Money Does Not Grow on Trees, Dear Forrest

The head of the executive branch of any functional and successful agency must be an example for his subordinates to emulate. That issue of fiscal discipline in St. Mary’s County is apparently still on the backburner in the minds of high public officials was evident last Tuesday by an extravagant request made by the chief executive of the County Government, George Forrest. The justification presented for an atrocious amount of money and the manner in which it was presented were equally reprehensible. Forrest replied “WAG” when Commissioner Dan Raley (D. Great Mills) asked him how he had arrived at the figure of $30,000 for spending in the few remainder weeks of fiscal 2006. Commissioner Raley could not believe what he heard and asked Forrest again, and the County Administrator replied again “WAG.” Most who speak everyday American English know quite well that WAG is short for Wild Ass Guess. If the County Administrator is going to make requests based on wild ass guesses, rather brazenly in full view of the citizens of the county, what could one expect from the rest of his flock of bureaucrats?

Forrest and his family have lived in this County long enough to know that St. Mary’s is at this point of time the least richest among the three counties that form Southern Maryland. As of 1999, its per capita income was 22,622, much lower than Forrest’s grandiose request. But even if it was the richest, taxpayers monies are not meant to be thrown out of the window. People in St. Mary’s do not grow dollars on their trees, dear Forrest. The majority earn it through sweat and tears, not through inheritance.

Even the Forrest’s staunchest supporter, Tommy McKay (R. Hollywood), was taken aback when Forrest used terms such as grandiosity of the occasions to justify his request of an additional $30,000. This huge amount interestingly was not meant for an entire year, but just the remainder of weeks of fiscal 2006. This request, spine chilling to say the least, was a monumental example of wasteful expenditure.

The exact wording of Forrest’s request to the commissioners was “To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment transferring $30,000 from the Commissioner’s Emergency Appropriations Fund to Other Costs in the Public Information Office for remaining events in the FY06 budget cycle.”

It was heartening to note that the commissioners felt the proverbial something was rotten in the state of Denmark. No sooner than Forrest made the request, people watching television could see Kenny Dement (R. Piney Point) shake his head in the negative. Dement rightly pointed out just too many drinks and cookies are wasted at official events and demanded an end to wasteful expenditures. What is equally deplorable is that McKay did try to defend Forrest’s request and it is most likely that Forrest discussed the issue with McKay beforehand and put it on the commissioners table after getting McKay’s go-ahead.

That Forrest works most closely with McKay is an open secret and it’s possible he took his cue in making his wild ass guess request from McKay’s rather extravagant proposal to refund monies in the county treasury to property owners, rather than spend it on schools and roads. Like with Forrest’s request, all four commissioners found McKay’s wild whatever proposal rather irresponsible and squarely defeated it.

It’s hoped that Forrest would correct the wrongs in his fiscal thinking as he is supposed to set the agenda for other county officials. We strongly suggest that he begin his task of ending waste from the transport department as a former diligent worker of that department Mike Purvis had brought to his notice in writing some months ago. Forrest had sent an e-mail to Purvis that his complaints were being looked into and the taxpayers need to know what actions, if any, have been taken thus far.