January 16, 2005

Watchdog Wasn't Watching

Administration Secretary Marc Marotta's job is to cut state government waste. He wasn't doing such a good job last summer.

Gov. Jim Doyle's point man on eliminating government waste rang up $2,385 in cell phone charges over two months last year because of a bureaucratic foul-up, state records show.

Administration Secretary Marc Marotta made calls costing $972 in May and $1,413 in June.

The bills came in so high because Marotta's staff put him on the wrong plan when he switched cell phone providers last spring, said Marotta, charged by Doyle to cut the state's costs on cars, planes - and cell phones.

Marotta's staff caught the problem after the second bill arrived. Marotta did not personally review the bills at the time, he said.

"Waste Watchdog Rang up Huge Cellular Charges"