Friends:
As distasteful as it was to report on a lying Florida Senator, the cases just keep on coming. Why Ron? Because it's a system rigged to favor one manufacturer, and increase commissions.
Why do they only want one manufacturer? Because Purchasing Cooperatives are essentially "Commissioned Salesmen", and get 2%-4% of the contract amount. They do not get paid to seek competitive pricing because that would mean less money for them. Understood? It's a SCAM., AND NOTHING MORE.
Type "School Roofing Scam" on YouTube, and you'll see what I mean.
U.S. Communities is one of the worst. Lying about Garland being competitive is hilarious, once you know the facts. Garland got their contract with U. S. Communities with 55 pages of BLANK DOCUMENTS. What on earth did they compare $0.00 to?
Here is a very recent case of schools getting ripped off by the scheme. "Predatory Sales Model" as I refer to them. On average, these Purchasing Cooperative "sole source" contracts cost the taxpayer approximately 50% MORE than competitive, open, and fair, bidding scenarios.
Very special thanks to those who had enough, and did something about it.
http://www.dailyitem.com/opinion/we-the-people-are-being-robbed/article_dcf39cc8-0feb-501b-8fbd-8cce1295060c.html
The Lewisburg School District continues to ignore the public.
As distasteful as it was to report on a lying Florida Senator, the cases just keep on coming. Why Ron? Because it's a system rigged to favor one manufacturer, and increase commissions.
Why do they only want one manufacturer? Because Purchasing Cooperatives are essentially "Commissioned Salesmen", and get 2%-4% of the contract amount. They do not get paid to seek competitive pricing because that would mean less money for them. Understood? It's a SCAM., AND NOTHING MORE.
Type "School Roofing Scam" on YouTube, and you'll see what I mean.
U.S. Communities is one of the worst. Lying about Garland being competitive is hilarious, once you know the facts. Garland got their contract with U. S. Communities with 55 pages of BLANK DOCUMENTS. What on earth did they compare $0.00 to?
Here is a very recent case of schools getting ripped off by the scheme. "Predatory Sales Model" as I refer to them. On average, these Purchasing Cooperative "sole source" contracts cost the taxpayer approximately 50% MORE than competitive, open, and fair, bidding scenarios.
Very special thanks to those who had enough, and did something about it.
http://www.dailyitem.com/opinion/we-the-people-are-being-robbed/article_dcf39cc8-0feb-501b-8fbd-8cce1295060c.html
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: We, The People are being robbed
A recent letter from Stacy Gasteiger (Dec. 22) about cronyism at the local level could not be more true.
The superintendent, the school board president, business manager will stop at nothing to be able to deal with the CSIU, KPN and Tremco of Ohio (who just used their other name of Weatherproofing Technologies) to mislead the voting public to get their project approved for the Linntown Elementary School roofing project.
To explain everything, the Lewisburg School District does not purchase anything from local business. The business manager has presented the roofing project four times since early spring. The original cost was $740,000. We requested they reconsider and they did stop the contract. Since then the price has fluctuated from $740,000 to $489,726 for the same project.
This is a project that could be done by any local tax paying contractor for less than $200,000.
I know this because we and other roofers are certified to do this type of work and we have been roofing since 1974 as well as roofing at the Linntown Elementary School some 30 years ago.
A copy of the bidding process required by the state was hand carried to the superintendent, the board president and business manager yet they continue to skirt the fair bidding practice set by the State of Pennsylvania and have awarded the contract to Waterproofing Technologies for $489,726.40. This cost, I believe, is $289,000 more than any other certified local roofer would charge for the same project if they had bothered to get more than one bid.
It certainly makes you wonder who is getting the extra $289,000.
NOTE: Tremco, and Garland Salesmen get paid 25% commission, where mainstream manufacturers pay salary. That's a lot of money (the 25% Commission) that doesn't actually go into the job itself.
My personal opinion is that we need to get a new board president, new business manager and new local superintendent.
Remember citizens, it’s our responsibility to say something if you see something. I see people who are stealing money from our school district.
Please check out Tremco and Waterproofing Technologies at www.procurement-reform.org to see that we are not just blowing smoke.
Max Bossert,
West Milton
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Very well done, and I am proud of those who stand up to the scam. Those of us who scream for fairness, are typically at the hands of intellectual elitists who have no concept of modern roofing technique, material, or competitive bidding processes. A complete fool can see how the "Roofing Scam" works.
They aren't spending their money, they're spending YOUR MONEY! Republican, Democrat, and Independent, doesn't matter. They are supposed to be responsible stewards of our money, but instead, act as gravy sucking pigs at the trough. Sorry to paint with such a broad brush, but the exceptions are few.
Say NO to Purchasing Cooperatives, and the two vendors they prop up: Tremco, and Garland.
Say NO to Purchasing Cooperatives, and the two vendors they prop up: Tremco, and Garland.
If you don't, you may find yourself in the news, and not the way you dreamed it.
Reject negativity in all forms, and always remember to keep looking "UP".
Constructive criticism is welcomed, and encouraged.
Constructive criticism is welcomed, and encouraged.
Respect.
Robert R. Solomon
Public Procurement Analyst
Florida Certification
CCC 1325620
Tampa, Florida
