This is an interesting PUBLIC DOCUMENT that recently came to our attention
concerning the District's law firm Geiger Coon Keen (http://www.bgrn.com/).
Seems that GCK has had some issues itself with the government in the past
(see for yourself on pages iii, iv, 8, 9, 14, of the document -- posted
above as a PDF.)
A scathing Audit Report prepared by the HUD Office of the Inspector General
on the San Joaquin Housing Authority's operations found among other issues
that GCK "unilaterally increased its hourly rates over the years without the
Authority's formal approval and without applicable contract modifications."
This is troubling, since the dollars in question belonged ultimately to
TAXPAYERS.
The Audit went on to admonish the GCK with a straightforward statement of
concern, and we quote directly from the government's report, "We believe the
attorneys' failure to effectively perform contracted services and reviews
added to the problem of the Authority improperly awarding over $3.3 million
in contracts for goods and services and the resulting unnecessary financial
and legal risks."
That's why it's critical that publicly elected officials, and the
contractors hired by those officials using TAXPAYER dollars i.e. GCK, be
held accountable for their actions on behalf of the public. And that's why
PUBLIC RECORDS should be open for review and inspection by the PUBLIC...not
just lawyers.
This same report recommended that the Housing Authority "Terminate all of
its current contracts with Geiger, Rudquist, Nuss, Coon & Keen, LLP".
Since GCK acts as both legal counsel to the District, and in a quasi public
official capacity as Secretary of the Board, it's important to understand
who did what when, and who spent what when and on who, what and when.
To paraphrase Shakespeare, "the District doth protest too much, methinks",
when it comes to releasing public records, what do they have to hide?
We welcome, and would be pleased to print, a response from the GCK. We have
it on good authority that attorneys from the aforementioned firm enjoy
reading our prose from time to time.
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