The NY Post reports:
Aides to Gov. Cuomo revealed yesterday that they found massive waste in state government — including 1 million square feet of unused state office space in New York City, nearly 2,000 vendors providing often duplicated products and services, and 425 toll-free phone numbers that haven’t been used in months.
They discovered that state agencies rented costly new office space as recently as December — even as the equivalent of a skyscraper’s worth of state-owned and state-rented office space stood vacant — costing taxpayers more than $30 million a year.
A three-pronged investigation of office rentals, procurement practices, and Internet technology providers turned up dozens of other shocking examples — from the small to the mega — of waste, duplication and seemingly inexplicable overpayments.
Through changes being prepared to take effect over the next few months, Cuomo expects to save the state about $50 million. Over several years, that figure is expected grow to more than $1 billion.
Cuomo’s aides found the state pays IBM $224 an hour for data-entry personnel working on one project while the state paid another vendor, Keane, $106.32 an hour for what was described as identical services.
They found a state agency paying $3.14 per dozen for medium-tip, blue-ink ballpoint pens, while another state agency paid $8.93 for the exact same product.
“There is no end to the horror stories,” said Howard Glaser, Cuomo’s director of state operation, who is directing the efficiency probes.
“We buy $3 billion worth of stuff every year and we are the size of a Walmart,” Glaser said. “But we buy like we’re 100 different 7-Elevens, and that results in wasting a lot of taxpayer money.”
The findings of squandered money will be given to Cuomo’s newly created Spending and Government Efficiency Commission (SAGE), which is charged with overhauling and streamlining state agencies for the first time since Gov. Al Smith did it in 1928.
Glaser said the state would soon name a “chief procurement officer” responsible for overseeing and coordinating all purchases.
Meanwhile, in another effort to cut costs, Cuomo has unleashed what aides call “SWAT teams” that are seeking to renegotiate existing contracts with some of the state’s largest vendors.
The effort is expected to result in $600 million in savings over the next five years.
(Source: NY Post)
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10 Responses
SHOCKING????
If you are so naive as to so easily shocked, perhaps there are a few bridges over the East River I could sell you?
About time someone took charge of wasting our money, maybe we can get Coumo to look into the Town of Ramapo and the wasting of millions on a baseball stadium no one wants
how about punishing them for wasting our money the way they punish us for not “paying our fair share”
That’s the way to decrease the deficit-not by taxing the rich.
This is a HUGE problem in big government. Heads should roll & the people responsible for such negligence with our tax dollar should be arrested & jailed.
I hope the Governor doesn’t announce the start of a new state agency (new salaries new office space new budget etc) to oversee government waste but rather let the commissioners of each department know that they will be criminally prosecuted if such levels of waste are discovered under their watch without a rock solid good excuse.
Btw-the city should do the same thing
Feds should follow suit
“They found a state agency paying $3.14 per dozen for medium-tip, blue-ink ballpoint pens, while another state agency paid $8.93 for the exact same product.”
“We buy $3 billion worth of stuff every year and we are the size of a Walmart,”
I just ordered 1 dozen Bic medium point blue pens from Walmart and paid $2.62 (includes tax and shipping). I wouldnt be too proud of the agency that paid $3.14 either.
Even $106.32 an hour for data entry is outrageous. Civil service employees with generous pensions would cost much less. Why this corporate welfare?
#2 I’m wondering why you are care about a project that will increase town revenue but you dont care that the ERCSD spends 1.1 milion a year for a landscaping co. to cut the grass for the 11 school buildings while they have hundreds of custodiens sitting around doing nothing.
No surprise here — I hope he’s successful at cutting some of this stuff! As a former city employee, I definitely second #5 — the city could use a good shakedown in this area!