Wanted Mayor. Must have spine. Inquire within.

Core job duties: Must demonstrate signs of spine

The news article (<http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/15/news-anderson.php>) in LA Weekly about the letter Assistant General Manager Mohamud Chaudhry wrote to Mayor James Hahn identifying Local 18 corrupted management, is a breath of fresh air.

Please know that many employees have had their careers ruined dealing with this problem on a daily basis. The problem is not isolated or confined to the upper levels of management. It is throughout the organization. It is reflected in the many confidential settlements and cases quickly moving around the union and DWP managers and toward the courts.

The City's attorneys say under their breath that they know it is happening, but that they are helpless to change it. It has become an endless queue of cases straight from hell to maintain the status quo. They say it goes with the territory, sometimes it becomes a very ugly job. All are suffering as a result. It gives reason for City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo's $1 million dollar unopposed campaign for re-election.

Many employees have spoken to the Board, to city officials, and to General Managers about these problems only to be ignored and set aside. The actions of officials seem to favor advancing union corruption.

Chaudhry’s letter is an indication that employees actions have not been in vain. DWP will continue to falter until the problem is resolved. Employees are tired of the bullying and are demonstrating very clearly that they are willing to stand up and be counted. For that we are thankful for Chaudhry’s letter and demonstration of leadership.

What we hope is that the citizens of Los Angeles recognize that Mayor James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa have failed to provide good leadership and to defend the public trust by their lack of action and willingness to turn a blind eye toward subversive union activities.

As a performance benchmark recall that Mayor Richard Riordan and DWP General Manager William McCarley reduced DWP staff by some 4 thousand employees in approximately 1 year to meet deregulation. And during that 1 year period there was an orderly exodus plan with no disruptions in service. Under General Manager S. David Freeman, DWP downsizing paid off a $ 7 billion debt.

Compare the same circumstances under James Hahn. DWP has been relieved of deregulation but has had an endless parade of General Managers, a hand-picked Board, an increasing managerial staff, a mire of corruption, increasing overtime and decreasing productivity, contracts gone wild, disruptions in service, Federal investigations, and personnel issues being shunned by management and union officials and overflowing into City Council meetings. DWP is now demanding rate increases by some 18 percent!

Civil Action Press has concluded that James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa have demonstrated that they are ineffective and are part if not all of the problem. So we ask the remaining candidates what will they commit to do to rid the DWP of this dysfunctional union and crony tyranny.

Your comments are welcome.