I Don't Think I Like That DWP
I'm just trying to listen to a little music on my bling-bling Mac iBook that I just got out of the pawn shop, but my phone keeps ringing like the Batphone with all kinds of problems regarding fraud, waste and abuse throughout the City. It ain't easy to run a big, spread out City like Los Angeles. And it ain't easy to be checking into every department for fraud, waste and abuse. And that's what DWP is counting on. But, the more I talk to folks throughout the community, the more complaints I hear about DWP.
Someone told me to look into hundreds of millions of dollars worth of DWP customer overcharges. (Why do I have to look into it? Who am I, Johnnie Cochran, Jr.? But I'm flattered people think of me as, "the People's Inspector General".) So, what about that, y'all: Possibly "hundreds of millions of dollars worth" of DWP overcharges to customers, for who knows how long?
And now, I just heard this from someone upset at Councilmember Wendy Greuel for allowing THIS to happen in her district:
DWP gets some of it's water supply from the ranches in the Valley. Unfortunately, some of those ranchers never signed the rights to DWP to claim that water. But that's O.K., thirsty DWP customers: I was told all DWP does is "divert" the water from the streams (literally funnel it away from the ranch, and into DWP).
How does DWP get away with it? They make the small ranchers fight it in court; and then it's basically, it's a ten year court battle. Some fight and win. But it's basically up to you to fight to get back what was taken illegally in the first place. And I can think of no agency, more in need of an audit for fraud, waste and abuse.
What pissed me off and compelled me to get cranky about DWP today? I don't know...One too many conversations about it, and it just did.
UPDATE: O.M.G.: In a total coincidence, the day I post a story about DWP/water diverting, LA Times does a story about it. Looks like the situation is being addressed. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-120606owens,1,3795189.story
[ZD Holiday Party: Lava Lounge/Hollywood, Sunday Dec. 17th 8:30pm-1am]
Posted by Zuma Dogg @ 12/06/2006 12:20:00 PM
16 Comments:
Too long, didn't read.
I cut this out of the story, for that crybaby who said it was too long, but it was something that my friend was vocally upset about.
One of the reasons he moved out of the City of LA, but remained in LA County, was because of his huge DWP bill. He complained, because it is billed bi-monthly, it becomes hard to pay for the huge bill, when a monthly bill would be more manageable.
Now call him an idiot for having that "short sighted" mentallity (if you're billed bi-monthly, you should simply put the money aside), but it's easier said, than done, for the small guy, just getting by. So, he likes his City's own regional water department a lot better. Not the biggest point in the world, but I promised him I would "represent".
start with cynthia ruiz
Zuma,
Black hole is gonn swallow us!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061206/sc_nm/blackhole_dc
Now call him an idiot for having that "short sighted" mentallity"
He's an idiot for having that short-sighted mentality.
Los Angeles: Land of the Lost
WE don't need more condos for rich people on the Westside. laweekly.com
Failing the Smell TestCity claims Westside traffic will ease, thanks to two skyscraper condos By DAVID ZAHNISER
But plenty of other intrigue is swirling around the pointy building on Spring Street. For one thing, the City Council okayed the construction of two 47-story condominium towers in Century City, one of the most traffic-choked sections of the Westside. And City Controller Laura Chick, the woman who spent the previous week roasting the fire chief on a verbal spit, turned her sights toward another easy target: the city’s frequently hapless network of 80-plus neighborhood councils.
JMB isn’t exactly unknown to City Hall’s politicians. The company’s corporate counterpart in Chicago gave $100,000 to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s campaign to seize power at the L.A. Unified School District. Villaraigosa supported JMB’s project, and just happens to count Weiss, the councilman who represents Century City, as one of his closest allies. Meanwhile, JMB’s lobbyist represents nearly every development project in Century City....Latham lawyers have given Weiss more than $10,000 in contributions since the 2001 campaign
(2:21 pm) Sigh! There's always a smart aleck in every crowd.
I am glad you are on the scene. It seems many have learned during the last few mayor administrations, that the City Attorney's Office has grown into one of California's largest one-sided bullies.
The City Attorney's Office was able to keep the entire Owens Valley on hold while their valley leaked, too.
The part that is really bothersome is that time and time again the Mayor and City Council will turn to the City Attorney's Office to certify that their actions are legal. Might as well accept a used car salesman's promise it's not a lemon.
Fleishman-Hillard (FH) is such an example. DWP decided it needed FH and only FH. DWP advertised and awarded the bid for FH. DWP authorized and checked the work and authorized the payments.
Laura Chick and the City Attorney overlooked the initiators at DWP and went after FH. Now the public relations spin is that the Rocky and Chick brought millions back into the City but we all should know that isn't true.
Its like a catastrophy that befalls an insurance company. It justifies raising premiums the next time around. The insurance company comes out smelling rosie. Each FH firm raises the premiums to account for it. i.e. citizens pay a little more for services.
What should have happened is the mayor should have directed the City Attorney's Office to go after the managers at DWP, too. It's the difference between crime management and crime fighting.
For instance, crime management in terms of prostitution would involve arresting and convicting prostitutes while allowing johns to continue to flash the money and encourage the trade. Crime fighting would arrest and convict the johns leaving the trade to dry up for lack of financiers.
In the case of Fleishman- Hillard, the City Attorney's Office fostered the trade by practicing crime management.
V skinned the cat from a different direction. Instead of getting an intermediary like Fleishman-Hillard, Mayor Villaraigosa appointed Joseph Ramalo (sp?) to run the DWP Public Relations group. They're probably already working on projects for the Mayor. Don't worry, it will most likely be buried in the rates so deep you'll never notice. That is unless we do like you and start taking notice. Keep up the good work ZD!
If the citizens only knew...
An audit won't work. They conducted their own internal blue ribbon audits. It's part of the tradition.
Thomas Hokinson, former Deputy City Attorney, went to DWP Assistant General Manager. Internal audit by other mayoral appointments found only instances of miscommunication.
Ronald Deaton former Chief Legislative Analyst to DWP General Manager -- Way over hyped. The bills have gone up while the morale has gone down.
The MTA has been doing better since Raman Raj left. Can't say the same after he came to DWP.
Hal D. Lindsey and Enrique Martinez are Assistant General Managers at DWP, too. Probably came from So Cal Edison. The Utility Reform Network (TURN) is sueing Edison for fraud.
Are you kidding? What were you expecting?
don't click on my name
here are some rhetorical questions.
why do you suppose chick did an audit on the city parking lots instead of DWP owens lake project? She saved us $5,000 instead of $500,000.
why do you suppose chick audited the department of neighborhood empowerment (done) instead of the dwp?
She tried to kick the wind out of the sails of neighborhood councils who are sick and tired of waste, fraud, and abuse before they organize and give the mayor and city council what for.
I heard she didn't do an audit of DWP because there was a couple of CM's whose family members are involved in projects that sell DWP bogus goods for really high prices. In other words they are assisting family members in ripping off the city through inflated contacts.
Just ask a certain CM whose wife is involved in a corporation selling goods to DPW.
that sounds like a giant conflict of interest....how lovely
11:24, which department was that? Was that the DWP (Department of Water and Power) or the DPW (Department of Public Works)?
You are not clear on your post.
Hey Zume Dog. Looks like the either Chicks office or the FBI need your hind legs to dig (looks up at the prior post).
Hope ur able to help.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home