ERIP, Final Tally: Over-Subscribed by Nearly One-Third

Who knows better than the crew that the S.S. Villaraigosa is sinking fast?

The dumbest thing the city could do. Instead of laying-off employees and sending a message to people who remained, that they were expected to perform, they created demoralization across the board. Resentments against older workers were to be expected, even as the hiring frenzy continued. Employees with two or three years experience wondered why people with 25 did not leave. Many decided to do just that. This BS has been going on for over a year, as those Clowncil fools did not know what to do. Productivity over the past year seriously declined.

Don't know who the winners are; those taking ERIP or those awaiting promotional opportunities, knowing the same will be done to them one day and thus affecting their mindset of taking care of themselves first. Sure know who the losers are; taxpayers of LA.

D. Freeman worked out a deal back in 2001 with D`Arcy. Early retirement for D`Arcy`s crowd with money coming from overcharging other utilities in time of need to the tune of $112MM. Guess what. Ratepayers now have to pay it back. Another rate hike for ill, rather sinister, conceived schemes. This is the man Antonio placed at the helm of the sick Department. BTW, doesn`t it sound familiar? ERIP.

The taxpayers have beeen e-ripped off by Villaraigosa and the rest of the Spring Street gang.

I did go and looked around for what I thought was the full story, and when I found it, it was pretty light.

What I'm about to say might be just me/my problem, and if it is I apologize in advance.

So I'll be honest Ron,

Finding specific topic content at OurLA takes too long, and the site is often too light on information to warrant the amount of digging that is needed. The front page drives me nuts with the images being linked to related yet different articles than are in the current list on the front page, and many times continuity is broken between them and between related that are deeper in the area-specific sections.

I love the idea but as it is working now, I have to beg off. If you have a redesign coming with extensive streamlining, I'm more than happy to cough up some of my pathetic income for the cause.

Although I've commented before on your OURLA website, I'll add to the Sabo critism. Ron, you still don't get it, and your website is still not a good "WEB 2.0" format (or are we up to WEB 5.0, yet). If anybody likes the LA Times or DailyNews website formats then they'll love your OURLA website. Otherwise, it's too "old school".

Consider an approach closer to the LAWeekly format. Understand that web readers don't want you to "tell" them what to read. That is my overall impression from OURLA. Use a format that easily allows them to grab only what they want.

- Therefore, you need less prose on the main page and more concise titles, pics, and pithy first two article sentences.
- You need to nix the City Region sections and let the reader bump over to the sections that they wish. Titles and article content are more important that City Regions.
- If you really want to make OURLA successful you should go primarily to a Columnist-style format.

It's unfortunate that OURLA is pushing propaganda to such an extent. It's not an enjoyable read.

While we are on the subject of "ourLA", the site is also too slow to open. Must be all those memory eating photographs.

Hi, i just thought i'd post and let you know your blogs layout is really messed up on the K-Melon browser, anyhow keep up the good work.

You appear to be a perfectionist. Nice website and great writing abilities.