The terrorist Budget accountants vs me

Friday of a Holiday weekend

The weekend actually started on Friday morning. My boss and I had a meeting with the Budget Director and the Chief Information Technology Officer. (1) When we first met with the CITO he mentioned that nothing will change except the functions of the duplication center, shipping and close the stockroom. The stockroom would directly involve me, and I inquired into the reasoning (2), he caught my drift and nervously laughed and said “Don’t worry we’ll find plenty for you to do”.(3)

My boss jumped in before I started jumping ugly (4) and asked if he had seen the stockroom and everything in there. He agreed to make a quick visit and give me a chance to make my case. The visit went well he agreed to my recommendations, but said the stockroom would be a full service institution, and he issued a decree stating I would do ALL ordering. The decree was sent to all managers.

Two weeks ago I received a request for 2 dozen retractable pens, and I followed through with the order. I got two bids, took the lowest and sent it to budget. I heard nothing for two days, I asked the Administrative Assistant if she had heard anything, and she told me that the Budget section went ballistic at not having prior information. The requisition is on hold indefinitely, and she didn’t know why I wasn’t informed (5).

I was horse collared by the budget director in the hallway (6) and we had a brief discussion about accounting procedures, why she was not advised, and she was requesting a meeting with CITO, her boss, my boss and me. She wasn’t happy about the way things are done and in Accountant speak she indicated she didn’t like having a stockroom because the budget dollars are tied up in ASD and direct cost accounting should be used which is something I reminded her I had been asking for using the $10 million accounting system.

I spoke to my boss and we both agreed it is a fait accompli, she gets what she wants, and no one either has the balls to challenge her, they are dazzled by her looks (7), or they don’t have any idea what is going on and it is too small a matter to involve the higher ups.

By now you are saying, get to the meeting. Friday comes and we go and the budget director’s boss is not there, but a thin nervous man is there. I don’t know who he is but I notice the CITO did not sit at the head of the table which is curious since it is his meeting, and his meeting room.

The budget director shows up 10 minutes late, and during that time we chatted a bit and it was evident to me that she had already made her case and we were there as a courtesy. She outlined why she didn’t want me doing the supplies any more using the current cost allocations, why the budget dollars shouldn’t be tied up in ASD with a yearly reconciliation, and why her staff is too busy for more timely accounting entries.

I pointed out why from a economy of scales it is better from a fraud and waste standpoint, and I was interrupted repeatedly, she did apologize for it but she said her case is made and if there any other questions make them now because she has to go. I asked “So what happens to my duties (as if I didn’t know), the CITO laughs again and repeats “Don’t worry there is plenty for you to do” about accountability will reside with the managers, but he started stammering and stuttering rather badly. This is a “tell” that he is hiding something, and deviating from his prepared script.

The Budget Gal reassured me that I am a valuable asset and “You have skills”, I kind of lost my cool and said “that is what I was told when I was exiled to the basement”. No one said anything and she left. After she left I asked the CITO “So all this is about saving her staff work” and the nervous guy went into a soliloquy speaking to no one specifically stuttering so much I have no idea what he said.

My boss and I speak afterwards and we make note of recent decisions. We may lose the gal who does shots with the department secretary and the CITO. She isn’t an asset and will not be missed, the term employee hired to help me has had his duties used to cover the gal who does nothing, but they may not retain him. I’m two years from retirement and they won’t replace me in the stockroom.

There will more deliveries for me, waste and abuse from the Admn Assistants, and new opportunities for me. I’m not going to seek competitive bids anymore since they don’t care, and they don’t know that since I saw it coming I ordered enough for 6 months.

Should be interesting.







(1) We used to be under the Administration Services Division (ASD) until last month, a change that raised a lot of questions since our bureau runs the functional part of the building such as cars, maintenance, mail, and property control.
(2) The stockroom has been a target of closure for many years, other agencies have the individual operating units order their own supplies. There are reasons on either side. I’ve thought its better from a economy of scales to order for everyone and deliver as they use them. When each orders their own there is waste, and it is expensive to order in small quantities.
(3) Now isn’t that a fucked up thing to say to someone. That is a “tell”, a lie of omission. There is a plan and they are not ready to reveal.
(4) In a most polite non threatening way that would not emasculate him
(5) Kind of a retaliation, but Budget is queen of the May and they pretty much do what they want, I’m kind of petty with them and enjoy when they fill miffed.
(6) We used to be really tight years ago, I helped train her, we used to eat out lunch together, and it was initiated by her, because of her looks she was kind of shunned when she first started, and we got to know each other really well. She had a bad break up and was fixed up on a date, a guy she married and she changed everything about her appearance. She went from a very attractive lady, to a well bred society looking lady.
(7) It is a strange thing having good looking ladies for a friend, outsiders inquire if anything is going on, haters as why I’m with a phony, and they find an excuse to say howdy when I’m with her and flirt a bit