UPDATED, 9:42 a.m., to correct an error by the Democrats. Ron Crane was taken to task for sloppy accounting on bond rating trips, not rafting trips.
And now it's a culture of, if not corruption, then it's at least a culture of "arrogance and entitlement."
So says an Idaho Democratic Party official in another news release blasting state Treasurer Ron Crane.
In a recent report, legislative auditors criticized Crane for lax accounting of office expenses, and spending that exceeded Crane's statutory scope. Earlier this week, House members put a bill on hold that would have given Crane's office jurisdiction over a series of financial literacy seminars. The bill, scheduled for a House vote, was yanked back to committee.
Said Shelley Landry, the Democrats' executive director: “It’s odd that the treasurer is trying to grow government and expand his powers at a time when most agencies are being asked to reduce their functions and tighten their belts. While the findings of this report aren’t illegal, they highlight, once again, the culture of arrogance and entitlement that has infected the leadership within the Republican Party. Idahoans must have complete confidence in the elected official in charge of their money. Ron Crane inspires no such confidence.”
Earlier this session, state party chair Larry Grant accused the GOP of nurturing a "culture of corruption," which prompted Republican House Speaker Lawerence Denney to threaten to withhold support of legislative ethics reform.
The Democrats corrected their news release Friday. Originally, the Democrats accused Crane of failing to account for expenses on rafting trips. Auditors criticized Crane’s accounting during annual trips to New York City to review Idaho’s bond rating.
Here is the Democrats' corrected news release in full:
As Idahoans cut back during the recession, State Treasurer Ron Crane was living the high-life using state funds to pay for New York City limousines to haul family members of his staff, to pay for driving himself to work, and to pay for a pet program outside the purview of his office. Amidst these revelations, Crane has had the audacity to ask the Legislature to grant him even more power.
Crane is yet another example of a GOP culture that treats the state as a personal piggy bank and shows contempt for tax-paying Idahoans.
The Management Report for the Office of the State Treasurer has highlighted several areas where Republican State Treasurer Ron Crane has failed Idahoans. News that family members of his staff used state paid limousines during trips to New York City and Crane’s failure to track commuting expenses to work are not his only problem areas.
The audit noted that Crane has not used the State reporting system to track expenses for annual rafting trips. Also, Crane’s daily commuting expenses, discovered by reporters in January, have amounted to $8000 in un-authorized spending. And, his office has directed staff-time and $10,000 a year to an annual program not covered in statute, Crane’s non-profit company called the Idaho Women’s Money Conference, Inc.
Despite the troubling audit and a lack of institutional control, Crane is pushing to have new programs added to his purview.
Shelley Landry, Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party said, “It’s odd that the Treasurer is trying to grow government and expand his powers at a time when most agencies are being asked to reduce their functions and tighten their belts.
While the findings of this report aren’t illegal, they highlight, once again, the culture of arrogance and entitlement that has infected the leadership within the Republican Party. Idahoans must have complete confidence in the elected official in charge of their money. Ron Crane inspires no such confidence.”
Get Twitter updates on my blog and column and Statesman editorials. Become a follower. You can also get updates on Facebook's Idaho Statesman Opinion Page.
Delicious
Digg
Yahoo
Crane
Dear House, do NOT extend Crane's careless authority.
Taxpayer payments were made to the Smart Women Smart Money Conference- an organization run by employees of the Treasurer's office. Ya think it's on employee's paid time?
Crane founded this as his pet organization.
Their reporting to the IRS is TERRIBLE- they lumped all their expenses into ONE expense category of "Conventions". Over 100 thousand in revenue and all of it, plus more, subtracted as 1 expense account. Wrong! So the question is how much money is paid to The Grove for the event? How much is paid to guest speakers? There is no 'accounting' by the organization other than "we spent it all on the conference" and they show negative "net income" for year 2007- there's fiscal responsibility for you. Based on the accountability shown so far, the conference might be paying for personal Crane expenses,,,, who knows?
The tax returns for the organization are signed by people other than officers of the organization despite the line thats says, Officer's Signature.
KR, before you complete your editorial I think you will find A LOT of material by reviewing those tax docu ments. Available to you if you ask.
THIS is another example of what the state's Treasurer does for recordkeeping and cronyism.
The conference is HIS baby and the baby stinks!
***
The guy has an associates degree (in what?). It's nice that a professional education is not a requirement of the job to manage 3BILLION dollars- hence he doesn't know anything about business recordkeeping. Any moron can be elected-
It is all evidence that his "Alarm business" doesn't qualify Crane to run a large division of the state.
I'm surprised the media has not roasted this guy already!
Case in point: Even our
Case in point: Even our State Comptroller doesn't have a CPA license, but she happens to be a republican. Maybe its time to make some of these offices Non-partisan, so we can get qualified people elected.
Compared to Oregon
Acting Controller for Oregon, from their site:
Joy Sebastian has academic experience having spent her first year in Oregon as an accounting instructor for Oregon State University and Western Oregon University. More recently she taught a Forensic Examination course at Willamette University in Salem. Joy earned a Master of Accounting degree from George Washington University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland.
***
Idaho's Controller spent 12 years in the Legislature and led the infamous House Rev/Tax Committee. Plus she and her husband owned an auto parts store in a little Idaho town and for 3 years they had 2 of them there stores. Right on! Those kinds of stores needed some receipts!
And then she was a realtor. Realtors in Idaho *must* know lots of 'business stuff' like making expense reports--So there...take that Oregon. :-)
Not to stray from the topic of Treasurer, but the two are VERY much alike - in their job responsibilities and in their apparent 'experience' for their job.
HISTORY
Jones ran against Royce Chigbrow, in 2006, to win her current elected post. Chigbrow, chigbrow,,,, why does that name sound familar?
I guess that (chigbrow) proves just because someone has a professional education and a related license, it doesnt equate to doing a good job in government either.
P2,
thanks! This BS has to stop with all of these people.
Finance
The Dept of Finance was also a sponsor of the SWSM Conference.
Taxpayer money?
http://finance.idaho.gov/PR/2011/PressRel_SmartWom_9-30-11.pdf
Odd the Dept of Finance is against fraud and scams- their motto ought to be "do your homework before investing"- and yet they 'invest' in someone like Crane - and his terrible financial recordkeeping.
I am not defending Crane's
sleazy actions, but no where in the Legislative Audit could I find anything mentioning whitewater rafting. If the Dems are interpreting, "bond rating trips," as whitewater rafting trips, then yes, our education system does need a major overhaul. Perhaps with real teachers back in the class rooms.
Culture of corruption?
Does the Republican party, and in particular the elite Republican leadership, rule the Statehouse amid a culture of corruption? That is a fuzzy gray area subject to partisan definition and interpretation. What the citizens of Idaho can clearly see is a long list of specific events and conduct by many different Republican party members that clearly challenge the definition of good conduct. Idaho citizens of all party lines must step forward and demand that government officials be held accountable. We need to stop the madness. Legislators need to step forward and join the outcry. Come on now. We know a few of you still have an ethical soul and willingness to work for the citizens you are sworn to represent. Speak up and speak out. We're all here to listen.
from Friday's editorial
Crane’s response: “The treasurer’s office has sponsored the ‘Smart Women, Smart Money’ conference for 12 years and never has a question been raised about our support for this program.”
***
Ha! LOSER!
It could have been, "in hind sight that's not a good idea. And we shouldn't be doing it..."
Instead his defense is, "we've been doing it for 12 years."
Hey Crane, ya dummy, no one recognized the fact you were using taxpayer money at your own personal discretion.
You obviously don't get it.
***
Crane, you must have trouble counting.
From YOUR own STATE website:
"The Idaho Women’s Financial Conference, also referred to as “Smart Women, Smart Money”, was established in 2002 by the Idaho State Treasurer’s Office
2002 to 2011-- that is not 12 years as quoted here.
***
The conference would do well to separate itself from Crane and Crane's office employees.
Crane
Until the past few months I have felt Crane was a good public servent. Now I realize that even he has adopted the GOP philosophy in this state that he is untouchable and more a party man than a fair public servent. People...it is time to remember that a one party state is not healthy. The only way to stop things like Crane over reaching and Denny and Samanko playing politics is to ensure we have balance. The Dems must have a voice in this state.
Arrogance and Entitlements....that sounds like the
Democrat Party to me....
That describes them to a T....
Ugly, apparently you still have not upgraded your choice of beer
Try home brewing. You'll love doing it and you'll actually have a better outlook on life. I bet you'd even stop making inane statements like the one above!
"No his mind is not for rent, to any god or government." Neil Peart
Boisepoet....maybe you are
correct? Im still stuck on Bud-lite and Oly....
A friend of mine, that is a Journalist, has invited me to a Home Brewing club here in Pocatello....maybe Ill see the Light?
Correction still says
Correction still says rafting trips.
Bytheway
Indeed it does. This is the corrected version. Looks like the Democrats corrected one mention and not the second.
Kevin Richert
editorial page editor
sure
rafting trips are always more fun than rating trips.
Co-opt Landry
Since Crane seems not to enjoy traveling alone on these rating trips, perhaps he could invite Ms. Landry to accompany him on the next one. That way she can find out for herself whether a limousine is simply a pretentious luxury or a practical mode of transportation from the JFK airport; whether there are any rafting opportunities in lower Manhattan. Of course, she will have to pay her own way since she's not a legislator.
I'm not defending Crane's casual handling of public funds, but I thought this press release had all the usual characteristics of a party hack piece. Been there and done that myself in the past, so much so that Governor Andrus once put me on his mailing list and invited me to special media events. What a clever guy he was! I would say Ms. Landry has at least earned a seat at the next Idaho Women's Money Conference. :-)