May is Fire District month in Barnstable, and Janice Barton's boys will be carving up $30 million with nobody looking over their shoulders….

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 the Centerville, Osterville, Marstons Mills (COMM) fire district will hold its annual  Warrant Information Night at the Taj Mahal on Route 28 at 7:00 PM.

I know there won’t be a soul at the meeting, other than a handful of COGgers, to watch the boys divvy up $11 million for next year’s budget, but I'm going to say my piece anywat.

This year’s COMM fire budget, excluding the water department, will be $9 million,

which is $2 million short of what the combined towns of Falmouth and Yarmouth spent on fire protection and ambulance service last year, 

and the $9 million doesn’t include the four other fire districts in town.

This year the COMM annual meeting includes a warrant reducing the quorum to hold the annual district meeting from 100 to 50.

Each of the last few years’ fewer than 100 people (there is no check to determine if attendees are registered voters) showed up at annual meetings.

Two years ago the meeting was postponed and rescheduled because the district couldn’t motivate 100 folks to observe out of which windows their tax and water bill money would fly.

Astoundingly COMM serves 22,000 registered voters, and the boys can’t corral 50 strangers to come to the annual meeting to join the 50 firemen approve their pay raises for the coming year.

Tomorrow night it’ll be strictly COGgers who'll ask why the COMM water department had a

$706,836 deficit in F/Y2007.

A recently released audit by Thevenin, Lynch, Bienvenue, LLP, Certified Public Accountants reveals the expenses from water operations in F/Y2007 ($3,332,087) exceeded revenue ($2,625,251) for a $706,836 loss.





Next year’s Water Department budget is $1,656,804 which means if last year’s loss was applied to this year’s budget

the deficit would be 46% of the budget.

Within the audit report is an audit letter that refers to financial irregularities, or “material weaknesses;

Compliance and other matters

As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the District's financial statements are free of material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements, noncompliance with which could have a direct and material effect on the determination of financial statement amounts.

However, providing an opinion on compliance with those provisions was not an objective of our audit, and accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards.

We noted certain matters that we reported to management of the District in a separate letter dated October 9, 2007.

This report is intended solely for the information of District management, federal awarding agencies, and pass-through entities.

This report is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.

WOW!!!

The audit preparers felt their findings were so serious to the people that hired them that their report had to be kept separate from the audit with a caution the results should be kept SECRET.

COG asked for a copy of the secret report, but COMM only gave us the first three pages consisting of a management letter which are posted below.




















It was obvious that a number of pages specifically delineated the problems were removed, because the copies bear spine outlines.

Why would someone bind three pages with spines?

The cover letter of the secret audit report does mention that the Clerk/Treasurer of COMM had been in possession of COMM credit cards.

The audit report management report cautions that the Massachusetts Department of Revenue cautions municipalities against the use credit cards for purchase, and for obvious reasons.

The audit report letter also advises the Prudential Committee to verify requests for appropriations by visually inspecting invoices to insure COMM funds aren't being used for private purchases.

Someone within the district asked for funds to buy or pay for personal goods and services, otherwise why the caution?

Why did the auditor, who was hired by the Prudential Committee, insist the audit describing the financial irregularities, the report be kept secret, except to the feds?

Last year’s COMM $707,000 deficit may have been the cause for the audit that found many problems with the way the Prudential Committee handled the public’s money, but we'll never know because the second report won't be released to the public.

Janet Joakim, and her ilk on the town council, will have more ammunition in their arsenal to label us “crazies”, “loonies,” “misfits,” “rabble-rousers,” “gadflies,” and trouble makers because of this post.

Like most politicians in Barnstable, the public's business is deemed to be proprietary to them.

Comments

[How much longer before we can finally elect a mayor?]

Follow the paper trail. ooohhh, lalalalala! The sweet smell of taxpayer money. All roads lead back to Joakim!

[Money burns a hole in my pocket and I support President Janet S. Joakim]

It's spring. A time for growth, rebirth and renewal. Be grateful to Janet and for all the fine work she has done claiming good press for the Barnstable All-America City. This is "No Place for Hate". The birds are chirping, the leaves are on the trees. Smile and be happy. Money grows on trees!

[Not in love with Barnstable's "President of Convenience"!]

The question is "Who would bind three pages with no spine?"

[Praying for a cure for Joakim's political scoliosis.]

Please refrain from criticizing Joakim's skeletal problems. Janet needs to "brace" herself. Being spineless is a disablity worthy of pity. Show compassion, you hate-mongers!

[Holding down spending by dodging crazy traffic at Lumbert's Mill.]

Or maybe we should place a little blame on Joakim neighbor Deb Converse? We appreciated her comments on Factor of One/Split-tax on May 6th. After making a virtual jungle out of Hyannis with HAC/Barnstable Housing Authority's lavish tax and spend policies, she is now in charge of Public Relations for the Region, heading up the Chamber of Commerce. Maybe we should fix potholes and not potheads. Now all roads, bumpy and otherwise, literally lead to Joakim.

[John Julius]

It is always interesting watching how the public perceives all this. For some reason, many who log in here don't like Janet Joakim. Wonder why. Janet, look at it this way. Many probably don't like you because you are THE one in charge......... see, John Klimm KNOWS how to keep away from all this. Just hide in the background. Like at the Meeting of the Voters. Notice where John sat? As far OFF that podium as he could. All John did was what any good politician would do-- just show up, be there and be as far away as he could from the council

One of these days Janet will learn.......... although Janet seems to bask in all the limelight. Janet, this is Barnstable and not Beacon Hill or Wahsington. No offense dear but you are always going to have to take the shots. John Klimm will always be smart enough to slip off to the side while the council gets the heat---- for everything.

SO WHO really runs this town anyway? Try NO ONE. It has been on autopilot now for the last four years, and still going strong. The town administration just keeps raking in MILLIONS, keeps hiring PALS while the council sits there and goes, "Duhhhhhhhhh"

GREAT WAY to run a 160 MILLION $$$$ BUDGET, eh? But have no fear Janet. I predict that the deal will be over for you next time around. Joe Pino will run again and will cream you. And lots of Coggers will help, gladly..............

[Composer]

Your blog-music to my ears or fingertips

Keep up the good work.

Mr Julius: keep at em. Democracy needs critics, and you sir, are an honorable man.

Mr Lopez and Mr Julius: the two best patriots Barnstable has seen since in a long time!

Anyway, more importantly, ONLY in Barnstable can anyone operate with a deficiency like this. Heck, John Klimm tried to fool the public when he opted to WASTE the $ 20 MIL or so ( yes, including interest, and all) on that putrid contaminated Barnstable Water Company. You all remember, the company that had the 109 acres of Barlaco land worth MILLIONS. But John and the band of frauds STOLE that land and NOW the water company is run about the same way apparently that COMM is, by deficet. Hell, who cares? In HAckville money grows on trees. Don't WORRY about it. FORGET aboUUUT it..........Let someone worry about it LATER AFTER John Klimm leaves............ TRUST ME, that is what will happen. The Hyannis water CO supposedly operates on a budget of like around 2.4 MIL or so and it too, has expenses which are likely MORE than the $$$ that comes in. Hell, don't ALL town governments operate this way????!!!!

What Gary is exposing here is nothing new here in HACKVILLE. It is a way of life. I would love to see the council FIRE John Klimm and bring in a truly QUALIFIED independent RESPONSIBLE KNOWLEDGEABLE MANAGER. Yeah, right. And HOW MANY UNNECESSARY PALS would be gone? It would take weeks to clean house but MILLIONS would be saved.

But that is just a dream. No one in our lifetimes has the ##### to do what is really needed to clean house in this town, mainly because the good ole boy network is SO WELL entrenched. Just watch a few re-runs of how these smoothies work..........

And while I am on that subject, let me say Hi to Bill Elkins. Bill was like me. He ran for charter commissioner and he too, lost. Last Thursday night Bill was the town Bellower: He cried out at the Open Meeting of the voters that "NOTHING IS WRONG with this charter". Bill, are you on the town's payroll? Don't bother Bill. As I said to Harold Tobey, it's a rhetorical question............

What is wrong with our town? You decide

[John Julius]

Composer: Thanks. Gary and I share the same ideas sometimes. We both HATE corruption AND getting screwed, ESPECIALLY by incompetent morons, which this town is loaded with. Every once in a while Gary gets tired and wants to quit and the same for me, but we keep plugging. I too, have thought about giving in, but we keep going because SOME people say THANKS to us and I guess this is what keeps us going.

I am sure Gary appreiciates it and I know I do. All EITHER of us wants is CHANGE and to stop these THEIVES from robbing us all! Thanks for your kind words and support. Tell your friends. ONE DAY we will have a taxpayer ASSOCIATION. The membership will be just $ 10 bucks a year. We will have 1000 members and we will have a whole bunch of people who will share the same thing--- to STOP the THEIVES from ripping Barnstable taxpayers blind. One day it WILL happen..........

[singin for the sultan]

COG will please remain open, thank you kindly! Lopez, The Sultan of Statistics has a number for every ninny, a stat for every stupe, an answer for every anecdote, a document for every dickhead and a dossier on every do-do. The Sultan is my hero! Oh-yeah! COG remains open by decree of the people. Thank you, once again, kindly!

I deleted a comment authored by "a clown" because it was strictly ad hominem.

If you have something to say; let's hear the issue, otherwise go to Janet Joakim's or TJ's blogs.

When five-year olds can't handle a debate, they typically indulge in personal comments.

There are lots of adults who are still mentally adolescent, and many of them blog.

[John Julius]

Right on! Gary is the ONLY thing in town that keeps these idiots from going all the way overboard. These theives would steal everything if no one was watching. Gary does a great job of this. Yes, we do thank him. One, he has braisn and two, he has great courage, two things lacking anywhere either from the council or from Mr. Klimm and his empire.

Keep it up Gary!

[COG in the machine]

What i think is pretty amazing is EVERY comment posted here that says something bad about this site or one of the people the support this site, Gary and everyone else always thinks its Janet. Other people have a right to say what they think as well. Don't always assume because the comment is negative aginst gary or this site, its from Janet. I have posted things on here that most ppeople here don't like. Everyone assumes its from Janet, its not. Think what you will.

Believe it or not after shutting down for a couple of weeks, the readership averages 850 page views per day, and the comments average 8 per day, or about 1%.

My total page views in the 18 months I've been on Typepad are 346,952.

Believe me the comments are insignificant except for blogs averaging 200 per day.

If I get 8 bad comments a day, that means 99% of the readers may tend to agree with me.

People just don't stumble here. They have to log on, and search the site out.