How Nice to Be So Rich : Indefensible county spending now has Antonovich up in arms

There they go again--another spending outrage at the County Hall of (Poor) Administration.

This time, county administrators are under scrutiny because they approved a $1-million contract for consultants who are paid very nicely indeed for advice on how to build new public hospitals and make other major public health improvements.

But there’s one catch, and it’s a big one: The hospitals in question aren’t funded yet, and chances are these projects won’t get a $2.3- billion allocation any time soon in these tight times.

As Times reporter Claire Spiegel has explained, the non-competitive contract is just loaded with goodies. The agreement allows the consultants to charge the county for their expensive downtown office space, their parking fees and even their tony furnishings, including a granite table and leather sofa and chairs. (Too bad no one thought about using county surplus furniture.)

Such free spending contrasts sharply with tight limits on strapped county hospitals. In the face of the growing demand among poor county residents--including the increasing number who have been shunted into poverty by the lingering recession--the public hospitals sometimes cannot afford to provide basic supplies, urgently needed staff or enough beds.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich deserves credit for having requested an audit of the contract. A preliminary report by the auditors indicates a need for better accountability and re-evaluation. To say the very least.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is reining in runaway spending bit by bit, usually at the prompting of its newest member, Gloria Molina. This time, Antonovich has taken the lead--and another step toward the fiscal accountability that the supervisors have a responsibility to provide.

Private consultants often provide more for less, because the county avoids the expense of pensions and other benefits. But when public money is tight, everyone associated with the county--especially the consultants--must make do with much less.