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Questionable spending in Collin County

By Maxine Shapiro, KERA 90.1 business commentator

Dallas, TX – For the most part, government agencies must reveal where taxpayer money goes. Sometimes it's for some absurd things. This holds true right down to the county level. We may giggle or be appalled. You have a choice today. I'm Maxine Shapiro with KERA Marketplace Midday.

Here's what Collin County, according to today's Dallas Morning News, is doing and not doing with their taxpayer money. First, let's look at the "Casual Friday" trend. Employees love it. Employers feel some people forget that Friday is still a workday. A simple memo usually clarifies that. But the Collin County Clerk's office decided they needed to go a step further. Each of the 78 employees will receive a lovely collared shirt with the county logo on it. How sweet of us. And it's only costing the taxpayers $1,626. That's almost $21 a shirt. Either some brother-in-law got a nice deal, or nobody up there knows what wholesale means.

On a much more serious matter, indigent health care in Collin County has a crisis. Plano Area Interfaith needs $400,000 to help fund a low-income clinic. The request has been declined. Commissioners say they have already spent $1.5 million on indigent health care - so there. But get this, the 1,500 employees who work for the county get free access to a taxpayer-funded clinic. And, the News points out, this free clinic is in the same building as the indigent health clinic. A free health clinic for county employees is definitely not the norm. Besides Dallas, no other large county offers it. But what about indigent health care? About 20 years ago, a county health trust fund was established from the sale of the county hospital. It now has $24 million in cash and real estate. But Commissioner Scrooge only uses the interest to fund indigent health care. $24 million and they can't afford $400,000. Now that's appalling. For KERA Marketplace Midday, I'm Maxine Shapiro.

Marketplace Midday Reports air on KERA 90.1 Monday - Friday at 1:04 p.m.

Email Maxine Shapiro about this story.