Arlene Violet: Will Blazejewski Pass a Real Inspector General's Bill?

Arlene Violet: Will Blazejewski Pass a Real Inspector General's Bill?

Spurred on, most probably by Republican Candidate for Lieutenant Governor, John Loughlin, Speaker Christopher Blazejewski introduced legislation to create an Office of the Independent Inspector General. Many Republicans in the legislature, Independent Gubernatorial candidate Ken Block, and Danny-come-lately Governor Dan McKee support the creation of such an office. Speaker Blazejewski correctly noted in his announcement that the state will have to get by with far less federal support, so the margin of error for waste, abuse, and fraud is practically nonexistent. Of course, there should never be any countenancing of mismanagement of taxpayer dollars, regardless of the motivation.

Since Rhode Island often follows the adage that no good deed goes unpunished, Speaker Blazejewski was blasted with criticism. The Governor called for amendments that would extend the jurisdiction of the Inspector General to the legislature and judicial branch of government as well. At first blush, this seems to be a good idea since the legislature controls the purse and the judiciary has had problems in the past with its budget being used for the installation of a kitchen in the Supreme Court because the chief justice liked to cook. The proponents of such a consideration cite some states that have Inspector Generals with such power. Upon examination, however, those states have a very circumscribed authority since there is a genuine constitutional issue of separation of powers. Further, the focus of those Inspector Generals is often akimbo with their reports focusing on minutiae instead of genuine issues of fraud, abuse, and waste.

The launch of Rhode Island’s Inspector General is rightly focused on the executive branch. Washington Bridge deteriorated past the point of safety, and a Route 10 ramp fell onto an Amtrak rail line, which could have caused serious injury had a train been going by. A payroll system costing multi-millions of dollars sent out wrong tax forms with an employer named on the state workers 1099”s as another entity altogether, then got the amounts paid to the employees wrong, and finally ask the state employee to tell the system what they were paid(!), and now the state is being sued by four state employees in a class action for the expense and mental anguish of the working folk who were trying to get their taxes filed and tax refunds in a timely manner along with underpayments..

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Let’s not forget the fiscal fiasco during the Governor Gina Raimondo administration. Rhode Island’s UHIP program, designed to track those applying for public assistance and payments made, was still incomprehensible after paying outside consultant DELOITE more than $500 million dollars for this “tech” system and growing.  The “solution” was a 40-page paper application that required its applicants, many poor and undereducated, to fill out paperwork that perplexed lawyers. The program was rebranded, but problems continued unabated. In 2024, the personal data of at least 400,000 Rhode Islanders was hacked in this system, along with added costs to protect those whose information was stolen. UHIP was originally sold to the taxpayer as a $110-$135 million tech-savvy system that would save Rhode Islanders $90 million each year. Instead, its cost multiplied while the people who were supposed to get assistance twiddled their thumbs, awaiting payment.

Sadly, $11 million was paid to dead people. Governor McKee, nonetheless, extended the contract for 3 years, which will pay Deloitte another $150 million.

So, you, dear reader, get the point! There is enough work for the new Inspector General’s office to do with its focus on the executive branch and investigations into state and quasi-state agencies, as well as municipalities’ programs that utilize state funds. Whistleblowers will have protection, and the public can forward complaints.

If, in time, when that office gets its teeth into fraud, abuse, and waste, it might extend into other branches of government consistent with the legal development at that time on the separation of powers law. That office should not be sidetracked by a separation of powers litigation right off the bat.

Speaker Blazejewski has the clout to get this legislation passed with adequate funding. Short-sheeting that office of funds to do its job will be a telltale sign that its creation was a mere political ploy. Let’s, however, expect the best of the Bonafides of the Speaker. Time will tell!