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 How many car wash licenses have been revoked?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.
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.
Labels: Almaraz, Bradshaw, Bradstreet, David Dorame, GAS, John Duncan, Robert Roginson
posted by Author at
5:00 AM
6 Comments:
DLSE Divison has much more serious outstanding problems that need to be answered. The latest news on the $6 million dollars CMS computer system : "The future development of CMS system is suspended". The CMS does not work and DLSE staff can not use it. Where is the accountability, and who is responsible for this failed computer project?
This is a serious waste of State resourses, and there should be an investigation by the CAlif. Dept. of Finance, and the Attorney General Office. DIR is acting like there is no issues with the DLSE and IT managers who signed off on the CMS project.
Nine words: Direct a Public Records Act request to the DLSE.
In addition to a PAR, you should also contact the State Auditor's Office to report on the CMS fiasco.
No need for you to threathen anyone here Dean Fryer. This blog is exposing corruption at DIRt. This blog will not shutdown because you decide to post biggoted comments about yourself and others. DIRt management have a lot to worry about when this blog exposes their corrupt practices. If I were you, Dean Fryer, I'd start looking for a new job - than to be the scum of the earth. Stop your prostituting for DIRt management.
It is very important to inform the DLSE staff and the readers of this site that the further development (competition) of the CMS computer project has been halted by DIR.
The CMS project was initiated in 2005 by the DIR IT to be a centralized computer system for all of the divisions of DIR DLSE. The CMS project has cost the state between 4 to 6 million dollars in consulting fees to the private computer firm Hanson Group alone. All of the technical aspects of CMS project were researched, reviewed, and approved by the DIR IT managers and were presented to the DLSE managers for final approval. The CMS was scheduled to be completed in January 2007 and be used by all of DLSE.
After three years and millions in cost, the only functioning section of the CMS is the licensing part. The licensing Unit is a small unit of DLSE. In addition, the CMS Licensing system has no historical data and the staff has to rely on the previous computer system for their daily work. The other DLSE Units, BOFE, Wage Claims, and others have no access to CMS due to its non-functioning and failures.
It is of utter importance to inform the responsible State Agency to investigate and audit the expenditure on the uncompleted CMS project by DIR DLSE and DIR IT managers. The reasons for the failure of the CMS project should be identified and the responsible people have to hold responsible.
Being incompetence is no excuse for wasting State taxpayers money and receiving no consequences.
To the anonymous above:
Who are celebrating the end of CMS with millions in pockets all the way to the bank?
It is the unfortunate taxpayers of California that have to burden with the fraudulent, and incompetents DLSE and IT managers at DIR.
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