Prince George's County Executive Aids Friends (Comment)

Comparisons between the contracting practices of the Jack Johnson and Wayne Curry administrations are enivitable and serve to prove one basic point: Johnson awards consulting contracts to folks who admittedly possess no experience or expertise, while Curry made sure consultants had the knowledge and skills to fulfil their contract responsibilities. In the case of Currys friend, Linda Botts, the lady had years of supervisory and managerial government experience in social services and welfare related matters. So when the welfare to work initiative was created she retired from County government with a full pension and went into business. Last time I checked Ms. Botts company had been awarded similar contracts throughout the United States for a whole lot of $$$. Not bad for the friend of a local politician. And in the case of that other Curry friend, William Miller, I believe he was the former federal inspector general IG who Curry enticed to work for the County by offering him a significant pay cut. IGs are responsible for the auditing and investigation of massive programs to detect fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, and to promote efficiencies and economies in goverment. So when Curry asked Miller to monitor the countys huge school construction inititiatve, it was been there, done that. And theres another telling distinction between Johnson and Curry contracting practices: Curry required--and received--significantly detailled and regular consultant reports. In the case of the Johnson administration, however, the standard seems to be: Dont write a report if there is nothing to say.

By pgdave | Aug 10, 2006 9:21:58 AM

Prince George's County Executive Aids Friends (Comment)

Gee. Remember Wayne Curry, the millionaire former county executive that preceded Jack Son of Wayne Johnson in office? Both men have brought tremendous shame on the nations wealthiest, majority black county. Under Curry, Linda Botts quit her $99,000 a year job with Curry to form a brand new company and voila! Two days later she received a $65,000 contract from Curry. And then there was William D. Miller II, who had a PG salary of $116 K / yr. and within 3 days of quitting that job he magically received a 1/2 million dollar contract non-competed from Curry. Then, of course, there is the fact that only Friends of Wayne FOW i.e., campaign donors were able to get lucrative contracts building and guarding FedEx field. Space prohibits listing all of Currys insider dealings, but they were extensive. One final shot: Both Wayne Curry and Jack Johnson have inexplicably insisted that one of the most controversial, divisive, insider-dealing, backbiting politicos from PG be PGs representative on the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Yes, sports fans, I am referring to the unsinkable but NOT incorruptible Juanita Miller. Among other things, in 2004 Curry/Johnson protege Juanita Miller helped bring WSSC rate payers within days of a boiled water alert because she refused to let a non-minority owned firm supply a critical purification chemical to WSSC. If these small samples constitute good government then I can do without it. I cant imagine why anyone, black or white, would have voted for Jack Johnson or for Wayne Curry.

By tim | Aug 9, 2006 6:03:28 PM |