Taxpayers Footing Erie County Worker Cell Phone Abuse

Cell phone audit finds county still wasteful

Erie County auditors have found that dozens of the government's almost 700 cell phones and wireless devices remain assigned to former employees; some current workers downloaded games and images onto their phones; and calls go out late at night and on weekends to numbers with no apparent link to county business.

The auditors also reported that some high-level officials have both a cell phone and a BlackBerry wireless device "when one should be sufficient" and that phones have been passed from worker to worker with such frequency that the government no longer has an accurate list of who holds its cell phones.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...11/1056996.asp

Does it ever end? Why in the hell do these folk need cell phones? At a time when the county is broke? Even if these phones are so badly needed, why in the hell don't they issue the simplest of simple cell phones, with no bells or whistles? This crap will never end, will it?

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Originally Posted by DR_GONZO

Cell phone audit finds county still wastefulErie County auditors have found that dozens of the government's almost 700 cell phones and wireless devices remain assigned to former employees; some current workers downloaded games and images onto their phones; and calls go out late at night and on weekends to numbers with no apparent link to county business.
The auditors also reported that some high-level officials have both a cell phone and a BlackBerry wireless device "when one should be sufficient" and that phones have been passed from worker to worker with such frequency that the government no longer has an accurate list of who holds its cell phones.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...11/1056996.asp
Does it ever end? Why in the hell do these folk need cell phones? At a time when the county is broke? Even if these phones are so badly needed, why in the hell don't they issue the simplest of simple cell phones, with no bells or whistles? This crap will never end, will it?

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Before Giambra became County Boss, the only cell phones in the County were the ones privately owned by County employees. It was his brainstorm to have these things so his guys could contact each other and not have to use the County Radio where all the riffraff could listen in.
Not only did his guys demand and get these phones, they also demanded to have special phone numbers, all together from XXX-1001 through XXX-9999 or whatever. That had to cost a bit extra! :mad:

The County Job
A guy goes to the Rath Building to apply for a job.
The interviewer asks him, “Have you been in the service?”
“Yes,” he says. “I was in Viet Nam for three years.”
The interviewer says, “That will give you extra points
toward employment,” and then asks, “Are you disabled in any way?”
The guy says, “Yes 100%, a mortar round exploded near me and blew my
testicles off.” The interviewer tells the guy, “OK, I can hire you
right now. The hours are from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. You can start
tomorrow. Come in at 10:00 A.M.”
The guy is puzzled and says, “If the hours are from
8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., then why do you want me to come in at 10:00A.M?”
“This is a government job,” the interviewer says.
“For the first two hours we sit around scratching our balls. No point
in you coming in for that.”

Thanks for the morning laugh. It was spread throughout work too.

You'll notice how fast the County Exec. & County Legislature acted to this 'Hot Potato'. They really care about reducing costs don't they? Yes, "The Beat" does go on! :confused: