Slippage on transit
News & Observer (North Carolina)
December 5, 2008
It's often difficult to tell just what's going on when the federal government produces an audit criticizing a local or state program and withholds money from it. Sometimes, it's a minor glitch, easily fixed. Other times it signals serious issues within the agency that's been getting the money.
North Carolinians can justifiably be concerned, however, about such a confrontation between the Federal Transit Administration and the state Department of Transportation. The federal agency gives grants for local governments to use on transportation programs to help elderly, disabled, poor and other citizens, most of them in rural areas.
Local agencies typically spend money and provide services, then apply for reimbursement from the state DOT. The money comes from federal grants. But federal officials have frozen $25 million that would have gone to DOT because they say the state hasn't been doing a management plan for federal money -- showing where the money goes and how it's spent.
DOT deputy secretary Roberto Canales, who also has been overseeing a DOT reorganization effort, says there's still grant money left over and nobody's been hurt yet. Further, Canales says federal regulations have changed and this is a matter of the state simply needing to adjust to new rules.
There's no question that the feds have a way of changing the rules and adding a little confusion in the mix. But the DOT unfortunately doesn't have the best track record when it comes to management efficiency.
The state Board of Transportation meets in the middle of this month. Perhaps Canales will have better news by then. Transit programs of the sort now hanging in the balance are too important for money that finances them to be allowed to fall through the cracks.
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$9,703,008,345,350.00
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$31,684.61 Per Citizen |
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