Readers: Demand an audit of Baker Places!

Below is a first draft of a letter I am composing to Ben Rosenfield, the controller of San Francisco. Readers are invited to request an audit of Baker Places by emailing the Office of the Controller at controller@sfgov.org.

Also, readers may view the 2008 audit of Baker Places, Inc. by going to www.sfcontroller.org and then clicking on “Find a Report”; then click on “audit reports”; and then type in “Baker Places, Inc.” Readers will find that in the summary section (on page 3) many problems with Baker Places following standard accounting practices.

November 2, 2015

Dear Ben Rosenfield:

The purpose of the letter is to request an updated audit of Baker Places, Inc. to  the audit the Office of Controller’s conducted in 2008. As was pointed out in  in a letter you wrote to Dr. Katz on June 30, 2008: “The audit includes nine recommendations for Baker Places to improve its invoicing procedures and for DPH to improve its oversight and monitoring procedures." Seven years later it appears as though Baker Places continues to have problems following standard auditing practices as it had to pay the IRS $825,577 in back taxes in February 2015. [Readers can view the IRS form googling : “guidestar, Baker Places, inc” or visit www.guidestar.org.]

 I find this it quite disturbing for a nonprofit which is funded by the City and County of San Francisco at around $11.8 million each year to mismanage over $800,000. As a taxpayer of San Francisco, I would like an accounting for how and why this occurred.

Please note that I met with two auditors from your office on October 21, 2015 in which I informed them about this mismanagement of the public’s money. On October 23, 2015 I followed up with a meeting with Terrance McDowell, an Associate Auditor, in which I provided him with relevant documents.

Thank you for your kind assistance in this matter. If you would like additional documents or information about this audit request, please contact me at safeway7354@gmail.com or telephone me at (415)-865-0734.

Sincerely Yours,

Harry Petersen