State generous with cell phones

State agencies paid nearly $3.4 million, an average of more than $282,000 per month for cell phone usage for more than 3,900 state employees during FY-2010, according to public records obtained by Capitol News Service.

CNS initiated the inquiry into state cell phone usage when it was learned that California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered state employees to turn in some 48,000 cell phones.

Only one state agency, Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, was found to have issued no cell phones to university employees, though it did issue four air cards for campus police, three for Rehabilitation Science field engineers for off-campus use and one for an employee whose job duties require extensive travel.

Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge more than made up for Tech’s lack of communication devices, however.

LSU shelled out more than $492,000 for 688 taxpayer-funded cell phones, Blackberries, Smart Phones, I-Phones and air cards from June 30, 2009 through May 31, 2010, records show.

The $41,038 average monthly cost for LSU cell phones was more than the $40,624 annual costs for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($12,920), Grambling State University ($10,859), Southern University New Orleans ($10,797) and Louisiana Tech’s eight air cards ($6,048) combined.

LSU’s monthly cell phone costs also compared with the annual rates of eight other institutions of higher learning: Southeastern Louisiana University ($33,885); Baton Rouge Community College ($32,167); University of New Orleans ($36,733); Southern University ($52,728); McNeese State University ($33,333); Nicholls State University ($27,776), University of Louisiana-Monroe ($57,978); and Northwestern State University ($35,240).

The governor’s office and the Division of Administration (DOA) combined to spend $245,969 for cell phones for 402 employees of the governor’s office (61), DOA (107), the Office of Telecommunications Management (32), the Office of Risk Management (18) and the Office of Group Benefits (6).

DOA, it should be noted, while keeping the same number of phones, cut its cell phone costs by more than $100,000 from Fiscal Year 2010 ($250,000) to FY-2011 ($145,000).

Along with the request on the number and costs of agency cell phones, CNS also asked agencies to justify the need for the number of cell phones being used. While most agencies were quick to provide data on numbers and costs of the phones, only a few attempted to justify their usage.

Michael Ferrell of LSU-Shreveport said the university operates a police department that uses cell phones only as part of the university’s emergency notification system. He also said computer maintenance and information technology personnel need the cell phones in case of any technical problems.

Likewise, Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA) operates a network of six transmitters on a 24-hour basis, making it essential that LETA be able to contact engineers in the event of transmitter problems, according to Steve Graziano, chief operating officer for Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

Lt. Col. Louis Thompson said the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control employs 50 law enforcement agents who are assigned throughout the state and that it is crucial that each agency have access to instant communication.

The lieutenant governor’s office appeared to have the most creative explanation: law enforcement, personal safety, and public welfare, duties more often assigned to the Department of Public Safety than the lieutenant governor’s office.

The issuance of a cell phone in the lieutenant governor’s office apparently would depend on whether or not “the job duties of the individual require the performance of duties that could impact the protection of life and property,” said Julia George Moore, general counsel for the lieutenant governor’s office.

Since the lieutenant governor heads up the Office of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, it’s conceivable that that office would have the responsibility for the safety of tourists during, say, a hurricane. It’s also conceivable that those duties would require 60 cell phones.

Jan Jackson, responding for the Louisiana Community Technical College System, said, “All employees with LCTCS-issued mobile devices are expected to be in communication with this office while traveling to our sites around the state and to be available by phone or BlackBerry on a 24/7 basis. We conduct a considerable amount of business with our employees remotely by phone or email,” she said. “It is necessary for our employees to travel to our many sites around the state to conduct audits, to troubleshoot IT problems, to manage construction projects, to oversee our adult education and grant programs and to provide assistance and training for our college and grant personnel.”

The University of New Orleans, with 15 cell phones, nevertheless is picky in issuing the devices to personnel. “No department head, dean, vice chancellor or like position has a university-paid cell phone or wireless connection,” said Deborah K. Bridges, director of purchasing for UNO.

Other state agencies, the number of cell phones, BlackBerries, Smart Phones or I-Phones and the annual cost to each of the agencies include:

• Department of Public Safety, 865 ($349,080);

• Department of Corrections, 304 ($249,842);

• Department of Education, 236 ($273,160);

• Department of Revenue, 154 ($138,102);

• Department of Transportation & Development, 489 ($337,435);

• Department of Economic Development, 48 ($37,447);

• Treasury Department, 56 ($22,016);

• Lt. Governor, 60 ($54,017);

• Louisiana Public Broadcasting, 20 ($15,060);

• Inspector General, 2 ($1,534);

• Office of Financial Institutions, 16 ($13,769);

• Wildlife & Fisheries, 80 ($40,000);

• Department of Justice (Attorney General), 71 ($44,815);

• Department of Insurance, 20 ($13,559);

• Secretary of State, 9 ($3,720);

• Department of Natural Resources, 16 ($12,300);

• Department of Agriculture, 22 ($13,543);

• Department of Environmental Quality, 144 ($56,113);

• Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, 55 ($48,900);

• State Board of Ethics, 4 ($3,244);

• House of Representatives, 20 ($12,904);

• State Senate, 17 ($16,795).