LA Union BOS2COPE Questionaire
List of Questions
Briefly describe your work background.
My formal work experience started with General Motors Assembly Plant in Van Nuys, CA. I worked there approximately two years prior to joining the LAPD. During my tenure at this job I was a dues paying member of the United Auto Workers Union.
My public administration or leadership experience spans (4) four decades while working for the City of Los Angeles. My career started as a recruit officer for the Los Angeles Police Department in 1965. I worked my way up through the ranks to become the 54th Chief of Police in the history of the City of Los Angeles in 1997. During my tenure within the police department I held assignments in every aspect of administration, supervision and management holding commands as the Commanding Officer of 77th Street Area, Personnel & Training Bureau, Special Services Bureau, Headquarters Bureau, Central Bureau, the Office of Operations and the Bureau of Special Investigations prior to becoming the Chief of Police and commanding a workforce of over 12,000 personnel. During my tenure within the police department I supported my practical experience with educational accomplishments with a Associates of Arts Degree from Los Angeles City College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Management from Pepperdine University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from U.S.C. along with several thousand hours of in-service and continuing education opportunities.
I have developed and implemented numerous programs, both internally and externally, which has benefited the public. The redesign & reorganization of the Department with specific emphasis on the Department’s Juvenile Function, the Discipline Process, Directed Response to crime (FASTRAC), expansion of the number of police facilities , implementation of Community Forums, creation of Community Foundations to generate additional funds for needs and safety equipment, renaming of police areas stations to emphasize the community’s role, Basic Car Plan Realignment with the Ideal Basic Car Concept, Creation of the Office of the Ombudofficer, Chief Duty Officer Program expansion, Defined the ‘State of Community Policing”, revised Retaliation, Anti -Discrimination , Alternative Dispute Resolution and Hate Crime Policies, Implemented Command Accountability, created Risk Management Division, Created the Rampart Corruption Task Force which developed the Rampart Board of Inquiry Report, Strategic plans for the Y2K and the Democratic National Convention , linked the Department’s Vision, Mission and Core Values. Theses are just a few of the most significant changes.
After leaving the LAPD in May 2002, I was elected to the Los Angeles City Council, 8th District in March 2003. I am currently in my second term.
Briefly describe your educational background.
I graduated from St Patrick’s Grade School & St. John Vianney High School.
I have a Associates of Arts Degree from Los Angeles City College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Management from Pepperdine University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from U.S.C. along with several thousand hours of in-service and continuing education training.
To what fraternal, professional, civic or social organizations do you belong?
I am a Life time member of the National Organization of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) & the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
I am a current member of both the California and the National League of Cities. I participate as a board member of both the Southern California Association of Governments
(SCAG) & Metro Transportation Authority (MTA).
Briefly describe your position on Proposition 75 & 76. What, if any, work did you do in connection with these propositions?
I publically opposed both Propositions 75 & 76 and voted against them. ( See Council File #s 05-0002-S136 & 05-002-S169 Attached)
I did not agree with the stated position of Prop 75 which prohibited using public employee union dues for political contributions without individual employees' prior consent. It excluded contributions benefiting charities or employees and requires unions to maintain and, upon request, report member political contributions to Fair Political Practices Commission.
This in my view was an unfair intrusion on the operations of the unions.
I did not agree with the ‘Live Within Our Means Act” as it changed the minimum school funding & allowed suspension of mandated funding requirements, weaken school public financing, limited state funding to prior year funding levels, shifted school funding & tax relief to budget reserve. I opposed as this proposition would impose harsh cuts on both counties and cities.
Please describe your work with union members in any previous positions.
I have worked with unions throughout my tenure with LAPD. Since 1970 when I first became a supervisor I investigated grievances and personnel complaints that impacted LAPD personnel. I have also, used the services of the union for my own personal grievances and personnel investigations against me. As I promoted within the police department my assignments caused me to have a more of a role in the budget, contract negotiations, grievance settlement and personnel matters.
During, my 38 year tenure on the police department I worked closely with the janitor for justice movement, private security officer issue, a variety of strike occurrences in the City of Los Angeles (longshoremen, MTA, LAUSD, student etc).
As the Chief of Police I created several methods and means for employees to resolve their concerns e.g. Ombudofficer, Chief Duty Officer Program expansion, revised Retaliation Procedures, Anti -Discrimination Policies, Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedures, Implementation of Command Accountability Processes, doubled the size of the Department’s Psychologist Staff and created the Risk Management Division.
Briefly describe your vision for the County of Los Angeles.
My vision for Los Angeles County, which I have been a resident and employee for all of my life, is that it provides a safe & healthy environment for families to grow and be educated, employed, secure affordable housing and transportation.
As the Second District Supervisor, my top policy priorities will include public safety and youth development which includes prevention, intervention and education strategies to deter the flow of youth into gangs and other anti-social behavior.
Concentration on human services delivery, for all ages, that provide both mental and physical health care, and in the near term, the reopening of MLK as a full-service hospital, foster care and stronger and more visible elements of the child support enforcement systems.
Economic development, smart growth with emphasis on the centralization and concentration of jobs, transportation and housing along corridors and in planned neighborhoods.
Equitable distribution within the District of the local share of federal funding, state bond funding, regional and local transportation funds. Emphasis on the county gaining its full share of revenues owed and implementation of full cost recovery for services where appropriate.
My top priority for the County is public safety. These efforts include the retention and expansion of state and federal funding levels for the County’s physical and mental health efforts, foster care, child support and welfare programs, the protection against further state encroachment of the County’s share of sales and property taxes, youth development, gang prevention, intervention and suppression in unincorporated areas, equitable receipt of state bond funding and the pre-funding of the County’s retiree health care obligations.
The pursuit of most priorities requires cooperative relationships and in some cases joint efforts with the nine municipalities in the District; maintaining those relationships is a priority as well.
Please state if you would support or oppose the following positions: |
Support |
Oppose |
Employer providing health insurance to their employees and families |
Support-it is a “Right not a Privilege” |
|
Adjusting the California minimum wage to keep pace with cost of living increases |
Support-COLA |
|
Requiring all employers granted a public contract to pay a living wage to workers |
Support-Living Wage in contracts, RFP’S etc |
|
Project Labor Agreements (Pals) for construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities as a component of all publicly-funded construction projects |
Support-This should be Required |
|
The contracting-out of services currently provided by government |
|
General Oppose-* See additional comment below |
Conducting public hearings to access the full cost and quality comparisons connected with the privatization of public services |
Support-*See additional comment below |
|
The right of all workers to organize and participate in union activities without any interference. |
Support-all legal |
|
I have found in my 40 years of government service that privatization should be considered in only rare circumstances primarily when a unique expertise is needed and it is unavailable in the governmental employee pool or the civil service system is unable to attract the needed experience and/or expertise needed for the long term benefit of the workforce or if the government has a short term labor intensive project that would make it non-feasible to hire employees to complete such a specific short term project. Even when a prior decision has been made to privatize it is the responsibility of government to reevaluate and assess that prior decision each time a renewal, rebid or extension of the privatized service is being considered.
I believe that the County’s contracting criteria should go beyond just the sole criteria of “cost effectiveness”. In the City of Los Angeles Charter Section 1022 requires an independent evaluation of both the “economic and the feasibility” of outside contracting. Criteria examined are cost, required expertise, length of time to complete the job, comparative analysis of hiring v. contracting. Then if the final decision is to contract out the “request for proposal” or “request for information” should contain required standards such as “living wage “, vacation and health benefits to ensure that contracted employees are receiving a decent wage with appropriate accompanying benefits. I believe the County ordinance should mirror the Contractor Responsibility ordinance of the City of Los Angeles and I will personally work towards that end
