More No-Bid Spending

November 11, 2012

Tuesday’s City Council agenda has another bunch of no-bid purchases totaling just short of 1.2 million dollars on it (item 12B).

These are primarily for computers and related equipment that the City wants to “refresh”. With all of the other expenses related to moving City Hall I would think that they could hold off on this for a while, but it is possible that getting new equipment at this point makes financial sense. I won’t get into that argument today,

I do want to talk about how they are doing it.

Once again they are using a buy-board without soliciting competitive bids. Why? Favoritism? Laziness? Arrogance? Some of each?

What they should do is request competitive bids and then make the buy-board offer one of those that are evaluated. If after evaluating the offers the buy-board offers the best value the City should then buy
from it. Remember that market conditions change and that we might get a better deal today then we got when the buy-board contract was negotiated. That is how the Federal e-rate program requires it to be done. The City, County, State, school districts and other governments should do it the right way too.

We deserve better.

Leave a Comment » | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District, Federal Government, Purchasing, State Government | Permalink
Posted by jcurrey

SPENDING OUR MONEY MORE WISELY

November 10, 2012

The State of Texas through it’s Department of Information Resources (DIR) operates what is commonly called a buy-board for technology devices and services.

Here is how it works. DIR starts by posting a notice that it would like to receive offers for a certain type of equipment (lets keep it non-technical and say they are looking for Chevrolet sedans). Companies respond with their offers. DIR negotiates prices and terms and ultimately enters a contract under which governmental entities can buy Chevrolet sedans for some percentage off of sticker price. They may also go through the same process for Cadillacs and Fords or other sedan brands.

Governmental entities then use this process to buy sedans instead of conducting competitive bidding to get the best value for themselves.

These contracts allow the entities to choose the brand and model that they want even though a fair competitive bidding process might provide better value for the taxpayers. The entity can choose Cadillacs instead of Chevrolets or Fords simply because they have a favorite brand or dealer.

This is not competitive bidding. It is often favoritism. If the entity would conduct the bid process fairly, receive bids, and then include a DIR offer in it’s analysis we could get much better value for our money. Circumstances change and many times the price a company will charge will be lowered, for example at the end of a model year or if sales are too slow. We should be smart buyers and get the beter price.

Why do they do this with our money? Probably sometimes because it allows them to use favoritism. Probably sometimes because it is easier and less transparent to use the buy-board. It is a way to eliminate competition.

It is legal in the State of Texas. It should be changed.

We deserve better than this.

Leave a Comment » | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District, State Government | Permalink
Posted by jcurrey

Parapraxia or I know what-u-R-thinking

November 9, 2012

Can u imagine telling your bosses they are “crazies” All you have to do is apologize and give them a second opinion: “you’re nuts”. Mr Robinson responded in a normal way and was insulted and for good reason. But this a reflection of how JW thinks. Ms Lilly responses were also interesting maybe adding a degree of validity to JW’s rant since she displayed a degree of Euphoria, e.g future is Rosy (a Billion dollar Debt I guess) and a recent memory deficit, “I’ve forgotten it”. It seems that between C N and J W all who disagree with their plans are crazies. Therefore I beseech you to think of what they consider best for your city; don’t worry about the downtown traffic, the small stadium, the homeless and losing baseball team, the Tax increases. Get Sane

2 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by M.T. Cicero

Marijuana Momentum

November 9, 2012

Voters in Colorado and Washington states passed measures to allow the recreational use of marijuana this Tuesday (Nov. 6, 2012).

Now evidently they expect a fight with the federal government since this would apparently be against federal law.  Based on the number of federal employees who make their living dealing with this, I suspect that indeed there will be a fight.

Putting aside the argument about whether marijuana should be legal or not, I do not see how this should be a federal issue.

States should be allowed to have their own policies on issues that are not clearly authorized to be federally controlled.

Possessing marijuana that you grow on your own property should not make it a commerce clause issue.  Maybe the federal people will use a different theory to justify their position.  Maybe they will rely on the commerce clause.  This issue is different from other commerce clause ones and will probably end up before the Supreme Court.

Leave a Comment » | Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by jcurrey

City Hall Relocation

November 8, 2012

On the City’s web site they tell us that relocating City Hall will cost about $33 million.  According to the site that includes acquiring different buildings and parking, Relocation Costs and Land Renovation (the cost to tear down the old city hall I presume).

You can see that here: http://home.elpasotexas.gov/relocation/

Today’s Times tells us that they are spending:

$11.8 million for 801 Texas Street

$13.7 million for the Luther Building (that is for renovation–Mr. Foster donated the building)

$11.5 million for the El Paso Times Building and parking lots

My adding machine totals those numbers to $37 million.  We still will need to pay for the Relocation Costs and Land Renovation.

It also appears that the emergency responder radio system is old and needs to be upgraded and expanded since we bought it way back in 2008.  The radio system is in City Hall and needs to be moved.  The purchase order for that item is $20,063,362.00.  Of course it was not bid out but was essentially sole sourced through a buy-board.  I seriously doubt that the 2008 system would be upgraded now if it did not need to be moved.

Those facts are here: www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/agenda/10-23-12/10231210B.pdf

The radio system will not show up in their capital figures since the City is leasing it over a 10 year period, but the cost of the lease will certainly show up in our taxes.

So now we are at $37 million plus $20 million and still have not paid relocation or tear down costs.

We are at $57 million and counting when they told us it would be $33 million.

This is not a complaint about the new ball park.  That to me is a separate issue and I am grateful  for what the Fosters and Hunts are doing.

It seems to me that the staff at the City is either lying or is not competent to figure out what this will cost.  Either way we deserve better.

1 Comment | Ball park, City government | Permalink
Posted by jcurrey

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