iePolitics: Once Again–Andrew and HSS Administration

Geez, does it never end in this county?  We’ve been harping on hostile work environment around here for how long now?  Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) management incompetence?  The stupidity of Service First when interpreted by Linda Haugen and her band of dumb-ass managers?  The lack of education of TAD managers costing taxpayers?

Let’s see.  I even met with Fourth District Deputy Chief of Staff Joy Chadwick over the fact that we are paying TAD directors $100,000-plus a year, they manage millions and millions of dollars in taxpayer money, and they don’t even have to have a high school diploma.  What did she do?  Nothing.  I mentioned the same to Assistant County Administrative Officer Dean Arabatzis and he chastised me for suggesting there might be something wrong with it.  And Human Resources Director Andrew Lamberto will do anything a pair of legs wants him to do, especially those belonging to one Ms. Haugen.

So, it should be no surprise that TAD managers do really stupid things.  After all, they are stupid.  Or perhaps ignorant is a better term.

A few days ago iePolitics posted a question about a rumor circulating that a TAD manager had been demoted to a EWIII position.  Well, the rumor is true.  Guess what she did among other things? Continue reading

iePolitics: Sometimes Timecard Fraud Is Okay and Sometimes It Is Not

Well, justice administered disparately apparently is the theme de jure, or in this case, the theme de soir, and it remains alive and well in San Bernardino County.  Former San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office employee and Rancho Cucamonga councilman Rex Gutierrez appeared in court today for his preliminary hearing.  This desperado required the combined lawyering skills of six deputy district attorneys and two deputy attorneys general.

What crimes could have garnered such a showing of prosecutorial might?  Certainly Gutierrez must have executed a cross-country rampage leaving death and destruction at every turn.   “Right?” you ask. Continue reading

iePolitics: Andrew Lamberto and Ruth Stringer Strike Again

In what has been an ongoing discussion on this blog about the incompetence and unethical practices of San Bernardino County Human Resources Director Andrew Lamberto and County Counsel Ruth Stringer, we now find out just how unscrupulous both are.  Added into the mix this time is the reported collusion with said scoundrels by Board of Supervisors Chairman Gary Ovitt and his Chief of Staff, Mark Kirk, Supervisor Paul Biane and others, and we can only conclude that the level of corruption in the upper echelons of county government has reached a new high.

Last August, at the insistence of Third District Supervisor Neil Derry, Lamberto initiated an investigation into allegations of hostile work environment by District Attorney Michael Ramos aimed at investigative technician Cheryl Ristow.  Ristow admitted a previous 17-month sexual affair with Ramos, who had told her during the affair how he had fallen in love with her and claimed he was divorcing his wife, Gretchen. However, once Ristow realized that Ramos was lying about his feelings for her and his status with his wife, Ristow ended the relationship.

Ramos continued to pursue Ristow, even to the point that when Ristow was facing possible breast cancer surgery, Ramos asked to have one more encounter with her before her breast might be damaged or removed during the surgery.  Ramos continued to pursue Ristow as will be shown in an updated article tomorrow.  Ristow has said from the beginning all she ever wanted out of this is for Ramos to admit the affair and apologize for lying to and about her.   It seems Ramos cannot tell the truth.  Despite that fact and although the investigators seem to have ignored the evidence, tomorrow we will provide evidence in Ramos’ own handwriting to show what he has done. Continue reading

Help Keep the Inland Valley Accounted For

People of the Inland Valley you have a mission entrusted by the voters of California to help draw the district lines after the Census of 2010. All it takes is visiting the official Citizens Redistricting Commission website and finishing your application by February 12th of this year.  There are some exclusions for membership on this panel such as if you donated an excessive amount of money, if you are an elected office holder or ran for office in the last ten years, if you are an immediate family member of a candidate or office holder that would exclude you as well. Also this panel wants voters who voted in the last 2 out of 3 general elections and you have needed to hold your partisan affiliation for the last 5 years. Continue reading