To learn why it’s a bad idea for Washington to issue a blank check to Mayor Eric Adams to house an unlimited number of migrants, listen to Thursday’s City Council hearing on how Adams is awarding billions of dollars in contracts for migrant services.
Councilwomen Gale Brewer (Upper West Side) and Julie Won (western Queens) grilled Adams officials for 3.5 hours on how, exactly, the city is spending taxpayer money for shelter and other services, costing $11 million each day.
As Comptroller Brad Lander, the city’s independent watchdog, told questioners, 10 city agencies have signed 194 contracts worth $5.1 billion with private providers to house, feed, clothe and offer medical care and private security to more than 100,000 newcomers, including 60,400 in city shelter.
Fifteen months ago, the city suspended its checks-and-balances processes to control waste and fraud in contracts, with Adams declaring an “emergency.”
This means the city doesn’t have to follow its procedures of competitive, sealed bids but can just pick the contractor city officials think is appropriate, with no objective criteria.
As Molly Wasow Park, Adams’ social-services commissioner, informed the council of a $240 million contract for thousands of hotel rooms across the city, “I don’t know that anybody bid exactly for the same suite of services. It is a somewhat unusual function.”
Discretion and opacity are never good when handing out billions of dollars.
But they’re particularly worrisome in this administration.
Hellbound and Down 