Dear Editor:
In light of the recent extensive outrage over the egregious ripoff perpetrated by four sanctimonious socialists and one professional politician ex-spouse on the denizens of the Downtown Eastside and the rest of us taxpayers, the one key question that needs to be asked is: where is the oversight?
Were there no audits performed at the Portland Hotel Society prior to those imposed recently by Vancouver Coastal Health and B.C. Housing?
The period reported by the recent audits goes back only three years, but one might readily conclude that the spending habits of the PHS executive suite did not just take off one day three years ago, and the total amount effectively stolen is more than double what has been reported if one looks further back in their accounting records.
In a society that can shut down a child's lemonade stand for not adhering to onerous health regulations, and requires us to keep expense vouchers for a minimum six years, do our social welfare agencies just shovel out money to "charities" with no accountability?
It seems that standards of GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) which are so rigorously applied to commercial enterprises were not observed at PHS and, for all I know, may not apply to charities in general. Does their tax exempt status relieve them of CRA oversight altogether?
While Ms. Kwan has made a token attempt at restitution of her known misappropriations, what about the gang of four who are the principal abusers? Their relationships with the guardians of our public funds call for meticulous examination.
Thomas Hasek, Burnaby
