Public Administration
“Rabbits and the Taxpayer”
You are the manager of a pre-school center partially funded with tax dollars. In an effort to assist former welfare recipients in getting back into the workplace, the city set up the center. Parents pay based on their income level with tax dollars making up the difference. As part of the program you provide lunch to the children. Last week an audit team from the city came in to audit your operation. The auditor informed you that one of your employees, Myrna, was seen taking a bag of lettuce leaves home at the close of shift. You informed the auditor that Myrna raised rabbits and that you have previously given her permission to take home the leaves from the outside of the lettuce that would be thrown away and feed them to her rabbits. The auditor then informed you that a member of the audit team had watched Myrna “take off more lettuce leaves than were normally removed by the average person” and that this was not a sound practice when dealing with the taxpayers’ money. How do you feel about the audit team’s observations?
