t it? And a gawd-damned shame that Coos County suffers decade after decade, because we have had NO professional leaders at this paper since I moved here 13 years ago. Not one. Every word above is my opinion only, and the facts of history.
Fellow mushrooms, those kept in the dark and fed lots of crap to help us grow, Praise the Lord! Five days a week bird cage liner editor Campbell must think he’s still writing for the bi monthly Eskimo Express magazine. It took a month just to learn from him that something – anything – was happening at ORCCA. It’s been a month since SCDC parted ways with don’t lay your pipeline on my property Messerle. Will Campbell be writing something – anything – soon?