City Controller Wendy Greuel loves the periodic fifteen minutes of fame she receives when announcing the results of another performance audit.
The media does not press her with questions as to the underlying causes of inefficiencies and, more importantly, how she plans to pursue them. Her public announcements are nothing more than pablum for the voters to digest in connection with her run for mayor – the campaign for which was the sole reason she ran for controller in the first place.
Greuel’s latest announcement concerning her “audit scorecard” is just another example of form over substance.
A review of the actual scorecard reveals the poor response to audits going back to late 2009 and 2010.
Dennis Zine blames the poor response on untimely information from the departments. His response to the managers is “work harder.”
Well, at least Zine is a little more forceful than Greuel, who avoids any criticism of City Hall managers’ failure to address findings.
However, both Greuel and Zine ignore the core issue underscoring the city’s abysmal efforts at dealing with inefficiencies: Mayor Villariagosa’s hands-off management style.
Issuing reports and scorecards do not solve problems; aggressive follow-up does, especially for deep-rooted situations created by incompetence. Handing off recommendations knowing that those responsible for addressing them are incapable of taking action amounts to negligence.
Greuel and Zine need to rattle the mayor’s cage. It means taking an adversarial stance in public, even if it means shining a light on the empty suit running our city. They also need to make public the names of managers who are dragging their feet on implementing recommendations. I would have no reservations if I were in their shoes – they have a responsibility to the citizens to be outspoken advocates in the same way Laura Chick was.
Of course, that might cost Greuel and Zine direct or indirect support for their respective campaigns for higher office.
The public needs to get riled. It won’t with Greuel’s policy of poor follow-up and Zine’s whining about untimely receipt of information.
What we need is an elected office of ‘Public Advocate/Inspector General’, backed by a very strong whistle-blower protection law.
Lastly, the City Attorney must cease representing conflicting interests (i.e. the City on the one hand (debtor to the pension plans), and the pension plans on the other (creditor of the City). Same with DWP and the City Council; ditto the other proprietary departments; Housing Authority and the City, etc. You all get the idea. . . .
The public is ill served by the current system. . We lack decent checks and balances because the City Council will not do their jobs in terms of drawing out the information and data needed to make policy decisions; nor will they provide the openness and transparency needed so that the system can be made to work for the people (the broader body politic, as opposed to the special interests or the friends of the politicians). . . .
Noel Weiss
Unfortunately, to a great degree, this political grandstanding does seem to keep politician’s name in circulation. Incompetence doesn’t seem to be all that hurtful when it comes to votes for higher office. But I do agree with Mr. Hatfield in that just exposing the problem is not enough; you have to initiate an action and follow up on it….win, lose or draw.
On the other hand, if we were to hold elections solely on proven qualifications, we’d have a hell of a time finding some one qualified to run a City.
Based on Greuel’s record, she would be an excellent informant and witness, but a lousy cop and prosecutor.
This City needs someone who’s going to do the job at hand and follow through. Not someone who’s setting themselves up for a career in politics.
[…] Most of her audits go no where. She seems more concerned about whether departments take inventory of their paper clips as opposed to implementing prompt action when the stakes are high. […]