The Tom Daly Experience. The Longer You Look, The Worse It Gets
UPDATE: FYI, our document request only extended back to 2005. Any retainer payments to GFR in 2004 are not included in the spreadsheet, below.
– GC
Yesterday we reported on the dubious contract between Tom Daly’s County Clerk office and a Republican PR man and campaign agent, Brett Barbre, that put a cool $48,000 in Barbre’s pocket, and produced no evident accomplishment. We also learned that Mr. B was not only a political supporter of Daly, but a big contributor, too – to the tune of one thousand bucks.
Today’s revelation is just as startling. Starting in the summer 2004 Daly made an agreement with an operation called Government Finance Research from Rocklin, CA, and it’s principle consultant, Peter A. Lauwerys, for a retainer deal that would cost the County $1695 per month, each and every month with special projects billed separately. Consider the implications: over twenty grand a year to some sort of research firm in order to do….well, nothing.
In the documents provided to us through our request for “all activity status reports” and “lists of work completed,” we have identified two principal GRS project proposals: one was to do a “push” survey to support Daly’s desire to expand his empire by opening satellite offices. The survey project as outlined in a September 2004 proposal would cost $16,200. Apparently that project was not finished per the original contract because in January 2005 Mr. Lauwerys proposed a nine-week extension that would cost the County another $14,000 – a whopping 86% increase. The survey was finally produced in April 2005 – a meager twenty-two page double-spaced report, including tables, plus photos and appendices.
One year and twelve more retainer payments later, in June, 2006 Lauwerys submitted a second proposal: $15,800 to “prepare and complete” the California County Recorder Association’s Statistical Report for 2006, a job that Daly apparently decided to take over from the County of Riverside. Why the County of Orange and not the Association paid for this “report” is unknown.
Finally in November, 2007 and another year and a half of retainer payments later, GFR did some sort of analysis of the benefits of “outsourcing” data entry clerks and found a savings. We do not know if Daly implemented the recommendation contained therein.
Since then two more years of monthly retainer payments have been made by the taxpayers of Orange County to the lucky boys at GFR.
The County’s invoice and billing records pertaining to GFR appear to be incomplete and somewhat confused. But one thing is perfectly clear: GFR has been receiving a monthly retainer of $1700 a month for over five years, and counting. The latest check was cut on January 15, 2010, so presumably the GFR spigot has not been turned off. Not yet, anyway.
The total payout to this operation to date has been $113,810, including the 2006 California Recorders Association project. But the billing for the original satellite office survey contract and its extension in 2004 and early 2005 seems not to have been included in the material that we received; that total was $30,200, as proposed.
Of course we question the utility of these projects as even necessary; Daly’s die-hard devotees would probably disagree. However what appears to be incontrovertible is the evidence of a complete and frivolous waste of public funds in the retainer payout to a Sacramento area firm to essentially do nothing – for over five years.
As with the Barbre contract we ask: what was the consultant selection process? Was this a no-bid arrangement? What are GFR’s unique qualifications that justify a retainer agreement, and for that matter, what are the Clerk/Recorder’s needs that justify it?
Maybe one of Daly’s supporters who have been pitching his fiscal conservatism can help us out here.
Busted!
Don’t forget that Barbre was also running Renee Ramirez aborted campaign for Clerk Recorder.
And why did Daly hire a reporter to run the archices when she had zero experience as a curator?
One bad deal could just be a coincidence. But the second payout for over $100,000 makes it criminal.
This consultant was paid to do a poll. Basically Daly used the taxpayers money to see if opening other offices could boost the ID of the Clark/Recorder. No mystery as to why he would do that but it is a total violation of his duty to us.
The questions that need to be answered are:
What relationship did Daly have to this firm/person prior to the contract?
Why does the county need someone on permanent retainer? Are we in competition with some other agency that could create a conflict preventing us from hiring this firm if we needed their services?
Who authorized Daly’s office to spend money doing a survey for a trade organization?
The DA needs to investigate this now!
2 Who Passed $12,000 to Campaigns From Phony FBI Firm Deny Knowing of Operation
September 01, 1988|RICHARD C. PADDOCK and DAN MORAIN , Times Staff Writers
SACRAMENTO — An FBI dummy corporation funneled nearly $12,000 in campaign contributions to Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and two others through a pair of intermediaries who said Wednesday they were unaware they were participating in a federal sting operation.
Peter Lauwerys, director of a Sacramento consulting firm called Northern California Research Associates, said he wrote checks to Brown, Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles) and her aide, Tyrone Netters, at the direction of Darryl Freeman, a lobbyist for a bogus company set up by the FBI.
Sorry to post twice in a row but after eading the letter from the consultant something does not seem right about the amount. For reasons that just look fishy to me the amount comes in right under $1,700.00.
Maybe the amount is just a strange coincidence but who charges $113.33 per hour? Answer: No one. Hourly billing over $100 per hour (and virtually every circumstance under) is pretty universally set on the dollar and more likely every 5th dollar. $115 per hour wouldn’t have caught my attention in other words.
Is there some issue with Daly’s budget or authority that changes if a payout is over $1700? Just curious.
Hollis, I thought a lot about the odd number, too. That weird figure was on the proposal. Of course nobody wants to receive invoices with cents on it – in fact the County probably has a rule about that; the final agreement was for $1695 per month – still suspiciously close to the rather peculiar $1700 mark. Maybe some anonymous County contracts employee can explain if the $1700 payout is some sort of threshold.
I also note that the GFR proposal was accepted virtually as presented – no negotiation seems to have occurred at all. Hmm.
But of course the main issue is what was the real purpose of putting a firm like that on retainer in the first place.
Board of Supervisors how can you guys let Tom Daly spend taxpayers money without justifications.
Tom Daly a career politician!
Does anyone know if Peter Lauwerys ever donated to Tom Daly campaign?
Mr Morales, the Supervisors have recieved plenty of complaints about Tom Daly. The supes say they can’t do anything about it because he is an elected official. I guess it’s up to the voters to hold him accountable.
Maybe $113/hr is the industry standard rate for thumb-twittling.
What?
Thanks for the info. This is incredible that an elected official can spend our taxpayers money for these that I just don’t understand.
I’m going to rally the troops in Fullerton and La Habra to support and vote for Mr. Nguyen.
It sucks we are still pulling up dirt on the guy out of the race when Harry and Lorri have so much shit on them we need to be looking for:
Eli Home, Personal loans of $100K, Taormina Disposal
Kids in OUSD when you claim to live in the 4th?, CARPETBAGGING, Harry’s speech writer, purchasing furniture from yourself, 5 elections in 8 years…oh we have covered all of these–GOOD WORK FFFF.
We must find more on these two phony idiots.
Tom Daly I will never support you again!
I can’t believed my wife and I supported you.
I will be supporting Shawn Nelson for 4th District Supervisor Race!
I wonder how many more layers there are to this onion? Daly sure does an excellent job of squandering taxpayer money.
who does Pam and Sharon support now???? there is no way they can seriously support Lorri, she doesn’t live in the 4th dist and they both know that.
if they try and support her then they think we are stupid and i will not support them again.
they should just stay out of it.
Hi Allan Bartlett,
I’m a long time fullerton resident. I don’t understand why the O.C. Register is not investigating this matter.
Do any of you have connections with the media?
This type of behavior from Tom Daly is unacceptable.
I know some past and present people at the Register, but I’m not the one that gets to write their stories. It does seem like they don’t care about this stuff. This is the beautiful thing about blogs and being a citizen journalist. If we don’t report on this stuff, the story doesn’t get told.
The OC Register has gone to the shit at the bottom of the ink barrel.
Tony, call me. I got what you need and it ain’t no weed. Its all about Daly’s greed.
I ain’t no Haiku, I know.
someone should be looking into the serial candidate’s website at http://www.joinharry.com/, he has so many misleading endorsements here including Norby and Lincoln Club.
this guy is such a fake, and chair janet nguyen will look like an idiot with her support of a fake.
Already did that, here:
http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2009/better-tighten-it-up-harry/
why doesn’t the OC TAXPAYERS ASSOC, Demand the Grand Jury to look at this?
would normally be all over this, but since she is close personal friends of Bret Barbre so don’t expect anything from her.
The newspapers seem to have lost their way.
Hey #21, they won’t report on Dick Jones assault of a police officer, no reason to look into misfeasance.
CROSS POSTED FROM THE OJ BLOG:
Tony, Art, Sean and contributors;
They are right the OLD MEDIA (OC REGISTER) is dead. How is it that your sluething uncovers this? Thanks for the public service. YOU GUYS ARE IT!
Bush, it occours to me that those bitching the loudest about your resposible door knocking, have the most to lose. Defenders of these practices need to be examined as well.
GOOD WORK MAN!
😉
On red county I read that daly is a clerk-hero and bushala is a terrorist. Is that true?
The sound… of sirens.
Red County is a sham and I’ll lay it out soon.
I very much look forward to reading your post Christian, harpoon that a-hole Jerbal, the only blogger at Mauve County that’s not a sham is Allan Bartlett.
I heard to tha Jon Dumitru was thinking about running against Tom Daly.
Another elected official looking for a job. This guy is a big crazy fool. He has absolutely no experience.
I dont know who would be worst Tom Daly or Jon Dumitru.
I’m so tired of politician. May god help us all!
nice work guys. But I dont understand why the Board of Supervisors cant do anything. Dont they control the Clerk Recorders budget? arent they supposed to approve large contracts over $100,000? Are you saying Daly keeps renewing this guys contract and the County keeps paying him. Isnt the Auditor controller in charge of the writing the checks?
I have always known the bad in Tom Daly. I am just glad now the public has a chance to know.
This is not even close to half of the doings of Thomas Francis Daly.
Got into this blog when looking for info. on Peter Lauwerys. I have litigation with counties other than Orange regarding reports he has written. I would appreciate any information which any of you have aboout him. Appears to haave done much work for many counties justifying fee increases. What you guys re doing a la Daly is interesting and amazing.
Don – e-mail: don@donricketts.com
It is THEFT to steal from others.
Is this not what “THEY” do?
When they kidnap you out of the safety of your vehicle so they can via a monopoly on violence coerce you involuntarily into allowing them to steal from you.
So their brood of parasites might live off the fat of your family for theirs.
ITS THEFT!
IT IS ILLEGAL TAXATION.
ITS A CRIME & ONE DAY THOSE GUILTY WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
YOU ARE WARNED.