Ethical contractors being victimized and the practice needs to stop
Editor’s Note: Rep. Dan Gasaway (R-Homer) represents the 28th Georgia House District which includes portions of Banks, Habersham and Stephens Counties. He serves as Secretary of the Human Relations & Aging, Intergovernmental Coordination, and Natural Resources & Environment Committees. He is a member of the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Higher Education, and Insurance Committees. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
The 2018 legislative session is under way, but “in full swing” would be an overstatement. We are off to the slowest start in my six years in the General Assembly. Much of this has to do with some early political jockeying connected to the upcoming governor’s race.
Rainy day fund largest in state history
The good news is the Georgia state economy is strong and the state’s rainy day fund is at its highest level in history. The governor’s office has received some criticism for allowing the fund to grow too large, in some folks’ opinion. Well, I agree with his conservative approach and so should teachers, bus drivers, school cafeteria workers, and state employees of all types. This money is there to cushion the blow of the next recession, which may be closer than we want to think. I hope we do not ever have to see students and teachers miss class days like we did during the Great Recession.
Form of bid rigging circulating among Georgia school
While I am on the subject of schools and money, one of the largest areas of school spending is in building construction and renovation. It has recently come to my attention that there is a practice circulating around Georgia school systems that is a form of bid rigging. Certain systems employ a practice they call “best and final price.” This practice sends construction projects out for bid, accepts bids, and then orders a rebid for anyone who is willing to bid a second time. The problem is what happens behind the scenes in the time period between these two bids. Insider information can be shared about the lowest bid or other details, resulting in ethical bidders being cheated by unscrupulous contractors. People in the construction industry call this “bid shopping” and it is considered very unethical.
We all want the most for our money, but I doubt most folks believe it is worth school systems stooping to this level to try to achieve that goal. I am considering a legislative fix that would make this practice illegal. I have constituents who run a very ethical contracting firm who have been victimized by this practice, and it needs to stop.
Contact me
It is my privilege to represent the citizens of House District 28 in the Georgia General Assembly. I would like to hear from you on this or any other issue. Please email me at [email protected] or call my office at 404-656-0325.
