Mounting evidence that Mississippi needs more public accountability
Public officials have provided more evidence that state government needs a thorough auditing of its finances on an annual basis and of its performance on a regular basis.
On Wednesday, State Auditor Stacey Pickering released a performance audit of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (online at www.osa.ms.gov/documents/performance/DPS_final-01_15_2014.pdf).
In dueling press releases, here’s how the results of that audit were interpreted.
From the Department of Public Safety: “For the first time in the 75-year history of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Public Safety Commissioner Albert Santa Cruz requested the state auditor to conduct a multiyear performance audit of the Department of Public Safety. The audit, from fiscal year 2009 to the present, was delivered today and shows DPS has been in compliance with state laws and regulations.
“‘In an effort toward transparency, we wanted an audit to review our spending practices,’ Public Safety Commissioner Santa Cruz said. ‘We were confident we were adhering to proper procedures and were not afraid of scrutiny. The audit shows we have been and are compliant.'”
Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/01/18/5267638/sun-herald-editorial-mounting.html#storylink=cpy
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Magnolia Tribune
