cutthemdown
07-12-2011, 12:46 AM
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dwp-audit-20110712,0,4781686.story?track=rss
California could lose tens of millions of dollars in job-creating federal stimulus money for home weatherization projects because the state and several local agencies including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have failed to perform as promised, according to an audit released Monday.
Two years ago, California was awarded nearly $186 million to help low-income homeowners make their houses more energy-efficient. But as of April 30, the state had spent $68 million, the audit found.
California State Auditor Elaine Howle, whose office conducted the review, warned that California could be forced to forfeit more than $37 million early next year if it doesn't quickly pick up the pace of distributing grants.
Howle blamed a host of factors for California's sluggish spending of the federal money, part of a $5-billion economic recovery allocation approved in 2009 to put people to work insulating attics, weather-sealing windows and making other energy-saving improvements on nearly 590,000 homes nationwide.
The state agency charged with allocating the money to local governments and utilities was slow to award the contracts and establish standards for the type of improvements that were to be made, Howle said. That resulted in less work than intended being done on some homes, the audit found. Moreover, some cities given grant money fell behind in approving projects.
The audit pointed to a dismal record in several cities, including San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles. San Francisco spent about $87,000 as of April 30, but had not weatherized a single home. Neither had Oakland, which had spent $228,000.
In Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power had planned to weatherize 806 homes by April 30, according to the audit. But despite spending $2 million, it had weatherized 78 homes.
And we wonder why it didn't create jobs. How do you spend 2 million but not weatherize any homes. 806 homes? Might as well just give them the 2 million you spent and did nothing with. Crazy!
California could lose tens of millions of dollars in job-creating federal stimulus money for home weatherization projects because the state and several local agencies including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have failed to perform as promised, according to an audit released Monday.
Two years ago, California was awarded nearly $186 million to help low-income homeowners make their houses more energy-efficient. But as of April 30, the state had spent $68 million, the audit found.
California State Auditor Elaine Howle, whose office conducted the review, warned that California could be forced to forfeit more than $37 million early next year if it doesn't quickly pick up the pace of distributing grants.
Howle blamed a host of factors for California's sluggish spending of the federal money, part of a $5-billion economic recovery allocation approved in 2009 to put people to work insulating attics, weather-sealing windows and making other energy-saving improvements on nearly 590,000 homes nationwide.
The state agency charged with allocating the money to local governments and utilities was slow to award the contracts and establish standards for the type of improvements that were to be made, Howle said. That resulted in less work than intended being done on some homes, the audit found. Moreover, some cities given grant money fell behind in approving projects.
The audit pointed to a dismal record in several cities, including San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles. San Francisco spent about $87,000 as of April 30, but had not weatherized a single home. Neither had Oakland, which had spent $228,000.
In Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power had planned to weatherize 806 homes by April 30, according to the audit. But despite spending $2 million, it had weatherized 78 homes.
And we wonder why it didn't create jobs. How do you spend 2 million but not weatherize any homes. 806 homes? Might as well just give them the 2 million you spent and did nothing with. Crazy!