Tag Archive for: Politics

David Bernhardt Confirmed As Interior Secretary Despite Ethics Concerns

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Anna M. Phillips and Bettina Boxall

David Bernhardt, President Trump’s pick to the lead the Interior Department, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday amid persistent ethical concerns and doubts about his independence from the energy and water industry groups he long represented as a lobbyist. Senators voted 56-41 in favor of Bernhardt’s confirmation. Several Democrats crossed party lines to support the nominee, including Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, also voted for confirmation.

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OPINION: California’s Leaky Bucket Theory Of Public Improvement

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Jon Coupal

Unfortunately, Californians have come to expect significant levels of waste and incompetence when it comes to government programs. Just last week, we learned that the “new” $290 million computer system for the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration — in the works for over a decade — was having significant problems with tax filers trying to submit their quarterly returns. Despite California being home to Silicon Valley and the best high-tech minds on the planet, the State of California has a sorry history of failure when implementing big computer projects.

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Judge Clears Water Authority Delegates To Keep Meeting In Private

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Ricky Young Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

A judge has ruled in favor of the San Diego County Water Authority, dismissing a lawsuit by an open government group that wanted the agency to hold certain gatherings of its board members in public. The water authority sends delegates to the Metropolitan Water District, a large regional organization based in Los Angeles. The San Diego water authority delegates meet regularly with no public notice or access — a situation challenged by attorney Cory Briggs in a lawsuit in June 2017. He cited the state’s open meetings law, the Ralph M. Brown Act.

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OPINION: Don’t Just Blame The Meter Readers For San Diego’s Water Billing Scandal

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune

A new report from City Auditor Eduardo Luna about erroneous water bills serves as a clear indictment of the city’s Public Utilities Department. It detailed how 2,750 water bills sent to residents in 2017 were incorrect, often by hundreds of dollars, and that the problem stemmed from mistakes made by the city’s 36 meter readers — 10 of whom were to blame for 71 percent of the errors. Luna’s audit noted that just in the month of December, one meter reader was responsible for about 330 mistakes. That person no longer works for the city, which is a relief.

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City Launches Internal Investigation Into Water Department Management

/in , /by /NBC7by Tom Jones, Dorian Hargrove and Consumer Bob

“I’m going to personally apologize for anything that’s been conveyed to the taxpayers of the city that has given the impression that there’s an issue of credibility and trust with the city and or the Public Utilities Department,” Johnnie Perkins said Monday, hours into his first day of work as the city’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Infrastructure and Public Works. Perkins was responding to questions surrounding the findings of a joint NBC 7 Responds and Voice of San Diego investigation released last week, showing the city did not take action when informed of a glitch with one of its new smart water meter vendors.

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Gastelum Remains Barred From Committees Because Of Anti-Muslim Tweet

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gustavo Solis

Hector Gastelum won’t apologize. The Otay Water District board member didn’t apologize in April 2017 after sending a controversial tweet that drew outrage from the Muslim community and resulted in the district barring him from serving on sub-committees. And he didn’t apologize Wednesday when asking the district to reconsider its decision. “The thing that I never heard was a statement from Director Gastelum that he understood the damage that those comments and those things did, particularly to the Muslim community, at the time,” said Otay Water board member Mitch Thompson.

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City Water Department Resisted Oversight, Downplayed Smart Meter Problems

/in , /by /The Voice of San Diegoby Ry Rivard

Shortly after Vic Bianes took over San Diego’s water department, he instructed his staff to hide information. Less than a month after he began leading the $1.1 billion Public Utilities Department in mid-October, Bianes emailed staffers who were preparing a presentation for one of the water department’s oversight bodies. Bianes said it’d be best to be “vague” and not give the Independent Rates Oversight Committee any specifics about how the department was handling ongoing customer service issues.

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Official For Compton Water District Is Suspended After Reports Of Fake Supporters At Town Hall

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Adam Elemahrek, Ruben Vives, and Angel Jennings

The general manager of a small public agency under fire for delivering brown, smelly water to parts of Compton and Willowbrook has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately, the water district board’s attorney announced Thursday night. Maria Rachelle Garza’s suspension comes days after The Times reported allegations that the embattled Sativa Los Angeles County Water District hired people to pose as supporters and attend a local congresswoman’s town hall regarding complaints of dirty water.

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Senate GOP Drops ‘Poison Pills’ From Key Spending Bill

/in , /by /Associated Press by Andrew Taylor

Senate Republicans are ridding a key spending bill of controversial environmental provisions opposed by Democrats in an attempt to avoid the annual year-end budget pileup. Tuesday’s move by Sen. Lisa Murkowski extends an olive branch to Democrats and could allow the first floor debate on a key spending bill for the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency since former President Barack Obama’s first year in office. It’s all part of an effort to avoid a catchall “omnibus” spending bill.

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