CADDO COMMISSION'S "GIVE MONEY AWAY" PROCESS SUBJECT OF MEETING TOMORROW
Each year the Caddo Commission awards over $500,000 to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
And each year the process presents the Commissioners with many questionable choices. The list of those getting tax dollars will raise the eyebrows of most Caddo taxpayers. Seemingly the primary purpose of many of the applicants is just to get public dollars for the organization founders.
In past years many of the organizations granted public dollars had overlapping programs that seemingly served the same basic populations. All too often the mission statements of these nonprofits sounded like glorified charms schools and tea parties. The actual beneficiaries of these monies were many times very limited in number.
To make matters worse, many applicants have relationships with the Commissioners or family members of the Commissioners. The Commission's "bring home the bacon" parade is an ugly example of governmental largess.
At noon tomorrow--Sept. 4-- there will be a joint meeting of the Commission's Appropriations and Economic Development Committees. Of the ten members of both committees, five are members of both committees.
The purpose of this joint meeting, in addition to free box lunches for all committee members and staff attending, is to receive information about the NGO application process, discuss timelines for applications and meeting dates for committee review.
How this all shakes out is always a circus to watch. And even though each year the Commissioners says NO other NGO funding after this process, the Commission invariably makes exceptions and provides intermittent NGO funding after the close of the application period.