Stonewalling and Bonuses at HACLA

Blogger's notes: Does document stonewalling have its price or should we say "bonus mark up" at HACLA? Considering that the Public Records request below is still outstanding as we enter the new year and the HACLA Management person who promise to resolve this was the recipient of the second highest amount of bonus money in 2009 and 2010, one can reach that conclusion. That HACLA Management employee is Director of Housing Management Sanford Riggs who in 2009 and 2010 received $18,972 and $6,317 in bonuses respectively, second only to former CEO Ken Simmons. Twice, I have approached Mr. Riggs during the course of community events in Ramona Gardens about the absence of documents promise in the reply and twice he has taken down my contact information and noted the pertinent information, once on direction from former HACLA CEO Ken Simmons in November, yet four months later no documents. By no means am I indicting here Mr. Riggs for nefarious conduct, in my numerous contacts, Mr. Riggs has been the affable bureaucrat that follows directions well from his "superiors". (ie. in house bonus-approving commissioners and their approving politicos). Thus, Mr. Riggs and HACLA's failure to pony up the documents, most likely has to do with the political fallout that would result as noted here previously---Scott Johnson.      

HACLA reply to California Public Records request in August of 2011. No documents have been made public.

HACLA Housing Management Director Sanford Riggs. Riggs received the second highest bonus as noted by KCET's "So Cal Connected".

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14

HACLA's Ken Simmons to appear before City Council on Tuesday

Grandstanding alert tomorrow via Councilman Dennis Zine and Controller "Valley Greuel"

Blogger's Notes: According to KCET via their second expose of the dysfunctional HACLA Corporate Culture, City Councilman and City Controller Candidate Dennis Zine has called HACLA former Acting CEO Ken Simmons to appear before his City Hall committee hearing tomorrow at City Hall. Yet, lets not lose sight that corruption at HACLA goes back beyond the time of Rudy Montiel and Ken Simmons as "Fraud Watcher" posted this on Mayor Sam recently---Scott Johnson.

The tragedy is that millions of dollars have been wasted by HACLA from 1996-2011 that should have been available for affordable housing.Instead the following failed the people and need to be held accountable by the people:

1. HUD and especially HUD OIG who failed to prosecute HACLA and in fact took criminal cases out of the hands of DA Cooley involving HACLA/Mayor&Councilmembers (Taracena cases).

2. HUDOIG/FBI who failed to interview any HACLA whistleblowers who had evidence against HACLA staff and failed to follow up on charges made in court documents.

3 Mainstream media- (especially LA Times) who failed to report HACLA whistleblower cases and the millions spent of federal and city funds persecuting Whistlblowers. By the way all whistleblowers settled their cases and their charges are still public records- media could have easily followed up on these serious charges and ended the Montiel administration years ago.

4. Mayor and Council at fault because they knew 2007 investigations involved possible involvement by some on council and supporters receiving illegal funds from HACLA via "questionable-non existent" contracts.Mayor did not change HACLA Bd until KCET TV report this year!

5. City Attorney office has spent millions defending HACLA practices and in fact had full time staff in charge of internal audit (?) and finances (?). Why did city Atty allow all of these millions to be spent this way? Dont Attys have ethics and know the difference that their ultimate clients are the citizens and not a questionable agency?

Yes the system of checks and balances broke down and while everyone in the system kept their jobs and got bonuses, yet many LA poor remain in substandard housing and millions missing. No one was held accountable but ethical whistlblowers were persecuted by the system (like Enron,Madoff Fast and Furious)

This Hacla mess was very preventable but it will take some guts-watch out for Jordan Downs and other developments follow the money/contracts--remember HACLA adm and BD have development/builder background and other HACLA devs.

In summary DA Cooley should take over any audit/investigation of HACLA inorder to avoid conflict of interest.

December 07, 2011 10:26 AM