Ooooweee is April 15, 2008 gonna be a bad day for the City of Los Angeles and especially DWP. Not because that's tax deadline day, but because that's when the lawsuit against LA City and DWP is scheduled in LA Superior Court over wrongful termination of a DWP employee who blew the whistle on a shady no-bid contract deal, awarded to a company who supplied inferior and un-safe janitorial and custodial products -- and at a over-priced/higher prices.
Zuma Dogg KNBC-TV News-Style Investigative Report
Not only did workers complain, but so did local vendors who were shut out of business with the City and DWP. Complaints were made on numerous occasions before LA City Council.
Workers who complained were put under surveillance, harrassed and followed to their homes.
One of the issues, were these "pop-up tents" that a vendor was supplying DWP to protect workers from sun (provide shade) and shelter from rain. Well, the contract was pulled, and handed over to another vendor, who supplied what workers claimed were clearly inferior tents. City Council sent a deputy to inspect the tents and reported back that the pop-up tents, were indeed, clearly inferior. (Especially since they had tags saying, "Do not sell in State of California" since they were a fire safety hazard/not labeled as fire retardant.)
Due to this pressure, the contract was pulled from the new vendor (providing the shoddy tents); and handed back to the original vendor. (Whose idea it was to provide these tents to DWP in the first place and was even given one of those "Dog and Pony Show" awards by City Council.)
However, that was the last business they ever got from the City since, and have been shut out like all but one vendor, as some claim.
THEN, the DWP employee who did the whistle-blowing was fired, and the patronage/favored supply company was given new contracts.
Eventually, after Laura Chick's office had to look into it and contract with the patronage supplier was terminated (although was never investigated further), but, some say the company is still the "no-bid contractor of choice" through fake, dummy account names.
DWP was hoping for a summary judgment from the Superior Court Judge; however the eight people involved in this lawsuit against the City and DWP wanted the story to be told; and for the details to be put down on the record. (DWP's worst nightmare.)
So the judge refused a summary judgment, because she realized the First Amendment component. (Allowing the eight to get the story out and put it on record.)
April 15, 2008 is when it is scheduled at LA Superior Court.
Maybe we will read about this at some point in LA Times or Daily News.
UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO -- MORE DETAILS ON THE FRAUD, WASTE & ABUSE
Until then, look for updates at LACityUpdate.com
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