Ever since I started this blogging adventure 18 months ago, the DWP and its General Manager David Nahai have been the target of many of my most provocative rants and raves. They are even responsible for first introducing you to my dog Bruno as LA’s Watchdog.
One of my first posts called the DWP “LA’s Scandal Central.” Our public utility that sees itself as independent corporation accountable to no one has lived up to that billing under Nahai’s leadership.
More than ever, the DWP is City Hall’s cash cow, grossly over-paying its own workers, a haven for others in city government whose jobs are being eliminated, a fountain of taxpayer money for contractors, consultants and insiders profiteering at the public expense.
David Nahai didn’t start this, he inherited it and became the public face of it. He was the whipping boy, and in the end, the fall guy for failure — something made easy because his arrogance is even greater than his intelligence.
He lost the confidence of the public, his top managers the DWP commission and, fatally, IBEW union boss Brian D’Arcy.
Here’s some of the best headlines and articles I’ve posted on the subject:
L.A.’s Scandal Central: The Department of Water and Power
DWP’s latest sucker punch to the public’s pockets
Uncritically observed: David Nahai, the man who walks on water — and power
Bye, Bye Nahai: How Antonio’s attempt to politicize the DWP went wrong
City Hall backs down on another dirty DWP deal
Does it cost too much for DWP to hire a ratepayers’ advocate?
The DWP Loves You and Cares for You … That’s Why It Gives Away Your Money in Sweetheart Contracts and Backroom Deals
Why We Need City Hall Watchdogs…
Measure B: Lies, Subterfuges and Obfuscations
Measure B, the Aftermath: Nahai’s Super Ego and the Role of Fall Guy
Thus Spake Brian D’Arcy: Nahai’s Kiss of Death
Real Solar Energy Efforts and the DWP’s Dirty Little Deal with the IBEW
Measure B By Any Other Name Is Still a Blank Check for Defrauding the Public
Bye Bye Nahai — A Symptom of DWP’s Power Outage
Threads of Corruption that Tie Together Like a Noose
As a member of the 2004-2005 neighborhood council team that worked to hold the DWP accountable for the services they owe to rate payers, I met many wonderful and conscientious people on the neighborhood council side as well as the DWP management and staff. Your comment that H. David Nahai’s “arrogance is even greater than his intelligence” is the perfect depiction of a General Manager (or that other pompous title he wanted to use to impress others) is spot on. Nahai will not be missed in this City.
Now there are 4 major Departments in the second largest City in the Nation that have no Department heads–that does not reflect well on the leadership of the City and rests clearly on the Mayor’s shoulders.
Even though there have been rumors about Nahai’s departure for months and reported by Ron Kaye, the nature of his departure should still raise questions. It didn’t seem coordinated or planned out too well with the Mayor’s office (it was anything but smooth). Nahai’s letter was not on official stationary, it had a similar impact as the Police Chief with speculation in the main stream press as to why he was “ousted”.
The seemingly endless series of Water main breakages was the proverbial nail for Mr. Nahai. And even more important was one of the 2nd Lieutenant’s response, when Water System head, James McDaniels explained to the DWP Board that everything is under control and in fact DWP had planned to work on the water main breakage, just one month too late, that swallowed the Fire Truck. This was very arrogant and doesn’t address the true cause or lessons learned.
These Managers are not protected under Civil service and need to be held accountable and relieved from service when performance suffers badly (don’t worry he won’t suffer, he has a built-in golden parachute that allows him to revert back to a Civil Service position and keep all of his benefits).
Jack Weiss in line to be next head of DWP. Seriously, word downtown is that Mayor Villaraigosa is quietly sounding out the idea.
Despite narrowly losing out on a Deputy Mayor appointment to Homeland Security, Weiss still enjoys the Mayor’s favor and brings with him strong support from environmentalists.
As the DWP is about the biggest environmental issue in LA, a leader with strong connections to environmentalists like Weiss is a ‘no brainer’ for the Mayor.
Weiss was an ardent supporter of Solar Energy Measure B, and is seen by many as having sacrificed his bid for his coveted Los Angeles City Attorney post, to promote Measure B.
Weiss will be a popular leader at the DWP, using his many connections to heal the wounds caused by Nahi’s marginalization of union influence at the DWP.
Jack Weiss? Come on. Who is posting this, Jay Leno? Very cute, though.
Now is the time for a change in leadership – Eric Garcetti for Mayor.
Patty, you are again at it.” Eric Garcetti for Mayor” . Are you now or in the future will be working for Eric?
Told you before , or are you so dumb to get it, that since Eric is President of the City Council ,how can you state “Now is time for a change in leadership-Eric Garcetti for Mayor”.
It is because of uninformed dumbheads like you the City is in the brink of disaster.
“Now is the time for a change in leadership – Eric Garcetti for Mayor”
“Jack Weiss in line to be next head of DWP. Seriously, word downtown is that Mayor Villaraigosa is quietly sounding out the idea.”
Two more inadequate human beings wanting to stay
as lifers on the city payroll must have inspired
these two bits of nonsense.
31
Does the Mayor still not get that an attorney (Jack Weiss) is not who should be running a utility?
Does anyone in the City understand that there has to be people that understand enviromental science – the real issues about our water needs, the reason that the pipes are breaking, and just how feasible it is to put 400 MW of solar on City property?
I think that it is time that I start buying lottery tickets so that I can move. I have about as much chance at winning the lottery as we have of getting 20% of our energy from clean sources by 2010.
Jack Weiss is not “an attorney,” he’s a former US Attorney who has an impressive list of major convictions for corruption and gang violence to his credit. He was endorsed by the California League of Environmental Lawyers who certainly know of his work for the environment in using traffic regulation to reduce carbon emissions and fought for the Pico/Olympic one-way system.
Jack would make a perfect choice for DWP head as he knows how to work with organized labor and with developers to make the City greener and safer. He has a plan to reduce the explosion of burst water mains and even if that means reducing water supply and recycling waste water, it will stop the wasteful practice of allowing rain water to flow into the sea without being used for the city.
Weiss has travelled Israel extensively both as an expert on terrorism and as a highly educated leader on the environment, and has many connections to foreign experts who would be able to solve LA’s water consumption problems. Water consumption is no different to fossil fuels; it takes a leader to force changes in public consumption, and cutting off consumption to wasteful users is a step in the right direction. Many single family homes use more water than apartment buildings, and Jack’s support for multi-use property is always a water saving factor.
The Mayor would be showing considerable insight in appointing Jack Weiss and his staff to run the DWP the way it should be; access to water should not be a right, it should be a privilege of those who deserve it.
Jack Weiss is not qualified to be the General Manager of LADWP. This is a multi-billion dollar engineering company with thousands of employees. What has Jack actually managed? His Council office with a few million in budget and a staff of 20. There are probably 300 managers at LADWP right now with more managerial experience than that. Sure, Jack was involved in many things as a Councilman, including the budgeting of the City, but none of his duties there qualifies him to manage such a huge and troubled operation as LADWP.
Look at what ‘Yochem’ touts as Jack’s qualifications: “experienced lawyer“, “environmentalist“, “worked with labor and developers..“, “expert on terrorism“. Without bothering to debate Jack’s “merits” in these areas, none of them remotely qualifies him to actually manage LADWP.
The consequences of having had so many technically inexperienced managers at LADWP for years are in the front pages of the newspapers every day. Any real engineer would have screamed bloody murder (even if it meant getting fired) to stop the diversion into the General Fund of the money needed for infrastructure maintenance. None of the political appointees understood the engineering consequences of what was being done year after year, and look where we are now.
My advice to the mayor: do the right thing and hire a headhunter to bring in a professional that knows what (s)he’s doing. I wouldn’t touch anyone without an engineering degree, an MBA and real business experience running a profitable company. This is not the time or the job to pay off some political debts.
I agree with 5:42. And I posted it here before – Patsouras was a good commissioner because of his engineering background (even though IMO his people skills sucked). Now you have a bunch of attorneys running DWP and its commission, which is in turn being led by the politicians who just keep pushing for renewables and green energy even though the technology is an inefficient money sink. Get an engineer in there and give him some leverage.
I nominate Kent Kresa for the Job. He was CEO of Northrop Grumman until his retirement a couple of years ago, and EVERYONE agrees he did an outstanding job.
An engineer with degrees from MIT and years of experience actually managing a large corporation. He lives in the LA area. An added bonus is that he is a really nice and thoughtful person, the exact opposite of an arrogant S.O.B., and has lots of experience dealing with politicians.
The main problem is the he’s too smart to take on a cathouse like LADWP. But one can dream, can’t one?
Is Yochem intending his irony as satire?
“it takes a leader to force changes in public consumption, and cutting off consumption to wasteful users is a step in the right direction.”
You mean like Villar’s midnight sprinkling? He didn’t hear it perhaps, because he was poolside in Vegas?
“Many single family homes use more water than apartment buildings, and Jack’s support for multi-use property is always a water saving factor.”
Yep, let’s see if we can add a few stories to the likes of Pacoima’s projects, pull those darn trees up, and expand SNAP’s so that we’ll have an excuse to sell off the roof rights to Griffith Parking Garage the DWP bulldozes whatever’s left after Forest Lawn’s 40 year plan.
“The Mayor would be showing considerable insight in appointing Jack Weiss and his staff to run the DWP the way it should be; access to water should not be a right, it should be a privilege of those who deserve it.”
Water is a privilege…wasn’t this the plot for some sci-fi “Dune” ripoff? Who decides who “deserves” water. Do ratepayers qualify?
Sadly, this may not be “dry” comedy, but an earnest effort of a once-and-future staffer trying to feed his jones for Weiss’ kool-aid.
haha, Leno is so crazy! I love him.
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