Roofing contractor's training manual explains how to trick schools into tripling their construction budgets

Want to get rich by screwing taxpayers and school systems? Then read the excerpts from the Tremco training manual that we published below. Big Hat Tip to Indiana activist Diane Vice at Welcome to My Tea Party

Companies who rip off school systems (like the one we are exposing today) are the real reason why educrats and house democrats whined to reporters when their funding is getting cut. Our kids' educations aren't threatened. What is getting threatened are their kickbacks, tickets, and wining and dining on the public dime.

We need school superintendents and facilities managers to do their home work and get the taxpayers good deals on maintenance and remodel projects. We also need to make sure ALL of Indiana's companies have equal access to compete for contracts. Price fixing, bond debt, and lazy, greedy educrats are the real reason school budgets need to be slashed. There is meaning in the fact that the ISTA building is across from the capitol. Ever think of that? --HFFT editor

FROM THE TREMCO TRAINING MANUAL:
Controlling the School and Public Work

1) Public monies are budgeted for roof work a year in advance. These funds are spent unless a major catastrophe occurs. We must make every effort to be a factor in the budget setting process. Some years when industry is down the public monies are good. We need to diversify our business so that we do not get hurt in any one segment of our market place.

2) These school and public work accounts vary in size. The large the account the more competition you will encounter. We need to be calling on all size accounts so that we do not rely too heavily one one particular account to make our year.

3) Start out with these accounts in the same manner as any other account. Find out what the business manager or superintendent's priorities are.....

4) Once we create a need and get agreement from the account, try and keep the job from going out for public bid. We must show the account why it is to his advantage not to go out for public bid....
C) Small separate purchase orders [Remember the "change order" from Rossville?]...

5) Write specifications to make sure we include all details and be as thorough as possible.
A) Write items into the specs which our competition does not have.
B) Mix the job up. Write in Tremline, NTB fasteners, resaturation, etc. Make it complete as possible.

6) Make sure there is a pre-bid meeting. This way you will know who your competition is before the bids are opened. Make the pre-bid mandatory and have it early in the advertisement.
A) Any changes in the specifications or materials will be sent out in an addendum. Never have your business manager or yourself be put in a position whereby a decision is made on the spot on any item in the specifications whether it be materials or methods of application. In this manner you can still control the final outcome with changes...

7) Contact all contractors that have picked up specifications. Make it clear that you will give them material prices as long as they do not submit an alternate to the specifications. Make it clear to a competitive contractor that it would be to their advantage to bid your specifications and not the alternate. Neutralizing them is all we can expect...

9) Stay in contact with the business manager to make sure there have been no changes. Check to see who picked up specifications.

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