CA Avocado Commission employees use $2 million for personal crap

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-avocado10-2009jan10,0,5884344.story

Audit of California Avocado Commission uncovers at least $1.5 million in questionable spending
Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

A state audit indicates at that members of the California Avocado Commission used least $1.5 million in questionable spending in the last three years.

During the three-year audit period, 18 employees used commission credit cards to pay for purchases including meals, flowers, luxury spa services and clothes from high-end retailers, the report says.

By Marc Lifsher
January 10, 2009

Reporting from Sacramento -- Something has been rotten at the state agency behind a splashy $7-million annual marketing blitz on television, billboards and in food magazines to promote California-grown avocados, a new state audit indicates.

Employees and board members at the obscure, Irvine-based California Avocado Commission enjoyed lavish perks and benefited from as much as $2 million in questionable spending in the last three years, the audit concluded.

Among the benefits to staff members cited by the auditors were home remodeling projects, tickets to sporting events, gym memberships and vitamins, regularly delivered restaurant meals, clothing from high-end retailers described as uniforms, generous auto allowances and $850 hotel rooms at four-star resorts.

During the three-year audit period, the commission's 18 employees used commission credit cards to run up more than $1.5 million in charges for "a significant amount of discretionary expenses that appeared questionable at best and even personal at times," the report said.

About $17,000 was spent on gifts, meals and flowers to celebrate employees' birthdays, employment anniversaries and other special occasions, the report said. An additional $39,000 purchased clothes at Nordstrom, Talbots, Ann Taylor and other stores that the commission dubbed "uniforms" after spending $8,700 to embroider the commission's name and logo onto them.

Commission board members, their spouses, guests and employees spent thousands of dollars on "massages, nail service, facials and body treatments" during meetings at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and at luxury spas in La Jolla and Del Mar in San Diego County.

The items "appeared to be lavish in nature," auditors said, "and may be considered gifts of public funds."

[dkofos]

1. We could put a million people to work just watchdogging the the Govt, tit.

[Trillo]

2. What a bunch of crap. 7-million marketing blitz?

I live in the middle of "Avocado Capital of the World" (a misnomer, but my town is mentioned in the article), and most of the avocados I find here are from other countries (they have a sticker on them identifying them as such). Rarely do I find a local avocado for sale, either at local markets, chain markets, or impromptu stands selling out of the back of their trucks (nowhere near as many of those as there used to be when we moved here). There are plenty of foreign avocados sold here, however.

I say rarely, because there are exceptions, particularly for non-prime varieties.

While the commission members may be usurping funds for unauthorized purposes, I rather doubt this is the real meat of the story.

I presume the 7-million marketing blitz is some kind of foreign aid: we must be selling our avocados over there, and their avocados over here.

[rvablue]

3. No wonder CA is going broke with corruption like this....time to shut down the Avocado Commission!

[Garbo 2004]

6. No, this Commission not a regular state agency: its supported & funded by avocado growers.

Not general tax revenues.

It's one of those quasi public critters. Basically a growers' marketing association under state auspices.

Bizarre. Presumably they didn't operate under the same rules that govern regular state agencies re: employee and business expenses.

[JVS]

4. I advocate the use of capital punishment in this situation!

[NV Whino]

5. I didn't know Sarah Palin worked for the Avocado Commission

[ColbertWatcher]

7. My addiction to guacamole is supporting corruption-terrorists! O Noes! n/t

[Garbo 2004]

8. Ha! Former CAC exec connected to Saddleback Church...now heads a "global humanitarian ministry"...

From Sacramento Bee article:

The former head of the California Avocado Commission misspent tens of thousands of dollars in farmers' contributions to remodel his home office and purchase an iPod, plasma TV and other personal items, according to a state audit released Friday.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture audit claims that 18 employees, including Mark Affleck, who resigned abruptly last year after 20 years as the trade group's chief, misused funds. They bought groceries, designer clothing, restaurant meals and other items.

Affleck, who now directs a global humanitarian ministry for the Rev. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, declined to comment Friday.

The commission chairman said Affleck has already repaid some of the expenses but the board is trying to secure more.

A spokesman for Warren, author of the best-selling "The Purpose Driven Life," who will give the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, said Affleck is a longtime parishioner "in good standing," whose contract work with the church "has nothing to do with avocados or accounting."

http://www.sacbee.com/308/story/1530078.html