Working to Improve Wisconsin's Veterans Homes

Last week, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, on which I serve as Co-Chair, held a public hearing to address the findings detailed in a February report that the Legislative Audit Bureau prepared upon completing an audit of the Wisconsin Veterans Homes.  Former Secretary Kenneth Black, who resigned from the Department of Veterans Affairs on April 1st, testified before the committee on the results of the audit and the future of our veterans homes.  Additionally, Chairman Dan Naylor of the Department of Veterans Affairs Board provided the committee with a memorandum concerning the audit findings.

Former Secretary Black highlighted the development of the Reorganization Plan that he said would enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to "operate more efficiently; utilize the Department's workforce more productively; and enhance oversight and accountability."  He later indicated that the plan would also achieve future financial solvency of Wisconsin's Veterans Homes.  Currently, the homes are on a trajectory in which their operating account balance will be fully depleted by FY 2013-2014.  The Legislative Audit Bureau had found that the homes' combined expenditures exceeded revenues in four of the five past fiscal years.

Included in the Reorganization Plan is the creation of a Centralized Management Team responsible for the Veterans Homes.  This team would provide services and greater oversight in key areas such as Quality Management & Performance Improvement, Policy & Program Compliance, Marketing & Public Relations, and Financial Analysis.  Former Secretary Black estimated that the Reorganization Plan would generate a cost savings of $1.2 million.

On behalf of the DVA Board, Chairman Naylor indicated in his memorandum, "A number of LAB's specific recommendations and directives have already been, or are in the process of being met by the Department.  The Board takes very seriously our responsibility for ensuring that the recommendations and directives are properly acted upon in a timely manner."

I appreciated the testimonies provided by former Secretary Black and the Department of Veterans Affairs Board in regards to Wisconsin's Veterans Homes.  I am aware of a number of concerns pertaining to the Union Grove home that were cited in the audit report.  In appreciation for their service and sacrifice to our nation, we must ensure that our elderly and disabled veterans who reside at the Veterans Homes are well cared for.  I anticipate a follow-up report from the Department of Veterans Affairs later this summer in regards to their progress with addressing the problems cited within the Veterans Homes by the Legislative Audit Bureau.

Confronting Fraud in FoodShare

Next week, my colleagues and I on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee will discuss and ultimately vote on a proposed audit of FoodShare.  The program is 100 percent federally funded under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is administered by the state's Department of Health Services.  As of 2010, a monthly average of 743,836 recipients received approximately $1.0 billion worth of benefits for the year in Wisconsin.

As many of you are aware, widespread fraud and abuse of Wisconsin's FoodShare program has been reported, particularly in Racine County, Milwaukee County, and as far away as Marinette County.  In some cases, beneficiaries sell their "Quest cards" (debit cards issued to purchase food) for cash so they can buy items prohibited under FoodShare such as drugs and alcohol, according to the Racine Journal Times.  In another case reported by the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, a woman in Marinette County illegally obtained $8,676 in FoodShare benefits.

It was also reported earlier this month that the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department is investigating at least a half-dozen current or former state employees suspected of being involved in a food stamp and disaster relief scam.  According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, more than 500 names and Social Security numbers as well as fraudulently obtained Department of Health Services documents turned up through search warrants obtained in response to the scheme.

The Legislative Audit Bureau also released a report recently that highlights nearly $22,000 worth of food stamp benefits received by 33 inmates during FY2009-2010, which is in violation of federal law.  Inmates are strictly prohibited from receiving these benefits while incarcerated.

These are just a few examples of how FoodShare has been abused that I've been made aware of.  It is my hope that a thorough audit of the program will uncover the loopholes that have enabled the incidents of fraud and wasteful spending mentioned above to take place.

Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Commission Update

Speaking of fraud and wasteful spending, the Governor's Commission on Waste, Fraud and Abuse, on which I serve, recently met with the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) to review the findings uncovered by past audits, including the Wisconsin Shares Program and the ACE Initiative.  The intent of the presentation by State Auditor Jan Mueller was to inform all commission members of cases of wasteful spending that had been uncovered in recent years by the LAB.  Her presentation also familiarized commission members with the state auditing process, including the recommendations that LAB establishes upon completion of each audit in order to deter future wasteful spending and fraud.

Since completing the reports on these particular audits, LAB indicated that the state has improved its oversight of the ACE Initiative and state I.T. projects.  In response to the $22 million in illegitimate payments made under the Wisconsin Shares program, the Legislature and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) has been working to address and deter the fraud that has affected the program in recent years.  I will be meeting with representatives from DCF later this month to discuss the department's ongoing progress in combating fraud within Wisconsin Shares.

UW-Parkside Students Present "Posters in the Rotunda"

This week, a number of students as well as Chancellor Deborah Ford from the University of Wisconsin - Parkside were at the State Capitol for the annual "Posters in the Rotunda" event.  Each year, undergraduate researchers and their faculty advisors from across the UW System visit the State Capitol for a day and present posters to the public featuring their areas of research.  The posters I observed featured topics such as Green Marketing in Professional Sports, Domestic Cultivation Issues of China during the Qing, and Determining Air Quality Plume over Near-Shore Lake Michigan.

This year, I was pleased to welcome the following students from UW-Parkside to the State Capitol: Ben Monty from Kenosha, Marcus Bouterse from Kenosha, Janell Topczewski from Racine, Laura Schulz from Racine, Patricia Jensen from Racine, Christy McCarter from Racine, and Caroline Harvey from Racine.  I was very impressed by their posters and extensive knowledge of their research topics.  I have no doubt that these students have a very bright future ahead of them and I wish them the best in their endeavors.

 Rep. Kerkman is pictured with UW-Parkside students Ben Monty, Christy McCarter, and Marcus Bouterse during their "Posters in the Rotunda" presentations.