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Thursday, February 06, 2003

By Joe Grata, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

State Auditor General Bob Casey’s office has compiled a detailed list of questionable gift, novelty and promotional items purchased by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation from June 16, 2001, to June 15, 2002.

His investigators also uncovered what they call “questionable/excessive” food and catering charges and purchases of clothing and apparel.

The list includes:

925 folding alarm clocks, $4,878; 1,946 Koozie beach bags, $3,392; 500 printed floating toy ducks, $1,606; 10 8- to 9-foot Colorado blue spruce trees and fertilizer, $900; 10 8- to 9-foot Norway spruce trees and fertilizer, $900; three 8- to 9-foot hemlock trees and fertilizer, $300.

2,515 ink pens with miniature airplanes on top, $ 2,699; 5,197 custom-designed car air fresheners, $2,651; 10,900 patches with embroidered PennDOT logo, $14,320; 110 L.L. Bean Adventure duffle bags, $4,628; 665 brass business card holders, $4,396; 1,001 tape measures with PennDOT logo, $4,355; 2,927 “flag” lapel pins, $3,017; 17,000 “gold square” lapel pins, $2,980.

1,801 mini-binoculars, $2,889; 5,000 boxes of Crayola crayons with PennDOT logo, $2,799; 1,250 Cyber Eye computer mirrors, $2,564; 578 zippered portfolios, $2,552; 350 flat lunch sacks, $2,325; 6,200 Halloween bags, $2,296; 900 pens and “highlighters,” $2,069; 600 six-pack cooler bags, $2,003; 252 “world time” calculators, $1,849; 263 Frame It computer mouse pads, $1,716.

More than 1,700 polo and golf shirts, 166 jackets and 645 T-shirts obtained from eight different vendors, $28,471.

184 “ambassador” clipboards, $1,609, and 157 “executive” clipboards, $1,489; 100 PennDOT baskets containing Pennsylvania-made snacks and a picture frame and folder, including shipping, $2,296; 200 Kona mugs with gift bag and tissue paper, $1,287; 995 pocket flashlights, $1,187; 525 custom luggage tabs, $1,009; 2,000 magnets with PennDOT logo, $939; 1,300 Frisbees, $896; 255 printed stress balls, $854; 470 thermometers with logo, $795.

105 custom-molded chocolate stars with PennDOT imprint, $629; 360 Top Flite LX golf balls with PennDOT logo, $574; 10 cases of buttermints with custom-printed wrappers, $553; 261 blue travel cups with pill holders, $542; 175 monogrammed, small battery-operated fans, $502; 294 22.oz. party mugs, $570; 140 ceramic mugs, $534; 262 keychains with attached first-aid kits, $477.

One 34-inch pair of ceremonial scissors with polished aluminum blades and stained oak handles, $510; 15 foldaway totes on wheels, $409; 183 embossed water bottles, $445; 50 toy convertible motor cars “with sound” for stress, $358; 200 sheets of colored tissue paper and 175 glossy gift bags, $253.

Case of custom printed gourmet mints, $228; 198 custom printed plastic flashlights, $207; 1,000 lollipops, $62; two “thank you” snack baskets including $24 shipping costs to Texas, $84; 40 PA/US friendship pins, $90; miscellaneous items from Wal-Mart, including 16 yards of fabric, a pair of men’s jeans and a bar stool, $95.65.

Catered events lacking detailed information for more than 2,800 lunches, 1,000 breakfasts, 1,600 snacks and room rentals and linens, $41,596.

Joe Grata can be reached at jgrata@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1985.