tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89909192024-03-13T07:24:12.192-07:00Civil Action Press"Never mistake motion for action."
Ernest Hemingway
American Novelist (1898-1961)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1165378143048463092006-12-05T19:53:00.000-08:002006-12-06T05:17:58.653-08:00Shrader asks DWP Board and Mayor Villaraigosa for change agentsDaniel N. Shrader made the following public comment to the Board of Water and Power. <br /><blockquote>The city’s civil service system was created in 1903 to prevent political patronage from dominating decisions of employment. The idea was that city government should search for those people with the skills and experience to do each city job and assure that jobs were allocated on the basis of merit. Moreover, it was designed to protect those who performed their jobs responsibly from arbitrary or retaliatory suspension or firing. Ten years later on November 5, 1913, Chief Engineer William Mulholland delivered the aqueduct system on schedule and under budget.<br /> <br />I have dedicated the majority of my career in service to this city and this Department. During my first week on the job in 1983, General Manager and Chief Engineer, Paul Lane, knew me by name and articulated a vision of our potential. Since that time, I have served proudly under many General Managers and Chief Engineers who have advanced through merit and qualification and shaped the vision and culture of our organization. <br /><br />In 1995, city politicians convinced voters to change the Charter and increase the ranks of exempt executives who serve at the pleasure of the mayor, his appointed commissioners, and the city council. The reason for vesting this power with the mayor was to ensure our management was accountable and responsive to the public. The change in our culture is tied to the influences of these mayoral appointments. In the aftermath of deregulation, we downsized. Exempt positions and 1014 transfers were to be used to reposition existing employees of merit. But instead, these hiring privileges have been abused, qualifications lowered, and the quality of our management undermined. In effect, we are restoring the patronage that civil service was designed to prevent – doling out jobs to those with connections. <br /><br />On November 7th, I questioned management integrity and the direction of these personnel investigations, because I have spent 6 years working my way mano a mano through an organizational labyrinth of agents, loopholes, and dead ends controlled by exempt executives sitting before you. I can claim with reasonable certainty that this organization is in denial and its management spends more time ruining employees rather than addressing their concerns and refocusing their efforts to the benefit of our customers. <br /><br />My complaints about management are not unique to personnel. I hope you can recall calming an elderly woman, a residential customer, who came weeping into the Board meeting with bill in hand. I don’t know how or if the situation was resolved but, it is important to note she came here as a last resort. Our organization could not address her needs without executive deliberation and she had to return 2 weeks later for a resolution. <br /><br />In another instance, the Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District demonstrated to you at this podium that our executives treated him cavalierly and would not address his needs. It was no surprise that the Los Angeles Community College District announced, it planned to build and generate its own green power. <br /><br />These two customer service failures are noteworthy not because they demonstrate that we treat a broad range of customers equally poorly, but because the failure of one exacerbates the failure of the other. Each commercial customer lost will result in a multitude of residential customers weeping about their bill. <br /><br />Coupled with a lack of operational transparency, an inability to assess, foresee, avoid, or, at the very least, provide a managerial explanation of the latest media covered fiasco without having to wait 6 months for a blue ribbon investigation bona fide by the city attorney, these instances reflect poorly upon city management. <br /><br />These management issues are not specific to DWP. The video clips of ruffians in blue, cruel antics of firefighters, refusal to hold managers accountable, and millions in settlements, have soiled our reputations, violated our civil rights, and cost the city its integrity, its standards, and its vision. These examples have come to characterize our expectations from city management. They contribute to middle management malaise, the lack of accountability, and the inability to change the culture where we work. These deplorable examples of managerial incompetence have become institutionalized and seem unaffected by scores of proclamations, appointed second-career managers, investigations, and reorganizations. <br /><br />Consequently, I believe management, merit, and accountability have been compromised. I am asking Mayor Villaraigosa and this Board again, to take advantage of the employees who risk their careers before you for the sake of this city department and its stakeholders. Rather than labeling us as inflammatory and demanding our patience, harness our passion, energy, and diligence as change agents and employ our talent and loyalty to achieve your goals and the mayor’s vision. <br /><br />The partnership of change agents and culture changing opportunities is priceless. <br /><br />I am submitting a recent article from the Wall Street Journal about an unlikely change agent who seized an opportunity and saved an entrenched and failing company. He effectively changed the culture of his company in two years by changing the traditions and attitudes of management. <br /><br />Thank you for your time and consideration.<br /></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1161146745372147892006-10-17T19:57:00.000-07:002006-10-17T21:48:45.773-07:00No account accountabilityThe seventy or so employees who reported abuse, mismanagement, and retaliation to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners in January 2006 waited to hear the second installment of words describing the investigatory findings commissioned by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.<br /><br />On May 3, 2006, it was disheartening, but not unexpected, to hear David Nahai, Board President, sum up the investigations into management of Custodial Services, Landscaping, Fleet Services, Security, and Information Technology. He said management was found to be "woefully incompetent." We can be assured those were carefully chosen words. Incompetence, most assuredly, is not, and most likely will never be, a violation at DWP.<br /><br />In today's Board meeting, David Nahai took another peddle back and seemed to say the personnel problems at DWP amounted to isolated instances of management miscommunication that were allowed to fester. Moreover, Nahai indicated that the problems were, in many cases, attributed to managers who had retired and were not there anymore. He suggested a little management training may be in order.<br /><br />This, of course, flies in the face of recent and ongoing litigation, confidential personnel settlements, mismanaged contracts, power outages, a backlog of infrastructure maintenance, high overtime, low productivity, low morale, a number of poor performance audits, and increasing rates.<br /><br />Spontaneous woeful incompetence must be the new paradigm at DWP. No one seemed surprised enough to ask, "Who is in charge of the woeful incompetence at DWP?"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1146633430843498992006-05-02T22:13:00.000-07:002006-05-02T22:17:10.863-07:00Villaraigosa Pulls Cops out of Household TrashRobbing Peter to pay Paul has never made things better. It just makes finances harder to track and impossible to hold anybody accountable for not getting things done.<br /><br />Take for instance the scheme to have Lotto pay for schools. Tell me, since Lotto was sold to the public, has education improved? Or, how about the 30 percent fuel tax that is supposed to pay for roads, has that made the streets any better? <br /><br />I think the reason why Los Angeles does not want anymore police officers is because they have a questionable reputation. When city attorneys defended the City from suits brought about by its citizens, it did two things. One, it saved Los Angeles a ton of money. And two, it protected the managers that fostered the abusive culture. <br /><br />In protecting the City, the City Attorney’s protected the problem. As a result, the LAPD still can not meet the terms of the consent decree even after five years. Incidents continue to remind citizens why they should vote against adding more officers to an undesirable culture that can not protect its citizens or embrace a court ordered mandate. <br /><br />I for one know full well that the price of trash collection will be going up because we can’t seem to settle simple things like where to put all the trash once it is collected. If the City can not manage the Police Department, why would I want to raise the price of trash collection? Leave the trash alone! Fix the Police Department. For that matter, stay out of the School District too. Please don’t mismanage another area until you can demonstrate that you can handle what is on your plate with some consistency.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1138169229192253512006-01-24T22:07:00.000-08:002006-01-24T22:17:17.423-08:00See the need. Hear the calling. Ask for reform.<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/112/2252/320/Hearnospeakno.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/112/2252/400/Hearnospeakno.jpg'></a><br />See the need. Hear the calling. Ask for reform. <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br /><br /><br />The following DWP Announcement was circulated to DWP Employees today via email. Many do not have access to email. Please pass this along.<br /><br />"Meeting Notice - Opportunity for DWP Employees to Address Board Personnel Relations Committee"<br /><br /><span style="color:blue;">"The Board Personnel Relations Committee (Committee) will be holding a meeting on January 27, 2006 to provide DWP employees an opportunity to address the Committee on employee relations issues. The meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m in Room 1555 of the John Ferraro Office Building. Please see the attached Personnel Relations Committee agenda for additional information about the upcoming meeting." </span><br /><br /><blockquote><div align="center"><strong>AGENDA<br /><br />PERSONNEL RELATIONS COMMITTEE<br /><br />BOARD OF WATER & POWER COMMISSIONERS<br /><br />FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2006<br />9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. (NOON)<br />ROOM 1555 JFB<br /><br />COMMISSIONER H. DAVID NAHAI, CHAIR<br />COMMISSIONER EDITH RAMIREZ, MEMBER<br />COMMISSIONER MARY NICHOLS (ALTERNATE) </strong><br />____________________________________________________________</div><br /><ol><li>Opportunity for the public to address the Committee on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Committee. (Speakers may be limited in speaking time dependent upon the press of business and number of persons wishing to address the Committee.)</li><br /><li>Opportunity for DWP employees to address the Committee on employee relations issues. (Speakers may be limited in speaking time to four minutes each, dependent upon the press of business and number of persons wishing to address the Committee. Employees wishing to attend will use their own time, such as “B” time or vacation time. Release of employees to attend is subject to supervisor approval based upon operational needs.)</li></ol><br />*Note: Employees unable to attend this meeting can submit correspondence relating to the above item to:<br /><br />Personnel Relations Committee<br />Board of Water and Power Commissioners<br />111 N. Hope St., Room 1555<br />Los Angeles, CA 90012<br /><br />PR 1-27-06 </blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1137943417589424582006-01-22T07:23:00.000-08:002006-01-22T22:27:00.106-08:00Got Control? (!)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/112/2252/320/DWPConsumed.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/112/2252/400/DWPConsumed.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Got Control? (!) <a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="absMiddle" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Why the flap over bottled water? In the midst of employee complaints about management-orchestrated retaliation, intimidation, and harassment, increasing power outages, run away contracts, and a union that finds it more fun staffing managers and cutting lucrative deals at the utility, bottled water is nothing. Until the utility gets under control, drinking bottled water might be the safest thing for the employees to do. <br /><br />Recently, every Board meeting has been grueling. For all their spending and lackluster performance, top executives send underlings to the podium rather than risk taking responsibility for what they have done. <br /><br />For two and a half months, the Board has praised managers for being straight forward about their problems. But each meeting, there are problems anew – layer upon layer of mismanagement. <br /><br />For the last several weeks, employees have come forward complaining of high-level mismanagement and corruption. From the audience’s perspective, no one seemed to be bothered. Neither Assistant Managers Thomas Hokinson and Henry Martinez nor General Manager Ron Deaton turned around to look at employees who came to the podium to make their pleas for management reform. <br /><br />Rather than management keeping the Board informed, it is these employees and Jeffrey Anderson, of LA Weekly, that are most abreast of the travails at the troubled Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. What is going on, you ask? Read the latest. DWP management is rife with scandal in <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/index.php?option=com_lawcontent&task=view&id=12443&Itemid=2">All Charged Up. What it will take to save L.A.’s troubled utility?</a> <br /><br />Hopefully, Commissioners H. David Nahai and Edith Ramirez have realized that the first order of the day must be to diligently investigate the personnel mismanagement issues that have driven the utility’s personnel into hiding. No amount of overtime, no amount of pay increase, or confidential settlements is compensation enough for stealing employee dignity nor will it hide the fact that this management lacks the legitimacy or wherewithal to lead. <br /><br />First, if it plans any improvement at the utility, the Board must enforce the zero tolerance policy on harassment and hostile working conditions. Reports of Union and management harassment upon employees are increasing. The easiest way to clear the ranks of illegitimate bullying managers and union agents is to strictly enforce the policy. Those who orchestrate, permit, or condone harassment, intimidation, coercion in the work place should be subject to immediate dismissal. Going after his own peers at DWP would surely give Rocky Delgadillo a boost in the polls. <br /><br />We have had fanfares of investigative committees, reports, and proclamations. Viva the new DWP Board. Take control. Take action!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1137357924411672482006-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:002006-03-05T00:39:28.710-08:00DWP and the Steady Drumbeat of Personnel Complaints<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/112/2252/320/Drumbeat2.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/112/2252/400/Drumbeat2.jpg'></a><br />Beat the Drum for Balance and Management Reform <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br /><br /><STRONG><FONT COLOR=RED>Note Corrections:</FONT></STRONG><br /><br />At the January Board meeting, Commissioners H. David Nahai and Edith Ramirez responded to the "steady drum-beat" of personnel and mismanagement complaints. In the January 10th meeting, David Nahai told the public that he had scheduled two special public meetings to be held in the Personnel Relations Committee (<STRIKE>City Hall</STRIKE> <STRONG><FONT COLOR=RED>Location not certain</FONT></STRONG>) on Friday, January 27th and Tuesday, January 31st between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Each person who speaks will be given a minimum of four minutes and will be granted "whistleblower" status. He said that both direct account and hearsay will be accepted and that he and Commissioner Ramirez, both attorneys, would weigh them accordingly.<br /><br />Many believe that this is a means to move these complaints from a televised medium to an obscure un-televised medium. But, when you consider the Brown Act, it may be to get complaints and issues into a committee first, so that they can be properly addressed and acted upon according to the Brown Act. In any case, employees are requesting time off work to attend.<br /><br />So far now, Thomas Hokinson, Assistant General Manager and former Chief Deputy City Attorney, and Ed Miller, second to Acting General Manager Henry Martinez, have announced they are leaving DWP employment. There is considerable rumor about other issues motivating their timely decisions and plenty of rumors about others leaving as soon as they can get people to replace them. Even Deaton is rumored to have told a number of MEA superintendents that he has identified several executives at DWP that have to go. Several employees have made public comments to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners that mismanagement is not confined to a few executives. Since the downsizing in 1996-98, employees have alleged that many positions have been created and filled on the basis of patronage.<br /><br />Commissioner Nahai announced that he, Commissioner Ramirez, and Assistant General Manager Hal Lindsey would be attending the special Personnel Committee meetings.<br /><br /><STRONG><FONT COLOR=RED>The location of the meetings has not been ascertained as yet. Please forgive the following which has been lined out:</FONT></STRONG> <br /><Strike>The Personnel Committee meetings usually take place at Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring St., Room 1050, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The Personnel Committee meets regularly on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month at 2:00 p.m. in Room 1050. The Personnel Committee is chaired by Council member Dennis P. Zine, and presided by Council members Eric Garcetti and Herb J. Wesson, Jr. More information can be provided at <a href="http://www.cityofla.org">cityofla.org</a>, by M. Espinoza at (213) 978-1078, or mespinoza@clerk.lacity.org.</STRIKE><br /><br />Anyone having information regarding the situation at DWP is encouraged to attend. Your personal account of experiences with DWP management including but not limited to: harassment, intimidation, coercion, waste, corruption, promotional opportunity, merit, cronyism, or patronage, are crucial to bringing about management reform at DWP and reducing the cost of services to the public. It is a rare opportunity for many to educate the commissioners about the problems and ineffectiveness city employees, citizens, and consumers face everyday. If you are unable to attend, please feel free to write down your issues, complaints, or observations (include follow-up information or anonymous), email them to the <a href="https://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/comment/EmailComments.ladwp?act=show&contentId=LADWP002263">DWP Commissioners</a> or, to ensure they meet Brown Act criteria, submit them at the committee meetings. Any information emailed to <a href="mailto:civilactionpress@yahoo.com?subject=Drumbeat">Civil Action Press</a> entitled “Drumbeat” by January 25th 2006, will be submitted at the meeting.<br /><br />Please forward and pass this along to others who may also wish to beat the drum for management reform at DWP.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1133330165691400392005-11-29T19:58:00.000-08:002005-12-05T20:45:40.740-08:00Rob from the poor and give to the greedyHere is the vision we see based upon Federal statistics and set against the averages for the State and Nation. Los Angeles is not doing so well.<br /><br />Estimated population (2004) in Los Angeles County was 9,937,739. In 2000, 69.9 percent of the population 25 years or older residing in Los Angeles County completed a high school education. This percentage is much lower than the State or the Nation with 76.8 and 80.6 percent (respectively) graduating from high school.<br /><br />In 1999, 17.9 percent of the population of Los Angeles County was below the poverty level. The State and the Nation as a whole faired better with only 14.2 percent for California and 12.4 nationwide.<br /><br />In 2000, per capita personal income in Los Angeles County was $29,522, $32,149 for those living in California, and $29,469 nation wide.<br /><br />Statistics from: <a href="http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/06/06037.html">http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/06/06037.html</a> and <a href="http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/00000.html">http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/00000.html</a><br /><br />Using these numbers, here is a way to consider how much the raises that Villaraigosa and the City Council gave to their strongest supporters, DWP and (possibly to) EAA.<br /><br />Assuming a closed static system. If the population of Los Angeles County is 9,937,739 and per capita income is $29,522, then the total income for Los Angeles County amounted to $293,381,930,758. If 16,000 workers (8,000 DWP/IBEW workers and 8,000 LA/EAA workers) received 20 percent more than the average worker and then they received a 15 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA), their per capita income would increase to $39,855 totaling $637,675,200.<br /><br />If we subtract that amount from the total Los Angeles County income ($293,381,930,758 - $637,675,200 = $292,744,255,558) and then divide that by the number of other (non-DWP/EAA) citizens, the adjusted per capita income has been reduced by $17 to $29,505.<br /><br />Essentially what that means is that these little raises without any off-setting productivity increase or cost savings, cost each and every citizen in the County of Los Angeles about $17 (about three lunches). And frankly, as long as we have the high numbers in poverty and low numbers in education, I think the Mayor has made a big mistake.<br /><br />We would have faired much better for us to each give $6 amounting to<br />$59,530,434 to the schools and to the Goodwill. Can you imagine how much $60 million could help? You'll notice that is only $12. $1 will go to the parking meter, $1 to the pan handler, and the rest will be lost in city administration and fees.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1132730474729601062005-11-22T23:06:00.000-08:002005-11-22T23:21:14.746-08:00A New Vision -- Self ServiceAntonio Villaraigosa gave 10,000 or so employees at DWP a really great pay raise, a minimum of 17.9 to a maximum of 31 percent, over the next five years. Villaraigosa had to know the pay raise exacerbated an already huge disparity between DWP employees and other city employees. <br /><br />It is hard to believe that Mayor Villaraigosa having come up the hard way would foster and support the inequality of city workers. It is also hard to believe that Mayor Villaraigosa would not know the financial situation of the city having been a Los Angeles insider and councilmember for so long. It is especially hard to believe that Mayor Villaraigosa would think that he could give one group of city workers a sweetheart deal without considering that he would have to provide the same equal treatment to all his union brothers and sisters. One for all, all for one, and all that.<br /><br />If he were concerned about the finances of Los Angeles, he would have concluded that an across the board increase in labor cost would have to be balanced by an equal across the board decrease in operating expenses such as infrastructure maintenance or long term development, or an increase in taxes or city revenue such as trash collection, business fees, lot cleaning, etc., which also amounts to a tax. <br /><br />Moreover, Villaraigosa would have known that the Los Angeles infrastructure is in bad shape, potholes and such, foregoing infrastructure maintenance is not a viable option. Consequently, increasing revenues or tax would be preferred over decreasing operating costs. Villaraigosa realizes increasing city costs will cause more businesses and employers like Nissan to leave this area for other lower-cost business-friendly cities. And, those relocated businesses will transfer their prized technical and craft employees and layoff the rest – increasing the numbers of unemployed. In any case, it would result in a net loss in the number of highly skilled workers required by manufacturers and big employers. It also reduces the number of citizens that can buy high priced homes (causing prices to fall) and that pay taxes to support our schools and communities (speeding the decline of our communities). <br /><br />It is surprising that Villaraigosa can visit so many places, meet so many people on the bus and private jets, and not realize that when he satisfies the short-term greed of his union brothers that he robs each one of us of the vision he promised to all the citizens of Los Angeles. And the inevitable city deficits result in the destabilization of the jobs and pensions that all city workers depend. <br /><br />The possible bankruptcy of General Motors, the layoff of 30,000 workers, and the closing of 10 factories is a clear example of what happens to strong companies that neglect customers for self-serving management and union endeavors. <br /><br />It is very clear to us at Civil Action Press that city managers need to be held accountable for their actions. Union leaders are not accountable to the citizens of Los Angeles and consequently they should not be running Los Angeles government as they have been permitted to do under Hahn and Villaraigosa. <br /><br />In the next few days, Villaraigosa will demonstrate again who he serves. You should take notice. Tell him that driving up the wages of a few thousand at the expense of the millions that live and work here is not fair or right.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1132626837198576112005-11-21T17:44:00.000-08:002005-11-23T09:15:06.356-08:00Civil Action Press Ponders Civil ActionA poorly administered city and costly ineffective city services contribute to the underlying costs of every single citizen. It is about time we started holding administrators responsible for their decisions and actions.<br /><br />Many citizens, business owners, builders, employers, vendors, and employees have become frustrated because it seems this city's managers just don't care about running city services in a manner that best serves the public.<br /><br />Civil Action Press believes the citizens of Los Angeles could use an advocate for improved city services, accountability, and reform. Too many businesses and employers are leaving Los Angeles.<br /><br />Consequently, we would like to assess both the need and the possibilities for launching such a service.<br /><br />If you are a citizen, business owner, vendor, etc., with a complaint, improvement, an issue (especially waste fraud, and/or abuse), or you have suffered retaliation as a result of making a report or complaint about city services,<br /><br />Or, if you are an attorney wanting to use your talents to bring about city reform and accountability and are not afraid of the City Attorney's Office,<br /><br />Or, if you are frustrated on one of those neighborhood councils...<br /><br />Or, if you would like to donate to the cause...<br /><br />Please email us at <a href="mailto:civilactionpress@yahoo.com">civilactionpress@yahoo.com</a>.<br /><br />This is a call for action. If there is enough of a response we will be considering giving new meaning to Civil Action Press.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1132555509781034082005-11-21T04:30:00.000-08:002005-11-21T17:38:31.830-08:00What Is In Center Stage?<p>There were a couple of comments made in the November 15, 2005 DWP Board meeting that give the impression that this new Board might be just what the doctor ordered. If so, we are most thankful. For those of us who are more experienced with the means and methods of politics, we remain cautious, vigilant, and perhaps too tolerant.<br /><br />Department of Water and Power Board seems to have two goals: one, move the DWP as quickly as possible to green power and two, to get a handle on contracting. Both goals are aimed at symptoms and don’t get to the <a href="http://civilactionpress.blogspot.com/2004/11/root-cause-analysis.html">root cause</a>. Emphasizing a few statements and reading between the lines, we would venture to say the Board has chosen not to identify the root cause because it might implicate one of the most influential political organizations in Los Angeles, the City Attorneys Office, and their relationship with the DWP. Logically, one looking for a root cause would ask, “Why isn’t the DWP green?” and “Why have the contracts run amok?” In both cases, the answer would lead to leadership, decision makers, and systemic mis-management. One such comment was from Commissioner Nick Patsaouras. By the way, we at Civil Action Press are really getting to enjoy him.<br /><br />Let us preface with… the meetings are long and grueling. And, the brain can only assimilate what the butt can endure. So, the facts might be a bit hazy but the Commissioners are clearly tripping over the heart of the matter.<br /><br />The Department apparently invested some millions in a research and development firm, which developed exchangeable off-peak rechargeable battery packs for electric vehicles and are in the process of presenting their achievements to the world. Apparently, the new Board knows nothing about the investment or the subsequently developed products and they have been unable to discuss it because the DWP is in litigation with the firm. Like many of the employees, vendors and whistleblowers at DWP, the firm’s representatives are communicating with the Board in two-minute sound bites via channels normally reserved for public comments. To say that communication is rather guarded at the DWP grossly understates the problem. Board President Mary Nichols suggested discussing the matter in closed session. By insisting on transparency, Nichols could save a bundle wasted in litigation. Patsaouras made a comment referring to too many attorneys. Patsaouras’ comment hit pay dirt.<br /><br />At meetings, City Attorneys frequently outnumber DWP management. At the Board meeting Assistant General Manager and former Chief Deputy City Attorney, Thomas Hokinson sat to the left of General Manager Ron Deaton and to his right sat Assistant General Manager Hal Lindsey, also an attorney. At a preceding Commerce, Energy, and Natural Resources Committee meeting, Chief Administrative Officer, Robert Rosanski was surrounded by City Attorneys Cecil Marr, Daniel Lowenthal, and Assistant General Manager Hal Lindsey. What the Department severely lacks in leadership, it makes up for in litigious might.<br /><br />Attorneys are not a good sign. Attorneys are defenders and advocates. They should never be mistaken for judges. It would be a conflict of interest. Ask any divorcé, their presence clearly says to the citizens of Los Angeles we are in an adversarial position, we are not going to be amicable, and the costs are going to be high.<br /><br />Recall the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Rampart scandals. The situation was bad before and with the help of the City Attorneys Office, the situation has been institutionalized. In 2001, <a href="http://www.metnews.com/articles/delg0628.htm">Rocky Delgadillo was quoted in the Metropolitan News</a>,<br /><blockquote>“Mr. Hokinson’s combination of talent, experience and familiarity with the City Attorney’s Office will help us hit the ground running, and tackle critical issues such as improving our children’s education, reducing the city’s liability expenditures, ensuring the highest level of public safety, reforming the Los Angeles Police Department, and improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” Delgadillo said in a statement. “Hokinson headed the Los Angeles City Attorneys Office Liabilities Division, and has been the city’s point man on reducing lawsuits against the LAPD. He took a lead role in cutting LAPD-related payouts in 1993, in the wake of the Rodney King beating and subsequent riots. But city liabilities have since soared—especially those stemming from suits against the LAPD. Hokinson helped craft multimillion-dollar settlements last year in lawsuits stemming from the Rampart police corruption scandal. Although the move drew public criticism, inside City Hall, Hokinson is credited with keeping the city’s payout in the Rampart scandal to a minimum.”</blockquote><br />In retrospect, the City Attorney’s Office has grown to be one of the biggest law firms in the State and its main function has become to contain, squelch, tie-up, and retaliate against anything and everything that threatens or questions the status quo. The status quo we are talking about here is mismanagement and lack of accountability. After 35 years, Hokinson says he is ready to retire (good riddance). His accomplishments are the prerequisites to the problems that have become the culture at LAPD, DWP, and the pinnacle of City achievement – unabashed lack of accountability. Lack of accountability will remain a pox upon this city. To this day, LAPD still is understaffed in comparison to New York and Chicago Police Departments for good reason – No accountability. We citizens pay the price of not holding our city managers and their cronies accountable.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cityofla.org/atty/index/ND10209.pdf">Did the City Attorneys Office go after the city managers that authored, requisitioned, and approved Fleischman-Hillard contract expenditures? No. Instead, they identified and went after the resultant symptoms (Fleischman-Hillard) rather than the root causers. </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/51/news-anderson.php">Does the City Attorneys Office bend the rules to protect its friends? Yes. </a>It seems there is no concern for public opinion.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/21/news-anderson.php">When the City Attorneys Office was investigated, what happens to those investigators? In the case of Dan Carvin, a retired Federal Investigator who was hired to investigate City corruption, he was fired, tied up in litigation, and the City paid $490,000 to settle</a> and the facts of what he was after remain buried from the public in the City Attorneys Office. It seems Laura Chick has relegated her investigations to the periphery, parking lot skimming at $800 a pop.<br /><br />The Owens Valley Lake is another billion dollar boondoggle tied up in litigation. Patsaouras asks simple questions. Each management response is carefully couched and delivered in closed session with the City Attorneys carefully positioned in every other seat. The crux of the matter is that the management at DWP and the purely advocate roll of the City Attorneys Office has become a barbed-wire no-man’s land for the truth and a costly liability for the citizens of Los Angeles.<br /><br />Patsaouras’ comments seem to reflect that DWP management and the City Attorneys Office have clearly insulated the Board. DWP employees have made every effort to tell management about systemic mismanagement problems and issues brewing at Owens Lake. Until the Board removes these managers, they will have to be content to steer the organization from a trailer hitched to the back of the organization based upon information they receive from the media. The Board would not be talking about Owens Lake or CH2MHill, if it were not for a rightfully concerned handful of dedicated civil servants and Jeffrey Anderson at LA Weekly. What is wrong with this picture?<br /><br />Is this just a continuation of the Hahn administration? True to form, executive level management sent employees working in the Owens Valley letters with their checks advising employees to forward media requests to the Public Relations. So rather than holding management accountable and establishing an obviously needed flow of information on projects and operations, is the Board further insulating itself and condoning more of the same policies that have caused the problem in the first place?<br /><br /><a href="http://civilactionpress.blogspot.com/2004/11/root-cause-analysis.html">http://civilactionpress.blogspot.com/2004/11/root-cause-analysis.html</a></p><blockquote></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1130909693367654682005-11-01T20:46:00.000-08:002005-11-01T21:38:08.456-08:00The New Water and Power BoardMary D. Nichols, President<br />H. David Nahai, Vice-President<br />Nick Patsaouras, Commissioner<br />Edith Ramirez, Commissioner<br />Forescee Hogan-Rowles, Commissioner<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:350%;">WOW!!!</span></strong><br />If first impressions count, we were extremely impressed. When this Board starts counting the pennies on the DWP contracts, they will soon realize that increased contract expenditures are a result of mismanagement. Nick Patsaouras (A+) we are absolutely ecstatic. H. David Hahai (A) we are so very impressed. <br /><br />Mary D. Nichols (B+) There is no need to hold back Nick and David. The expenses are soon to exceed revenues. This is long <span style="font-size:130%;">long</span> <span style="font-size:180%;">long</span> overdue. A well run company means long safe retirements and a healthy competitive organization. It took a little warming up but Edith Ramirez and Forescee Hogan-Rowles got into the question mode, too.<br /><br />Man, what a wonderful change! It seems this Board wants to serve in the best interest of the citizens. We remain hopeful. We're not jumping to conclusions just yet. Not until we see some action anyway. <br /><br />Now about the management-orchestrated bullying and mobbing? It took some guts to throw that wet blanket.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1129236022924263062005-10-13T13:31:00.000-07:002005-10-13T14:29:20.070-07:00Dereliction of Duty and Wanton Mismanagement -- Mayor & Council Condoned?Three major power outages in a month. One of outages at the City Hall coincides with citizen complaints and a management sick out at DWP. Intimidation, retaliation, and coercion against DWP employees reported regularly. Heart wrenching comments from employees and vendors at City Council meetings. DWP management personnel actions overturned by Superior Court because they are arbitrary and capricious. $Millions of public funds spent in supposedly illegal confidential settlements. Contractors Fleishman-Hillard, Ch2M Hill, et al running amok under DWP management.<br /><br />These are not isolated issues. These are not irrational employees. These are very clear indicators of systemic wanton mismanagement and dereliction of duty and deserving of your immediate and full attention. Why do you think this should continue to be condoned by you? This cannot be your new vision for Los Angeles.<br /><br />And now Sandra Miranda is being harassed by Faye Strong who works for Gary Wong who works for Thomas Hokinson, Assistant General Manager. These retaliatory personnel actions are being orchestrated at high levels of the organization. Does every employee who exercises their first amendment rights get harassed at DWP?<br /><br />Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Council Members please exercise your authority and stop this right now.<br /><br />OCTOBER 14 - 20, 2005<br /><a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/47/news-anderson.php">DWP’s Endless Storm</a> Therapists summoned to deal with angry workers on desert project by JEFFREY ANDERSONUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1128189194179207272005-10-01T10:10:00.000-07:002005-10-01T10:54:40.280-07:00Villaraigosa vs. Hahn -- Is the difference solely in the packaging?Jeffery Anderson at LA WEEKLY has exposed some frighteningly obvious problems with City Hall in his article, "<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/45/news-anderson.php">The Hidden Empire: What DWP’s massive raise says about L.A.’s leadership</a>."<br /><br />In essense, a couple of nameplates have changed at City Hall, but the spots, the players, the motives, and the outcomes remain disgustingly the same.<br /><br />How does Mayor Villaraigosa and company intend to reach fairness, honesty, and transparency in Los Angeles city governance with patronage and spoils being the first and it seems only order of the day? Might as well switch from Marlboro to Winston to quit smoking or from coke to crack to get off drugs. Funny how Villaraigosa and Cardenas defer to the City Attorney's Office for rulings. Isn't that like consulting a mirror? How about asking a rate payor?<br /><br />How much longer are we going to placate these scoundrels?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1127025365159318522005-09-17T23:16:00.000-07:002005-09-17T23:44:57.896-07:00Cost escalation no resistanceWhat the devil is going on at the Commerce Energy and Natural Resources (CENR) Committee? The committee passed the IBEW raise 2 zip. Tony Cardenas and Bill Rosendahl aren't tough on cost escalation. To the contrary, they turn into door mats and fall over the red carpet. The meaning of the acronym CENR now stands for <strong><u>C</u></strong>ost <strong><u>E</u></strong>scalation <strong><u>N</u></strong>o <strong><u>R</u></strong>esistance.<br /><br />Henry Martinez volunteered that the damage to DWP infrastructure was minimal. Contrary to his report, the Haynes Generating Plant is still out of commission because of the outage. Employees claim the plant will most likely remain out of commission for the next couple of weeks. <br /><br />The cost of living raise seems to be sailing straight through. The wage disparity between DWP and similar civil service classifications in the City seems of no concern to the CENR. They are okaying the raise hike as if it is a matter of due course. It is amazing that they don’t inquire about the discrepancy, ask for justification, or demand a plan to use the union windfall momentum to figure out a solution to the City’s wage disparity problem. <br /><br />All these snafus are going to result in increased costs and decreased efficiencies.<br /><br /><a href="chttp://www.labusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aID=41256886.9984037.1197664.820871.2191308.864&aID2=92119">Power Outage to Pump Up L.A. Gas Prices</a><br /><br />Gas prices in Los Angeles inched lower on Friday, but Monday’s power outage caused refineries to interrupt operations, a situation that could likely send prices higher next week, said the Automobile Club of Southern California.<br /><br />The average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area dipped 1.6 cents to $2.976 on Friday from $2.992 one week ago. Prices haven’t reached a new record high since Sept. 6, when they hit $2.999. The price was $2.762 per gallon one month ago and $2.071 one year prior.<br /><br />“Effects of the power outage likely will be felt beginning this weekend as Southern California motorists deal with thin supply caused by interrupted refining operations,” said Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp.<br />The Orange County area had the lowest average price in Southern California, falling 1.4 cents to $2.947. The Bakersfield area had the highest gas price for the second straight week, losing 2.9 cents to $3.129. Of all the areas surveyed, only the Bakersfield, Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc and San Diego areas had average prices above the $3-a-gallon mark on Friday.<br /><br />The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m. each Friday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1126848148919522142005-09-15T22:05:00.000-07:002005-09-15T22:33:50.143-07:00Hear no, Speak no, See no<a href="http://http://www2.dailynews.com/news/ci_3029559">Backhoe mistake causes gas blast</a><br /><br />Is it no surprise? <br /><br />The water outage in Westwood, the Sylmar intertie, the retaliation complaints at CENR, and now a major outage, the pattern should be obvious. We think all these things are new and unrelated. These things are symptomatic of poor management and a culture that is in denial, closed to communication, hostile toward criticism, and blaming of its employees. <br /><br />This is not to say that if there was a new manager in there a week ago that this latest catastrophe would not have happened. Culture does not turn on a dime. It has had a good many years to brew. What is happening is that DWP Mayoral appointments and organizational changes are taking their toll. 1) the culture is no longer empowered. 2) management is not stable enough to withstand criticism. Consequently, employees who are aware of the situation find it best to remain uninquisitive and quiet in this type of an environment. Best for them to serve as drones – loyal minions. “I didn’t know.” “I wasn’t told.” “It was not my responsibility.” Be quiet, do what you’re told, and hope the blame does not get them. <br /><br />In this environment, no one dares risk a decision or take responsibility. In effect, it reduces the decision-making and productivity to one person, Deaton. Deaton is no leader. You'd think the most powerful highest paid city manager could do better than,"I'll get back to you." He will look into it and find an answer, human error – no doubt anybody but himself or the current oligarchy. Maybe even spring for a consultant or a blue ribbon committee. And at the next level we have in musical chair number two, an expired engineer, Enrique Martinez, and two (should be) retired attorneys, Thomas Hokinson and Hal Lindsey – well equipped to argue, defend their positions, tag individuals like the ones in LA Weekly, and to work the personnel patronage system (spoils), but again ill-equipped to lead. <br /><br />The DWP is a very complex and integrated organization. Much of it created in a different environment and in a different era. Just as New Orleans claims that most of the pumps are not replaceable, the situation is quite the same. Many of DWP generators were built a long time ago. DWP has let go engineers and shops craft persons without passing on information. Buying and contracting out much of the expertise. What that means is that the inhouse deep understanding and familiarity is no longer available. And of course system and quality of service is likewise diminished. <br /><br />Much of the motivation for maintaining system quality is based upon ownership. The concept is one of the underlying tenets of Civil Service. Entitlement – if one owns his or her job than he or she is motivated to act in good faith in the best interests of the public. With the cronyism of late, those motivational factors are refocused on a bigger prize – the next promotion a choice appointment. And with the number of carpetbaggers of late getting their spoils and further undermining the merit system, no one in their right mind is going to speak up about a latent problem or a fault that may not happen. <br /><br />Even Local 18, which has benefited richly from the influence of late at the expense of those they represent, has let system important crafts, etc. go without passing on system-critical craft information. The advantages for turning a blind eye should not be. <br /><br />People who speak up are labeled “chicken little” by the current management. The sky is not falling. Aren't we just making a mistake allowing these ne’er-do-wells continue in their positions? It seems we could have much better leadership. <br /><br />Short of that in the near term, protecting whistle-blowers, people that have spoken up about system problems, is a critical step to culture change and ensuring that we (the citizens of Los Angeles) get some transparency on how the system is performing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1126559352952057472005-09-12T13:58:00.000-07:002005-09-12T14:09:14.453-07:00Could this be symptomatic of something else?Are the number of outages increasing relative to the rates? Costs going up quality going down? Who to blame?<br /><br />Article Last Updated: 9/12/2005 01:46 PM<br /><a href="http://www2.dailynews.com/news/ci_3023163"><span style="font-size:180%;">Large portion of L.A. blacked out</span><br /></a>Staff reports<br />LA Daily News<br /><br />A large portion of Los Angeles -- from downtown to the San East Fernando Valley -- along with areas of Burbank and Glendale were blacked out this afternoon when electrical power was lost.<br /><br />A Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokeswoman said two "receiving stations'' were impacted, and that crews were working to determine the cause. She could not immediately estimate when power would be restored or how many customers were affected.<br /><br />Terrorism was not suspected, according to Sgt. Catherine Plows, though the Los Angeles Police Department went on "full tactical alert,'' meaning no officers were allowed to leave duty.<br />Traffic lights throughout downtown and the Valley were not working, causing major traffic tie-ups, officials said. Electricity was out briefly at City Hall and Los Angeles International Airport, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was running its subways using back-up generators.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1125815801634009112005-09-03T23:34:00.000-07:002005-09-03T23:39:03.006-07:00Labor Dispute?What is in store for LA?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laalternativepress.com/v04n11/polis/haefele.php">The DWP’s Perfect Storm</a><br />By Marc Haefele, LA Alternative Press<br /><br />"Three sunny, blissful days before Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s al fresco inaugural, the Los Angeles City Council’s labor negotiating team offered perhaps the most generous labor contract in the city’s history to its highest-paid workers. Apparently, no one else on the council was aware this was happening. But there was probably frenzied celebration at the headquarters of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, who’d glommed on this bounty for its members… "<br /><br />Find the rest of <a href="http://www.laalternativepress.com/v04n11/polis/haefele.php">Marc Haefele’s article</a> under Polis scroll down to about the middle of the page.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1125673197684735532005-09-02T07:53:00.000-07:002005-09-02T07:59:57.690-07:00A Tribute to John Wesley"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can,<br />in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can,<br />as long as ever you can." <em> John Wesley, c. 1750 </em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1125589669680203702005-09-01T07:10:00.000-07:002005-09-01T08:47:50.926-07:00Time for some house cleaning at DWPWith the scandals at Tyco, Enron, Worldcom, Edison, PG&E (to name a few), many companies have had to look inward to find out what has been going wrong. Except of course, the largest public utility, DWP. General Manager Ronald Deaton has proclaimed "zero tolerance" on violence, intimidation, and harassment in the workplace. However, the policy is not new. The same rules have been in the administrative policy manual for years. The DWP seems to be in denial that the situation exists.<br /><br />If the policy is not going to be enforced, it is not significant. All the whistleblower protections, zero tolerance policies, and laws don't do a thing until someone takes some action on them. Think of making a no cockroach cupboard policy in an infested kitchen. Opening doors and shining lights will cause a lot of scurry, but nothing is going to happen until you take appropriate action to eradicate the little critters. <br /><br />We question the leadership at DWP, the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, and the City officials for their part in allowing this to go on so long. The news articles are an embarassment to the citizens of Los Angeles. And for you high powered policy-makers, that does not mean shoot the messengers! It clearly means take appropriate civil action. <br /><br />Mr. Deaton, you sir are on the hot seat. No more musical chairs. There are some underutilized city attorneys that should be directed to start perusing emails, gathering unfettered facts and statements, and preparing a defense for some high-level terminations at DWP. Direct those young hungry city attorneys to take appropriate action for "just cause" and conduct it with "due process." City Attorneys can start with the DWP Administrative Policy Manual Section 50-04, <em>Guide to Employee Discipline.</em> Make the cases similar to the one constructed for Luciano Yi. Only this time, let the punishment fit the crime. Start with the millions paid in illegal confidential settlements; adjust it appropriately for the level of management, expectation, responsibility, and the overall damage to the culture and integrity of the City. <br /><br />I don't believe for a nano-second that the failure of DWP corporate values has anything to do with a storekeeper and a couple of custodians. "Zero-Tolerance," that is what you promised and that is what we expect -- Nothing less. Any questions?<br /><br />See Jeffrey Anderson's latest <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/41/news-anderson.php">DWP Dirt </a>at <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/41/news-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/41/news-anderson.php</a>.<br /><br />And if you would like a little more this will take you to a search of more <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/search.php?searchfor=DWP&go.x=17&go.y=8">DWP antics </a>at <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/search.php?searchfor=DWP&go.x=17&go.y=8">http://www.laweekly.com/search.php?searchfor=DWP&go.x=17&go.y=8</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1124972012645534332005-08-25T05:02:00.000-07:002005-08-25T05:15:52.166-07:00More Signs of TroubleNews article, such as the one that follows, signal take-aways and reduced compensation for workers. As in the case of United Airlines and U.S. Airlines and soon to follow Delta Airlines it may mean loss of jobs and benefits altogether. To avoid this situation workers need to demand competent management that acts ethically and in good faith.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/cuts6e_20050506.htm">GM, Ford credit rated junk</a><br />BY JAMIE BUTTERS and JEFFREY McCRACKEN<br />DETROIT FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITERS<br /><br />May 6, 2005<br /><br />Automotive icons General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. fell into junk-bond status Thursday for the first time in either company's history, as the nation's leading credit-rating agency said the combination of plunging SUV sales and rising health care costs made it nervous about the automakers' futures.<br /><br />Though widely expected, the decision by Standard & Poor's Corp. to downgrade both automakers is a historic marker on Detroit's bumpy road.<br /><br />In the short term, it could make borrowing more difficult and more costly for GM and Ford at the same time they are losing market share at home to Asian automakers, seeing sales of their most-profitable vehicles soften, and trying to deal with some of the largest retiree and health care debts in the country.<br /><br />Find the rest of the story at <a href="http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/cuts6e_20050506.htm">http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/cuts6e_20050506.htm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1124946374555984682005-08-24T22:00:00.000-07:002005-08-24T22:12:26.013-07:00DWP BUMs (Business Unit Managers) are no match for Union Bull<p><br />AUGUST 5 - 11, 2005<br /><a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/37/news-anderson.php"><span style="font-size:130%;">DWP’s Frayed Deal</span></a><br />Shorted-out union contract poses big problem for Antonio and his powerful pal by JEFFREY ANDERSON </p><p>The Department of Water and Power’s recently exposed deal with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18 hit a major obstacle this week when the Hahn-appointed board of commissioners, meeting for one of the last times, refused to vote on the matter. </p><p>At least one commissioner said a new board, appointed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, should review the generous five-year pact that calls for 16 percent to 30 percent salary increases for the IBEW’s 8,000 workers.</p><p>Details of the sweetheart deal, which had all the makings of an intimidating relationship between a union boss and a compliant city leadership, were first reported in the Weekly on July 28, and drew criticism from some City Council members and leaders of other city unions.</p><p>Find the rest of the story at <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/37/news-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/37/news-anderson.php</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1124556471142416952005-08-20T08:35:00.000-07:002005-08-21T18:27:11.023-07:00DWP - Fuel for ThoughtWhen you drive past a gas station, do you find yourself thinking about where you are going to buy your next tank of gas? Do you find yourself counting gas stations that are still under $3.00 a gallon? I recall my parents drawing a line in the sand, stopping only at stations that sold gas under 28.9 cents a gallon. Back then, they used the streetcar, the bus, and pinched each penny as hard as they possibly could.<br /><br />It seems ridiculous that each gas station still tacks on 9/10 of a cent at the end of each billboard price, doesn't it? It only represents 1/300th of the price. Nevertheless, that 9/10 of a penny is an example of how minutia can be predictor of fact. Maybe they started the 9/10 of a cent convention to get the extra two bits out of every $5.00 (20 gallon) fill-up. Now though, we need to make better sense of the convention since two bits out of every $60.00 (20 gallon) tank full is minutia and hardly seems worth the effort. They must have known the price would go up tenfold and they justified the tenths place would drop off when priced crossed the 99 cent mark. Of course, if you give them credit for predicting the price was going to go up tenfold, then you should also credit them for recognizing that the situation has not changed. Since the convention remains, we should expect the price to go up another tenfold but this time figure it happening in terms of months rather than decades. Consider the price of fuel is $3.00 a gallon while not 6 months ago it was only $2.00. The price is related to increasing demand, decreasing supply, and to a lesser degree, manipulation, mindset, and choice.<br /><br />Ponder for a moment how many things are driven by fuel or energy and derived from fuel. Now this time, before you go and change the subject, let’s see if we can improve our chances of transition (survival) and make some choices that might mitigate the effects of exponentially increasing fuel costs and its effects upon our relative prosperity, our city, and our nation’s economic place in the world of tomorrow.<br /><br />On one hand, you could surmise that fuel costs affect us all and like boats in a rising tide – we will all float through it. On the other, you might consider that the majority of boats are tied economically to terra firma and that the ability to float is directly related the length and flexibility of their obligations and financial moorings. Without some serious adjustments to these constraints, there will be a number of boats that will be drawn under the rising tide by their choices and self-induced encumbrances. Those businesses most susceptible are those that are directly dependent on fuel – airlines and utilities. Their survival will be a function of how well their leaders are able to maintain flexibility and prudently avoid other encumbrances.<br /><br />Consider the rising price of fuel on the airline industry – fuel is a primary resource. The cost of fuel is affecting all airlines. However, it is the flexibility of other constraints that dictates who remains. Case in point, United Airlines and Delta, which maintained top equipment, compensation rates, benefits packages, and facilities are going under while Southwest, whose management chose prudently, is flying high. In hindsight, what was the true worth of demanding lucrative labor contracts in terms of today’s layoffs, salary, pension, and benefit cuts? I would contend it was United Airlines and Delta management’s inability to respond prudently to labor’s demands for more that contributed to their endangered status. Southwest managed its constraints conservatively – in terms of survival, less is just a little bit better. An inch of restraint and prudent decision-making across the board, in the selection of planes, negotiating costs of labor, and benefit packages, etc. resulted in longer-term survival to the benefit of their employees and customers.<br /><br />Our utilities are in the same situation. All face rising fuel costs. Survival will be based upon leadership in terms of strategy, fitness, and flexibility. DWP may be the very least prepared. Edison, PG&E, et al went through – or almost through – bankruptcy. In competitive lingo that means they faced insolvency, considered their situation deeply, developed an action plan, and responded to adverse economic conditions. Their strategy is age old. They did not have to be the fastest – just a bit more nimble than tiger’s supper. Whether economic, technological, or strategic, a monopoly is a temporary volatile condition. Survival means constant improvement, innovation, and evolution because competition never goes away.<br /><br />DWP took a short cut. Politics bought out and replaced DWP leadership. The new management decided not to play deregulation. Instead, they exercised a political loophole and took a temporary hiatus from competition. DWP management looked good. They took credit for the harvest and the fruits of previous leaders. They leaned back and grew fat and happy on their plagiary. They did not break a sweat like the other utilities.<br /><br />Now, after a few years of carpetbagger influence, forgotten laurels, and conflicted interests, they do not look so good. They cannot seem to raise rates fast enough to cover infrastructure maintenance costs, much less survive their own mismanagement. The overwhelming culprit here is conflicted leadership, city managers whose decisions reflect the near-term interests of politics and labor rather than maintaining a long-term focus on the well-being of their customers, the citizens of Los Angeles. Their decisions have had a systemic degrading effect on merit-based promotional systems, customer service, productivity, and employee morale.<br /><br />The politicians have repeatedly poked holes in DWP’s financial health: increasing City transfers, saddling DWP with non-DWP benefiting contracts like Fleishman Hillard, transferring real-estate holdings to other city departments, subsidizing special political endeavors like the Democratic National Convention, providing lighting for Banning Park, rebuilding Van Nuys City Hall, or chauffeur services to foreign dignitaries. The DWP leaks cash like a sieve all over the city.<br /><br />From a responsible citizen’s point of view, it is fleeting political bliss from accountability. There will be hell to pay. To this debilitating mix, demand a 15 to 30 percent increase in labor, benefit, and contract demand and top it with the threat of a strike. Albeit deserving, this is DWP management’s nightmare. The union threat is real no doubt. DWP management served their reign like couch potatoes. D’Arcy will turn off the TV if they do not get more apple pie to complete their vision American dream. Pray tell, how does this mismanaged civil hostage situation under the auspices of “joint labor management” represent good prudent stewardship?<br /><br />It seems nothing has changed in recent politics. Ron Deaton, the Water and Power Board of Commissioners, and Antonio Villaraigosa are moving too fast to endorse D’Arcy’s slicing steaks out of the City’s cash cow. Instead of holding back, the 3 year contract has been extended to 5 years. Presumably to avoid a re-election issue. We should ask, "Who is serving at the pleasure of whom?" It is wonderful that Antonio Villaraigosa is on the scene to establish a new vision and leadership for Los Angeles. But, we are not fools. D’Arcy has been stoking the fire and has had the coals burning hot. He does not need Villaraigosa’s endorsement or help in clearing the way to throw another filet on the fire.<br /><br />Words and promises are trumped by leadership and action. Good faith negotiation should have resulted in prudence. Like the airlines, it is long past time to jettison incompetent leadership, close the backroom and sideline interests, and focus on either running the DWP consistent with the long-term interests of its customers and its employees. Or, sell it before it is trampled into insolvency, its employees set free, and its infrastructure turned over to the highest bidder. Can wiser heads prevail? Let us think this through again. We are talking about our city’s centurion provider, aren’t we?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1120714121073998242005-07-06T22:15:00.000-07:002005-07-06T22:28:41.076-07:00Mayor Out & AboutIt is good to see a Mayor that is out and about. Smiling, rubbing elbows with the “common worker.” The trouble is the “common worker” in Los Angeles doesn’t make over $70 grand with health, dental, and retirement benefits. How quickly they forget. They voted for the other guy, didn’t they? <br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/1663827.html">http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/1663827.html</a><br /><br />I must hand it to the Mayor he has identified crucially important areas: Education, Transportation, and Corruption. We have come up short on education and transportation and gone long on corruption during the past administration. <br /><br />The ethics commitment puts everyone on notice. Sounds fair. Did anyone mention that the City laws, Administrative Code, and oaths required by all city personnel already contain a Code of Ethics? It wasn’t the oath that was the problem, it was the enforcement – holding individuals accountable. It just wasn't done. When the Mayor starts using the “A” [Accountability] word and gets serious with some of its managers, then we will have somebody special.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1120192265062042442005-06-30T21:31:00.000-07:002005-06-30T22:41:17.880-07:00Consider it a Mismanagement Surcharge<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/112/2252/1024/photo-corruption.jpg"><img class="phostImg" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/112/2252/400/photo-corruption.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Why did you say the rates were going up? <a href="http://www.picasa.com/picasa/index.php?tid=Y2NpZD0zOTM1" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="absMiddle" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Does it come as a surprise that DWP rates are going up?<br /><br />Almost anyone will tell you the legal system is expensive, time consumming, and inefficient. If anyone would stop and count how many times the City attorneys have spent $ millions to save a pennies worth of over-paid egos, it would quickly become very clear why rates are going up, up, up!<br /><br />The truths, albeit delayed, are coming out. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/printme.php?eid=65522">Rocky Road Suit tarnishes city attorney’s polished image</a> By Jeffrey Anderson.<br /><br />It is a wonder that managers can continue as if the main stream news has not covered the extent to which the DWP has been mismanaged and undermined. It seems Mayor James Kenneth Hahn Blue Ribbon committees, hand-picked Board, and General Manager Ron Deaton have not stemmed the tide on the millions spent undermining its own employees in the courts and administrative hearing rooms. Anything to protect the the status quo. The list keeps growing, and growing, and growing...<br /><br />It seems the managers at DWP have seen the new Mayor as another opportunity to maintain the status quo. We will be regularly updating this list.<br /><br />March 4, 2005 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/15/news-anderson.php">News; The lid comes off</a> by JEFFREY ANDERSON <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/15/news-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/15/news-anderson.php</a><br /><br />February 28, 2005 <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/28/lamayor.investigation.ap/">Los Angeles mayor's administration dogged by corruption probes</a> by CNN.com <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/28/lamayor.investigation.ap/">http://edition.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/28/lamayor.investigation.ap/</a><br /><br />February 11, 2005 <a href="http://civilactionpress.blogspot.com/2005/02/tony-cardenas-hammers-dwp-on-integrity.html">Tony Cardenas hammers DWP on integrity</a> by Civil Action Press <a href="http://civilactionpress.blogspot.com/2005/02/tony-cardenas-hammers-dwp-on-integrity.html">http://civilactionpress.blogspot.com/2005/02/tony-cardenas-hammers-dwp-on-integrity.html</a><br /><br />February 4, 2005 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/11/news-anderson2.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/11/news-anderson2.php</a> by Jeffrey Anderson <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/11/news-anderson2.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/11/news-anderson2.php</a><br /><br />November 12, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/51/news-anderson.php">News; Tapping pension funds</a> by Jeffrey Anderson <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/51/news-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/51/news-anderson.php</a><br /><br />November 5, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/50/features-anderson.php">Features: The Rise of Empire</a> by Jeffrey Anderson <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/50/features-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/50/features-anderson.php</a><br /><br />October 22, 2004 <a href="http://news.orb6.com/stories/latimests/20041022/edisonsayssafetydatawererigged.php">Edison Says Safety Data Were Rigged (Los Angeles Times)</a><a href="http://news.orb6.com/stories/latimests/20041022/edisonsayssafetydatawererigged.php">Edison Says Safety Data Were Rigged (Los Angeles Times)</a><br /><br />October 1, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/45/news-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/45/news-anderson.php</a> by Jeffrey Anderson <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/45/news-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/45/news-anderson.php</a><br /><br />September 16, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/images/ink/05/15/15dwp.pdf">Letter to Honorable Mayor James Kenneth Hahn</a> by Mahmud Chaudhry <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/images/ink/05/15/15dwp.pdf">http://www.laweekly.com/images/ink/05/15/15dwp.pdf</a><br /><br />August 13, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/38/news-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/38/news-anderson.php</a> by Jeffrey Anderson <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/38/news-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/38/news-anderson.php</a><br /><br />August 13, 2004 Letters: Letters to the Editor: <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/38/letters.php">Whistleblowing</a> by Daniel N. Shrader <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/38/letters.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/38/letters.php</a><br /><br />July 23, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-anderson.php">Features: The Black Avenger</a> by Jeffrey Anderson <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-anderson.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-anderson.php</a><br /><br />July 23, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-greene.php">Features: DWP’s Public Relations Boomerang</a> by Robert Greene <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-greene.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-greene.php</a><br /><br />July 23, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-pelisek.php">Features: Who Will Stop This?</a> by Christine Pelisek <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-pelisek.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/35/features-pelisek.php</a><br /><br />April 30, 2004 <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/23/news-kelly.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/23/news-kelly.php</a> by William J. Kelly <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/23/news-kelly.php">http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/23/news-kelly.php</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990919.post-1117110651645999712005-05-26T05:17:00.000-07:002005-05-26T05:30:51.650-07:00Competition never goes awayCompetition never goes away we just turn a blind eye to it. It seems we have a choice. We can clean up the LADWP or we can privatize it. In either case, the citizen's would benefit. Don't think there is not money enough to buy the DWP... <br /><br /><a href="http://www.mindfully.org/Energy/2005/Buffet-Berkshire-PacifiCorp24may05.htm">http://www.mindfully.org/Energy/2005/Buffet-Berkshire-PacifiCorp24may05.htm</a><br /><br />Edison and PG&E have risen from the ashes of deregulation. DWP is still floundering in the mire of politics. Rotating the old mayor's cronies is not going to cut it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0