Audit: Tacoma Housing Authority misspent thousands of dollars
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TACOMA, Wash. -- A new report out of the State Auditor's Office hammers the Tacoma Housing Authority for spending tens of thousands of tax dollars on employee entertainment.
Auditor Troy Kelley's report concludes that managers at the housing authority inappropriately spent federal tax dollars on employee picnics, retreats and restaurant meals.
Those expenditures could have even been illegal, according to the report.
The agency, which is tasked with helping poor people find housing, spent nearly $40,000 on food, snacks and prizes for employees. That was money meant to be spent on housing programs, according to auditors.
Officials from the housing authority have come out against the report, insisting employee-recognition events and staff retreats are necessary for team building and training. Officials also say they reviewed state spending laws and came to the conclusion that managers did nothing wrong.
To help avoid problems in the future, agency officials agreed with a recommendation to draft a more explicit policy on using tax dollars for employee events.
Despite the report, Kelley said the housing authority will not be penalized for the spending.
Auditor Troy Kelley's report concludes that managers at the housing authority inappropriately spent federal tax dollars on employee picnics, retreats and restaurant meals.
Those expenditures could have even been illegal, according to the report.
The agency, which is tasked with helping poor people find housing, spent nearly $40,000 on food, snacks and prizes for employees. That was money meant to be spent on housing programs, according to auditors.
Officials from the housing authority have come out against the report, insisting employee-recognition events and staff retreats are necessary for team building and training. Officials also say they reviewed state spending laws and came to the conclusion that managers did nothing wrong.
To help avoid problems in the future, agency officials agreed with a recommendation to draft a more explicit policy on using tax dollars for employee events.
Despite the report, Kelley said the housing authority will not be penalized for the spending.
What kind of snacks and prizes were they buying? Caviar and flat screen t.v's?
I work for the state and we have retreats. Yes they are a time to regroup, and brainstorm. But I can tell you right now our retreat was held at a publicnpark, nice day we had fun, but work was on the table. We all brought our own lunch and we shared ideas, thoughts, what we were working on. We brainstormed, and when we took a break we shared personal stories if we wanted to, polked a bit of fun at each other, we laughed and relaxed in an environment without the phones. Cost ZIP, ZERO as I said we brought our own lunch and soda and our boss baked brownies and cookies for a treat. We should demand that the new attorney general enforce RCW 42.20.070
Yep - No surprise there. Â Misspent? Erm, no. Â That denotes the "Oops" factor when an honest mistake is made.
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 This was clearly misappropriation of public funds! Embezzlement:  "To appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use."
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Now that the housing authority has been exposed, enforce the law!
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According to RCW 42.20.070, in our state, any public official guilty of misappropriation, aka embezzlement of public funds has committed a class B felony and subject to not more than 15 years in prison.Â
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Why is someone NOT in jail if you or I took 40,000 we would be in jail and no one is even going to get a slap on the wrist
Line up the managers of the Tacoma Housing Authority and summarily fire every single one of them making an example with as big a splash as possible. Then charge them with thief and sentence them to a penitentiary for a long, long time. No if ands or butts, and no short or conditional sentencing. Â End of story. You screw with taxpayer's money particularly in these very tight economic times and you will pay with interest.Â
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Will such an outcome happen. Fat chance. yawn what is the next story?Â
What's the next outrage -- that the THA has the audacity to pay its employees more than minimum wage?
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I notice they don't tell us how many employees the $40,000 in a year covered -- probably because it would come to a couple hundred dollars per employee per year, if that, which just doesn't sound as scandalous as "THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!"
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So the compensation packages of THA employees includes snacks at company picnics. If that's the biggest "misuse" of tax dollars KOMO could come up with, we're in pretty good shape.
And to those who are saying this would be fine if it were a private company -- private companies who offer perks to their employees don't generally do it out of charity. They do it because treating workers well and maintaining morale is good business practice. If it's a good business practice for a private company, why wouldn't it be a good business practice for a public agency?
 @Laura Fleagle "If it's a good business practice for a private company, why wouldn't it be a good business practice for a public agency?'
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Ohh, ooh, teacher, Can I answer that? Oh, oh!
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Ah, a newbie. Welcome. I'll tell you why it's different. If a private company wishes to spends it's money on hookers and cocaine (as opposed to the Secret Service, I guess) that's up the shareholders and/or owners to approve or disapprove. When Government extracts money from the populace at gun point (no, not figuratively, LITERALLY), it has an obligation (call me old-fashioned) to not use it frivolously. I work for the Government and actually $40,000 is chump change compared to the economic horror shows I have witnessed first hand (think mandatory sensitivity training/ indoctrination at 4 hours OT X $45 per hour X a few thousand employees, for example) Upshot: Don't talk to the opposite gender. Could have done that in the memo.
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Next topic: Why Housing Authorities should be given even less money.
"Those expenditures could have even been illegal, according to the report." Who wants to bet me $20 that NOTHING at all will happen to these people? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Until we start standing up and demanding FULL ACCOUNTABILITY for our tax dollars FROM the ones spending/stealing them, nothing will ever change.
 @Harley-H.S.C. Right on.  These days, when public officials rob the tax payers, they hold a special election to increase our property taxes for more cash - it's about time we the people DEMAND public accounting of how our tax dollars are spent, including salaries of those public officials entrusted with the use of our money. Â
BULLCRAP. The managers SHOULD be punished ESPECIALLY if the waste of funds constitutes as an illegal offense. $40,000 could have helped quite a few people, as it was supposed to, yet it gets spent on entertainment for their employees. EFF THAT. Make them pay it back!
This wouldn't be a big deal if it were a private company. But since the T.H.A. is taxpayer funded, this is not responsible or even ethical.Â
gee... really? i'm shocked...
The state should be ashamed of themselves if this was the ONLY thing they could find that they felt was wrong.  And the agency has done very well as this is the only thing the auditors found⦠digging for dirt. $9000 a year for an entire departmentâs team and staff development is NOT a big expenditure.  Especially when you look at what that cost is per person. Companies of all types â and agencies are mini-companies -- need to build their teams and both personal and business type events do that.  What they get from their people is 200% back.
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Again -- shame on you state for even making this an issue. And double shame on the media for even putting this on the news.
 @Maria Marsala I have to assume you are either a Washington state politician or one of the many absolute clueless voters who keeps voting all the losers into office. It's people like you that put this state in the pathetic "state" we're in!
 @Maria Marsala Worried that you won't get your bonus next month? Sure sounds like it. If I had my way about it, none of them would have jobs. $9000 a year might not mean a lot to YOU, but to someone on "the list" waiting, and being denied over lack of money.........totally different story. YOU should be ashamed for even defending these idiots. Unless of course, you're one OF them.
@Maria Marsala SHAME ON YOU for defending the criminal actions of the Tacoma Housing Authority by wasting TAXPAYERS dollars on food and entertainment. How many families could that money have helped, as it was intended? You are a fool.
 @Maria Marsala http://www.actnowseminars.com/ And you claim to do financial adviser seminars, yet you're fine with wasting $40k of taxpayer's money on snacks when it should have gone to housing programs? I'd NEVER hire you to do one of your seminars, your advice is most likely terrible if you think this is okay.
 @Zoso @Maria Marsala  You must work for housing authority if you think this is no big deal. $40,000 that was suppose to be for the low income for housing. spent on food and prizes this department is a joke.
 @Maria Marsala This isn't a private company, this is taxpayer money. Yes, this is an issue. It isn't the taxpayers burden to give the Housing Authority employees a picnic, a retreat, or prizes.
 @Maria Marsala $9000? They inappropriately spent FORTY thousand dollars on snacks, food, and prizes for employees (who obviously had jobs and places to live) that could and SHOULD have gone to housing programs to help others who are not so fortunate. And here you are CHASTISING the state auditor's office for doing their jobs, instead of slamming the Tacoma Housing Authority for wasting federal tax money on freaking snacks. Wow.
 @Maria Marsala Wow! Thousands of tax payers' money misspent and you're saying shame on them? So do I assume you're willing to pay the difference?
Sheesh if these employees really need incentive to work. Maybe they should start an office pool for donations to be able to have those special treats. Stop taking the funds from what the poor could benefit from
I really am not surprised by this anymore considering how much this seems to be allowed these days.
Wait, an orgainization called "Tacoma Housing Authority" was wasteful in how it spent public money? No way to see that one coming. To the fainting couches, everyone!
Wow I recently emailed THA and asked what number I am on the wait list....after 10 months it is the same number. According to the email "there was no funding". Wow well they spent thousands on themselves, that's why! That's so upsetting and to make it worse, they are not being held responsible for it either.