Righting the wrongs in Augusta one case at a time

By Rep. Joyce A. Fitzpatrick
    One of my most rewarding experiences as a state legislator during the last session was the opportunity to serve the people of Maine on the Government Oversight Committee. We were able to right a wrong that was costing those who use the Maine Turnpike millions of dollars. The corrective action followed an investigation by the tiny watchdog agency known as OPEGA – the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability.
    The price tag on the misuse of toll payer funds by the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) was staggering. Over a four-year span, management went on a wild spending spree, using corporate credit for parties, gifts and other inappropriate purposes. For years, all of this happened with little or no oversight or repercussions. A state government investigation revealed these facts:
    *MTA handed out more than $157,000 in gift certificates to hotels and restaurants.
    *MTA expended more than a quarter million dollars for employee recognition banquets, cookouts and other events.
    *MTA donated nearly half a million dollars to organizations that had no ties to the Authority’s mission.
    *MTA spent more than a million dollars under the category “Travel and Subsistence.”
    In all, OPEGA calculated the total amount of money spent inappropriately by the MTA at more than $2 million. This reckless spending spree occurred while state employees were enduring pay freezes and furlough days and while elected officials struggled to balance the budget every year. It is important to note that toll collectors and other MTA workers were not to blame for these excesses.
    Even more alarming is that for years the excesses of the MTA were no secret. They were widely known in Augusta and, at times, documented in news media reports. Yet, under Democratic leadership, nothing was done about it.
    All of that changed last year, when a newly elected Republican Legislature took over.
    Despite attempts by Democrats to weaken OPEGA’s authority, the panel uncovered the extent of the MTA’s abuse of toll payer dollars. Their findings led to the resignation of MTA director Paul Violette and an ongoing criminal investigation.
    Things are much different these days at the Turnpike Authority. In the wake of OPEGA’s findings, the Legislature passed a bill that includes numerous provisions to make the Authority accountable to the toll payers. Peter Mills, a former state legislator whose integrity is unquestioned on both sides of the political aisle, is now running the organization.
    Gone are the corporate credit cards for most of upper management. There are now provisions in place to remove an employee for gross misconduct. The length of terms for an MTA board member has been reduced from seven to six years. Five percent of the MTA’s operating revenue must be transferred to the Maine Department of Transportation. In addition, the Authority is required to submit detailed budgets of all spending to the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation.
    These changes were long overdue, but under the previous administration and the Democrat-controlled legislature, there was no will to question the MTA’s practices.
    The new Republican majority also led to an OPEGA investigation into the Maine Green Energy Alliance (MGEA) and its use of federal grant money. Among the findings of the investigation were that the now-defunct agency had weak oversight, leading to informal business practices that created a high risk for impropriety.
    Weeding out corruption and inefficiencies in Maine state government is no easy task, and it will not happen overnight. Nevertheless, under new Republican leadership, the Legislature is off to a very strong start.
    As we begin the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature, my Republican colleagues and I will continue to be on the lookout for misuse of taxpayer dollars, and we will strive to ensure that government programs are operating in the best interests of Maine people. State Rep. Joyce A. Fitzpatrick (R-Houlton) serves on the Government Oversight Committee and the Insurance and Financial Services Committee.