The clock is ticking on the mayor’s plan to gut city services and sell its assets, and every day the City Council dawdles revenue falls and the budget deficit grows by nearly $340,000.
On Saturday, activists at the Saving LA Project meeting discussed the issue of what is in the best interests of the community as a whole and the city’s workforce and reached a consensus.
No Layoffs of city workers, because every worker eliminated from the general fund or transferred to the Harbor, Airport or DWP means less service for the city’s four million residents, the people who pay the bills.
No Payoffs like the early retirement plan that is getting rid of nearly 3,000 senior city staff or the kind of deals our elected officials cut with contributors and special interests, deals that have allowed billboards, pot shops and over-sized developments to pop up everywhere.
No Selloffs of parking lots and meters, the zoo, golf courses, the convention center, airports, even the power system they are now talking about — deals that based on past performance will surely benefit the few at the expense of the many.
The budget plan put forward by the CAO’s office on instructions of the mayor and Council leadership is nothing but a hodgepodge of gimmicks that punish city workers and slash city services in order to cook the books so they can borrow billions to have the cash to get through this financial year and next.
The so-called restructuring plan — like the ERIP and layoff strategies — is nothing but a shotgun approach to effective and efficient government.
There is no coherent logic to the strategy, no details of what they really intend to do, no idea of how it impacts departments and the ability to provide basic services. Parks, libraries, planning, building code enforcement will be decimated. The City Attorney’s ability to prosecute criminals, solve neighborhood problems and defend the city against nearly $1 billion in lawsuits, mainly of the frivolous, will be undermined.
There are no negotiations with the unions or effort to implement their cost-saving strategies.
There is no engagement of community leaders or respect being shown to the public or their needs.
There is no plan, just a desperate attempt to defer cleaning up the budgetary mess they created in the vain hope that somehow a miracle will save them from wrath of the people.
There is another way.
Bring community, union and business leaders to the table and come up with real solutions that actually solve the fundamental problems and get LA moving forward again.
Those are the views of SLAP activists and many others I have spoken with.
My own view is that city workers in all departments need to take a step back financially and the public needs to take a step forward to provide a new revenue source for two or three years to bring the budget into balance without destroying our human capital, our services infrastructure.
I have run this idea past dozens of people in the political and civic culture of LA and the response is unanimous: No one will support higher taxes because they don’t trust the city’s leadership.
That I think goes to the heart of the matter. The financial troubles facing LA are simply the monetary manifestation of the loss of confidence and trust in our leaders.
The only real solution is to bring us all together to find a consensus. It may involve unions’ and the community giving ground but it will produce a transparent strategy that will create a new spirit of LA, mutual respect and trust.
The alternative is to see more jobs disappear, the value of property and businesses continue to decline and the acceleration of middle class flight.
Stop the nonsense. Let your voice be heard. We want real solutions, not gimmicks.
The clock is ticking and time is of the essence. I heard a lot of things the city cannot do. Besides calling for a seat at the table, can you please list at least one measure that can be taken? Is the goal to only contribute if you are invited to the table, or can you use this blog to get the ideas out there?
Here’s how City Hall can and should stop the deficit, and it’s easier than you think:
1. Abolish the CRA.
The budget for that corporate welfare agency is $680 million per year. It gives taxpayers’ money to politically connected businesses. Stop the spending immediately. Then amend whatever ordinances, if any, are needed to re-direct into the general fund any revenues that currently go into the CRA.
2. Immediately halt all subsidies.
The City is handing millions and millions to businesses, ex-cons, “non-profits,” dance troupes, etc. Pull the plug on all that stuff NOW.
3. Roll-back the Mayor’s budget.
He got by before on a staff of 70; he does not need 93+ people. His budget DOUBLED just a few years ago. And for God’s sake, reduce his travel budget to zero. He can use the dang telephone like anyone else.
4. Immediately halt all “below market” deals.
The City must immediately stop leasing valuable real estate at $1 per year, giving away vehicles, etc.
5. Stop out-sourcing work City employees can do.
It makes no sense to simultaneously lay off City planners while hiring outside planning consultants. It makes no sense to lay off Assistant City Attorneys while paying outside counsel to do work they could do.
6. Give the unions an ultimatum.
The idea that government workers are somehow impervious the recession is BS. If they lost their jobs at the same rate as us taxpayers in the private sector have — 13.2% in L.A. — then over 4,000 of them would already be on unemployment. Not an ERIP, but a pink slip. Not a transfer, but a REAL lay-off. So they need to be told: either accept an x% pay cut, or WE will lay off enough of you to achieve the same savings.
7. Pension reform.
Same story: the “heads they win, tails we lose” model of pensions for City employees won’t cut it anymore. Tell them we’re going defined contribution, or they can have an IRA or 401k. If they don’t agree, then file bankruptcy and restructure.
Ron, you sound like your typical politician running for office trying to please everybody without making any tough decisions. I see more “hope”, “change” and insert your favorite Sarah Palin quote here… than honest solutions.
I have not worked 20 plus years to have someone take away my salary. If they need to resort to layoffs then start at the Mayors office then City Council.
I have not worked 20 plus years to have someone take away my salary. If they need to resort to layoffs then start at the Mayors office then City Council.
I have not worked 20 plus years to have someone take away my salary. If they need to resort to layoffs then start at the Mayors office then City Council. Also people with less than 15 years regardless of what department.
AGREE WITH WALTER!!! GET RID OF CRA
AGREE WITH WALTER!!! GET RID OF CRA
Ron, No layoffs and ‘new revenue source” (tax)
You should run for city council, you’d fit right in!
There is no way to balance the budget without salary reductions and/or pension reductions, and layoffs, because employee compensation is 80% of the budget. No tinkering will change that, the City has to make hundreds of millions in reductions because the pension costs are increasing and revenue is decreasing.
City Council approves the $7.01 billion budget deal last May. Before May they met for months debating the issue. Its hard to believe council members waiting until now to come out of denial that Los Angeles is in the worst financial crisis. My solutions would be layoff 2 field staffers of every council office. They fail to do their job anyway. Take away at least 3 city vehicles from each council office. With gas prices its a waste of money to allow them to have cars paid by the taxpayers plus car insurance. Let them drive their own damn cars. Layoff 1/2 of the Mayor’s staffers including some of the Deputy Mayors who do nothing like Jeff Carr. Wendy Greuel needs to do homework and investigate each council office to find more money that is stashed in secret funds. Funny the constituents know where the money is and the name of the fund. Interesting constituents knew about the discretionary funds for years yet Laura Chick and now Greuel just found them. There’s more Wendy go find it.
“I have not worked 20 plus years to have someone take away my salary. If they need to resort to layoffs then start at the Mayors office then City Council. Also people with less than 15 years regardless of what department.”
It’s not about seniority, buddy. The Mayor wants to “eliminate positions” based on function. You may be gone this time next year despite your 20 years of service.
No budget can be balanced till cuts and efficiencies are effected at LAPD & LAFD. Otherwise, all talk is an excerise in futility.
http://www.laweekly.com/2010-01-28/news/is-l-a-creating-phantom-jobs
Here is why the CRA should be abolished. The LA Weekly tells it like it is and the comments show the rising temperature of the waste of tax increment of the City.
They need to start by cutting at the top. We don’t need all those executives to run a departments; the actual work is done by mid level management and down, the very employees who will be laid off.
Here’s what I would like to see – what actual costs are for running departments. We already know about the salaries, but not that it costs,
Here’s what I just learned (and these are actual figures) $40 Million per year to sweep streets and that the city loses about $64 Million in revenue from the blue recyclable trash bins thanks to the roving raiders who steal from the bins.
Moore makes some valid points. I would just that some city workers have already taken an effective 7% cut in pay.
As much as this sucks, if all unions and ALL personnel would agree to this or something close (including cops and fireman) I’m willing to continue to swallow this until times get better and if this greatly reduces layoffs.
Anybody with energy and fortitude need only investigate the CRA projects in the last five years to understand the real estate/development/boondoggle game in the city. The book will be a best seller.
Attention: Sandy Sand, you are the writer. Lets make it a collaborative effort with shared stories from all sources/interactions CRA.
Dedicated to All those “TAXMAN” supporters, and L.A.’s BEATLES fans…Yeah…Yeah:
One, two, three, four…
Hrmm!
One, two, (one, two, three, four!)
Let me tell you how it will be;
There’s one for you, nineteen for me.
‘Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all.
‘Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.
(if you drive a car, car;) – I’ll tax the street;
(if you try to sit, sit;) – I’ll tax your seat;
(if you get too cold, cold;) – I’ll tax the heat;
(if you take a walk, walk;) – I’ll tax your feet.
Taxman!
‘Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.
Don’t ask me what I want it for, (ah-ah, mister Wilson)
If you don’t want to pay some more. (ah-ah, mister heath)
‘Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.
Now my advice for those who die, (taxman)
Declare the pennies on your eyes. (taxman)
‘Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.
And you’re working for no one but me.
Taxman!
I wish everyone understood what the response to this economic crisis has done to the city workforce, shorn of all the rhetoric. What has always been perceived as heartless in the private sector of giving the pink slip the same day employees are escorted out the door, while not to be emulated, has some merits. It is to preserve and carry on with what you have. The ones left behind feel privileged and lucky and want to work even harder.
If a workforce has to be cut, then just do it. Instead we have this melodrama going on for the past years that has resulted in almost no productivity and the worst employee morale ever. First, ERIP was the most idiotic offer only LA could make. Employees who were ready to leave delayed their retirement. At least 1,000 of those needed no enticement to leave. Instead they got one not to leave.
The furloughs that were instituted is again the dumbest thing the city could do. Having lost 10% of their pay, the employees retaliate with 60% of work in return. New employees that should have been eliminated have been introduced to an environment where lack of pride in work and simply a lack of any controls is the work ethos. Meanwhile, they look for other jobs seeing their fate sooner or later.
The damage has already been done. All the city can do is control it. If you must lay off, then do it. Enough of this shared pain BS. The unions will continue with what they think is right, and the public will react with negative comments. This was just one viewpoint of the reality, accept it or not.
To Anonymous @ 2:57 p.m.
Before the bashing and name calling that is ever present in these blogs begins, I would like to thank you for your thoughtful post. Your comments on the poor handling of retirement/layoff issues are similar to the sentiments of many of the rank and file in the City. I bet a handshake and $1000 would have gotten rid of many of those hanging on. A 2-3 year addition with no other monetary inducement would have taken care of many others. Unfortunately, once ERIP became a possibility, no one was going to want to settle for something more modest.
In addi
To Anonymous @ 2:57 p.m.
Before the bashing and name calling that is ever present in these blogs begins, I would like to thank you for your thoughtful post. Your comments on the poor handling of retirement/layoff issues are similar to the sentiments of many of the rank and file in the City. I bet a handshake and $1000 would have gotten rid of many of those hanging on. A 2-3 year addition with no other monetary inducement would have taken care of many others. Unfortunately, once ERIP became a possibility, no one was going to want to settle for something more modest.
In addition to the items you mentioned, the Mayor’s hasty transfer scheme is probably going to be the subject of lawsuits and grievances for years to come. Because the Mayor and Council have continued to let the DWP pay disparity grow larger over the years, this plan to transfer positions to various Departments as if they were all equal was extremely shortsighted.
A Clerk Typist in general funded Cultural Affairs does not equal a Clerk Typist in special funded Sanitation and certainly does not equal a Clerk Typist in DWP. Allowing the higher paying DWP to take a Clerk Typist position from the special funded Sanitation Department does absolutely nothing to generate savings for the general fund or help the person on the layoff list. All it does is create unnecessary paperwork and allow certain Departments like DWP to bypass any semblance of fair hiring due to the accelerated timetable. Those managers must have thought they died and went to heaven. “I can hire whoever I want? Without *any* tests or those pesky Civil Service rules? No scrutiny if I hire my brother’s girlfriend while bypassing the better qualified person? Gee Thanks Mayor Villaraigosa!!”
The ones left behind feel privileged and lucky and want to work even harder.
That’s a generalization that doesn’t apply to EVERYONE left behind. You have the other side of the coin too
Instead we have this melodrama going on for the past years that has resulted in almost no productivity and the worst employee morale ever.
Based on what were you able to determine that “almost no productivity” has occurred over the past couple years? That seems a pretty bold generalization don’t you think?
Having lost 10% of their pay, the employees retaliate with 60% of work in return.
Exactly how did you come up with 60%? Seriously
Because the Mayor and Council have continued to let the DWP pay disparity grow larger over the years, this plan to transfer positions to various Departments as if they were all equal was extremely shortsighted.
Why is it assumed that just because a number of open reqs have been identified in the proprietary departments, that they will ALL be filled with transfers? Even S. David Freeman has insisted that they will only take qualified transfers and going further, depending on the degree of specialization, it’s not cut and dry swapping. If those open reqs in say the DWP are engineers and lineman, there’s no way a clerk typist is going to fill that position no matter what.
Also where did you get the idea transfers would not be interviewed and wouldn’t have to take the same tests those coming from private industry and fresh out of school would have to take? I never heard that.
Why on God’s green earth (or anywhere else for that matter) would I trust that bunch of yahoo’s with more tax money. I see justification of my distrust every day that the so-called City Council and the Mayor appear in the news. Instead of being intellegent, forward thinking adults, with morals, they have all devolved into a bunch of whining, spoiled little brats who don’t know how to do anything except throw tantrums when they don’t get their way. I say recall all of them, consolidate the council districts down to 5 and make the Mayor’s position an honorary one with commensurate pay (Oh say, $50.00 a month). Slash their staffs by half and the salaries of the remainin staff by half. The mayor’s aids alone make $111,000 to start and he has 20 of them! As long as this bunch is in office, I will NOT give them one more dime of my money (what I have left) to waste with their foolishness!
To Anonymous @ 9:50 p.m:
These are a part of the Mayor’s 2/4 letter to Department Heads
3.Instructions to Proprietary Departments. At a meeting today I have asked the managers of Airport, Harbor and DWP to hire as many displaced workers as feasible. I have asked for a report within one week from these managers, setting forth their projected hiring needs over the next 12 months.
The timeline is as follows:
Feb 4 -Departments will be contacted and provided information on the process.
Feb 4 -Personnel Department will develop transfer applications that will allow
employees to volunteer for transfer and later permit the evaluation of an
employee’s training and experience by the transferee departments.
Feb 5-Candidates will be identified for transfer and notified by the Personnel
Department.
Feb 5,6,7,8 -Interested applicants will submit a Transfer Application Form.
Feb 8, 9 -Personnel sends completed Transfer Application Forms to hiring department for review.
Feb 9, 10, 11 -Department heads select employees to fill vacancies.
Feb 11 and 12 … Job offers are made, department heads approve transfers, a,nd transfer paper work is completed online.
Feb 15 -Employee starts new job in new department
I know of several employees who were hired by DWP with NO interview.
Please reread the comments. No one suggested hiring Clerk Typists as Engineers. As a matter of fact, the example given was a Clerk Typist in 3 different departments.
To Anonymous @ 9:50 p.m:
These are a part of the Mayor’s 2/4 letter to Department Heads
3.Instructions to Proprietary Departments. At a meeting today I have asked the managers of Airport, Harbor and DWP to hire as many displaced workers as feasible. I have asked for a report within one week from these managers, setting forth their projected hiring needs over the next 12 months.
The timeline is as follows:
Feb 4 -Departments will be contacted and provided information on the process.
Feb 4 -Personnel Department will develop transfer applications that will allow
employees to volunteer for transfer and later permit the evaluation of an
employee’s training and experience by the transferee departments.
Feb 5-Candidates will be identified for transfer and notified by the Personnel
Department.
Feb 5,6,7,8 -Interested applicants will submit a Transfer Application Form.
Feb 8, 9 -Personnel sends completed Transfer Application Forms to hiring department for review.
Feb 9, 10, 11 -Department heads select employees to fill vacancies.
Feb 11 and 12 … Job offers are made, department heads approve transfers, a,nd transfer paper work is completed online.
Feb 15 -Employee starts new job in new department
I know of several employees who were hired by DWP with NO interview.
Please reread the comments. No one suggested hiring Clerk Typists as Engineers. As a matter of fact, the example given was a Clerk Typist in 3 different departments.
How to prevent the double posting? Does using the “preview” cause this?