Folks: I got one email and a phone call from 2 concerned New Yorkers responding to my blog posting about Juan Gonzalez's powerful news reporting on CityTime, an Orwellian Time clock I dubbed "The Tax Payers' Titanic" concerned about 70,000 NYC government employees not getting paid on time if we the people of New York are not married to renewing the CityTime contract this September aka handing over $100 million to SAIC when, ehem we are about to head further down in to the budgetary black hole thanks to Albany and City Hall making terrible wrong choices like this one when ehem "some" are not too busy stealing tax payer money.
My caller said that is BLACK MAIL! I used some other choice words but yes indeed. My caller got it exactly correct.
Isn't nice to know as NYC's economy tanks and we have more cuts and lay-offs that SAIC is holding 70,000 city employees pay hostage if NYC doesn't sign a 3 year contract with them with a guaranteed pay check of a 100 mill? I thought At&T was hell forcing me so sign 2 year contracts over and over for my IPhones!
Now let us turn our attention to SAIC. I am an artist and blogger without a press pass. The dirt I found on SAIC and it is ugly is from Ali Winston's investigative work in her article from City Limits. Recommended you read the entire article but if you are too busy than read this excerpt.
Besides the size of the CityTime budget, there are questions about the companies who've been contracted under it. Science Applications International Corporation, a San Diego-based consulting firm founded in 1969, is the main contractor for CityTime, under a deal currently worth $348 million (up from the original contract value of $68 million). The company is responsible for research and development for the biometric readers, as well as implementation of the scanners and accompanying network. SAIC is a major government contractor, ranking among the top 10 federal vendors for at least the past four years and raking in $4.4 billion in contractors with the U.S. government in 2007 alone.
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1 big bad mark: "....But SAIC has also had high-profile problems over the years. In the early 1990s, the company and six of its employees pleaded guilty to making false statements in their handling of work at EPA Superfund sites. "
2nd big bad mark: )
"In 2004, the Pentagon's inspector general faulted SAIC's performance on a contract to rebuild the Iraqi media. "
3rd big bad mark")
The following year, the FBI blamed SAIC for botching the development of the bureau's new "Trilogy" information management system (although the Justice Department inspector general said the FBI deserved much of the blame). And the company was still wrangling into 2007 with the Greek government over whether SAIC deserved full payment for a security system it developed for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
OPA chief Bondy maintains that OPA is keeping a sharp eye on SAIC's performance. "There is a tremendous amount of focus, attention, and energy being put on managing SAIC's delivery of services," Bondy said. Mayor Bloomberg's office also expressed its confidence in SAIC. "SAIC is a large company that does a lot of business worldwide, and OPA vetted them appropriately at the time of their selection and found them responsible," said City Hall spokesperson Matt Kelly."
OPA chief Bondy maintains that OPA is keeping a sharp eye on SAIC's performance. "There is a tremendous amount of focus, attention, and energy being put on managing SAIC's delivery of services," Bondy said. Mayor Bloomberg's office also expressed its confidence in SAIC. "SAIC is a large company that does a lot of business worldwide, and OPA vetted them appropriately at the time of their selection and found them responsible," said City Hall spokesperson Matt Kelly."
This is all from Ali Winston's piece and in the next paragraph she gets in to Joel Bondy.
Folks -- hey I am an artist and I am very busy and also very tired trying to get rest ( my rest deficit feels as big as Albany's budget deficit)so you explain to me?
Doesn't Joel Bondy work at City Hall as the head of payroll....when when you read up on his you find out some where along the line he got a consulting fee for CityTime -- I guess before he was made the head of this disaster by Bloomberg but of course no conflict of interest and Joel Bondy is the man I guess that gives up this big lush consulting fees.... I thought I read he got a million dollars for working on this at some point maybe before he started as the city gov head-- maybe I wrong but if so -- I would like to know how many consultants have received a million dollars or more over the years for their advice because their advice it isn't working.
Here is another quote from the Ali Winston piece....
"According to his testimony during a July 2007 court hearing on CityTime, OPA chief Bondy launched his own consultancy and worked as a subcontractor for Spherion on CityTime from 2002 to 2004 immediately prior to being hired by the city. Bondy's biography on the OPA website does not mention this work." Can someone please tell me why that is?
I am genuinely unclear about Mr. Bondy and a retired city worker Salamone that also works on CityTime and collects a NYC pension! Lucky Salamone! If you click on the link Juan Gonzalez writes "Sal Salamone, a former City Hall technology chief, received millions of dollars from the city over the past decade as a private consultant helping to devise a controversial new timekeeping system for city workers."
I just want to know how much Joel Bondy made off of CityTime before he was head of payroll and did he take a pay cut to run the Tax Payers' Titanic?
This very tired artist wants to know!
From time to time I call City Hall on other issues including Mike Bloomberg's Office, deputy Goldsmith's office. but I never gets my telephone calls answered so if you know something you please tell me!
BOTTOM LINE: Yes, the threat of not being able to pay 70,000 employees on time is blackmail.
Maybe it is true that the CityTime is such a mess that if we don't renew and why does it have to be SAIC but yes may not get paid on time. Of course if any did not these workers would have the right to sue the City of New York.
Why are we married to SAIC and why have we paid so many "consultants" a fortune?
The above quote from yet another Juan Gonzalez piece ---- click on the quote above to read.
Remember how Mike Bloomberg was recently exposed paying 3 administrative assistance at City Hall an extra salary out of his own pocket? I just wonder if any city gov. workers are being payed extra in any way shape or form in this way or in another way.
Question: Can't we find a local NYC whiz kid or technology group to handle CityTime? Why did we have to go to SAIC in the first place?
SAIC defends their reputation and claim CityTime was a mess when they signed the contract but I notice they are eager to be paid another 100 million dollars plus to continue on and that is not going to be popular with the people with possible budget cuts, fire houses closing, lay-offs, etc.
Stay tuned -- I believe we will be hearing more on this soon....
p.s. Could we the people of NYC just get a refund on the whole thing?
