OC Watchdog

Hollywood ending eludes evicted Salvation Army kettle - or does it?

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:30:56 +0000

So there’s good news and bad news.

The good news is that, despite the awful economy, Orange County’s donations to those iconic Salvation Army kettles grew 31.4 percent in 2008, over the year before.
The bad news: The now-infamous Brea kettle - booted from its traditional spot outside the Birch Street post office and relocated to Brea Mall - actually took in 12.7 percent less in 2008 than the year before.

The Brea story isn’t as dire as it seems: The kettle wasn’t doing so well at the post office for the eight days it was there - averaging just $133 per day. Once it moved to the mall, it averaged $277 per day (and stayed for 18 days), according to Salvation Army figures.

Colleague Lou Ponsi unleashed a firestorm when he wrote about how Sean Thomas complained about a church kettle on federal land at the Brea post office. Turns out that U.S. Postal Service regulations prohibit any organization from soliciting on post office property.

And so the kettle moved, to a spot outside Brea Mall’s J.C. Penney store. That made a lot of people mad - one man sought out the kettle and stuffed in a $500 check in protest - and Thomas received lots of nasty phone calls and emails.

In the wake of such church v. state fireworks, another kettle was asked to leave a Placentia post office’s property. But several others were allowed to stay. Donations had been lagging more than 30 percent before the controversy hit, and the Salvation Army sees the whole episode as a blessing in disguise.

“The total reponse was such a positive - I think it raised people’s awareness,” said Barry Frost of the Salvation Army. ”People saw the kettles and really noticed them, thought ‘This is an organization that needs help,’ and wanted to show that they care.”

Here are the kettle contribution totals for 2008:

Countywide: $260,138.47 (up from $197,954.92)
Brea kettle: $6,049.76 (down from $6,932.42)

Qualifiers: The Brea kettle averaged almost the same take per day in both years, give or take a dollar. In 2008, it was out for 26 days; and in 2007, it was out for 30 days. The average was about $232 per day.

More Watchdog:

Many county workers enjoy generous benefits

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:30:57 +0000

Charges of who gets which perks have been flying like cannonballs as hundreds of county workers lose their jobs - and the truth is, the county’s benefits package for workers is pretty sweet.

All workers - from executives to grunts - get $3,000 a year for educational and professional advancement.

The county pays 95 percent of health benefits for all full-time employees (and 75 percent for their dependents).

Elected officials have 100 percent of their health benefits paid for - and that means 100 percent for dependents, too.

“The county’s benefits coverage appears relatively generous in this day and age, notably the health care (and payment) plan, the dental plan, and the educational and professional reimbursement plan,” said David Lewin, the Neil H. Jacoby Professor of Management, Human Resources & Organizational Behavior at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management in an email.

“Alternatively, the lack of a merit pay plan for executive managers and a rather limited merit pay plan for administrative managers are rather ‘poor’ features of the overall benefits package.”

Of course, the higher up you are, the better the package; It’s good to be king. But isn’t it always?

To see a chart of what Lewin saw - and what we’re about to discuss - click here on benefits-comparison. (Thanks to the county for providing this easy-to-look-at spreadsheet.) And now, to the meat of things.

Some highlights:

For electeds, the county:
- pays 100 percent of their health plan premiums.
- provides $125,000 worth of accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
- provides $125,000 worth of life insurance.
- furnishes $4,500 a year in “optional benefit plan.”
- contributes 8 percent of their bi-weekly salary into a 401 a retirement account.
- provides a $765 a month car allowance, or use of a county car.
- Electeds get no paid leave (sick or vacation time), no overtime, no merit pay, no short- or long-term disability.
For executive managers, the county
- pays 95 percent of health plan premiums, and 75 percent for employees with covered dependents.
- provides $125,000 worth of accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
- provides $125,000 worth of life insurance.
- furnishes $4,500 a year in “optional benefit plan.”
- provides short- and long-term disability coverage for 60 percent of salary.
- contributes 4 percent to 6 percent of bi-weekly salary into a 401 a retirement account.
- paid leave totaling 170 hours.
- Executives get no overtime, no merit pay.
For other managers, the county:
- pays 95 percent of health plan premiums, and 75 percent for employees with covered dependents.
- provides $100,000 worth of accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
- provides $100,000 worth of life insurance.
- furnishes $3,500 a year in “optional benefit plan.”
- provides short- and long-term disability coverage for 60 percent of salary.
- offers paid leave totaling 90 hours.
- Managers are eligible for merit increases and special pay (for bilingualism, etc.). They get no auto allowance or overtime. Some get 3 percent of bi-weekly salary contributed into a 401 a account, but only those grandfathered in.
For Average Joe Worker, the county:
- pays 95 percent of health plan premiums, and 75 percent for employees with covered dependents.
- offers paid leave totaling 40 to 80 hours.
- offers other leave of approximately 41 hours.
- contributes to supplemental benefits - such as disability insurance, life insurance and dental- per the union agreement. For example, the county contributes 30 cents per hour to the Union Trust Fund for employees represented by Orange County Employees Association. The union furnishes the benefits.
- offers merit increases, special pay, overtime.
- Average Joe Workers get no optional benefit plan, no auto allowance, no 401 a retirement account.

The union’s comments and analysis are posted separately here.

More Watchdog:

Union official offers ‘ground fire from the guys in the cheap seats’

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:29:21 +0000

(Read the ‘Class warfare’ story about county benefits first)

Orange County Employees Association General Manager Nick Berardino pored over the county’s benefits spreadsheet (benefits-comparison), and offers “a little ground fire from the guys in the cheap seats” (or, alternately, a view “from the trenches of the lower class in the class war”):

“They left off a big (huge) ticket item…payment for the employees normal retirement costs by the county for the elected, execs, and managers,” Berardino said by email. “Also the management banding which ensures that almost 100 percent get the 2 percent merit increase, where only about half our folks get the merit increase (most are at the top of pay range and were not part of new manager banding).

“The fully paid health insurance is huge for the electeds with families. The fully paid dental etc. is also very big. The real issue is a comparison in the benefits for the plan. We have to use the 30 cents per hour for dental, life, disability and optical. You can imagine that the benefits in those plans can’t be very great because of the limited amount of money to cover all the programs.

“Also they don’t get overtime, but they get an extra week of paid administrative leave that they use for
anything they want in lieu of overtime and their salary is set based on working more hours and not receiving overtime so they get a double.”

Other observations from OCEA:

General salary increase scheduled for 2009: “Managers 3 percent, Lower class “0″. This stat is extremely significant because we were in negotiation only a few weeks after this increase was granted to the managers and we requested the same amount for 09 and the county refused to grant it for us !!!!!!!”
Union members get $25,000 worth of life insurance (paid from the 30-cents-per hour, per worker, furnished by the county to pay for all supplemental benefits), while the bigwigs get $100,000 or $125,000 .
“A manager comes in for a couple of hours and then leaves and does not report the absence so they get paid for 8 hours and there is more time that they are saving to cashout when they leave or during the year when they can …”
Law Enforcement Managers-Special Assignment Premium of 5 percent.
Equity Adjustments- The CEO can based upon considerations such as market data, internal salary relationships, position responsibilities, individual performance and sound management principles approve individual salary increases which shall not exceed 25 percent
The county did not include details about the “defined benefits pension plan” on the spreadsheet. Details are forthcoming.

More Watchdog:

In OC, $41,000 up front for ‘free and fair’ election

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:30:13 +0000

William Denis Fitzgerald has earned a reputation as - how shall we say it? - a Colorful Character….A Thorn In the Side of the Powerful. He dubbed Anaheim’s Curt Pringle “a silver-tongued devil” when he challenged Pringle for the mayor’s seat, then took on the “Disney candidate” for the Anaheim Union High School Board.

Fitzgerald lost both elections. But, in the aftermath of February’s school board faceoff, he has scored a victory in Small Claims Court, which sheds light on our free and fair electoral process. It could also open a can of worms for the financially-strapped County of Orange.

WORDS COST MONEY!

You know those Voter Guides with the ”candidate’s statements” that land in your mailbox before Election Day? They are not exactly provided gratis by the good County; rather, the candidates statements are paid for by the candidates themselves.

And some pay quite handsomely. In the June election:

A candidate for Superior Court judge had to cough up $41,408 up front;
A candidate for Orange County Supervisor had to pay more than $10,000;
While other candidates paid between $1,550 and $6,000 to publish their statements.

These are estimates, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters; actual costs are computed after the election, and refunds are usually given. (The judge candidate’s refund, for example: Nearly $22,000).

But that’s not how it worked out for Fitzgerald, a conservative activist with Anaheim HOME (Homeowners Maintaining their Environment). He paid $1,617 up front for his candidate’s statement; and a few weeks after the election, the Registrar billed him for another $642.

He asked for an accounting of these costs. And there the conflict began.

MEANINGLESS ‘FLUFF’

Fitzgerald peppered the Registrar with 15 letters under the California Public Records Act, trying to understand how the Registrar arrived at its figures. The county “delayed, avoided, obstructed and then sent copies of hundreds of unrelated documents and other ‘fluff,’” charging him 15 cents per page, “and never delivering the documents requested,” he said in court papers.

In October, Fitzgerald sued the county in Small Claims Court.

Shortly thereafter, the Registrar refunded him $98.

Still, Fitzgerald pressed on. ”The judge asked me how much I wanted, and I said it wasn’t a matter of money - I wanted them to stop the false accounting,” Fitzgerald said. “They should do the accounting correctly.”

High upfront costs, he fears, prevent people from running for office.

FINALLY, (A SMALL) VICTORY

This time, Fitzgerald won - getting $543.62 from the county, plus $60 in court costs. “We made this known,” he said. “Maybe they will correct it.”

Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley doesn’t feel there’s anything to correct. ”We’ve looked at our accounting figures, we’ve had auditors look at our accounting figures, and they’re on the money. We stand by our numbers,” Kelley said.

The spread between estimate and reality - say, the $41,000 upfront charge for the Superior Court Judge post, and then the $22,000 refund - is because so many unknowns are at work. The estimate is based on having, say, two candidates in the race; but when three actually run for the office, then the cost per candidate comes down, and then there’s a refund.

If fewer people run than were originally estimated, well, the cost goes up.

Given the county’s current situation - $32 million or so in the hole - it’s hoped that other past candidates do not similarly challenge the Registrar’s accounting.

For an eye-opening glimpse of how much candidates’ statements cost in the November election - and for the Registrar’s explanation of how it arrived at those estimated costs - look below. It’s all in the Registrar’s November 2008 Candidate Handbook,

Who ever said democracy came cheap?

DEPOSIT AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT
CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS                    200 word statement
Coast Community College District                           $5,681
North Orange County Community College District    6,027
Rancho Santiago Community College District           3,957
South Orange County Community College District    7,114

HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Anaheim Union High School District                         1,547
Fullerton Joint Union High School District               2,526
Huntington Beach Union High School District          3,481

UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Brea Olinda Unified School District                          1,515
Capistrano Unified School District                           3,602
Garden Grove Unified School District                       2,867
Irvine Unified School District                                   2,323
Laguna Beach Unified School District                     1,526
Los Alamitos Unified School District                      1,673
Newport-Mesa Unified School District                 2,558
Orange Unified School District                                2,562
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District        2,277
Saddleback Valley Unified School District               2,715
Santa Ana Unified School District                            2,186
Tustin Unified School District                                 1,988

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Anaheim City School District                                2,091
Buena Park School District                                     1,514
Centralia School District                                        1,589
Cypress School District                                           1,571
Fountain Valley School District                              1,685
Fullerton School District                                        1,961
Huntington Beach City School District                    1,937
La Habra City School District                                 1,547
Lowell Joint School District                                   1,369
Magnolia School District                                         1,570
Ocean View School District                                     1,915
Savanna School District                                          1,440
Westminster School District                                   1,810

DEPOSIT AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR SPECIAL DISTRICT
CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

SPECIAL DISTRICTS                                           200 word statement
Capistrano Bay Community Services District      $ 1,290
Emerald Bay Service District                                  1,298
Rossmoor Community Services District                1,397
Surfside Colony Community Services District       1,292
Three Arch Bay Community Services District         1,298
Serrano Water District Division 2                           1,302
Division 3                                                             1,304
Division 5                                                              1,304
Silverado-Modjeska Recreation and Park District 1,301
Costa Mesa Sanitary District                                  1,939
Midway City Sanitary District                                 1,936
Sunset Beach Sanitary District                               1,301
Surfside Colony Storm Water Protection District    1,292
El Toro Water District                                             1,667
Irvine Ranch Water District                                     3,216
Moulton Niguel Water District Division 1               1,465
Division 3                                                              1,497
Division 5                                                              1,438
Division 6                                                               1,453
Division 7                                                               1,404
Santa Margarita Water District                               2,265
East Orange County Water District                         1,747
Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District         1,458
Mesa Consolidated Water District Division 1          1,396
Division 2                                                               1,404
Division 3                                                               1,424
South Coast Water District                                     1,547
Trabuco Canyon Water District                             2,261
Yorba Linda Water District                                    1,795
Orange County Water District Division 2              2,499
Division 3                                                             2,552
Division 4                                                              2,676
Division 6                                                              2,747
Municipal Water District of Orange County Div 3 3,403
Division 4                                                              3,490
Division 6                                                              3,101
Division 7                                                             3,431
Buena Park Library District                                   1,702
Placentia Library District                                      1,598

NOTE: Candidate Statement cost estimates are calculated using the following assumptions: two candidates per contest, two 200 word statements per contest, 10% increase in voter registration prior to the printing of the sample ballots. They are based on registered voter counts from May of 2008. Since the actual costs are based on the actual number of candidates and length of statements, the following must be considered an estimate. If more candidates prepare statements for the same office, the actual cost per candidate will be less than the deposit amount. If only one candidate prepares a statement for an office, the actual cost of the statement will be significantly higher.

The actual cost of the statement may also be higher due to increases in sample ballot production costs and printing and the translation into four required languages countywide, as required by federal law. Although the Registrar of Voters attempts to make the closest possible estimates, there are often either increases or decreases in costs for a particular contest. Bills, if any, or refunds will be made within thirty (30) days of the election.

If a candidate’s contest does not appear on the ballot (due to being a contest whose candidates may be appointed in-lieu of election if the number of candidates nominated does not exceed the number of candidates to be elected from that district), his/her candidate statement payment will be refunded.
A candidate may withdraw his/her Candidate’s Statement of Qualifications by signing and submitting a cancellation notice to the Registrar of Voters no later than 5:00 p.m. of the next working day after the close of the nomination period.

More Watchdog:

Ousted AIG chief laments, ‘What are you guys DOING?!’

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:01:35 +0000

Can American International Group ever hope to repay Uncle Sam that $150 billion if it keeps casting its pearls before swine?

Many naysayers fear taxpayers will never see that money again - and one might add former AIG executive Maurice “Hank” Greenberg to the list. In a cranky letter to AIG’s board of directors - which he copied to the Securities and Exchange Commission - Greenberg complains that the recent sale of a profitable AIG subsidiary at pond scum prices dooms the insurance empire he so painstakingly helped build.

“The press has reported, and AIG management has confirmed, that AIG intends to sell HSB to Munich Re for approximately $742 million,” Greenberg writes. “This can only be viewed as a distressed sale price. Indeed, Joerg Schneider, the Chief Financial Officer of Munich Re, has been quoted as stating: ‘The sales price is, considering the profitability of the acquired company, very low.’”

And here’s the kicker for you and me, who now own 80 percent of AIG: “Certainly, selling major assets at fire sale prices is not a viable strategy for reviving the company or even repaying the government.”

So, $742 million down; $149.3 billion or so to go. Not that we’re counting or anything.

More Watchdog:

Are elections purposefully avoided at Irvine Ranch Water District?

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:30:55 +0000

Less than two months after winning re-election to the Irvine Ranch Water District’s board of directors, long-time board member Darryl Miller has resigned.

That means Irvine Ranch is free to appoint Miller’s successor, rather than enduring the sloppiness, chaos and profound unpredictability of a democratic election.

There may be something of a pattern here. The overwhelming majority of Irvine Ranch’s board - four out of five members - were originally appointed, not elected, to their seats.

Once in, these appointees go on to win elections (as incumbents) and it’s hard to get them out: Miller, for example, was originally appointed in 1984.

(Appoint-rather-than-elect is a disturbingly common phenomenon in Orange County. Nearly half of those sitting on local water boards were originally appointed, not elected. See our October story for more details.)

Miller’s resignation is not exactly a surprise. Some little birdies in the oft-contentious water world told The Watchdog this was coming more than two weeks ago. Said birdies question whether Miller ever intended to actually take his seat.

To which Miller says “hogwash.” He told us this via email:

“I decided to run for re-election last July before the candidate filing
process started in preparation for the November 4, 2008 election. After my
re-election, I became aware of some professional opportunities that will be
available in early 2009. I subsequently began to consider whether I could
effectively fulfill my term if I wanted to pursue these opportunities.
After much personal deliberation in December, I decided to resign from IRWD
for the benefit of my career, family, and financial opportunities. I
regretfully resigned from IRWD effective December 31, 2008.”

To the idea that Irvine Ranch might purposefully avoid elections so it can appoint who it wants, district spokeswoman Beth Beeman said by email:

“All of IRWD’s current Board members have been publicly elected by residents of the district and serve four year terms. Every two years the public participates in elections conducted by IRWD for the alternating board seat terms.

“If IRWD receives a notice of resignation from a sitting Board member, be it for personal, professional or other reasons, the district follows the process provided for in California law to fill the vacant Board seat in an expeditious and fair manner.”

Irvine Ranch isn’t just any little special district. It’s one of the richest and most powerful in California. It posted on its web site Monday that it’s taking applications for an open seat - a good opportunity for someone who has a hankering to serve (for the next quarter-century or so) and be paid $237 a meeting, up to 10 meetings per month. (That can translate into nearly $30,000 a year for a part-time job; not bad in this economy.)

Applications are due by Feb. 4, and a “candidate forum” will be held Feb. 9. More info is available at the district’s web site here.

MILLER’S CHANGE OF HEART

In his candidate’s statement for the November 4 election, which you can read here, Miller touted his 24-plus years with the district and pledged continued vigilance. “As a geologist and water quality professional, I am keenly interested and experienced in protecting our water supplies from the influence of toxic waste products…. I pledge my continued commitment to control the District’s costs and secure a reliable and safe water supply for our future needs. Thank you for your continued support.”

In his resignation letter - dated Dec. 30 - Miller says he plans to “pursue professional opportunities in the future that could create a potential conflict of interest” if he remains on Irvine Ranch’s board. (Read the miller-resignation-letter- here.) He also plans to spend more time with his family.

I DO DECLARE….

The “Candidate’s Handbook” - the election bible released by the Orange County Registrar of Voters - states that a candidate must qualify for and accept the office for which he is running. It does not, however, say that a candidate must remain in that office for any length of time:

Directors who were originally appointed to the Irvine Ranch Board are: Miller (1984), Mary Aileen Matheis (1988), John B. Withers (1989) and Douglas J. Reinhart (2004).

Its only originally-elected member: Peer A. Swan, vice-president. Elected in 1979.

More Watchdog:

Union executive’s paycheck rivals that of county supervisors

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:30:02 +0000

The head of the Orange County Employees Association - the largest union covering county workers - took in $201,185 in the last fiscal year, according to the union’s tax returns.

That rivals checks cut for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, with whom the union is locked in battle over looming layoffs. Each supes’ base salary is $143,031; their total compensation exceeds $200,000 a year, once all benefits are thrown in.

The union’s general manager, Nick Berardino, said that his pay is the product of history. In 1959, the union’s board of directors decided to tie its executive’s salary to that of the county’s personnel director, and it has been that way ever since.

The county’s personnel director earns a little shy of $186,000; Berardino, a little shy of $182,000.

“The purpose of that was so the general manager could be recruited from the same talent pool, and to cap the GM’s salary,” Berardino said. “In addition to his salary, the personnel director gets a car allowance of $765 a month, which is $9,120 a year; and he gets an additional $4,500 in an optional benefit plan.

“I get no car allowance, no mileage, no optional benefit plan. My retirement plan is about 1.2 percent (of salary) at (age) 65, compared to their 2.7 percent at 55. Hey, I’ll trade my salary and benefits program for theirs tomorrow.

“Here’s the point,” he said. “We are unable to provide to myself or our staff anywhere near the benefit package that the county’s executives and managers and even the rank and file members get. We just can’t afford to do that.”

The union’s tax return lists $201,185 as Berardino’s compensation - more than his salary - because it includes other cash payments, he said.

Nerves are raw today as layoff notices are delivered to hundreds of county social workers. The county is struggling to plug an $86 million hole in its budget.

For more on the union’s finances, click here.

More Watchdog:

Employee union at center of county tussle saw fortunes rise

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:29:09 +0000

The Orange County Employees Association - the county’s largest union - boosted membership and saw income rise over three years, according to tax returns.

Between 2005 and 2007:

Income from membership dues rose 4.5 percent, to $3.1 million.
Net assets - essentially how much the union has in the bank for a rainy day - grew 4 percent, to $5.5 million.
The vagaries of accounting show that revenue shot up a striking 56 percent and expenses shot up 79.5 percent over the three years - but that’s because the union decided to add the value of discounted entertainment tickets (to Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, etc). to both its revenue and expense columns in the later years. The value of those tickets was about $2.8 million, accounting for the sudden jump.

Membership has grown from 11,800 to 13,300, and dues have gone from $9.62 biweekly to $10.06 biweekly, said Nick Berardino, the union’s general manager.

Berardino earned $201,185, according to the tax returns. More on that here.

The union represents workers for local cities and special districts as well as the county. Click below for the list.

County Agencies, Departments, and Other Groups
(Eight bargaining units.):

Assessor’s Office
Auditor-Controller
Behavioral Health
Child Support Services
Clerk of the Board
Clerk-Recorder
County Counsel
County Executive Office/Clerk of the Board
District Attorney
Health Care Agency
Healthcare Professionals
Housing and Community Services Department
Integrated Waste Management Department
Internal Audit
John Wayne Airport
Library
Probation Department
Public Defender
Public Guardian
Registrar of Voters
Resources and Development Management Department
Sheriff-Coroner Department (SSOs and Professional Staff)
Social Services Agency
Treasurer-Tax Collector

Additionally, the County represents the following special groups which are not County agencies:

Orange County Fire Authority
Orange County Employees Retirement System
Orange County Law Library
Superior Court
(Three bargaining units.)

Cities, Special Districts, and Other Public Agencies
(At least one bargaining unit for each group.)

OCEA Affiliates

Anaheim Municipal Employees Association
Costa Mesa City Employees Association
Irvine City Employees Association
Irvine Professional Employees Association
Newport Beach Employees League
Newport Beach Professional and Technical Employees Association
Placentia City Employees Association
San Clemente City Employees Association

OCEA Chapters:

Fountain Valley Municipal Employees Association
Fountain Valley Professional and Technical Employees Association
Garden Grove City Employees Association
Garden Grove Employees League
Laguna Niguel City Employees Association
Orange County Sanitation District
Seal Beach City Employees Association
Tustin City Employees Association
Yorba Linda City Employees Association

More Watchdog:

The Pink Slips Cometh

Tony Saavedra, Register investigative reporter — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:00:58 +0000

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.”

OC Watchdog contest update: Guess what this AIG junket cost!

Teri Sforza, Register staff writer — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:30:49 +0000

Last month, we at The Watchdog were thrilled to launch our first contest, asking you to guess how much American International Group’s aircraft-leasing subsidiary spent on a fantabulous party for 820 people in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

To date, there have been 78 guesses, ranging from a very low $281,000 to a rather high $7.8 million. We suspect the actual number will land somewhere between the two.

(Enter by adding your guess in the comments section here! The prize, by the way, is a priceless OC Watchdog coffee mug! Don’t say we never gave you anything.)

Anyway, we have received quite a few emails from folks eager to claim the prize, so we thought this would be a good time to bring you up to speed on…the lack of speed with which a Congressional investigation proceeds.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has subpoenad thousands of pages of documents from AIG - including:

A list of all conferences, events or retreats paid for by AIG, its subsidiaries, or affiliates from Jan. 1, 2008 to the present;
Documents showing how much each event cost, including lodging, transportation, food, drink and other charges;
A list of any similar conferences, events or retreats planned for the next six months;
And much, much more.

The paperwork arrived about six weeks ago, and the committee’s spokeswoman tells us the investigation continues and the committee is combing through reams of paperwork. When they unearth the bills for this extravaganza and tell us, we’ll tell you.

Happy New Year!