LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Auditors poring over Los Angeles County's books to reduce a deep budget deficit have found 8,000 abandoned or unused phone lines costing taxpayers $1.5 million a year, the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday.
Bonanza for county CEOs Costs swell for deputy officials, raising ire of taxpayer advocates By Troy Anderson, Staff Writer 03/09/2008
Nearly a year after Los Angeles County supervisors restructured the county's top executive office, vowing to boost accountability and efficiency, taxpayer advocates are decrying a swollen budget and hefty salary hikes for a host of new deputy CEOs and staff.
The office budget surged nearly 50 percent from $27.7 million in 2006-07 to $41.2 million this year, and five new deputy CEOs draw annual salaries of more than $200,000 each. Meanwhile, each deputy's executive secretary makes $73,000 a year or more.
Harper said the actual costs of the restructuring plan for CEO Bill Fujioka's office totaled $1.7 million - to pay for the salaries and benefits of the new CEO, chief deputy CEO, five deputy CEOs and five executive secretaries.
Fujioka said there has been an initial investment in the deputy CEOs and their staffs, but he has efficiency teams looking at ways to ensure the plan has a "zero net county cost impact."
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said the plan is a work in progress.
"I hope there will be a benefit for the amount of money we're spending on this," Yaroslavsky said. "To do this and not have any benefit and spend that kind of money would be disappointing. [Yes, Zev...yes, it would be disappointing. I'm sure some folks can think of some other words to describe it, too.]
LA Daily Blogger "Zuma Dogg" Address LA County BOS
Fujioka is paid $310,000 a year, up 28 percent from his predecessor's salary of $242,116. He is one of a string of top county officials recently granted salaries of about $300,000 annually, including the district attorney, health director and public health director.
Taxpayer advocates have expressed concerns that the higher salaries would put pressure on the supervisors to grant similar increases to lower-level employees.
Harper's salary under the restructuring was increased 42 percent - from $179,721 to $255,064. Among the deputy CEOs, Sheila Eaton saw her salary rise 43 percent from $146,553 to $209,214.
Meanwhile, Doyle Campbell makes $247,635, up 12 percent from the $220,167 annual salary he collected as assistant sheriff.
But because he's "on loan" from the Sheriff's Department, Campbell still collects his Peace Officer Standards and Training and longevity bonuses and will be eligible for the more lucrative public safety retirement, officials said.
And critics have cited Campbell's role as the new deputy CEO overseeing public safety, questioning how fair a top official "on loan" from the Sheriff's Department will be in drafting the sheriff's budget.
Harper said she doesn't see a problem.
Click here for much, much, much, much more...it's an f-ing nightmare!
You've read exclusively on LA Daily Blog about the lawsuit against DWP that a judge refused to allow a settlement over, so that it can be heard, publicly, by a jury...
One of the big issues that is going to come out regarding the massive fraud, waste and abuse alleged in this lawsuit is over "line item 36" and line item 185".
As a way of circumventing the contract process, when DWP needs to make a purchase and doesn't want to have to stick to contract requirements...just stick it on line item 185. (Also Item 36 on another contract/See Empire.)
185 and 36 are for miscellaneous expenses, but are supposed to be limited in expense and miscellaneousness. However, these miscellaneous lines on the expense sheet are being used for massive purchases that are supposed to go through a contract process.
That's how you drive up the price of fraud, waste and abuse in the price of your DWP utilities.
LAURA CHICK IS WELL AWARE OF THIS BUT REFUSES TO AUDIT. LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL CONTINUES TO GIVE THIS MASSIVE PROBLEM THE HELEN KELLER TREATMENT.
WHY WON'T LAURA CHICK OR LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE MASSIVE FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE THAT IS GOING TO COME OUT IN THIS LAWSUIT???
All the while they are asking for rate hikes?
Some of you may not be sure what I am talking about. Just wanted to post this little message about "Line Item 36 and 185" so the powers that be know that Zuma Dogg has that story and the dogg is out of the bag. More to come. DO SOMETHING! And, WOW...Laura Chick must have nothing to worry about, which is why she does nothing. Maybe if she DID do something...then she would have something to worry about. And that's the problem!
Why don't you just throw the money into a giant paper shredder? It's more efficient.
SPECIAL EVENT FEE WAIVERS: Still out of control. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, with such a budget crisis on your hands -- WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO CUT THE SPECIAL EVENT FEE WAIVERS? YOU TALK ABOUT HAVING TO TIGHTEN THE BELT...IT'S NOT EASY! START HERE! NO B.S. THIS IS NO JOKE...THE CITY IS IN TROUBLE -- AND DOG & PONY SHOWS ARE THE FIRST THING THAT THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES CANNOT AFFORD IN THESE HARSH ECONOMIC TIMES.
NON-PROFIT ABUSE: While we're at it...don't you think in these "belt-tightening times" you should be running audits on all non-profit organizations that the City of Los Angeles funnels money into? In times like these, gotta cut back on the corruption, too...not just the services.
ZUMA RUNS BREAKS DOWN THE SHADINESS (cahoots racket) AND SINGS "Hell's Bells" BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE CITY IS GOING:
NEW...LA DAILY BLOG NEWS WIRE: Wow! Gotta LOVE technology. My nerves couldn't take the time it takes to scan all the news wires across all the different websites and blogs scattered across the internet. And then having to scan each site/blog for the stories you are interested in.
So I programmed the Batcomputer to consolidate all of these blogs and internet news sites into one news wire, with only the stories relating to City business.
Click here for Zuma's LA Daily Blog.com News Wire. No sports, entertainment or fluffy jibber-jabber. Feed includes LA Times, Drudge, Zuma Times, CNBC, LAist, many local blogs, Sacramento Bee, Reuters, CBS2, NBC4, KTLA5, ABC7, WSJ and more. Only the killer...no filler. Check it out! It will make your daily reading easier.
LA DAILY BLOG WIDGET: I created a Zuma Dogg/LA Daily Blog widget for fun, but it ain't no joke...more hits seem to be coming in from the widget than anywhere else. Don't fight fashion...grab your LA Daily Blog widget now and never miss a shred of shadiness.
http://ZumaTube.com
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