Miami Attorney Paul Novack Proposes Accountability System For Haiti Relief
MIAMI, FL (AttorneyNewsWire.com) — February 1, 2010 — A system of oversight and an office of special inspector general for Haiti has been proposed for implementation by the United States Congress. Attorney Paul D. Novack, who served six terms as Mayor of Surfside, Florida and who also served on the State of Florida Oversight Board for the Miami-Dade County School System, has proposed the immediate creation of oversight systems and the office of a special inspector general for Haiti relief and reconstruction.
His message to the United States Congress and international agencies follows: With the massive amount of all sorts of aid going into hopes for the future of Haiti, there is a desperate need for coordination and cooperation amongst the vast array of governments, public agencies and private organizations which are getting underway towards the rebuilding effort. There is also great concern about the integrity and productivity involved in the process that has begun with an outpouring of funds towards relief and rebuilding in Haiti.
Everyone who has ever been attuned to events is aware of the deep pitfalls of waste and worse and how many seemingly positive efforts in the past have been neither accountable nor productive in relation to the public investment level. Following the earthquake, the situation has become more in need of attention than ever before. Americans – and indeed people all over the world – have opened their hearts and their wallets and we are entitled to know that our funds will be wisely employed. After all its not merely about the money — its about what the money will actually and eventually buy to significantly raise the quality of life in Haiti. There are credibility and accountability operations in place for the domestic use of stimulus funds. There are also temporary offices of a special federal inspector general for Iraq reconstruction and for Afghanistan reconstruction (SIGIR and SIGAR) (see i.e.: http://www.sigir.mil ) and while they have not been completely able to handle the issues it is a far better situation with a SIG than it would be without one.
Novak proposes that such an office be considered for creation to oversee and serve as a watchdog of public funds going into Haiti, taking into account the unique circumstances, and suggest that perhaps the US Congress (and international agencies) might consider rapidly enacting the necessary legislation and commissioning an able and empowered office. A system of oversight that would include a SIG would be a key element of sustaining the long term continuation of funding that will be necessary. Now is the time; if an office of a SIG were in place from the early stages it would be better positioned to be effective than if it came into being long after funds were disbursed – it could be “at the table” from the beginning, designing processes to help insure the effective and efficient, results oriented program that everyone would like to see.
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