Sen. Richard Polanco, D-Los Angeles, wrote a bill in 1993 that created a California "multiple award schedule" -- basically, a list of pre-screened vendors that state agencies could go to without a time-consuming and unwieldy competitive bid.
CMAS, as it's known, has taken off. And today, it is at the heart of a system that many say has fallen prey to abuse by insiders using their government contacts to tap into the lucrative state market without competitive bidding.
John Hill, The Sacramento Bee. For the full story, please visit the Sacramento Bee Web site.
