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SamTrans Investigation – Part 1

NBC Bay Area News broke a potentially big story on yesterday's broadcast with video and text here.  It notes

A former SamTrans accountant has disclosed a second set of books he said the district used to hide millions of public dollars by logging fake and inflated expenses. The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit filed a records request to verify these claims, and uncovered more than a million dollars’ worth of expenses that had no back up.

SamTrans handles the budgets for SamTrans buses, Caltrain, and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.

When you watch the video you will hear CEO Mike Scanlon offering up CFO Gigi Harrington for an on camera statement at about the four minute mark, but NBC didn't appear to have much luck with that.  When you click through the link above to NBC's site, you can scroll down to see some of the highlighted spreadsheet entries that are in question.  You may recall that ridership is up and yet higher taxes have been on the ballot recently as well.  Right at the end of the video the reporter notes the County DA is reviewing all of this, so I will title this post Part 1. 

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19 responses to “SamTrans Investigation – Part 1”

  1. Absolute power, corrupts absolutely…

    Absolute power, corrupts absolutely…
    When government agencies and the organizations that support them create a “don’t question us, or else” culture, all that power without debate and checks and balances, makes Enron and WorldCom look like small potatoes.
    Why? Because we residents / taxpayers don’t have a choice to “invest” or be connected to our local and national government agencies or not. We residents can be search and seized and audited and flagged at the whim of our government, so transparency and checks and balances of perspective and structure and questioning are essential to peace and justice.
    The massive city government scandal in Bell, CA is another perfect example of why the “don’t question us” culture is a guaranteed recipe for disaster for all those involved.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Bell_scandal
    This is called tyranny. And, this is why our ancestors risked their lives and left their extended families to start fresh in “The New World” and established explicit checks and balances of power to prevent tyranny.
    We’re fortunate to live in an area where thousands of corporations have discovered that “questioning” the current beliefs and the current methods is the “innovation”, which can empower the individual of all genders/races/religions, break down artificial limits, create wealth, safety, health, prosperity and freedom.
    The Bay Area is about Innovation, and innovation is about questioning and perhaps criticizing without fear of slander or other harm against you. “Just Say No To The Bully Culture” and rediscover the values that you were likely brought up with!
    Please join The Libertarian Party of San Mateo County on Friday, February 21, 2014 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Spiedo Ristorante, 223 E 4th Ave, San Mateo.
    The Libertarian Party of San Mateo County will host an event to engage local residents and Libertarian Party members about the issue of corruption in local government, and what you can do about it.
    Appetizers will be provided and cash bar. All are welcome!
    http://www.eventbrite.com/e/corruption-in-san-mateo-county-tickets-10477513525
    Live Brave!

  2. Follow the Money

    This could get really interesting. What is high-speed rail has been making contributions to some of the buckets they are talking about on the video?

  3. longwong

    Hai Guy! whoa cowboy, that’s DEEP… thot all the tea baggaz er.. I mean tea party guyz were all in Dublin-Pleasanton!! ahhahaha 😉 j/k Guy, I hear U man & appreciate the thots….friggin feel the NSA & all the spooks R jumping all over us these dayz.. WTF is up with dat? Love love LOVE the diversity of SF & da’Game & SanMat.. keep it real & keep bLOGinn! 😉 TTFN!

  4. longwong

    Hai guyz again LOL. One last thot..U know what samtrans fabricated? the friggin timetables! No friggin Way those buses come every 20 minsI the whole things a scam what if there were only 5 samtrans buses in all the bay area explains why they take forever..hhahaa. sorry just wanted to say something smart A$$y as poppped in my head. YAY for MEEE ! 😉 TTFN!

  5. Let’s practice Love Thy Neighbor Ethics, not R4R-style divisiveness.

    Longwong,
    You are a silly person.
    Happy Valentine’s Day to All!
    Let’s practice Love Thy Neighbor Ethics, not R4R-style divisiveness.
    I think the Communists in the United States are just afraid that Cato might continue to reveal the fraud that Communism is and has always been. “Individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace”.
    Sounds good to me.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cato_Institute

  6. holyroller

    Dear Logwong,
    I am very grateful that there is such a thing as freedom of speech.
    I for one have taken advantage of those rights from time to time.
    Not just here at the Burlingame Voice. City of Burlingame Elder/community meetings and voting too. Among otherweb sites that interest me regarding Social Issues.
    Since you have “set up camp” here at the Burlingame Voice, I have mixed feelings regarding your input/comments.
    I am looking forward to a meeting of minds.
    On the other side of the “Coin,” everytime I see your “handle,” and attempt to read your comments, I am concerned that you have infiltrated via “City of Burlingame Voice”….. The Free Mason’s Protocal.
    You “blew your cover” when you sent me that photo presenting “The Free Masons All Seeing Eye.”
    You remember, the “attachment”
    (I would appreciate all Burlingame Voice readers to view the attachment, and come up with their own interpretation) regarding food trucks.
    Busted!
    Also “The Free Mason Special verbal, written, and phyical codes” regarding membership.
    FYI
    Does anyone know the largest privatly owned Building in Downtown Burlingame, ironically part of a bank, belong to the Free Masons.
    Busted Commrade!

  7. longwong

    Hai Guys! Wwowow, love love LOVE the passion tho call me a bit dazed & confuzed…but what else is new LOL :~{ getting this all straight: Happy valentines day, the 10 commandments, infiltrating da’game Voice , “meeting of the minds”,.. Freemasons,.. the all seeing eye pic of wiener from Food wagons,..BLOWin my undercover ID,… RongDong impersonatring me (btw,wong er..I mean WRONG use of shorthand lingo LOLOL u using a desktop & aol as ur ISP??…..soooo Archaic!!! ..haahhaa) , the Cato institute, communists, R&R ‘style divisiveness”..whoa cowboyz ur losingg me!! friggin awesome blog tho & imaginations run WILD!! :-(0) …seriously tho what kinda stash r u guyz have and takin ’round here and where do u get it?? 😉 now I really want to PartEEE with u guys ..I knew it.da’Game is where its AT :-))!
    p.s. Jen yup yup, TTFN is shorthand for “Ta-ta for now’…gotta use the shorthand for the two thumbed txting bandit..lol
    pss.. for the grand “meeting of da mind”s I will be @ Lets Be Frank food truck at the next Off the grid, or I like to call it Tasty Tuesday.we’ll shoot da breeze & eat some all beef wieners hahahha 😉 ohhh and don’t forget ur stash I wanna try some local stuff see what da’Game has to offer.. f-Yea!! ;-)) TTFN! 🙂

  8. holyroller

    Dear Longwong,
    I will be looking for you at the next Food Truck event.
    Though I am completely against “The Food Trucks”
    I am willing to meet you only to find out if you are the:
    1% or the 99%.
    You will recognise me because I will be wearing a Mexican Wrestling Mask.
    Longthong, I am betting you are a 1%er.
    You Longtong, have Tattooes on you calfs, “gage” earlobes, a Faux Hawk, and weard eyeglasses that are “old school” black plastic framed,(but do not really need to wear) “skinny jeans,” with either vintage Puma or Converse tennis shoes.
    Most likely you are “pigeoned towed” and have an overweight female asian friend that thinks you are a Social Philosopher.
    I will recognise you my dear Comrade.
    Texting like you have are under a spell.
    The Spell of Free Masons.
    Ah Ha….

  9. Joe

    And now back to the topic of whether SamTrans has been keeping two sets of books and hiding lots of public money in shadow accounts to use for who knows what. Thank you, gentlemen.

  10. holyroller

    Yes that is a very important topic.
    There seems to be a consistant scenario regarding Public Angencies that a “Huge Seperation” from Upper Managment to the employees who are in charge of keeping things going.
    For example:
    The Mosquito Dsitrict Crimes
    The Sam Trans Finacial Crimes
    High Speed Rail
    The Hoover School and all that goes with that.
    The City of San Mateo “retired City Manager receiving @One half a Million Dollars as a farewell gift.
    Nobody is watching or capable of challanging the Top Tier Goverment Employees.
    This is such a common event that it hardley gets noticed anymore.
    In my opnion, there needs to be a major change in the oversite of these “White Collar Crimes.
    Take the investagations away from the “Local Police” Due to Conflict of interest, and let the FBI look into these problems that just seem to get bigger and are spreading.
    For example,if you are a City Manager, whose “underlings” are allowed steal, make mistakes, etc. Asd a City Manager, you should be as complicant as the people stealing the, gas, funds, special favors, unessesary trips to China, etc.
    City Managers get paid a lot of money because they put in a lot of time. They also get paid a lot of money because if they make a mistake, or fail to do due dilligence, they are fired.
    If a City employee is stealing gas for three years, gets caught,and fired, the City Manager should be held to the same punishment because that Manager is noy doing their job.
    (This has nothing to do with the recent City of Burlingame incident. It was just an easy way for me to present my opinion.)

  11. Bruce Dickinson

    Listen folks, there is a tendency to think that government officials are here to *serve the public* and are doing nothing that isn’t serving the public interest with the best intentions. My friends, let Bruce Dickinson give you some pearls of wisdom, in addition to some of the earlier thoughts in the prior posts,. And speaking of prior posts, yes, some of which were gobbledegook in nature, I would be remiss if I didn’t not mention that Holyroller still hasn’t figured out that Longwong probably doesn’t “swing” the same way that he things he does..(not that there’s anything wrong with that, to be clear). Bruce Dickinson was born tolerant and you have to be when dealing with bands from different backgrounds and even sometimes headed by megalomaniacs.
    Friends, power corrupts, period. This is why our own US constitution spells out three branches, essentially competing for and trumping each others power. Why was it designed this way? Because it acknowledges that humans are motivated by self interest and the only way to control it is by first acknowledging the #1 flaw of government (self interest) and secondly, by designing the gov’t to limit self interest by allowing factions or branches with clearly defined and competing powers. No faction/branch can absolutely override the power of the others. After spending 50 years in the private sector, with Columbia being a part of a publicly traded corporation for most of its legendary history, I would say the penalties for transgressions/fraud are more severe in the private sector than in government, and one need to look no further than SamTrans and HSR in what these “public servants” are getting away with. First, in the private sector there are dis-incentives to lose money, as stockholders don’t like endless losses, whereas in gov’t there is no profit motive, actually there is a spending motive when you think about how budgets work. Secondly in corporations, officers and directors mush sign off on the finances of their companies and to the extent the finances are falsified, they themselves become personally liable for fraud. Yes, my friends they can (and have been) sued personally outside of the corporation.
    Success in the private sector is simple: rain gold (i.e. make revenues), don’t lose money, and stay out of trouble (legal, fraudulent, cooking the books, etc). Following those rules will clearly be rewarded (to be clear, you must have sheer talent to rain gold, yes, take it from Bruce Dickinson not everyone was built to do that) whereas doing the opposite, or not following those rules will not be rewarded. With government/public agencies, I am perplexed by what the formula is for success/failure and what are the incentives for reward/punishment.

  12. peace, love, and respect

    Bruce, for once I agree with you.
    Freedom of speech and open and fearless debate of issues and of government actions and leaders must be protected, or else inherent human self-interest will get in the way of acting in the best interest of the taxpayers (and China), which funds the United States government.
    On President’s Day, I’d like to elaborate on the structure of our government that Bruce mentioned:
    Please take a few minutes to watch these compelling videos:
    https://www.billwhittle.com/firewall/what-we-believe-part-1-small-government-and-free-enterprise
    https://www.billwhittle.com/firewall/what-we-believe-part-2-elitism
    https://www.billwhittle.com/firewall/what-we-believe-part-3-wealth-creation-0
    https://www.billwhittle.com/firewall/what-we-believe-part-4-natural-law
    https://www.billwhittle.com/firewall/what-we-believe-part-5-gun-rights-0
    https://www.billwhittle.com/firewall/what-we-believe-part-6-immigration-0
    https://www.billwhittle.com/firewall/what-we-believe-part-7-american-exceptionalism
    I’d encourage everyone to check out all of the “Fire Wall” series, and also check out all of the “After Burner” series.
    Keep in mind that people misuse the word ‘conservative’, but listening to these videos will help you to understand what it actually means.
    Then, I’d encourage you to consider the promise of Libertarian policies because it matches the Democratic platforms of the right for gay marriage, and the right to choose or not choose abortions, but it focuses on the preservation of individual rights and responsibility.
    The Libertarian Party promotes public policies based on the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Both the Republican and The Democratic Parties miss the mark in these important arenas.
    Here’s to peace, love, and respect.

  13. longwong

    Hai guys so so sorry the threadjack 🙁 Excited for Tasty Tuesday..yum yum! 😉 and no holyollerz flight attendants dont make enuf scratch to be even close to 1%…] I still LOVE my job tho…U guys should also cool it now with accuzation & lack of tolerance.. thot da’Game had more to offer than old white grumpy people 🙁

  14. fred

    Don’t worry Long, I think you’re much more entertaining than the guy pretending to be Bruce Dickinson. Reading him is better for sleep than a warm glass of milk.

  15. Joe

    Looks like the investigation has cleared Caltrain management:
    http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county-times/ci_26324257/da-probe-clears-samtrans-accounting-crimes#insidebayarea
    REDWOOD CITY — The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that an accounting probe of the county’s transit agency found instances of shoddy bookkeeping but no evidence of embezzlement or other criminal activity.
    The district attorney launched the investigation last year in response to whistle-blower complaints from two former employees of the San Mateo County Transit District, which runs both Caltrain, the San Francisco-to-San Jose commuter rail line, and SamTrans, the county’s bus service.
    “There was no criminal behavior detected,” said Assistant District Attorney Al Serrato, adding it is now up to the district’s board of directors to “continue taking steps to bring their accounting practices into line with generally accepted accounting principles.”
    The inquiry relied on an audit by MGO Certified Public Accountants, which interviewed whistle-blowers David Ramires and Ling La and inspected the district’s records. Ramires claimed he was told to inflate expenses to create secret pools of money for managers to use without board oversight. La said she noticed suspiciously high freight charges and was ordered to backdate an invoice.
    MGO found the agency did a poor job tracking certain expenses, creating confusion as to whether they had been paid off and from which account. The audit determined that, from 2009 to 2013, the district accumulated nearly $2.5 million in expenses without proper documentation. But the firm did not find any evidence of fraud, embezzlement or theft.

  16. Deirdre Sanders

    PROOF OF SAM TRANS MONEY LAUNDERING
    Since the California Attorney General apparently doesn’t have enough time in her very busy schedule. I am taking it upon myself to alert and advise the California Consumer ABC and NBC news reporters of my recent discovery as a patron on the San Mateo County Transit bus system.
    In just a few says I have gone from a using bus tokens to local one way fare San Trans bus currency, as my primary source of payment.
    Only to discovery that NO MATTER what type of currency being utilized on the San Mateo County Transit bus system. Whether it’s’ Sam Trans issued (Monopoly) aka (Change Vouchers, One Way Fare Ticket or Tokens) presented at their fireboxes. The end result is STILL the same they have now proven to me that their fare box are the source of the primary source of their problems associated with Money Laundering, Ricco Charges and Miscellaneous recordable / undetectable cash revenue previously referred to as the BLACK HOLE!
    Or an even more appropriate description would be Consumer Price Gouging!
    The major problem appears to be the lack of consistency of universal companywide policies and procedures as well as the lack of bus operator personal knowledge of the vague and ambiguous fare polices surrounding the various types of EXCEPTABLE CURRENCY tenured for payment at their fare boxes. Currently the company has the following types of acceptable payment methods:
    1. Cash 2. Clipper 3. Tokens 4. Change Cards 5. Prepaid One Way Voucher/Cards
    No matter what type of currency I have rendered at the fare boxes the problem has been constantly the same either it was OPERATOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR SYSTEM MALFUNTIONING this has been the ongoing complaint stemming from the NUMEROUS ERRONEOUS FRADULENT ARREST AND FALSE IMPRISIONMENT I have been subjected to over the past year and half!
    Something that I have REPEATEDLY attempted to explain to San Mateo County Transit CEO Jim Hartnell, CEO Rita Haskin and MV Transportation Founder Alex and CEO Carter Pate.
    I was met with nothing but resistance and RETAILALITVE VERBAL AND PHYSICAL ASSAULTS from the Bus Operators on a daily basis! Assaults which always lead to my being arrested for objecting to the continuous problems I was experiencing with the miscalculation generated at their fare boxes.
    Because, their FARE BOXES DO NOT CALCULATE SIMPLE MATHMATHIC COMPUTATIONS just like their former accountants!
    Take for example last night’s consumer RIP OFF ARTIST SCHEME!
    As a patron on the 397 route to Palo Alto Bus Operator No. 107404 on Bus No 459 at 4:05 am could not generate a Disable Day Pass after I rendered a One Way Ride Card and their Company issued Change Card for payment. Something that the company advertises on the face of the One Way Ride Card as an acceptable form of payment when departing from the San Francisco Trans Bay Terminal!
    I’ve tried everything I could think of to get these people to recognize the serious nature of this problem.
    Now, let’s see if the American Consumer can figure out this EXTREMELY COMPLICATED MATHMATICAL COMPUTATION!
    QUESTION: If Sally has a One Way Ride Card Values /Credit of $2.25 and their Company issued Change Card credit valued $ 1.90, how much Sam Trans total credit purchasing power does Sally have to apply to her next bus ride?
    CHOICES: a. 2.15 b. 3.45 c. 5.00 d. $ 1.15 e. $4.15
    If your answer is e. $ 4.15 that would be absolutely correct!
    So, if Sally presented BOTH forms of (Monopoly) aka Sam Trans Commuter currency valued at $4.15 to purchase a $2.75 Disabled Day Pass.
    QUESTION: How much change of consumer credit would she receive as a balance of her transaction?
    CHOICES: a. $ 1.40 b. $ 3.03 c. $ .80 d. $ 2.00 e. None of the above
    If your answer is a. $ 1.40 than you are absolutely right!
    Now, wasn’t that easy!
    Congratulations you must have past your K- 6th grade National Mathematics Test!
    So, can somebody please explain why I ONLY RECEIVED $.80 as a refund from this $2.75 purchase with $ 4.15 purchasing power?
    Here’s my take on the Sam Trans Casino Cash fiasco!
    There is ONLY TWO POSSIBLE scenarios that would make ANY sense are as follows:
    1. 2.25 ( If the One Way Ride Card Values was applied)
    1.00 (Sf Premium was Charged)
    3.25 Total Charge $3.25 – $ 4.15 = NO THAT NOT IT EITHER
    2. 2.75 Disabled Pass was Purchased
    1.00 (SF Premium was Charged)
    3.75 Total Charge $ 3.75 – $4.15 = NO THAT NOT IT EITHER
    As you can clearly see from the attached copies of the actual transaction this was not the case, this time or ANY OTHER PREVIOUS TIME I WENT TO JAIL FOR FAILURE TO PAY FARE OR DISRUPTING SERVICE!
    I can no longer just stand by and be HARASSED, FALSELY IMPRISONED, HELD HOSTAGE and victimized for trying to make blithe corporate heads, Federal transportation Authority, Us Department of Transportation and various other Transportation Regulatory bodies aware of the BLACK HOLE of miscellaneous income otherwise referred to as an RACKETEERING SCHEME or a violation of California Civil Code section 1723 the California Refund Exchange Act!
    Clearly any reasonable person would conclude that this type of conduct would exemplify Unfair Business Practices warranting an extensive investigation into these QUESTIONABLE FINANCIAL PRACTICES!
    That why I can begin to understand why the California Governor and Attorney General have REPEATELY IGNORED my every attempt to bring this precarious business practice to the states attention.
    It certainly isn’t from a lack of consistency in reporting their actions since to date I’ve been arrested more than 5 times in directly associated transit citation and another 4 times by co-conspirers.
    That’s why I took my concerns and accusation to the media and I thank god for ABC and NBC recent exposé to uncover the truth.
    And I ONLY HOPE that I can be of assistance I am so tired of going to JAIL FOR BRING THIS CONSUME MATTER TO THE PUBLICS ATTENTION!
    I just want NBS and NBC to know I am truly grateful and hope that this information will help fill the missing GAP BETWEEN the account equation between the ERRONEOUS EXPENSES NOW YOU HAVE THE ERRONEOUS REVENUE TO BALANCE THE EQUATION!
    Something in the Financial Accounting Industry that we would refer to as a WASH, DIRTY MONEY applied against DITY EXPENSES! Lol
    Best regards,
    Deirdre Sanders

  17. Joe

    It’s five years later and I must have missed the conclusion of this fake set of books/inflated expense accusation. But I was reminded of it by this news bit today:
    SamTrans is canceling the ECR Rapid bus route due to challenges recruiting and retaining drivers amid the affordability crisis.
    The route, which travels on El Camino Real between the Daly City BART station and Redwood City Transit Center, will be discontinued Jan. 19. It serves about 500 riders a day.
    While the end of ECR Rapid means bus service on El Camino Real will be reduced, it won’t be eliminated: Route ECR will continue to travel between the Daly City BART station and the Palo Alto Transit Center — while also stopping in Redwood City — with buses arriving four times per hour on weekdays and three times per hour on weekends. ECR Rapid stops, by contrast, see as many as seven to eight buses per hour.
    https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/samtrans-cuts-service/article_927bac08-2dd8-11ea-b7da-d35dae4f736a
    7 or 8 busses and hour on a route that replicated another route? No wonder I see so many long busses with almost no one on them. Maybe switching to the equivalent of the Transit-sized busses would make it easier to hire and train drivers? Just a thought.

  18. Handle Bard

    Please don’t forget that Samtrans just announced last week that they are cutting fares. Not sure how that makes sense when they are claiming to have money problems paying drivers.

  19. Paloma Ave

    They should cut fares. Many of their buses are running with very few passengers.

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