Troubles leave payroll in doubt
Board chief said he was trying to make sure Economic Development Corp. workers got paid
By Dave Munday , Bo Petersen
MONCKS CORNER — It was not clear Friday whether employees of the financially struggling Berkeley-Dorchester Counties Economic Development Corp. got paid this week.
Board Chairman Levy Berry said Friday morning he was working to find the money, including making phone calls to federal offices in Atlanta. He did not return messages later in the day asking if he was successful.
Past stories
Deficit stymies EDC; Economic Development Corp. giving up control of Head Start program, published 08/22/08
EDC out of state money; Agency aids low-income citizens with energy bills, published 08/20/08
Head Start: Broke by October? Parents, board members upset with leadership, published 08/08/08
Head Start issues simmer, published 07/31/08
Head Start chief to vacate post, published 07/30/08
Deadline looms for Head Start, published 01/13/08
Agreement could be near on Head Start funds, published 01/22/08
"We're trying to get everything worked out," Levy said. "There's been a few glitches along the way."
The Economic Development Corp. uses state money to fix houses against weather problems and pay electric bills for low-income residents.
The corporation also manages federal money for Head Start, which provides preschool programs for about 1,650 low-income families in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.
Head Start can use federal money to make payroll. The situation was less certain for workers that rely on state money, since those grants have been spent.
Program managers were trying to find money to pay about two dozen workers Friday.
Julia-Ellen Davis, director of the Head Start and Early Start programs, said Thursday she was optimistic workers would be paid, but she also did not return phone calls late Friday.
The former executive director resigned last month, about a week before a state audit showed a $1.2 million deficit and questionable spending. The U.S. attorney's office and the FBI are investigating.
A new agency is set to take over the Head Start program by the end of the month.
Reach Dave Munday at 745-5862 or dmunday@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
lemonhead (anonymous) says...
why dont they just get the money ms gadner took and pay those employees
August 23, 2008 at 7:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Go get em Thomas
August 23, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zoomru (anonymous) says...
COCKROACH Speedway......
FBI AGENTS...We as taxpayer expect you..(YES..YOU!) to track down WHO sponsors these funds on a state and federal level. The sponsors are the ones who will be HANGED first !! I KNOW PERSONALLY what it means to accept funds from SPONSORS !! If I did this and OUR troops in Iraq didn't have BULLETS OR ARMOR or FOOD!! Wholly -COW !!!
"...The Economic Development Corp. uses state money.."
AND
".. The corporation also manages federal money for Head Start.."
G-MEN it is time for you to be the GASTAPO you really want to be !! Pin your ears back and we want impeachment proceedings against the state legislative BILL introducing Representative or Senator. On the federal side we want to see the head of some agency publicly flogged and sent to LEVENWORTH Federal Pen!!
THIS CRAP WILL STOP !!
WE .. ARE .. FED .. UP !!!
August 23, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zoomru (anonymous) says...
YOU mean to tell me that in this day and age of the internet that we can't see a daily update as to what has been spent ? WHO got paid ?? How much ? For what service? and by WHOM ??
MY ..BACKSIDE !!
Legislators.....WE WANT TRANSPARENCY ..NOW !!!! All taxpayers have a LEGAL right to KNOW...24/7 and 365 days a year !!!!
IT OUR FREAKIN' MONEY !!!
We taxpayers can raise the FIDUCIARY AMBER ALERT faster than any board or CPA !!!
WE DAMAND ACCOUNTABILITY ...NOW !!
You Ravenel'ers !!!
August 23, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
verbose1 (anonymous) says...
These are tough economic times to be worrying if one's employer is going to pay them.
It seems that not a day goes by without the P&C posting some story of corruption, fraud, and blatant waste in SC government. Now, Charleston County has a budget shortfall?! What are they doing with our money? It's not in our schools and it's not in bettering our communities (i.e., crime prevention).
Let's demand they publish an item-by-item accounting of spending so the public can scrutinize their spending.
Furthermore, the voters need to call their congresspeople to demand a state-wide audit of all government agencies. Alas, that too would cost money.
zoomru - yes, with the Internet, we Should be able to see a daily accounting of where OUR money is spent. Why isn't this available? Maybe because it would be too embarrassing and too 'costly' for incumbents fearful of not getting re-elected.
Johnq2 - sure, incompetence was built into the system, but much of that incompetence was elected.
What would it take to make public agencies that use taxpayer money provide accounting measures to the public? A petition? Lawyers? An act of a supreme being? What?
If constituents were able to view how the elected officials spent their money, they might tighten up their belt a bit.
August 24, 2008 at 10:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madeaboutit (anonymous) says...
I would like to express my feelings toward this matter. I was a former employee of BDEDC and I knew what went on there. Patsy Gardner (the idiot) thought she was better than any of her employees. She was unprofessional, ignorant and dumb...that's why she got caught. She thought she couldn't be touched. She only hired her church members and people that were related to her and paid them big salaries. I worked really hard at my job and never ever got compensated. I never got a raise, because there was always no money.
It's to bad she didn't care about the children in Headstart that really needed the services and the Senior citizens that were on fixed income who could not pay their electric bills, etc. Now we, know why people couldn't get help, because she and whomever else was taking the money using it for their own needs. ITS A SHAME!
SHE HAS TO PAY FOR THIS!
August 25, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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