Trusting a Trust?

[shadows]

In the April  8 Sunday paper an article by reporter Branstetter on the audit by DHS of the operations of The Long-term Care Authority of Tulsa, a non-profit organization, authorized as a public trust.  

It reports they receive 6.1 million in federal grants and $5 Million from DHS from its Medicaid an Medicare funds.

Trust employees expense and salaries is reported to be $3 million dollar.

The cost to the taxpayer is $11,739 dollars each disbursement  of the average of $506 dollars to 16,000 request.

"The mayor and the county commissioners designate employees to be board members" [A public trust with employees acting as a board of the trust]

Is this a duplication of the public trust in our councilors who can set their own salaries?

Do we need to look for more revenue ?

Those who will file the income tax forms shortly should take note of the lack of checks and balances when asking yourself if there will there be any money in Medicare or Social Security when you retire.

Do you believe any person is indispensable?  

Should the public trusts,  funded by our tax monies, be under a magnifying glass instead of running without any control?    

 

[Wrinkle]

quote: Should the public trusts, funded by our tax monies, be under a magnifying glass instead of running without any control?  

Trusts were initially intended to provide background functionality for routine operations. Instead, they've been subverted into seperating the public from participation in public decision processes.

The concept was a good one. The result, IMO, is a breech of Constitutional representation, and, if tested, I'm of the opinion most would have to reorganize.

One needs look no further than TARE - Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy and "our" incinerator. Somewhere along the line someone (or two) decided it too big a liability and sold it. Funny how those transactions never seem to state what the Citizens of Tulsa received in exchange for their $180 Million 'contribution', the entire cost of the mortgage. Now, suddenly, they say there's this $7 Million loan taken three years ago to 'pay the mortgage costs' when there's no reason for the need.

I still think this one needs a Federal Grand Jury.

[RecycleMichael]

The trash plant deal was done by Jim Inhofe back when he was mayor.

The financing was very complex and the guy who put it together was found dead in his driveway from a shotgun blast.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

The trash plant deal was done by Jim Inhofe back when he was mayor.

The financing was very complex and the guy who put it together was found dead in his driveway from a shotgun blast.

Michael, if that's the one I remember, it was ruled an accidental discharge. Was there ever any suspicion about that?

I also believe the authorities and trusts are an abuse of the democratic process. They control huge amounts of public monies and have the power to change our lives, yet we don't elect any of them. In fact the average voter has no idea who leads them or what they do.  Like most bureaucrats, their members transcend the terms of the elected officials who appointed them. It often looks like cronyism. The benefit for the elected official is he/she retains the power through the appointees without having to take the responsibility of their decisions.

The irony is that Oklahoma, as a progressive state, set up this process to avoid the tyranny of overly powerful executive leaders who would indebt their citizens and move on. Having said all that, what process would be an improvement?

[shadows]

Seems that was the fellow that was pushing a loaded shotgun into his car with the end of the barrel against his stomach.  Wasn't it the story that he knew there was a live shell in the barrel but he was taking it to the gunsmith to have it removed?

We are noted for justifiable accidents.  

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by shadows

Seems that was the fellow that was pushing a loaded shotgun into his car with the end of the barrel against his stomach.  Wasn't it the story that he knew there was a live shell in the barrel but he was taking it to the gunsmith to have it removed?

We are noted for justifiable accidents.  

Isn't that sort of like a coroner examining someone with an icepick wound to the temple pronouncing the cause of death as having died from an aneurysm?

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

The trash plant deal was done by Jim Inhofe back when he was mayor.

The financing was very complex and the guy who put it together was found dead in his driveway from a shotgun blast.

Michael, if that's the one I remember, it was ruled an accidental discharge. Was there ever any suspicion about that?

I also believe the authorities and trusts are an abuse of the democratic process. They control huge amounts of public monies and have the power to change our lives, yet we don't elect any of them. In fact the average voter has no idea who leads them or what they do.  Like most bureaucrats, their members transcend the terms of the elected officials who appointed them. It often looks like cronyism. The benefit for the elected official is he/she retains the power through the appointees without having to take the responsibility of their decisions.

They also generate layers of support personnel for which sometimes there really isn't any purpose.  But hey, they've got lots of money available, so they may as well spend it all, right?

[shadows]

I believe that a trust is going to buy the new glass building for the Tulsa/Williams new city hall and will rent it to the city.   Thus they can sell revenue bonds and omit the necessity of people voting a bond issue to take the poorly design obsolete building to house a city government off the hands of negligent investors.

Course it will fit well for the peoples supported millionaire class.

Who do you think is standing by to purchase the revenue bonds with their secured interest?  

Isn't it easy to form a Trust and not have to fool with the democratic process?    

Will the bank officers and mayor be the trust members?