Report: Road-salt sellers snowed the state (Ohio)

[Joanne98]

Source: Columbus Dispatch

Ohio has overpaid by as much as $59 million for road salt over the past decade because two companies colluded to drive up prices and misrepresented out-of-state salt as being from Ohio, an investigative report concluded yesterday.

Cargill Deicing Technology and Morton Salt Co. carved up Ohio into noncompete zones in order to overcharge the Ohio Department of Transportation for road salt, and, in one case, charged the state triple the market rate, Inspector General Thomas P. Charles' report said.

Both companies passed off salt from other states and countries as being from Ohio to comply with "Buy Ohio" provisions, the report said. It faulted state officials for misinterpreting the "Buy Ohio" law to exclude all out-of-state competition.

Cargill plied state officials in charge of salt purchases with gifts such as Cleveland Browns tickets, golf outings and meals, the report said.



Read more: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/07/copy/report-road-salt-sellers-snowed-the-state.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

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The Republicans run the roads in Ohio. When they took over in the 90's they fired all the Dems from ODOT! My uncle worked there and they got him. SO if there's a road salt scam it's going to be theirs.

Watch for Lehman bankster Kasich to KILL THE INVESTIGATION!

[wilt the stilt]

1. Whenever I hear the "local Bullshit"

from republicans I roll my eyes. Ther is so much more graft and kickbacks at the state level it is ridiculous.

[Ozymanithrax]

2. Adam Smith was right...

“People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.”
-- Wealth of nations

[Botany]

3. Good now Cargill and Morton can give free salt to ODOT for the next few ..

.... years. That is one way to help cut Ohio's deficit.

[Dappleganger]

4. Wow, this sounds like FL bullshit!

And guess where many of FL's new residents come from? You've got it--Ohio!

[formercia]

5. The crooks have to retire somewhere

birds of a feather, flock the taxpayer together.