[Vision2020] And we're going to buy a building off these folks?

[Rosemary Huskey]

This woman was a total piece of work.  I am hopeful that she will be
prosecuted for this mismanagement, although I confess I have no idea what
statute applies.  In the meanwhile, she seems to have hit the mark
throughout her tenure.

 

Bannister Complex Controversy

In a letter to Martha Johnson dated November 30, 2010, Missouri Senators Kit
Bond <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Bond>  and Claire McCaskill
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_McCaskill>  and Representative Emanuel
Cleaver <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Cleaver>  assert that GSA
Public Buildings Service employees failed to ensure and maintain a safe
working environment for employees and tenants at the Bannister Federal
Complex <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bannister_Federal_Complex>  in Kansas
City, Missouri <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri> . The
letter directed Martha Johnson to take the appropriate steps to identify
those responsible for the lax safety culture at the Bannister complex and
take the appropriate steps to hold those individuals accountable.[15]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson#cite_note-14> [16]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson#cite_note-15> 

The letter came after three weeks of phone calls and e-mails from NBC Action
News in Kansas City to GSA media contacts. Despite numerous requests from
NBC Action News for an interview with Martha Johnson regarding the health
concerns at the Bannister complex, Johnson failed to respond to the requests
for interviews. A Freedom of Information Act
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Information_Act>  (FOIA) request
turned up documents that indicated senior GSA officials knew of the health
concerns, including a list of more than 100 sick and dead former employees
of the complex; however, senior GSA officials originally denied knowledge of
the information.[17]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson#cite_note-16>  Emails later
obtained by NBC Action News proved that high level Public Buildings Service
officials had actually obtained the list of sick and dead former employees
three months before the NBC investigation began. In a later FOIA request
from NBC Action News, GSA also withheld a letter from the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources that was critical of the GSA's investigation
into contamination near a day care center at the Bannister complex. After
weeks of requests for interviews, Martha Johnson failed to comment on the
situation regarding GSA's withholding of information or the subsequent
Inspector General report that indicated GSA officials misled employees about
health concerns at the Bannister Complex.[18]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson#cite_note-17> 

Additional investigations revealed that GSA paid $234,000 to a Kansas City
public relations firm to manage negative publicity that GSA was receiving as
a result of mismanagement of the investigations into the Bannister complex.
As a result, Senator Claire McCaskill announced that she would launch an
investigation into the use of tax dollars used by federal agencies to hire
public relations consultants to "spin" their images. In a November 2010
letter to Martha Johnson, Senator McCaskill reminded GSA that "publicity
experts" cannot engage in "publicity and propaganda" unless authorized by
Congress and requested a detailed report of the government's use of these
services.[19] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson#cite_note-18>
[20] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson#cite_note-19> [21]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson#cite_note-20> [22]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson#cite_note-21> 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_N._Johnson

 

Rose Huskey

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Wayne Price
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2012 4:27 PM
To: Moscow Vision 2020
Subject: [Vision2020] And we're going to buy a building off these folks?

 


US agency chief quits after reports of lavish spending

 

Published April 02, 2012

| Associated Press

 

The head of the federal agency that oversees supplies, transportation and
office space for the federal government has resigned following reports of
lavish spending at a Nevada training conference in 2010.

Martha Johnson, who led the General Services Administration, has submitted
her resignation as the agency's inspector general prepares to release a
report on the training conference outside Las Vegas.

The Washington Post reports that organizers spent $835,000 on the event,
which was attended by 300 employees. Some of the expenses included $3,200
for a mind reader, $6,300 on a commemorative coin set and $75,000 on a
training exercise to build a bicycle.

 <http://www.foxnews.com/topics/us/white-house.htm#r_src=ramp> White House
chief of staff Jack Lew says the White House "acted quickly to determine who
was responsible for such a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars."

 

 

Like nancy Regan said: "JUST SAY NO"

Same agency that wants "local" taxing agencies to commit 10%
(non-refundable)  of the bid price and NOT tell the tax payers what the
building cost?

And note, not jailed, not fired, she "quit".

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20120402/9eee7748/attachment-0001.html>