IT )S A GHOST STORY OF
SORTS.
NO, NOT THE HALLOWEEN
TYPE.
THESE MYSTERIOUS
PHANTOMS ARE REAL LIFE,
FULL TIME, HIGHLY PAID
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WHO
DON )T KEEP REGULAR HOURS
AND ONLY
OCCASIONALLY SHOW UP AT
THE OFFICE.
HERES LARRY )S
INVESTIGATION, "THE
GHOSTS OF SANTA FE."
Johnson: "It )s
absolutely a problem
from our perspective. We
call it time card
fraud." Archuleta: "The
consequences can be
serious. It could be
suspension leading up to
termination."
Johnson: "Q. Are they
special state employees
that they don )t have to
come to work every day?
A. Short
answer to that question
is no they )re not
special employees." THEY
MAY NOT BE SPECIAL BUT
THEY SURE ACT THAT WAY.
YOU SEE INSIDE THIS
SANTA FE OFFICE BUILDING
ARE A COUPLE OF GHOSTS:
WELL PAID PUBLIC
EMPLOYEES WHO ONLY SHOW
UP FOR WORK SPORADICALY
AND DISAPPEAR FOR
LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
WHO ARE THESE GUYS? MEET
THE PUBLIC
REGULATION COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS.
GOVERNED BY FIVE ELECTED
OFFICIALS, THE PRC IS A
FAR REACHING STATE
AGENCY THAT OVERSEES
EVERYTHING FROM UTILITY
RATES TO
PIPELINE SAFETY. AMONG
THE 129 EMPLOYEES WHO
WORK HERE ARE $72,000 A
YEAR EXECUTIVE
ASSISTANTS WHO STAFF
EACH OF THE
COMMISSIONER )S SANTA FE
OFFICES. FOR EXAMPLE,
MAYBE THERES A
PROBLEM WITH YOUR
UTILITY BILL SO YOU
DECIDE TO GET HELP FROM
COMMISSIONER LYNDA
LOVEJOY. HER FULL TIME
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT IS
ANDRE CORDERO.
Barker: "So its Monday
morning 11:25. Andre
Cordero is a no show.
... And Heather Alvarez,
Commissioner Hall )s
assistant? Shes a no
show too. ... And how
about Deborah Bransford,
Commissioner Lyons )
assistant? Well the
office is dark. Just
where is Deborah? Who
knows."
A YEAR LONG NEWS 13
INVESTIGATION FINDS MOST
PRC COMMISSIONERS
AND THEIR STAFF ONLY
OCCASIONALLY SHOW UP AT
THE OFFICE FOR WORK. AND
WHILE ELECTED OFFICALS
ARE NOT REQUIRED TO
ACCOUNT FOR THEIR
TIME, THE EXECUTIVE
ASSISTANTS MUST COMPLY
WITH PERSONNEL RULES. IN
FACT, OUR INVESTIGATION
FINDS SOME
ASSISTANTS APPEAR TO BE
PLAYING HOOKY ON THE
TAXPAYER )S DIME. EVEN
THOUGH THEIR TIME CARDS
REFLECT WORKING HOURS,
THE
ASSISTANTS ARE OFTEN
NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.
ERNEST ARCHULETA IS THE
PRC )S CHIEF OF STAFF.
Archuleta: "Q. As it
relates to the
Commissioner )s Executive
Assistants, what is
their normal work
schedule? A. Their
normal work schedule is
... generally an 8 to 5
schedule Monday through
Friday
Monday through Friday
with an hour lunch. ...
Q. If a PRC employee
doesn )t come to work but
fails to note the
absence on their
timecard is that a
problem? A. That )s a
problem."
CONSIDER ANDRE CORDERO.
Cordero: "Q. There )s
been quite a few days
where you were you were
not here in the office
but you reported
that on your time card
that you were working.
So I )m just wondering,
you )re not here a lot.
So when you )re
not here what are you
doing? A. Actually I )m
here a lot. When I leave
the office I might get
something to eat and
then I come back. But
most of the time, my
times are consistent. Q.
Are you here every day?
A. Every
day. Q. You )re here
every day? A. Every
day."
HMMM. HE MUST FORGOTTEN
ABOUT FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17
TH LAST YEAR. OR
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 21ST
AND MONDAY NOVEMBER 27.
Cordero: "Q. December
11th. ... December 13th.
... December 18th. ...
December 19th ...
December 22nd. ... those
are just the days that
we checked. And you
weren )t here but your
time card indicated that
you
were. Wonder what
happened. Do you have an
explanation for that? A.
I was here. That )s my
job
responibility to be in
this office."
Lovejoy: "Q. We have
done some spot checks
and found many many days
that your assistant was
not here
in the office yet he
indicated on his time
card that he was. Are
you concerned about
André )s attendance
here? A. No I )m not.
Andre is probably the
only assistant who is
here. ... My assistant
along with other
commissioners assistants
are exempt. My assistant
doesn )t have to be here
8 to 5 Monday through
Friday. ...
I will just not accept
the fact that my
assistant is misleading
his time."
ANDRE CORDERO RESIGNED
TWO WEEKS AGO.
DEBORAH BRANSFORD WORKS
FOR COMMISSIONER PAT
LYONS. OUR
INVESTIGATION DOCUMENTED
NUMEROUS TIME CARD
DISCREPANCIES.
FOR EXAMPLE BRANSFORD
WAS NOT IN THE OFFICE
AND DID NOT TAKE LEAVE
LAST YEAR ON DECEMBER
13, 18 AND DECEMBER
22ND. SHE WAS ALSO
ABSENT IN FEBRUARY THIS
YEAR ON THE 2ND, THE
6TH, THE 15TH AND
FEBRUARY 16.
Bransford: "Q. I )m
asking about your time.
You )re a state employee.
You )re obligated 40
hours a week. So when
you weren )t here what
were you doing? A. Well
there )s times that I am
working remotely working
in
other locations. There
are times that I )m
representing the
commissioner at
meetings, events,
whatever
it is that he asked me
to do."
BRANSFORD SAYS
COMMISSIONER LYONS
ALLOWS HER TO WORK FROM
HOME, OR TELECOMMUTE.
Bransford: "I may not
always be at my desk but
I )m always available.
And as you see with two
phones
here. My phone is
attached to my office. I
am required to carry
this 24/7. I )m on call
24/7 and I am not
eligible for
overtime. ... I do
letters for my from my
employer. I do whatever
he needs me to do and I
check e-mails. I respond
to e-mails. I call
people I have access to
calls at the office. I
resolve critical issues
complaints."
STATE AUDITOR WAYNE
JOHNSON SAYS
TELECOMMUTING IS
PERMITTED ONLY WHEN THE
STATE AGENCY HAS A
WRITTEN POLICY GOVERNING
WORK AT HOME RULES.
Johnson: "It )s not the
rule here in the state
of New Mexico that every
employee at the drop of
a hat can
decide well I )m not
going to go into work
today I )m going to
telecommute."
Archuleta: "Q. Does the
PRC have a telecommuting
policy? ... A. We have
not established that
kind of a
policy. ... Q. So
without that policy have
you granted any
employees permission to
work at home? A. I have
not. ... It is not
permitted because there
is no policy at this
time."
Johnson: "Q. If the PRC
doesn )t have a
telecommuting policy is
that a problem? A.
Absolutely its
a problem because what
the policy helps you do
is create an environment
of accountability for
the employee."
COMMISSIONER CYNTHIA
HALL )S SANTA FE OFFICE
IS ROUTINELY CLOSED.
THE COMMISSIONER SAYS
HER ASSISTANT ALSO HAS
PERMISSION TO WORK AT
HOME. OUR SPOT CHECK
LAST YEAR DOCUMENTED
MORE THAN THREE
DOZEN DAYS THAT
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
STEPHANIE DZUR
GOT PAID BUT WAS NOT IN
THE OFFICE. DZUR
RESIGNED EARLIER THIS
YEAR.
COMMISSIONER HALL SAYS
HER NEW ASSISTANT,
HEATHER ALVAREZ IS ALSO
PERMITTED AT TIMES TO
WORK AT HOME.
Johnson: "Q. If there
are state employees who
are playing hooky on the
taxpayers dime. What )s
your advice? A. My
advice to management is
to begin to document
their absences and if
you are a whistleblower
within that organization
then keep a log of that
individual employee )s
attendance."
LARRY BARKER KRQE NEWS
13.
THE P-R-C EXECUTIVE
ASSISTANTS ARE EXEMPT
POLITICAL
EMPLOYEES.
ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT
REQUIRED TO FOLLOW AN
8-TO-5 SCHEDULE
THEY ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM
P-R-C EMPLOYEE RULES OR
STATE
PERSONNEL POLICIES.
ADLIB TOSS TO WEATHER
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy
in the evening then