Posts Archives - Page 7 of 28 - Checks and Balances Project

Watchdog Group: DeVos Alleged Tax Avoidance Scheme Could Fund School Nurses for 263,000 Children

2020-09-1

By registering their $40M, 164-foot “Seaquest” yacht in the Caymans, the DeVos family appears to save an estimated $2.4M in Michigan taxes annually that could fund more school nurses.

Checks and Balances Project Calls on NYC Oversight Officials to Probe Stonewalling by Mayor’s Office, City Agencies on Public Records of $47M Boondoggle

2020-05-26

The Mayor’s Office of Contract Services has spent eight months evading requests for emails from former Chief Procurement Officer Michael Owh concerning the origins of a multi-million-dollar contract with an inexperienced French technology company. Four years after the City awarded Ivalua a lucrative contract for eProcurement software, the system still doesn’t work as promised.

NYC’s “End-to-End” eProcurement Pipe Dream: $47M Later, City Still Uses 2 Vendor Management Systems

2020-04-28

There’s confusion that vendors have to use two systems, even after millions of taxpayer dollars were spent on a new system to address the problem. In a time of collapsing city revenues, taxpayers will understandably ask: Why?

NYC Vendor System Appears Mired in “Red Tape,” Delaying First Order of Medical Supplies to Address Pandemic

2020-04-1

Despite the pandemic making eProcurement software all the more important so New York City can purchase crucial supplies, the product New York City bought in 2016 still doesn’t work as promised.

NYC Mayor’s Office of Contract Services Continues Its Slow-Motion Response to Questions on $47M Tech Boondoggle

2020-03-19

Why would it take weeks – when MOCS has already had months – to run a search of one former employee’s email account with one term? What is the Mayor’s Office hiding?

Longtime PADS Co-Founder Exits Group, Bringing Departures and Critics Total to 10

2020-02-20

Since we started tracking defections from PADS, Dr. Robert Campbell’s name was removed from its website. He is no longer listed directly underneath the other PADS co-founder, Phillip Zweig.

New York City’s $47M Taxpayer Ripoff: A Cast of Characters & Timeline

2020-01-13

The Ivalua software still doesn’t work as promised. How did this boondoggle happen? Why are two City agencies involved so reluctant to release public records?

C&BP Calls Out NYC Procurement Chief Symon for a Pattern of Evasion in Gotham Gazette Letter

2020-01-9

We’ve requested public records from only two former employees of Symon’s agency but have repeatedly received automated emails that put off providing us with records due to the “complexity” of our request.

Gotham Gazette Op-Ed: C&BP Calls on NYC Officials to Investigate $47M Tech Boondoggle

2019-12-17

Since last summer, after receiving a tip, Checks and Balances Project has been looking into questions about New York City’s $30.5M contract with software company Ivalua to custom-build an eProcurement platform for some 40 city government agencies. Fast forward 16 months and the contract amount has risen to $47M while the city still doesn’t have… Read more »