County layoffs are expected to begin Monday in the Social Services Agency, where budget planners hope to scrape $30 million from the department that serves the region’s poor.
While plans are still being finalized, the Watchdog has obtained some preliminary numbers on the impending layoffs. They’re not pretty. Of the 4,218 Social Services employees, 193 vacant positions will be eliminated. Another 110 probationary employees and 100 permanent workers will be pink slipped as well, effective Jan. 19.
The remaining employees may be forced to take off two weeks sans pay to balance the books.
The jobs that will be hit the hardest are the ones that work directly with the disadvantaged. Fifty social workers…gone; 68 eligibility experts (the people who decide who qualifies for government assistance)…gone. Thirty-eight supervisors…gone.
Ingrid Harita, head of the Social Services Agency, said the layoffs could have been worse.
“We’re tried to avoid the layoffs. The staff providing services are critical to us,” she said. 
Harita’s department has done more than cut staff. It has reduced or eliminated contracts with private agencies that also provide services to the poor as well as to abused children and elders.
For instance, the county this week ended a contract with an Orange County service that provides furniture, appliances and other goods to needy families in the county’s CalWORKS program. CalWORKS is a state-required program that attempts to unite welfare recipients with jobs. County documents show that nearly 1,600 clients will be affected by this reduction.
Another 3,000 families will be hit by reductions in the county’s contract with a service that helps find child care for people employed through CalWORKS. And 228 more people will be affected by reductions in the county’s contract with a medical service that treats — and verifies — illness among CalWORKS clients.
Additionally, the county will have to pick up case management of another 2,625 CalWORKS clients now managed by a private contractor.
“Considering the economy, it’s a very difficult decision,” Harita said.
In the adult services area, 97 people — about half of them probationery employees — will be let go. County documents predict this will cause “a greater risk of adult abuse and neglect.” It also could mean more mistakes in processing Medi-Cal applications.
Fifty-six people will lose their jobs in the area of children and family services. Several contracts were also terminated with private agencies that provided family counseling, caregiver support, adoption and other aid, leading to a reduction of 17,600 in service hours.
Overtime will also be cut, which means there will be fewer people answering the phone at the Child Abuse Registry, which receives 34,500 calls a year.
“This wil place an average of 3,120 children annually at increased risk for abuse and/or neglect,” an internal report predicted.
Harita agreed: “This is our front line for defense against child abuse in Orange County. We’re trying to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand, but it does worry me.”
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Things like this happen when your spending everything you have and don’t put money away from your good years. Shame on the county for letting this happen again.
The thought of layoffs at the true risk of public safety and child/elderly welfare is appalling, especially when County supervisors continue to be paid for car allowances, a pay increase, and a completely unecessary lobby upgrade. Shame on the County for allowing this to occur. I certainly hope not one single county citizen falls victim to the abuse and future rise in crime that ensues as a result of what has been decided. if so, such should weigh heavy on the Board of Supervisors.
At least all of the poor people will be able to relax in luxury as they wait in the lobby of the Board of Supervisor”s offices.
As long as the Board of Supervisors are safe, all is well. How shamefull. Wake up OC VOTERS…
Good one PSURIFA.
PSURIFA summed it up well. While money is wasted on unnecessary things, poor people suffer. Absolutely shameful. I am heartbroken thinking of the children who will fall through the cracks at this time. Children are our future. So sad this is happening.
This saddens me,all those innocent children,without the help they need. Fully staffed they were overworked! God help us!
The million-dollar question is–HOW MANY COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGERS & EXECUTIVE MANAGERS receive the following perks?
-Two completely county paid retirement plans (6% a year to 401k & a pension plan)
-$765 a month to spend as they wish on car expenses
-$4000 a year in cash for optional benefit plan
-6% raise from January to June 2009
I am a regular worker with the county who PAYS 16% of my paycheck ($800 a month!) for my one pension plan! I have none of these perks. I believe there are AT LEAST 1000 managers who are given these perks. Why are they so selfish that they can’t cut these instead of laying off workers and endangering OC children, the elderly, and the poor?
Bail out California. This is ridiculous. People shouldn’t be losing their job, especially when their job is important! Say hello to more crime and stuff.
This is what happens when you fall asleep at the wheel (BoS behind the wheel), you crash! 2010 and the opportunity to vote for new BoS, can not come soon enough!
So what else is new? Surly you didn’t expect anything different. Business as usual.
moderation?
There are still high paying jobs on certain job sites -
http://www.linkedin.com (professional networking)
http://www.indeed.com (aggregated listings)
http://www.realmatch.com (matches jobs based on your skills)
good luck to those looking.
Why doesn’t the OCR give this detailed a report when private sector workers are layed off? Tens of thousands have been layed off by OC employers in the private sector and they hardly get any print at all. Why? A couple hundred government workers get pink slips and the OCR acts as if the world is coming to an end. Let’s put this into perspective. The government workers haven’t been hurt nearly as bad as the private workers. Let’s do an article on that, ok?
I wonder how the county will pay for all the lawsuits that will result when abused children die because there are not enough social workers to supervise them? There will be plenty of opportunity for people to claim that the social workers didn’t do a good enough job. And we can all count on the OC Register watchdog to write about it. Even before the layoffs, social workers were already overburdened with the work of an extra 193 vacant positions. I hope no one is thinking that they will be able to do even an adequate job with 210 more gone on Monday. There will be abused children that will die and parents who will claim that they were not given reasonable services to resolve their issues, since almost all services have been cut. I predict there will be many lawsuits to follow and a rise in the child death rate, as a result of this poor decision. Although they think they are saving some money right now, this will end up costing a fortune in lawsuits, settlements, and human lives.
this is a tragedy that goes far beyond the personal toll of layoffs and furloughs to government workers.
I think you miss the point OC Observer. The story points out the most vulnerable in our society. the elderly and children will suffer as a result of these layoffs.
Irregardless of your feelings about public sector vs. private sector pay and benefits this is a sad state of affairs and should be reported.
There are high paying jobs out there for people who can get them, the rest of us must work. Most of the beneficiaries of social services are illegal aliens anyway, if you have a social security number they just tell you to get a job. It’s odd that so many things are given away to people who are not citizens and therefore pay no taxes to support the programs, so maybe the county will spend less of the states money and welfare bums can get jobs like everyone else. Living within a budget is hard, but worse is that all these county workers will try for and get unemployment so boo hoo to them, it could be much worse.
its all about protecting yourself, they dont care about others, well not enough to voluntarily take a perks/pay cut
I feel so bad for my fellow county workers whose going to get laid off! I don’t work in their agency but I’m one who started working for the county at the young age of 21 and been in their shose. I’m now in my 29 year of service and 4 years away from retiring. I’ve gone through tough time working with the county (Bankruptcy) but even through that period we didn’t see anything as bad as this! BUT I can say during the bankruptcy the BOS were more for helping finding ways to keep employees from losing their jobs, these board members of 2008 -09 are only thinking of themselves. I wonder if they realize what ever actions they take can effect them when re-election time comes?
Hey Disco I wish I can REALLY tell you what I think of your last paragraph but I know the Register website will block it! I can tell you most county workers pay into a retirement and can’t get unemployment and must wait weeks to get any money paid into retirement. As for your friggen comments about illegal’s, it shows how much of a %%&** you are. County workers follow guidelines and can’t know if someone is falsifying information.
Anyone on welfare or receiving public assistance is a parasite. I object to my tax dollars being used for such purposes and hope that the county will cut all “social services” (read: theft from the taxpayer) to the bone. If it spends as much as one dollar on this nonsense, it’s one dollar too much.
A large portion of welfare goes to support illegal immigration. Yes, cut the car allowance. That is just plain stupid, but also cut the illegal immigrant support system which is the biggest burden to the California Tax payer..
the statistics show Calworks never worked because most welfare recipients were either too dumb or lazy to keep any job Calworks got them. Instead of cutting all programs, cut the ones that don’t work and funnel these monies into services that directly meet the basic needs of poor people.
DIna your are absolutely right…
Cutting programs that support illegal immigrants would save the State an enormous amount of money. They should not be allowed to receive Welfare, Food Stamps, WIC, Hud housing, etc.
Interesting that once OCOBSERVER (didn’t you win the bahhumbug contest of 2007 and 2008?) posted, the next 4 posters were also negative or demeaning or brought up the “illegal immigration” card. How often this happens, OCSERVER! Many identities or just coincidence that gloom and hatred follows wherever you go? And because many of us have learned that OCOBSERVER can’t read (never seems to READ the articles - just jumps to post) he missed that the reason this is very important - and not transferrable actually to layoffs in the private sector - is that these posititions are leaving the disadvantaged, the elderly, the children at risk. The next time we read of elder abuse or child abuse let’s remember that this is the way OCOBSERVER likes it, likes it. BOPOLAR SKANK if you are going to post that a program never works, demonstrated by statistics, post your source and the statistics. That came from your bipolar head. And, your posting name is very offensive - shown to be true by “statistics.”
We need to replace the BOS. The question is, how to choose - they all sound good but once in office show themselves to be out of touch. Is it the air on the top floor of that crazy looking building? Or the lack of it? And our dear governor, what has he done? He has moved to cut off public services right down the road from lifeguards at state beaches (of course his family doesn’t use public beaches) to anything that touches the poor. How many mouths dropped open when Arnold rushed to let Obama he was available to be a part of his administration? One look at CA and IL started looking good!
These people being laid off administer State mandated services. Mandated means required, so is the Board of Sups going to roll up their sleeves and fill in the gaps left by the departing employees? At least then they would be performing a useful task.
OCqbserver is telling it like it is……….WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!!
Orange County Department of Social Services = Hispanic Cultural Center
The poor and needy? Excuse me, That would be the undocumented and illegal. Some may be the worthless exes that don’t pay child support. They should still be cutting at the top though.
Not Even,
As the previous posters said, many of the county services go to support illegal foreigners who have no right to be here in the first place. I bet if they broke down the number of welfare recipients by city SANTA ANA and ANAHEIM would have more than the rest of the county combined. It would be very easy to compute this data and report it, but the media never does it because they know the outrage it would generate with the OC taxpayers. We could easily slice off 35% of social service’s current budget if the enforcers cracked down on weeding out the illegal foreigners who are feeding from the county tax trough. You folks losing your jobs can retrain for another occupation, just like private sector folks must do. You are not the children of the holy grail. Why should you be left unscathed by an economic calamity that has literally wiped out millions upon millions of private sector jobs. Don’t you ever forget that it’s the production generated from the PRIVATE SECTOR that makes your paycheck possible. Now stop you whining and start planning for the future like the rest of us have to do!
Maybe if they cut all of the social workers and probation officers the county supervisors could purchase thrones to sit on. All of them should be gone in the next election.
I hope you posters remember Moorlach, Norby, and friends come election time. It’s time to give them the boot and pink slip for continued mismanagement.
The obsequy of political savy is clearly demarcated by the view of some people, including the BOS, that todays problems rest on the shoulders of the weak and poor. The labels Have Money/Political Power and Have No Money/No Political Power distinguishes where you sit with this current BOS. It is easy to allow the lexicographer the drudgery to apply labels to whom, immigrant, homeless, poor. They are cast off like on on ones boot by the BOS’ s so they can pursue their self efficacious political means. In the public and private sector, people are being laid off while managers fail to manage their PNL’s and budgets, but flourish with perks and salary increases. The skewed and convoluted ideas the BOS’s have can be corrected. We cannot allow the bureaucrats like the current board to dictate with absolute tyranny. We must exercise our constitutional right to vote every chance we get to put in the correct people who will protect the people of this county from the out of control eclectic behavior of the current.
When economic times are going well, the unemployment rate is about 4%. That means that there are people out there who refuse to work or circumvent the system and accept unemployment benefits anyway. I’m sure there is also a number of illegal aliens who take advantage of our entitlement programs in our state. But this also applys to thousands of U.S. citizens who also take advantage of the system as well. While sad that some deserving people will not receive needed assistance, many more are scam artists, lazy or addicts. Even during these tough economic times, no one is going to starve to death in O.C. and 90% of the homeless are drug addicts. Yes there is alot of government fat that can be trimmed, but we will always have needy people no matter what the economic condition is in our county, state and country. There are always poor people in every civilization throughout history and will contiue to be in any future civilization. I don’t see the Hollywood movie stars and elite allowing these poor homeless people to stay with them. They just give some lip service about helping them but actually do little aside from donating a few hundred dollars for PR reasons. The bottom line is that government assistance is a luxury and not a right.
OC OVERWORKED & UNDERPAID: you are repeating lies (it does not become truth no matter how many times it is repeated). Administrative managers DO NOT get a 401K plan. Administrative managers DO NOT get a car allowance. Administrative Managers DO NOT get $4,000 OBP (it’s $3,500 and you get a similar benefit called Health and Welfare paid bi-weekly to your union- just ask them if you don’t believe the truth). As for a 6% raise, we WERE going to get 3-5% next week, but already voted to delay it until 2010 in exchange for a flat 2%. This is performance based pay much like your 2% PIP that you gladly have collected each year for the last 8-10 years. Next week, we will vote on postponing even the 2% given the economic times. We do have a 3% negotiated COLA due in July, that we will most likely also give up/postpone. You gladly took 3% last July as your COLA.
All that said, what have YOU given up? ZERO! So, stop your whining. Stop repeating lies. Stop acting like you are owed anything. Stop expecting your job to be saved on my back. We do not live in a socialistic country (yet) and that is exactly what you are calling for here. BTW, there are less than 1,000 Administrative Managers. You confuse us with Executive Management who get all the perks we don’t. But unlike you, we do not begrudge them for what they have earned/negotiated.
OCOBSERVER - Your post to me actually said something. That’s what I was hoping for from you - not generalizations or attacks but substance. Keep writing like that and you’ll be one of my favoite poster - not that you should make that your goal (LOL) but you’ll educate me!!
When the working force is no longer working, who will support the welfare programs? The problem will take care of itself. Most agree the illegals are draining our economy, but all of our elected officials ignore the elephant standing in the middle of the room. When did it become politically incorrect to stand up against illegal invasion?
Only the strong survive. The weak will perish. It is called natural selection and we are about to implement it very soon.
Not even.
I’ll keep writing like I always write. I am not here to please you or to follow your grandiose suggestions. My first post asked a very logical and rational question: Why give so much media attention to government workers who have their jobs threatened versus private sector workers who have had their jobs slashed by the millions? If that question flew over your head sit down and read it again. It might sink in.
Your original post was extremely insulting and demeaning. You’re the one who needs to alter their writing style and content. Not the rest of us.
Here is a great one I found “urine or you’re out”
Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don’t have to pass a urine test
Shouldn’t one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check… because I have to pass one to earn it for them
Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their rump–doing drugs, while I work. . . . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?
I guess we could title that program, ‘Urine or You’re Out’
As far as my comments/opinions they are based on experience. I grew up poor and had to get a full time job at fifteen to support the family, I have been working my way through college but still have yet to break through the glass ceiling that exists for people with four year degrees and continue to struggle.
A few years ago when my paycheck bounced and my employer had a chain on the front door I had to look for work. Unfortunately I wound up getting ill from sleeping out in the cold in my station wagon after having to move out suddenly because my income dried up. I was keeping up the grades and taking advantage of my community college heath center and locker room shower but was still broke and hungry. So I went down to the welfare office and applied, I was told I was ineligible For food stamps/public benefits BECAUSE I was a citizen with a SS#. If I were an undocumented illegal I could receive all of it no questions asked because I would be part of a “disadvantaged” minority. Further Free clinics/ Public heal will only treat STD’s or “families”, I had a free clinic in Orange make me wait two weeks to process income documentation before denying me treatment for making too much money when completely broke (my annual income was under $15k but over the $12 K cutoff) another option was a mobile clinic for day laborers that also refused treatment because my skin was the wrong color.
The system is broken and the state has record deficits because of all the parasites of the world sucking our taxpayers dry. Even a good friend of mine pretended she could not speak English and was granted food stamps and Healthy families for her new baby since her husbands name was Hispanic unlike her Anglo Maiden name. Voters in this state approved prop 187 more than a decade ago only to see it overturned as being “unconstitutional” despite the offended group not being taxpaying citizens. Though the economy would shift and increase the cost of doing business slightly forcing welfare bums to work and pay taxes and deporting those who don’t would do wonders for the health of the economy as a whole.we need to stop enabling people to be “victims” their whole lives and force them to share the cost of living in SoCal.
You cannot compare the private and public sectors directly when talking about the economy and layoffs. Govt agencies are funded through tax revenue, which is not directly related to the services they are providing. In fact, it is often the opposite. The services of most social agencies are in greater demand during a recession, while the tax revenue to fund them is less plentiful.
Private businesses are the opposite. Their revenue depends upon customer demand directly. More demand for their product or service equals more revenue. Businesses do no say, “Oh, there’s a recession. We’d better cut staff.” Instead, they see less demand and less revenue, and so do not need employees standing around collecting a paycheck when there is no work for them.
A few govt departments, like building inspectors, may see less business during a recession, but for the most part, there is either the same or more demand for services. Therefore, govt agencies are laying employees off in the face of plentiful demand, unlike a business, which does so in the face of decreased demand. To say “everyone should share the pain” is just stupid, and reflects a lack of thought or understanding.
As for illegal immigrants, that is for the federal govt to deal with, and they’re not about to do anything about it. Businesses demand cheap labor and an ever-growing pool of consumers, so illegal immigration is here to stay.
Rudedog, as far as your personal attacks, hey I respect your right to your own opinions. I don’t think you realize how lucky you have been to have an employer for the last few decades. And as much as you would like to knock the supervisors “In business you do not get what you deserve, but what you negotiate”. Out in the competitive world perks are necessary to attracted the most educated and ambitious talent who have spent years studying and working to get where they are. Blue collar skilled labor on the other hand is easily within reach of folks with less than six months of on the job paid experience, and even more valuable with a Union to artificially inflate wages and benefits. Compared with spending tens of thousands of dollars on an education just to meet minimum requirements for the type of positions you criticize. Believe me if I had a steady employer of one let alone nearly three decades my investments would be paying more than my day job and a measly pension stipend would just be icing on the cake. Failure to plan is planning to fail, but much like welfare bums some folks are content with a mere handout and spend their down time getting drunk in front of a TV somewhere rather than doing anything to better themselves. It’s no surprise that less than one percent controls the other 99, it’s all a matter of priorities.
There is no management to be missed. There is nothing there to manage so how else are they supposed to manage air? If there is no money there is no money! If you had no money in your checking account would you still go to Starbucks? OC has gone through BK so for us to be afloat right now is a miracle. Granted I do believe that Social Services should not be cut but I am sure the BoS exhausted everything they could before they made their decision. You know if you all care about Children & the Elderly get out and volunteer instead of typing away in the privacy of your home. Action is a greater re action and a greater feeling all together. PEACE
TO Jason,
Then by your ‘logic’ we should lay off government workers in ‘good times’ since fewer people need their services.
How many government were layed off in the ‘boom years’?
I don’t buy your argument for a second.
The misery must be spread around.
Government layoffs should be proportional to private sector layoffs, especially since production though the private sector generates the funds that operate the government agencies. No money. Less operations. It’s that simple.
Don’t make it so complicated.
While you are waiting in line for help to eat and keep a roof over your families head, read Mad Monday. It will explain how American can’t help Americans
I agree with T.O. we are a consumer driven society. We created the demand for cheap labor and have done little to stop it. The US government could stop it tomorrow. Most illegal immigrants us false SS#’s and work jobs, pay taxes and receive a paycheck. Start going into these businesses that hire illegal immigrants and fine them. Cross reference SS#’s and see if people are working in multiple states, dead people with jobs or 5 year olds working at Burger King.
Every year the IRS has billions of refunds that go unclaimed. Who do you think this money belongs too? Illegal immigrants also pay into Social Security and will likely never collect. So granted, many illegals are a burden on social services. They are also paying significant amounts into the government coffers.
If you want to stop immigration, you have to stop the demand for jobs. If they cant find work, the numbers of illegals will decrease. This concept damages business too much and rises prices, so I dont see it happening anytime soon.
I went to look at some short-sale homes this weekend in the some cheaper oc areas looking for investment property. The ones that were still occupied all had illegal immigrants living in them. That means someone approved a loan for them and they never made their payments. (I’m Hispanic by the way) That means the US tax payer is bailing out who ever gave them the loans.
There were at least 10 kids in each home probably more than one family in each home. If I saw 4 homes with ~almost 40 kids total. how much money in WIC coupons would that be? How much do you think the birth of these kids cost the Tax payer? Who do you think is paying for their health care.
You are.
Mr. Smith……you sound like a typical County Manager who is selfish and lacks understanding. First of all the you get a health and welfare package provided by the County and the $3500. You also get Mip and unlike Pip which has no cash value, you get 2% (Mip) added to your bae pay. In addition the County pays 100% of your employee cost, absent the reverse pick up. In addition the amount you can cash out from your annual leave each year is far greater than rank and file employees. Fortunately the majority of County Managers are smart enough to realize that the cover is coming off of their gold plated packages and will vote to forego the 2% increase.
“I am a regular worker with the county who PAYS 16% of my paycheck ($800 a month!) for my one pension plan!”
Regular worker? That computes to $5,000/mo, $60,000/yr, $29.00/hr.
Fact is a lot of those “social workers” do not have degrees, nor do many of the eligibility workers, and one wonders what is your job description? Together with your full compensation package, you are much better off than the working stiffs billed for your public employee union dues.
Some of us spent an entire session of a recent meeting of The BOS; parking charges were $15! Tax and spend liberals; these are Republicans! And it is PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONS that are the beneficiaries of the BOS, the new “welfare class.” The public welfare, health and safety be dammed. Sacramento, Washington, DC and Orange County, Republican or Democratic. When will taxpayers wake up to “union endorsements” and the reciprocal packages they can anticipate from the people THEY PUT in office on the taxpayers dime? The Sheriff Deputies, Animal Control without a semblance of professional training/skill pulling in $9 million in fines/fees, hostage taking and extortion; in Sacto, an ex cop was put in charge;training staff is using tasers on animals? Code enforcement? Clerical and administrative staff; and obviously inept department heads. The BOS is a sham! They refuse to create animosity among UNION FOLK.
Has anyone considered how STRANGE that THE MEDIA has never done an EXPOSE on the greed nurished by erosion of ethics and integrity and regulatory agencies to intrude? How many victims of those loan sharks and predatory lenders that have been legend in SCA and pocketed those profits? By golly, could it be they are ADVERTISERS? Or has the journalistic ethic just gone the way of dinosaurs? Now “they” tell us the recession began a year ago?
Did we really expect our country to do well financially if we have millions of illegals who work under the table, don’t pay taxes, send their money to Mexico and other countries and also suck up all of our social programs/resources?
To HB Guy and Disco- As for illegals they don’t get money and the medical is only provided if they are dying. Instead of attacking something you know nothing about, open up your eyes! Social Services protects the children and elderly. Maybe you are hoping that you are never in an accident that leaves you disabled and broke? How many people plan for that? Many of the Recipients are in that situation. How would you pay for a million dollar hospital stay and a chronic disability?
As for the workers, take a look at some demographics and see how many degrees these workers have. They are not lazy. They have made a choice to work for the greater good and have sacrificed financially to do it. Both of you are the reason that I am ashamed of humanity. No compassion, with an utter disregard for others. Grow up!
HB guy said: “Anyone on welfare or receiving public assistance is a parasite.”
Because it is the feeling of many of us that “not all is kosher,” these forums allow sharing of thoughts/criticism/suggestion, but presumably cerebral and not visceral attacks. Our country is one of immigrants.
I know of no “religion” that believes in “divine” affliction, a deliberate infliction of horrors of competing medical catastrophies, the toll on those families in emotional trauma and stress of financial pressures, as if they were at fault?
This reflects a calcified cognitive structure, one unable to comprehend the interactions with an environment and the issues known to link to so many illnesses and conditions. It is “spreading risk,” and the “cold tone” of “HB” seems not to understand the social issues and impacts for all of us.
This topic is PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. THEIR UNIONS. THEIR POWER. They are employees and should be held to the same standards and consequences as those of the private sector; it is very likely that the “layoffs” will not be by “merit,” but by “seniority,” and in another interpretation, whether productive or incompetent producing “union dues” at higher levels of compensation? Is this “a deal” for taypayers picking up the tab?
Ashamed of the selfish, I never mentioned illegals or for that matter, anything about immigrants. However, since you’ve raised the issue, let me enumerate a few of the ways in which illegals drain resources paid for by legal residents:
- anyone in the U.S., regardless of status, can be enrolled in public schools. At ~ $7,200/student and using an enrollment of 685,000 students in L.A. Unified alone, where ~ 15% (conservatively) are estimated to be illegal, the cost in L.A. alone is over $700 million/year. Do the math for the rest of the state, but the cost is easily in excess of $2 billion/year.
- state prisons house over 20,000 illegals, according to the Dept of Corrections. At $35,000/inmate/year, that’s another $700 million down the toilet. Illegals held in city and county jails are on top of that, not to mention the burden placed on the court system.
- medical care provided to the uninsured, many of whom are illegals, costs hospitals and insured patients - like me - a huge hidden tax that drives up medical costs and adds to an already overburdened medical system.
- if you’re illegal, you can’t get a driver’s license (at least, a legal one). Whatever number you care to place on the number of illegals in CA, a large number of them drive and use the road system. They pay nothing for this, but do pass the cost onto you and I every time they get on the road, not to mention accidents.
I could go on for several more paragraphs, but I think (even to you) my point should be clear. Illegals are a HUGE drain on the state’s resources, so much so that one could argue CA wouldn’t have much of a deficit if it didn’t have to pay for the parasites who are here illegally and pay nothing for the services they consume.
The current recession is a Golden Opportunity for the Golden State to clean house, purge the unproductive from the state’s benefit roles, lessen the burden on taxpayers, and while we’re at it, deport illegals. Not only does that save money, it will improve the quality of life in CA by lessening congestion, crime and sending parasites back to where they belong.
The first comment was the only one needed. Petty bickering does nothing.
All this about illegal immigrants are lies , the illegals like you called then can not get welfare in this county unless they have a usa born child ,and never mind how you fell about it until the constitution of the USA change that child is a USA born child , please educate yourselve before writing stupidities , the BOS is a joke and they need to be removed from office ,I do not work for the county but I do live in the OC and county manager like Mr Smith or any other need to take the hide and leave the proud republican hold that it is Orange County.
to not even, stats for Calworks comes from the Rand Corp., calm down, relax and research before going off on a rant
I am ashamed that here in the Orange County, that we have people living in the streets, our vet’s are not taken care of for serving our country and children are not covered by medical insurance. The way things are going, it will not get any better any time soon. Everyone says this the land of opportunity, is it really? The BOS makes the decision of where the money goes . (I’m sure its for their special interest first) They knew things where getting bad but in November they spent money for a new office area, then announced that there would be lay offs. Norby, Campbell and Nguyen have no back bone. Moorlack things he is some type of great leader. Lets replace the BOS and their right had man, Mock.
OC observer you seem like you are an angry racist and not deep thinking.
Illegal aliens are uncovered via record checks, lets put that false argument of racist hate to rest!!!!!!
You can not be denied benefits given your scenario, DISCO. Please stay on your meds and realize that was not reality when you were not.
They only get away with working for the PRIVATE SECTOR, who does not care and is the most greedy type, like you, look in the mirror.
Your anger, propensity to pop of seem to point at someone that would probably have at least one incident on their rap sheet that would keep them from being hired by the goverment or when times where good you never thought of long term stability yuo were greedy and went for the big bucks.
Please post the weblinks to any studies to support your hatred filled claims, thought so! None exist!
Why don’t you make those easy computations and post them? Because you are not intelligent enough to. What makes you look even dumber is below.
Of course the overwhelming number of social services clients are in the poorer areas like Santa Ana and Anaheim. Did you expect them to own oceanfront mansions or live in the rest of the property bubble county? lol.
Thanks for letting me know I am not a holy grail child, we were confused about that, you genius, racist, goverment hater. Lol
As crime will be rising and would skyrocket if your ideas where incorporated, I hope that you are on of the victims, but only to sprare a less hatred filled, and therefore less deserving person.
Savay Read——–Were you one of those gun guys that went to the meeting where your boy Moorlach and his trusty side kick Mainero rolled over on you?
Mike Hawk,
I could only expect a trough feeder like yourself to defend illegal foreigners who have to legal right to live in our country yet drain us of the resources needed to help out our own citizens. Stick your face deeper in the trough and slop, slop, slop up those taxdollars, pard. Soon there won’t be any more left to feed on and you’ll have to go find a real job. Funny how you trough feeders love to define racism as those who choose to protect the soverignty of the the country that they were born in. And I hope an illegal without a DL or insurance greets you someday on the streets of OC. And don’t ever forget….it is the private sector that generates the productivity that make it possible to print your government paycheck (feeding slop), Without real workers to fund your inflated salary and lofty pension you’d living in the back of your car.
The Warloch’s Furlough order may be illegal and violate the Dills Act: CALIFORNIA CODE SECTION 3512-3524. 3517: representative as may be properly designated by law, shall meet and confer in good faith regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment with representatives of recognized employee organizations, and shall consider fully such presentations as are made by the employee organization on behalf of its members prior to arriving at a determination of policy or course of action…3524. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Ralph C.Dills Act.” ” Source: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=03001-04000&file=3512-3524
I’ve read the comments and felt compelled to ad my two cents and some truth the the mud slinging and misrepresentations / misconceptions by some of the prior replys.
I am a social worker for SSA. I have a master’s degree as do a great majority of the social workers in SSA. By the way, those of us who have advanced degrees do not get paid one dime more than those with an undergrad degree, or no degree. That’s how the County differ’s from private sector. We will never be monitarily rich doing this job. It takes us to bad neighborhoods, working late nights and many times in dangerous hostile situations, with no personal protection. This is not whining, just the truth of the matter.
To clarify the vast misconsception that all we do is hand out money and services to illegal aliens. False. Sure, we do have clients who are here illegally. Be glad we are there to do what we can, there going to be here anyway, why not try to make it safer and better for everyone. However, I have been to the worst, most dangerous areas, as well as the best, exclusive guard-gated communities and average middle class neighborhoods to investigate child abuse, domestic violence, deaths of children and offer assistance. Don’t be blind, they are your friends and your neighbors, white, black, asian, latino, educated, highly educated, drop-outs and illegal. It’s just easier to point fingers and think that the abusers are not one of your own. You would probably never know it if I were at your next door neighbors house and no one is going to publicize it, unless it is something especially hideous and newsworthy.
Finally, the County SSA always has and always will, be a poorly run “machine”. One of the primary factors, in my opinion, is because it is run by former social workers. Yep, but a few have business degrees, most have promoted up the ranks and now are trying to run a business and make money decisions while lacking the skills, education and qualifications. You wonder why so many unprofessional, poorly thought out decisions have been made….I bet this plays a huge role. There’s a reason Im a social worker and not running a business or being an accountant. It’s not my strong suit! I aknowlede my weaknesses…if I were good at running a successful business or money matters, I would be working in the business sector making a heck of a lot more money than my measly social worker salary, and not even being compensated properly for my advanced degree, skills and commitment to my job and work ethic. While I’m not a business person, Im also not stupid and the mismanagement is common knowlege, well, to all but management that is! Our administrator’s have no clue how to run a business, provide incentrives for a job well-done, weed out the “dead wood”, get rid of the lousy, lazy supervisors who sleep on the job and know less than those they supervise and figure out how to budget. It’s no wonder we’re paying over $300,000 for a ridiculous re-model, rather than just propping a door open, and having yet another money crisis at the County of Orange. True to form, when the number of child deaths go up as a result of less social workers out there investigating, instead, being stuck in the office completing the latest mandatory form, or on an unpaid furlough day… rest assured, management will be quick to point the finger at the social workers for not being there to save the children rather than admit that due to their failures, they have failed their employees and those who need and deserve the assistance and protection.
Make taxpayers pay 10% of their gross income to support the county, and 20% to support the state,
then another 40% for federal government to bail out
businesses.
May be it is the time to quit working !
or become the slaves to the government
Disco luck has nothing to do with it, and what you call personal attacks is your sole opinion. Just so you know I am a supervisor in my department and get first hand information of what’s going on at meetings, that’s the reason I get ticked at some of the negative comments made, to be nice I’d refer lot of the negative I read here as gibberish! I personally don’t work in these departments that are getting layoff notices, I’m in a department that hasn’t seen any lay off’s in over 30 years and probably won’t.. Oh as for experience I was a high school drop out and gifted in auto mechanics and could have been successful outside the county, so luck has nothing to do with where I’m at now. It was choice! At the time of joining the county the benefits was what lured me in.. I’m still to this day doing mechanic work.. PEACE …………..
The current budget crisis is a perfect storm for the Republican BOS. It provides the opportunity to sweep aside the biggest obstacle to the BOS/Republican vision of a small government and a pro-business environment: A united labor union, the embodiment of the “big government” advocated by the liberals.
The BOS appears to have successfully applied the divide-n-conquer strategy to pit OCMA and OCEA against each other. Maybe through the last round of contract negotiation? Just pay attention to the managers vs. workers sentiments in these posts and elsewhere. Now they can use layoffs to further weaken the unions.
If all goes as planned, they will see a leaner government lead by the privileged few, the BOS and executives, who’ll outsource the governmental services, as well as the labor issues, to their friends, domestic and foreign, in the private sector. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the BOS and executives claim success and award themselves handsomely for a job-well-done, just like their counterparts have been doing elsewhere.
Can the unions do something about this? Disrupt the BOS strategy? Stop the in-fighting? Get the public on the unions’ side by organizing something more helpful to the public so union members can be caught in acts of kindness or service to the community? Recognize the outstanding works performed by the public servants through the help of the media? Contact the new administration for some of the money in that stimulus package they’re putting together?
Good luck.
All Government employees are civil service protected, and very fat pensions. In addition they have unions that provide additional protections. We in the private sector have neither and serve our private employers “at will.” If you think govt employees are overworked or underpaid you have never stood in line at a govt office trying to obtain service. Welcome to the real world, suck it up and get a real job.
Governemnt got us into this mess by banning oil drilling tax revenue, closing oil refineries, banning offshore natural gas terminal. All would have given us billions in tax dollars. We need to compromise.
Disgusted. wrote: ” I am a social worker for SSA. I have a master’s degree as do a great majority of the social workers in SSA. By the way, those of us who have advanced degrees do not get paid one dime more than those with an undergrad degree, or no degree. That’s how the County differ’s from private sector. We will never be monitarily rich doing this job. It takes us to bad neighborhoods, working late nights and many times in dangerous hostile situations, with no personal protection. This is not whining, just the truth of the matter.
And why would that be? This is the point. These services demand the minimal educational credential of a BA degree to apply the various elements of a complex response that is required. Such as background in social psychology, and these are valuable skills for application to personal interactions and business management. As to post-graduate degrees, obviously they reflect that continuing education and sophistication in research and applied research and all pay scalles should take into account the compartive education and productivity. As it is, too frequently “case workers” are basically “administrative” and totally ineffective.
The UNION MODEL reduces all to WIDGETS, common denominators, their rank and file are sheep, their leadership is rigged, the ongoing saga of SEIU is just an update of historic practices acceptable to those players. Worse, with “Obamaitis,” the PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONS have built their POLITICAL ACTION on taxpayer funding of those payrolls inclusive of UNION DUES. They have PUT THEIR PEOPLE IN OFFICE and are extending UNIONS into the PRIVATE SECTOR accordingly. That is the aim; THEY PUT UP $500 Million to ELECT OBAMA; the GRAFFITI WAS ON THE WALL!
Note the “rumblings” about “shovels in the ground,” which equate to those of UNION FOLK, THOSE CONTRACTORS, and NOT COMPETITIVE BIDS AND WELL DEFINED SPECIFICATIONS AND MEASUREMENTS OF PERFORMANCE.
No matter where locally, statewide or nationally, UNIONS are the cancer that have to be brought under control. Consider THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES were there “a UNION.” Gee! Overtime, $per bullet; STRIKE or air conditioning and gourmet food services and all the perks to make it just SWELL!
I don’t understand why people are talking such negativety about SSA employees and the so-called perks? You are upset with us for working for the Government? For those of us that have seniority it is all about job security. This is why we applied to work for the County in the first place. You could have all applied for the same jobs. You probably did and didn’t qualify for one reason or another but it doesn’t give you the right to disrespect us for thinking of our families and our job security. Our job’s consist of needy people coming in to our offices with very unfortunate circumstances… who are you to judge them? Victims of domestic violence, homelessness etc etc. We are there to supplement their 0-whatever income due to mishaps in their lives. Instead of judging pray for them and hope that this is just a crutch until they get back on their feet. We do work hard and do whatever we can to help them. Don’t hate….appreciate. We are here for you too if need be.
This board needs to realize that spending that much money on a remodel while laying off workers makes them look out of touch.
I am counting down the days until November 2010, change is coming!
To dispel the myth about County Administrative Managers, we do not receive a car allowance, paid 401k, or paid retirement. We pay towards the retiree pick-up just like general member employees. The only staff who receive these perks are executive managers. And in comparison with the private sector, County Executive Managers are grossly underpaid and under-”perked.”
To ‘Disgusted’
While bragging about your degree, you should learn how to spell ‘monetarily’.
With having a master’s degree, why aren’t you working in the private sector to improve your monetary situation.
Finally, I’m tired of the County workers saying their job is more important than mine.
overworked and underpaid: I totally agree with you…as a county worker, they use managers like no tomorrow. there is a 5% ratio for managers to staff at my agency..and to be honest, a majority of doing jobs that should not even be management classifications…
Mr Tom TOO and Keith: You are comparing the management classifications like red and green apples…You receive perks that the normal workers do not get..When in these tough financial times, you whine about how you don’t get these extras like 2% or 3% this…Let’s remind the readers that a low bottom admin manager makes $6k a month and tops out as an excutive manager $12K a month..Let’s remind the readers that while the rest of the non management staff took only a 2.5-5% pay hike last july, all managers received a 9% pay hike…all managers still receive some type of bonus/commission,,call it what you want…YET, many of the non staff management barely make $6K month at their top out…I think the most disturbing part to this that for every manager, the county could have saved 2-3 other non managment staff..but instead of management haveing to work harder, they put it out on the normal staff, require them to work 2x harder and get nothing back in return….Hyprocrite!
Managers also do not pay for their normal retirement , but do pay for their miserly 2.5 pickup…This amount is paid by all workers..So when you provide info pleaes make sure it’s specific and fully truthful…
oh I forgot to mentino,,,You are a civil service worker…paid by the taxpayers,,,,,you salaries and perks should not come to the height of those awarded by private sector jobs….Civil service workers are here for the taxpayers and should not reak a windfall from taxes…our country has become quite absurd with thinking that civil servants should be showered with $$…no wonder our taxes are so high and government so screwed and in debt…
You know, I am grateful for what the county is doing for my mother who is not a minority, nor a “leech” on society. My father worked for the USMC for 30 years. When she got cancer he divorced her and left her NO income, NO alimony….NO nothing (they lived in Texas at the time). Then he died after the divorce and left NO money. I’m a secretary supporting my mother who now is extremely sick and only getting Medi-cal help for medical expenses. And I appreciate every person for the help they have given to her. THANK YOU Orange County for what YOU have done and continue to do for the poor. I am sorry this is happening for everyone in the agency and to everyone it happens to…………..and if you are a county worker “THANK YOU” again for what you have done, and will do in your lives. You HAVE made a difference in our family and I appreciate everything, and I mean everything you’ve done……..
Public employees are the most coddled, over-paid and under-worked persons in the economy. Note that I didn’t say workers, because that would be a B I G stretch. Whatever cutbacks come their way, good.
I hope is the BOS takes a VERY harsh look at all social spending and keeps cutting and cutting and cutting. By eliminating handouts for social parasites and firing their patrons in the gubment, the taxpayers and residents of OC will win twice.
Hopefully, it will send a message to those looking for a handout that they’re not welcome in OC.
I REALLY don’t understand all the animosity towards County employee’s.
I have worked for the County for over 4 years after more than 10 years working various jobs in the private sector (office manager, administrative assistant, call center manager, etc.) I took a significant pay cut and was nothing more than a file monkey when I started but figured job security was the most important thing I could have being a single mother, aside from medical insurance.
I paid almost $10,000 of my $43,000 gross income in 2008 for my retirement (6,600), my union dues (750) and my medical benefits (3,000).
I work hard 40 plus hours a week and struggle to survive in Orange County like many others.
With the exception of paid holidays, I don’t see how County employee’s are (perceived to be) any better off especially at this point and time. Still post after post appears with every new article about the current budget mess and County employee’s are (apparently) loathed. Am I missing out on some secret benefits that no one bothered to tell me about? Enlighten me.
To “so whatsays” - In an effort to set the record straight, the truth is that beginning admin managers make $4,420/month and they received a 2% raise in January 2008 and a 3% raise in June 2008. So, unless you are using the “new math,” the total is 5%, not 9%.
This post is not intended to target anyone that has made a post, these are just my thoughts and opinions:
*It’s not that the BOS doesn’t have any money, it’s that they mismanaged it so badly that we are in a rut through the next fiscal year (2010).
*I can’t believe how prejudice people still are these days. You’d be surprised how many English case loads there are as well as Persian/Asian, not just hispanic.
*I received a 2 week notice yesterday and its not about going and collecting unemployment. You do not know what kind of life anyone leads so don’t make judgements based on where some one works or what they do. There are people that only have one income that are single parents and this is all they have.
* I am A Medi-Cal Eligibility worker and this is not an easy job to do. There are many programs under Medi-Cal and we need to know them ALL. Each program has a set of qualifications that need to be met by the clients before services can be issued, mind you that these regulations and policies were created by the State and we are MANDATED to follow them, regardless of how you feel about the clients.
*People that have not worked for the county do not know as much as people that do, as far as how we do our jobs and how stressful it becomes. So, in reality, these people shouldn’t be giving there opinions or even posting anything because there is no validity in it, its just that, an opinion.
* Do not let people get under your skin. Agree to disagree, especially about prejudice matters. How would you feel if something traumatic like this happened to you or a friend or a family member, regardless of who our clients are?
PEOPLE FORGET THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE WERE ATTACKED, THEY SUCCEDED IN BRINGING DOWN OUR ECONOMY AND KILLING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. NOW THEY HAVE US POITING FINGERS AT INOCCENT PEOPLE. YES WE HAVE ILLEGAL ALIENS SO WHAT WE HAD THEM SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS COUNTRY DON’T YOU ALL FORGET THAT. WE NEED TO STOP THIS ENTIRE HATRED AGAINST PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE AND ARE TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING AND FOCUSED ON PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TRYING TO HURT US WITH BOMBS. PLEASE I KNOW TIMES ARE TOUGH BUT WE NEED TO SEE THE REAL ISSUES WHICH IS NOT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, THEY HELP THE ECONOMY AND TERRORIST DO NOT. I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I RATHER HAVE PEOPLE WORKING TO BETTER THEMSELVES THAN PEOPLE TRYING TO KILL THEMSELVES AND A FEW AMERICANS.
Perhaps you don’t need all these “workers” if you didn’t have so many illegal alien clients. How about make it a state requirement that one must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident to receive any social service benefits/services from the publicly paid trough. All applicants should be required to show proof of citizenship and legal status …and children of illegal alien parents shouldn’t be eligible to receive anything unless at least one parent can prove citizenship. That would certainly be a deterrent and alleviate a lot of unnecesarry spending for foreign nationals who have no right to take adantage of our social services and thereby competing with our own most vulnerable citizens and children for these benefits/services. Citizens first and foremost.
The ignorance and racist views are very disturbing but not a surprise coming from citizens who are described by others as living behind the “Orange Curtain”. I wouldn’t be surprised if Obama received fewer votes from O.C. than any other West Coast County—and imagine that the ratio of Obama versus McCain votes rivals some of the vote counts of deep southern states that still want “old dixie” to rise—-
Did most of you vote for outgoing George W. Bush twice?
Believe me……..most county employees work very, very, hard—-it’s the Managers who come in late, and leave early most days! Don’t get me wrong, some of the Managers are very fair and are hard workers—–but interestingly some of the meanest, seem to be the ones that come in late, leave early, and don’t have a clue about human relations or common decency!
CHOP AT THE TOP……so far I have not witnessed any cuts in upper management (not a surprise……….it just does not happen in county government.
Hats off to the county employees that tell it like it is!!
To legalatina: You might want to do a little research.
*Just so that you know our Food Stamps program does not issue any benefits to anyone that isn’t a citizen*
*Medi-Cal benfits ARE issued to illegal aliens, but the benefits are restricted to emergency (LIFE-THREATENING) and pregnancy-related services ONLY. And that’s IF they qualify.
There is a laundry list of requirements that need to be MET before we issue benefits to anyone.
Like I said, If you don’t know what you’re talking about, just don’t talk.
These are the only benefits that illegal aliens receive. That’s it. It’s not much.
Can we all get along! why are people blaming illegal immigrants of our economy woes. Now let me tell you something when our economy was good these people had nobody to blame, life was good but now that our economy is bad and they are losing their jobs they are blaming the illegal immigrants. Come on get a clue is not the illegal/legal immigrant it’s our leaders, local, state and federal that keep making dumb decision in term affect us the hard working people. I welcome any person that wants to come to this country to better themselves. I am getting laid off I do not blame the illegal immigrants I blame our “smart” leaders for all this mess. SO FOR THOSE IGNORANT PEOPLE STOP BALMING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, HELP ONE ANOTHER INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING.
This is only the beginning. You will see cuts to law enforcement and fire services as well. Unlike the private sector cuts this affects our safety and well being as a community. The state is going to be cutting even more. Criminals will be getting out of prison early and many state programs will be slashed. It won’t be pretty for the next year or two.
MrSMITH2
YOUR NOT BEGRUDGING THEM BECAUSE YOU AREN’T THE ONE CARRYING THE WORKLOAD FOR THE ONES THAT ARE LAID OFF AND YOU ARE NOT THE ONE DEALING WITH THE INCREASED CASELOADS THAT WE ARE GETTING AS A RESULT OF THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF PEOPLE GETTING LAID OFF APPLYING FOR AID. YOUR WORKLOAD REMAINS THE SAME AND SO DOES YOUR PAY….. PLEASE GO CLEAN YOUR NOSE …….. IT IS REALLY STARTING TO STINK IN HERE
TO WGTAP:
Because we don’t hear it enough, thank you for the acknowledgement. Your comment/story is what keeps us motivated. We are like the middleman. We get dumped on by the BOS…but we keep doing what we do because as a social worker we feel good internally knowing that we can help out a family in anyway. For the comments on lazy government workers….I have this to say.. I went to a 4 yr college, obtained a degree and couldn’t think of a single job that would make me feel more complete, more human than becoming a Social Worker…. I am underpaid believe me but it’s the WGTAP’S in the world that allow me to keep thick skin for people like the BOS who will eventually end up at a dead end in one way or another. But when what’s right always prevails no matter what
Yet, the Department of Child Support Services is currently recruiting for a Director with the salary of “up to 195k” and a boat load of perks including a $745 a month car allowance.
(Sec of State Hillary Clinton - makes 1,000 a year more than that)