Kathleen Davies is the only candidate with the professional training and experience to be Delaware’s next state auditor. As a certified government auditor with 25 years of experience in government auditing, no one is better qualified to protect our tax dollars by ensuring accurate audits than Kathleen Davies.
One of the other candidates explained their lack of training and experience in a published commentary by stating “the State Auditor does not personally conduct audits.... The job is to set policy, hire the best and the brightest to see that the work is done.”
I question how a state auditor would know how to hire or set policy without any experience in the field of auditing.
In the same commentary, this candidate attempts to justify their deficiencies for the job by writing, “Just as the director of a water authority does not need to know how to build a water plant or lay pipes, because he or she does not do either, the state auditor does not personally conduct audits.” The candidate goes on to explain the highly technical process of a performance audit by comparing it to “inspecting pipes for leaks or, in a drought, spot-checking customers to make sure they are not using precious water for prohibited purposes (watering lawns, washing cars).”
Anyone who has ever seen an audit report must be shaking their head at the fallacious reasoning of comparing a government agency audit to checking to see if someone is watering their lawn on the wrong day.
In addition to experience and training, our next auditor must also have the courage to follow up on audit findings and non-compliance in government agencies, including our public and charter schools. It is time for this office to resist the ‘Delaware Way’ and foster open government by exposing fraud and waste, regardless of where it is found.
Kathleen Davies has taken the high road throughout this campaign. She has focused on explaining to voters the responsibilities of the state auditor and offered specific examples of how the office works for the taxpayer. Her responses to questions at forums and meetings make it clear she is the only candidate who really understands the role of state auditor.
There have been consequences for her willingness to fulfill her responsibilities as chief administrative auditor in the Delaware Auditor’s Office. Kathleen Davies did not go away quietly. She chose to stay and fight. There have been vague innuendos and misleading headlines, but, again, Kathleen Davies has taken the high road and continues to campaign with the professionalism and integrity that we need in our state auditor.
I hope voters will take the time to learn about Kathleen Davies at www.kdaviesforstateauditor.com where her contact information is posted. She is willing to talk to all about her views on the role of state auditor.
Kathleen Davies has my vote in the Democratic Primary Sept. 6.
Joanne Cabry
Rehoboth Beach
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.
