There is a lot happening at City Hall and there's a lot of things that don't make sense there, more than usual, as the budget planning is moving along in terms of passage of time, though not much is happening in terms of actual action.
The DWP rate hikes that represent who-know-what were announced by the Mayor. Knowing the tendency for the Mayor to be the "All about me" Mayor, this rate hike seems more what HE wants to achieve more than what really needs to happen. You have to remember in all this that HE wants to come out looking good, even though his run here as Mayor should prove that he should not be elected to any other office again. But we are stuck with what we have and have to work thru it.
The DWP operates at a profit, or at least most people would call it that when they regularly have $200 million a year sent over to the city's General Fund. Whenever there's complaints of the expenses DWP runs up for it's employees, they say, it's covered by the rate payers. And on and on this condition goes, with money bled from the DWP over to the city and then, like now, the Mayor says "We need the rate hikes to pay for [ fill in the expense]."
Oh, one more thing that tells you something just doesn't sound right here. The DWP got the Council's approval of their raised for the next 5 years at a crucial time when other employees are wondering if they will be laid off. The Council is using DWP like a life boat, sending over employees to keep them from being laid off. Meanwhile, some executive sorts got raises of assorted amounts, 16% in one case, just because they now work for the DWP.
DWP at the council meeting today is reported to be able to take something like 440 more employees and they will have a total of 880 that they can take by June. This doesn't sound like DWP needs rate hikes - maybe some better management, like a new mayor is what's really needed, but we are stuck with what we have.
The real stories here that will tell you all the crap that goes on with DWP can be found in http://www.ronkayela.com/ That where there's a continued inquiry of the facts and revelations that the DWP or other city folks will not be giving to you, at least voluntarily.
The latest article is exactly on this topic, and Brian D'Arcy, the IBEW local union head there, will be interviewed on KCET Ch. 28 Thursday at 8 p.m. This has to be something to see if you persist in believing the city version of anything. The DWP, from the way it is run, really shows that the IBEW is in charge. The Mayor is not so much a victim as he is an accomplice. The union has so much power that they could shut the city down if they so decided, giving them lots of leverage in bargaining negotiations. You see the benefits they received, including the raises, so what do you think.
Don't forget that the DWP employees are paid anywhere from 20% t0 40% more than other city employees in comparable positions. So could some of this apparent access to money have been handled differently so the rate payers, i.e. residents and businesses, don't have to keep getting gouged for every dollar that can be found?
From RonKayeLA.com today:
"IBEW Union Boss Brian D'Arcy Talks About DWP Rate and Wakes on KCET, 8 p.m. Thursday,"
By Ron Kaye on March 17, 2010 2:45 PM
"Catch Brian D'Arcy and a Hard-hitting DWP Story on KCET's SoCal Connected, 8 p.m. Thursday, Channel 28"
http://ronkayela.com/2010/03/catch-brian-darcy-on-kcet-8-pm.html
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There are some ealier postings that are worth checking to make clear what is going on in a more realistic interpretation presented to you.
The local nonsensical happenings you might not have been aware of are noted here:
Fearmongering, Failure and the Politics of Change
By Ron Kaye on March 17, 2010 7:49 AM
http://ronkayela.com/2010/03/crime-sells-thats-the.html
But I like this one as really nailing down some blame for many or most of the problems.
There's Only One Word For Antonio's DWP Rate Hike Plan
By Ron Kaye on March 16, 2010 8:24 AM
http://ronkayela.com/2010/03/bullshiti-dont-know-how-to.html
The rate hikes have to be opposed and let your council members know. At the moment, the City Council have not approved the changes and it's their NO votes you want to see to shut this down.
There is a contact list for Council members in the sidebar under "City" items, but here is another link to make it easier on you:
http://lincolnquicknotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/la-city-council-contact-information.html Call any an all except Dennis Zine who said on a radio show last night that he was voting NO on this hike, so you don't have to convince him. He said Greig Smith also is voting NO. But the others need to hear the public's view.
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