Do you love to shop? So does the Board of Education!
But their favorite way to shop is without even looking at what they are buying!
How much fun is that?
On the June 14, 2012, Board of Education (BOE) Agenda there is ONE item on the CONSENT AGENDA (that means no discussion, just a rubber stamp approval) where the Board will spend $4,868,065 without blinking an eye!
This is more fun than the Home Shopping Network. Included in this $4.8 MIL spree is a NEW CAR ($52,383), Towing services ($150,000), another half a million to the no-bid WIRELESS GENERATION contract we have never seen ($536,380) and no-bid CONSULTANTS!
Oh, you know how the BOE loves Consultants! They are the best! Who needs classroom teachers when you can hire consultants!
Health and Welfare Consulting $190,000
PEPCO Consultant $114,000
Consulting Services (why give details?) $32,450
Hispanic Community Consultant $27,800
And don't forget the "partnerships". The BOE loves those, too!
Partnership with Identity, Inc. $62,500
George B. Thomas Learning $86,000
Marriott $60,000
Out of 37 procurement items on this list, 28 of them have the word EXTENSION next to them. That means those purchases were not put out for a bid this year. Previous contracts (if any exist) or purchases were just "extended" for another year. In some cases, the BOE has been "extending" purchases for over a decade.
Wait there's more! There are 23 OTHER ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA!! How much will the BOE be spending in total in just one second? (First one to add up the total wins a round of applause from the blog readers!)
Tune in Thursday, June 14th for all the fun!
4.1.1 Procurement Contracts 25000 or More
Re:Consulting Services Extension for Awardee Andrew Egel in the amount of $32,450. I wonder if it is the same Andrew Egel at UMD College of Education, Dept of Special Education? If it is the same person -don't know b/c MCPS BoE doesn't give any info on such things- his bio states "In addition to his research endeavors, Dr Egel consults to several programs involved in the education of children with ASD and other severe disabilities..." www.education.umd.edu/EDSP/Faculty/bios/egel.html Nice gig (if it is the same person)! Be employed by a state school as faculty AND earn big $$ as a consultant with more taxpayer $$ from another quasi state institution.
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