"I remember getting off the plane in Bosnia during heavy sniper fire...." Bradstreet, Calva et al should be able to appreciate such a lie by Clinton

When in a hole, STOP DIGGING:
that's what a smart person does, but this jackass Clinton doesn't know well enough to stop with the lie, but to her it's not a lie. The comic Sinbad still has his memory, and his memory works just fine-it didn't happen. Let's see, Bosnia was a place too dangerous for the president, but not dangerous enough for the First Lady and first daughter? Being in the military (nothing that Greg Rupp, Lupe Almaraz, Big Vick Bradshaw, Steve McSquinty have experienced), one knows that you don't land the First Family in a hot zone.

On 03/26/08, MSNBC's Keith Olberman show (weeknights-check local listings) asked the question: when do continuous, deliberate misstatements become a lie? The American people, contrary to Bradshaw's and Bradstreet's belief, are not stupid. When leaders piss on their head & tell them that it's raining, they tend to become annoyed. No less than 3 times did Mrs. Clinton tell her lie about getting off the plane with sniper fire, and why? This is why we're stuck with assholes like Victoria Bradshaw, Greg Rupp, Abigael Calva, John Rea, Angela Bradstreet, Robert Jones, Anthony Mischel, and the like: ethics and integrity are as out of place in DLSE & DIRt as the 8-track tape player.

This is our standard for the US presidential candidates, and people wonder why Bill Clinton hooked up with Monica Lewinsky. I called it months ago: if Obama clenches the democratic nomination, he'll be our next president. If the Bosnian Liar gets it, then McCain will beat her. People think that with Hillary, you get Bill back in the White House. What were they joking about back in the Ohio primary...Obama was knocking on doors looking for votes and Hillary was knocking on doors looking for Bill.

03/22/08 Sunday-Los Angeles Times story on car wash workers: their plight, who investigates the car washes, and what-if any-aftermath?

The LA Times has the front-page story (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-carwash23mar23,0,3592975.story) on car wash workers and their lower-than minimum wage plight; the lack of success concerning the "inspectors" among DLSE, and the overall grim picture of how the rich stay richer and the poor stay poorer. Los Angeles Times reporters Sonia Nazario (sonia.nazario@latimes.com) and Doug Smith (doug.smith@latimes.com) need to dig a little deeper. Some items that Ms. Nazario and Mr. Smith should request in their Public Records Act request to DIRt:
1) How many times California peace officer/EEEC Dir. David Dorame DDorame@dir.ca.gov has been arrested/convicted for driving under their influence, how many of those occasions involved state vehicles, and how he was able to pass his peace officer background investigation (hint: talk to Los Angeles DLSE Asst. Chief Greg Rupp GRupp@dir.ca.gov).
2) Out of all the citations issued against car wash businesses, how many citations have been paid, how many have been appealed, how many have upheld/lost their appeal, and how much money has been collected....versus what citation amounts were issued. How many car wash licenses have been revoked? How many bad car washes have been put out of business because they broke state law(s)?
3) How many "inspectors" assigned to car wash inspections receive bi-lingual (Spanish) pay by the state for speaking Spanish? How many have been trained by the state to study Spanish? It's pretty hard to ascertain violations if there's no one able to elicit/solicit labor law violations by those whose main/only language is Spanish.
4) After DLSE Deputy Chief Lupe Almaraz was found guilty (and liable) to have violated an employee's First Amendment rights, why was he immediately promoted to chair the Agricultural Labor Relations Board?
5) Why won't three DIR attorneys (John Duncan JDuncan@dir.ca.gov, Robert Roginson RRoginson@dir.ca.gov, Angela Bradstreet ABradstreet@dir.ca.gov), and one LWDA Secretary Victoria Bradshaw Victoria.Bradshaw@labor.ca.gov ) provide details on the taxpayer-paid, multi-million dollar computer software disaster known as CMS, contracted out to Hansen/Unisys? If they don't care about the millions of taxpayer dollars (supposedly held in their fiduciary trust), then what makes anyone think that these Schwarzenegger political appointees care about a bunch of workers who cannot contribute to those in political power?

Here's the rumor heard around the water cooler: historically, there's always big investigations in DLSE Public Works/Prevailing Wage in a Democratic administration and the exact opposite in a Republican adminsitration. This current Republican government (Gov. Schwarzenegger, LWDA Secretary Victoria Bradshaw (Victoria.Bradshaw@labor.ca.gov), Deputy Secretary Robert Jones (Robert.Jones@labor.ca.gov), former Jose Millan, DIR Director John Duncan (JDuncan@dir.ca.gov), et al) has "inspectors," who aren't fluent in Spanish, attempting to interview to Spanish workers. Sometimes such cases are closed due to no violations found.

Until Mr. Smith and Ms. Nazario have a complete understanding of the dysfunction of the DIR and DLSE, then the total picture is incomplete.

Rumor has DLSE Asst. Chief Greg Rupp shredding documents like there's no tomorrow! What does this mean? Is he retiring or about to be sued?

Chances are that Rupp the Clown is about to come under scrutiny, so his response is (obviously) not to come clean and take responsibility, but to shred as much paper as he can and as fast as he can! Here's the thing: he sits at a computer and sleeps, so WTF is he shredding?

He has no life, so it's not like he's cleaning up his office because he's about to vacate it. Maybe this shredding is part of a new diet and exercise plan where he shreds documents instead of tacos. Whatever he's shredding, it's not like he'll be ble to recollect any of his memory, as his "I don't know" mantra has become a part of his professional testimonial.

C.Lotts email asks LWDA, DIR, DLSE leaders to account for CMS. Will they bury their heads in the sand or not?

CLICK PIC TO ENLARGE.

THIS IS THE EMAIL:
I challenge all four of you GAS political appointees to completely answer the following questions:

1. How many millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on CMS, the software program seemingly designed to only waste money in a GAS budget crunch?

2. Will any entity ever be held accountable, either administratively or in civil court, for the current and ongoing 3-year CMS failure?

3. Why is it that Mr. Roginson can send staff a recent email articulating DLSE's courtroom failures regarding meal & rest periods & ODAs as illegal precedent decisions, but our Chief Counsel cannot provide DLSE wage claim staff with a simple policy & procedures manual?

4. How many more taxpayer-paid courtroom failures must the DIR/DLSE endure until they actually issue a decision that stands up in court, or is the real DIR/DLSE tactic just to implement incompetent & inefficent regulations that have no hope of legal success?

I'm fairly certain that your response, or lack thereof, will find its way to:http://www.nolaborstandards.blogspot.com/

With the exception of Bradshaw, all of you hold law degrees, so consider this email as an official whistleblower communication. I want those that approved of such wasteful CMS funding identified and disciplined, or you can immediately make CMS work. I don't care which comes first, but try halting the excuses, the delays, and the disinformation; this will go towards credibility.

I would also suggect that Mr. Roginson begin with small victories, like developing a policy & procedures manual for DLSE wage claim staff, before Commissioner Bradstreet loses another & subsequent Corrales-type failure.

C. Lotts sends this email to the big-brain lawyers and to Vick Bradshaw, asking them to explain the money thrown at CMS and why no one has been held accountable.

The email was cc'd to Molly Selvin at the Los Angeles Times, who did that piece on the janitor's private watchdog agency, something that the DLSE should have been doing on it their own.

3 lawyers and Bradshaw; they still won't provide an ethical answer to a taxpayer, and nothing will happen to any of them. lABOR STANDARDS HAS NO LABOR STANDARDS.

By the way, I just programmed a software application that doesn't work. Where do I go to collect my DLSE cash & contract this software into DLSE kickbacks? Do I sleep with Clements or Culbeaux? I'll go either way if it speeds up my money!

Classic DLSE taxpayer waste in times of Schwarzenegger's alleged budget crisis

So some ass-donkey decides to authorize this training to Hearing Officers regarding the proper naming of joint employer entities. A supervisor who attended the training laughed at idiot management because the real workers who need it are the Wage Claim Deputies who actually draft the formal complaint (DLSE Form 530), where the correct and legal name must be identified. Not only that, but they had some idiot PowerPoint presentation that no one used on the video conferencing system, so having all these employees commute to the DLSE hub was completely useless...all that gas, all that parking, and all that time getting there...for a forty (40) minute class that no one will really use! Way to go, DLSE! Keep wasting those taxpayer funds, since it's not your money! Fiduciary trust and responsibility-what's that?

The problem is, by the time it gets to the hearing officer, it's such a cluster fcuk that everything's gotta be re-scheduled. Stoopid Regional Manager Abigael Clava was there to take roll call, like some babosa (look up the definition on Google), as that's about the extent of her professional ability in Wage Claim. A confidential source says that Abigael Calva's completely protected by BoFE Assistant Chief Greg Rupp, meaning that Abby gets whatever Abby wants, and that explains that shiny new car that the taxpayers pay for her commute. Anyways, Babosa Calva will be coming to Santa Ana today...not to assist staff, but to sit in some meeting about the safety barrier that still doesn't exist. Why can't we just rent a monkey from a zoo, put the monkey in the chair, and say that the monkey had a meeting about the Santa Ana safety barrier (that's 10 years 5 months overdue)? Really, what's the difference betwen Calva and a monkey? For starters, we could pay the monkey in bananas & obtain similar productivity results.

DLSE Chief Counsel Robert Roginson and his whacky employer defense theories! [click this link to print and read]

An anonymous source commented:

"Before taking his latest gig as DLSE's chief counsel, Robby Roginson cut his chops as a wage and hour class action litigator - on behalf of corporate employers. And you gotta give credit where credit is due, Robby was (is?) one hell of a creative hard fighting litigator for his employer clients. He was always coming up with creative, if not bizarre. legal theories to defeat (screw over) employees seeking to recover their unpaid wages. Like this one - the defense that if the employees bringing a lawsuit don't state the exact amount of money they claim they are owed in the complaint, the court must dismiss the complaint for "uncertainty" before the workers even get a chance to do any discovery to determine how much is owed. Never mind that the employer is supposed to have all of the records the workers need to get this information through discovery -- the whole idea, for these cheating employers, is to prevent the workers from getting through the courthouse door.

In a closely watched case in which Robby defended a public works contractor (cheater) by trying to throw out the employees' class action complaint on the ground of "uncertainty," the Second District Court of Appeal issued a decision last week in Gonzalez v. Western Pacific Roofing Corp, holding that Robby's defense is a bunch of crapola. The court reinstated that lawsuit that had been thrown out by the lower court. The appellate court explained, "Plaintiffs are only required to set forth the essential facts of their case with reasonable precision and with particularity sufficient to acquaint a defendant with the nature, source and extent of his cause of action. Plainitiffs are not required to plead the specific amount of damages."

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/B196373.PDF [Blogger: I don't know how long this link will breathe, so click/print/read ASAP]

Within the employer community, Robby's defense was seen as the silver bullet that would kill off the vast majority of wage and hour class action complaints - cases in which it is impossible to determine the specific amount owed until plaintiffs complete their discovery.
So much for that employer (wet) dream.

Let's hope Robby learns some lessons from this appellate court smack down."

BLOGGER'S NOTE: This kinda crap is exatly why America hates lawyers; it's butt-licks like Roginson that give attorneys a bad name. It's bad enough that the employer screws over the employee, but the asshole lawyers hired by the employer don't do right by the law; they just try to slime their way through court with their never-ending bullshit. The only thing Roginson needs to put on his resume is, "all I ever wanted to be was a whore for a corporate law firm...momma woulda been proud." AND THEN, THOU SHALT BE POLITICALLY APPOINTED AT DIRt BY CAWLIFAWNIA GOVUHNAH TUHMINATAH. The Great State of California does not need douchebags as DLSE Chief Counsel; we have enough douchebags already. To make California stronger, we don't need assholes who have a vested interest in the outcome of private trials, given the likes of Angela Bradstreet and Robert Roginson; we need people who understand and can (correctly) apply their ethics training to the public they serve. For the record, I think that DLSE Chief Counsel Robert Roginson is a douchebag attorney who does not serve Californians, but serves his master, GAS (Governor Arnold Scwarzenegger). Just goes to show, having a big IQ and being a douchebag are not mutually exclusive.

What would happen if Badstreet, Bradshaw, Fryer, Culbeaux, & Holton were in charge of the DMV.....

Several months ago, I asked a certain jackass as to why the DLSE has failed to post overtime, commission, and vacation supplemental attachments to the wage claim website, since Labor Commissioner Jackass Badstreet wants "perfected" claims to adhere to the effing she received in the Corrales decision. To this date, Badstreet hasn't done sh*t to comply with Corrales: she's about as useless as pearls on a pig....oops, sorry Angela.

To this date, the A-holes have ignored my request in improving customer service to those filing claims related to vacation, commisions & overtime...like it affects the one supplying the helpful hint. This is about her absolute failure in taking care of the People of California, but since employers don't use these supplemental forms, and our Division has been staffed with pro-employer political appointee butt-licks, there isn't much hope that an employee will get the kind of customer service that employers receive.

The A-holes have continued to ignore this issue, even though I also raised this issue when that other jackass, Lupe Almaraz, gave his dipsh*t atta-girl/atta-boy speech at the 2006 Van Nuys Wage Claim training (that really wasn't training). Here's a hint, management losers-don't tell me that you appreciate my work: just shut your mouths (no one wants to hear your crapola) and do what's in the best interest of the Division, not your careers. I've never met a bigger bunch of candy-assed losers in my life.

Most recent photo of DLSE Assistant Chief Greg Rupp*, the whore for Jose Millan (who was Vicki Bradshaw's whore) in the "Corrales" case

Greg Rupp , a California peace officer, subjected so many hundreds-if not thousands-of claimants to violations of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, that the judge in Corrales called him out by NAME!

I would be horrified if a judge said I did those things that Rupp did, but it seems that dumb, fat, lazy bureaucrats like Jose Millan and Greg Rupp continue to feed from the public trough without any sense of shame or remorse. In clinical terms, people like that are called sociopaths, and the last time I checked, sociopaths tend not to be good state employees.

Just like Hitler rewarding loyal nazis, this division rewards Rupp for such loyalty. To this day, he continues to collect his paycheck without so much as a wristslap for his actions described in Corrales. He's nothing more than an old, fat lapdog whose time has come. He serves absolutely no legitimate purpose at DLSE, as sleeping in front of a computer monitor is not found in any state civil service duty statement.

*-not really Rupp, just the most current likeness: balding, gun to compensate for lack of a real package, balding, manly moustache, wrinkled & huge forehead, balding, pink shirt, squinting type twitch, balding, round face.

Updated DIRt chain of command and their emails

At the very top of this horse manure pile is Labor Workforce Development Agency Victoria Bradshaw (Victoria.Bradshaw@labor.ca.gov), the next DIRt Director John Duncan (JDuncan@dir.ca.gov). After that, you have DLSE Chief Counsel Rob Roginson (RRoginson@dir.ca.gov) and Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet (ABradstreet@dir.ca.gov). Below Badstreet is Deputy Chief Denise Padres (DPadres@dir.ca.gov). It's my understanding that these public servants want to hear from the taxpayers of California, so send them as many emails expressing your voice. They don't listen to their own staff, as our emails are ignored, so maybe you'll have better luck.

Our latest Chief Counsel puppet is a pro-employer/class action guy, so don't believe for a minute that he has any bias towards working stiffs! The people that paid his bills in private practice were the same people that paid Angela Bradstreet's bills...employers.

Commissioner Badstreet quoted in LA Times, praising a private company that's doing DLSE's job; she should divert CMS budget to this productive agency!

The Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, a watchdog agency modeled after labor compliance programs in the construction industry, is doing the job that DLSE is budgeted to do, so Bradstreet should divert some of her CMS budget to an agency that actually works and produces results. I was "shocked" when Angie baby was quoted in the Los Angeles Times (molly.selvin@latimes.com) but this somehow failed to hit her propaganda press release...maybe because it portrays Bradstreet's DLSE as a bunch of boobs.

The Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund (MCTF) and their investigators are often former janitors. State Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet hails Garcia as a "passionate, delightful and effective advocate in fighting the underground economy." Who in the heck describes an advocate as "delightful" these days? Badstreet should have also stated, "I manage DLSE, but we're so effed up that the MCTF does a way better job than us, and they do it with less money. It's tea time; would you like some of me crumpets; they're delightful. Fighting the underground economy is so hard because it's underground; they're hiding from me employees, so me results tisn't as good as MCTF. Scone, anyone?"

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-sunprofile2mar02,1,7257411.story?ctrack=1&cset=true I don't know how long this link will stay alive, so click and print...read it later. Private industry doing the government's job....how's that for taxpayer-paid efficiency?

Today, a kid broke into tears because she needed her entertainment work permit tomorrow. Per Angela Bradstreet: kids that want to star in dog food commercials are at the bottom of our priority, since our mission is to process wage claims. Also, some guy came to the office to complain that the office didn't answer the phone; he accused us of giving him a fake telephone number. After one deputy told him (for the third time) that the number was operational, but unfortuantely we were busy, he decided to ask me the same thing, where I told him the same thing. I'm sure he'll be writing to Governor to complain, since he never bothered to tell anyone why he was at the office, so no one knew his purpose for being there, other than to complain that no one answered his phone call.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot....someone made another complaint against Hearing Officer Vicky Tamoush! The email complaint was cc'd to both Jorge Gomez (JGomez@dir.ca.gov) and Angela Bradstreet (ABradstreet@dir.ca.gov); I have no doubt that Bradstreet will continue to suffer from cranial rectal inversion and collectively ignore all of the complaints made against Tamoush! You go girl! And take those tacky shoes with you!

Some commenter posted that an OC Register reporter (nsantana@ocregister.com) might be looking at the CMS fraud, waste and abuse. If he is, then send him what you've got...go to http://www.hushmail.com/ and open an account. The morons at DIRt have no hope of discovering you; this is the preferred email of those who wish to remain anonymous.

CMS still sux: desk donkies refuse to punish those involved, & misc. news

1) CMS, that multi-million dollar, taxpayer-paid bullshit software package still doesn't work and DLSE won't discipline the assholes involved with this fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds...millions of dollars & years later and it's still useless. Newly installed Labor Commissioner puppet Angela Bradstreet's current hot flash is conforming to deadlines after the Corrales beat-down; she should (at least) terminate DLSE Assistant Chief Greg Rupp for having treated the hundreds/thousands of wage claimants with incompetence, inefficiency, and discourteous treatment as a result of violating the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution, or does Greg Rupp need to violate more parts of the US Constitution before he gets (so much as) a counseling memo? When will other lawyers file a class action lawsuit against Greg Rupp, Jose Millan, & the DLSE on behalf of all those wage claimants?

Until Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet formally holds the CMS actionables accountable and brings formal charges against Greg Rupp for his actions described in the Corrales decision, she's just another idiot GAS (Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) political appointee who is here to only serve her master(s)...not the people of California. I don't give a rat's ass about excuses as to why things are not getting done: someone's a part of the problem until they're a part of the solution...tick tock, tick tock.

2) When you have a hearing officer (Deputy Labor Commissioner 2) that has been blackballed by two Spanish translators, what the public has is a problem. You have a supervisor that's unaware of a negative undercurrent because no one talks to him/her, so their thinking is that there are no problems. This is the same Hearing Officer that's been quoted as saying: "they don't pay me enough money to work the counter and issue work permits." How's that attiutide for public service? It doesn't really matter because DLSE management doesn't give a sh*t about helping the public; their only priority is to serve their own careers or serve their political masters. Hearing Officers can treat translators like sh*t because they know the boss will not do sh*t to them; they have nothing to fear.

3) A wage claimant complained about some DLSE office having a party, so naturally Abby wastes time by making a mountain out of a molehill. Instead of the telling the citizen that they were wrong, Abby makes much ado about nothing. Why? Because she doesn't know how to manage, she distrusts those that she supervises, and she's got nothing better to do. This is who former DLSE Deputy Chief Lupe Almaraz delegated to assist in the Corrales problem, and who chose him? Was it our new Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet? How close are we to fixing that problem? Ferchrist, we can't (even) get Hearing Officers to refrain from pissing off translators, so how are we gonna concentrate on things that matter to the public?

Regional Manager Abigael Calva basically craps herself freaks out whenever someone bitches complains to Headquarters or any political office connected to GAS. She assumes that her staff is guilty and never takes care of her staff. No one likes her, as she is disloyal to those who work under her. She doesn't care because...there is no reason; she just doesn't care. She only looks out for herself, which is the real mission statement of the DLSE: "Look out for yourself & kiss the asses of those who can promote you: screw the public if necessary by wasting taxpayer dollars, state equipment, state resources, and state time." Abby's probably driving around in her taxpayer-paid new Impala, commuting from Pasadena to Los Angeles, sitting at her desk, not going anywhere. Why? Because she's a hooked up bureaucrat: no one's gonna take away her free car, free parking, and free gas. She's paid her dues: she's entitled to a free car, free parking, and a free commute...the public owes her and damn it, she's gonna take it. She's not even Field Personnel but she gets a new Impala to drive to & from her $million+$ house in Pasadena! Classic DLSE dysfunction & hypocracy.

If Angela Bradstreet wants to start serving the public, she can start by overhauling this agency and conducting formal efficiency audits in every area of this division; otherwise, she can try and sell it to those who will confirm her appointment. Abby Calva's about as useful to the DLSE as a pearl necklace is to a pig.

WCA Regional Manager Abby Calva and BOFE Assistant Chief Greg Rupp in Santa Ana today

Abby Calva came by and went right to Jorge Gomez's office; historically, she doesn't like coming to the Santa Ana office & typically only comes to Santa Ana because of a problem. Nobody really wants her down there anyway, because she doesn't fix anything, she doesn't streamline anything, and she's one of the idiots that told Bradstreet that making phone calls to settle cases is a great idea. I'd like to see how successful she is with settling wage claims. She's a real mastermind, that Abby Calva.

Greg Rupp looks like a beaten down, too-dumb-to-retire curmudgeon. As the BOFE puppet head, he only comes down to Santa Ana to harass & retaliate against a wage claim deputy's complaint (Rosheen Shinske), retaliate against a Philipina clerk who filed a worker's comp. claim (Rowene), or make general bureaucratic indecisions. Genetically, big dumb gorillas don't have the analytical skills to make big-brain decisions. This could be one reason why it's rumored that Angela Bradstreet doesn't think too highly of Greg Rupp's mental abilities. I've also been told that LWDA clerk secretary Vick Bradshaw said that Greg Rupp is good for only opening a barn door. I don't think that's true; he might succeed at cleaning porta potties.

Greg Rupp is done. He thought that he still had the grapes to take charge and go after someone he targeted, heck, it worked for him with Miguel Algarin, Jose Hernandez, and Rowene Diaz (well, not really for Rowene). Even after Rupp dispatched Lotts from BOFE to WCA, Rupp thought he could continue to harass, discriuminate, and retaliate. Now, everyone laughs at him behind his back. If he came to Santa Ana and had some face time with Lotts, I'm pretty sure that Lotts would laugh at him. Not because Rupp's a management idiot, not because Rupp's too stupid to retire, but because Rupp cannot do what he loves to do: target, discipline, brag.

Everyone in Los Angeles knows that Rupp was too much of a coward to fix his problem with Lotts, so Rupp sends Lotts to Santa Ana. What kind of a tough guy is that? This is why people laugh at him; Rupp couldn't fix his own mess. Like the prison wife he should be, he merely took the girlie option. At the end of the day, Rupp's just a bully who failed at being a bully. A big, useless, gorilla. If Angela Bradstreet really wanted Rupp to retire, then she should (politely) ask Lotts to come back to BOFE and have Lotts work under Rupp. Lotts will give Rupp exactly what he deserves.

Anonymous trolls, freedom of speech, distractions

There is not enough time to surveil the comments made to these posts. It seems that all the stupid people think that the sky is falling simply because comments are posted by those who have ulterior motives. If I see something like, "we don't care about your blog..." then it will be deleted. If some troll wants to rant, then that's fine: they can start their own website. Some people have cried out that I've deleted comments is squashing free speech; I just have no time for crapola, so when it's appropriate, I'll lock-out the comments.