Another SHARE problem ... or maybe it's the same one

An internal audit has found that the state DOT didn't bill the feds for $23 million it could have in 2007 because of SHARE. The DOT did get the money in the next two years, however. Read this story for details.

While DOT spokesman S.U. Mahesh says the SHARE system isn't designed to meet the specs the Federal Highway Administration needs for reimbursements, he said the program is working at many other state agencies.

Problems with SHARE attract state employee ire

My e-mail has been buzzing with info related to the story I wrote on Saturday about recent problems in the SHARE system. It seems most state employees (or at least the ones commenting on the story on our web site who appear to be employees) agree on one thing: the system needs major improvements.

The Federal Highway Administration agrees, as well, saying last week it is suspending reimbursements to the department over the way the SHARE system is billing the feds. That's a big deal, given that 40 percent of the state DOT's budget comes from Washington.

Several non-employees have asked what exactly SHARE does. I found this link to information on the program. Note that Roy Soto, listed at the top right of the page as the project sponsor, left the department as secretary in August of 2008. Marlin Mackey took over after that and is currently the secretary.

Stay tuned on this one.

Feds suspend all reimbursements for state DOT

Sounds like a major deal: the Federal Highway Administration has suspended all reimbursements to the state DOT amid a dispute over how the state is submitted bills for reimbursements.

At issue is the well known and problematic SHARE computer system and how it produces reimbursement reports. To make a long story short, those reports don't give the feds what they need to repay the state.

A letter to DOT Secretary Gary Giron said regulations require states to have financial management systems that allow federal officials to adequately trace whether funds are spent in compliance with federal law.

While there a still a million questions about the SHARE system and it's abilities, another question revolves around what the state would do without all that federal funding? That's a big question, given that about 40 percent of the state DOT's budget comes from the feds, and that the state has an 80 - 20 split on construction projects, with the 80 percent coming from Washington.

Journal sues DOT

...according to this story from the Associated Press. At issue are public records the paper says it requested but didn't get from the Department of Transportation.

The lawsuit says "The department has violated the IPRA (Inspection of Public Records Act) in order to derail and obstruct an investigation into potential corrupt practices and incompetent management of public funds by high-ranking public officials in the employ of NMDOT," according to the story.

DOT officials say they have turned over requested info and that "failures to initially release the documents 'were inadvertent and were not intentional,'" the story says.

Gov. Bill Richardson on Twitter

Hey cool, Gov. Bill Richardson is on Twitter. (Well, his staff are anyway.) You can sign up and check out his updates from his current trip to Rome here. (While you are there, sign up for our tweets, too, by searching for TheNewMexican.)

So just how much is that trip to Rome costing you, anyway, you ask? My colleague Steve Terrell checks it out here.

Witness list filed in Block case

The Attorney General's Office has filed the witness list used in the case of Jerome Block Jr., and Jerome Block, Sr.

They are:
-- Special agent Don Jochem
-- Deputy secretary of state Don Francisco Trujillo
-- Las Vegas Optic managing editor David Giuliani
-- San Miguel County Clerk Paul Maez, head of the band Wyld Country
-- Jacob Martinez, Block Jr.'s campaign treasurer
-- Briana Garcia
-- Isaac Jaramillo
-- Larry Lujan
-- SOS ethics administrator Tracey Littrell
-- Simon Balkey, lead singer of Wyld Country
-- Paul Smith
-- Block Jr.s' campaign spokesman Jonathan Valdez

It's unclear who all testified in front of the grand jury that met before the indictments came down last week.

Block Jr.: 'no intentions of abandoning my duties'

Jerome Block, Jr. plans to stay on the job, he told PRC employees in an e-mail this morning. The message comes on the heels of the indictment of him and his father Wednesday. Here's the e-mail:

Dear Friends,

I’m sure most of you have been made aware of my personal situation. I would like to take a moment to make it clear to all of you that I have no intentions of abandoning my duties as PRC Commissioner. Please know, I am going to move forward business as usual.

I value all of you, and I deeply appreciate the efforts you put into your job every day. As always, my office is open to all of you and I am available to all of you. Again, thank you for what you do for this commission.

Thank you,

Jerome