iePolitics: Earth to Neil!

Supervisor Derry,

I just received your press release regarding fingerprinting of Foodstamp recipients in San Bernardino County.  Although I agree that Foodstamp (and honestly all welfare recipients) should be fingerprinted, you are NEVER going to do anything about welfare fraud in this county unless you first rid this county of Linda Haugen and Nancy Swanson.

I know you don’t want to hear it, but welfare fraud cannot be caught if workers are disciplined for making fraud referrals.  I know from first-hand experience.  I also know from first-hand experience that county welfare statistics are falsified by said Haugen and Swanson.  Larry Walker wanted to bring in external auditors to audit the department when we provided hard-core proof but the CAO put a stop to it.  With the falsified statistics, the county gets more welfare funding which makes for more money that can be wasted on big screen TVs and the like and a bigger empire which means a promotion for those at the top.

Continue reading

iePolitics: If it means anything at all, it is still too little, too late

Well we hear that San Bernardino County Transitional Deputy Director Michael de la Rosa got passed over for the Assistant Director position, a job everyone thought was created just for him.  Now this may very well have something to do with the documentation I was sent.  I haven’t been able to get it scanned in, but will.

Anyway, the winner of the Linda Haugen brown-nosing contest this time around is no other than Diana Alexander.  ESP employees know her as the PERC manager or by her moniker “teeth.”  She is known best for her ass kissing abilities and her phony sickenly sweet disposition.  She was also a favorite of Mark Uffer, which says a lot.  I’m told Diana started her career as an Eligibility Worker for TAD, so I guess we should have seen this coming.

Continue reading

iePolitics: Here is my question for the PIU

California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10850(a) reads:

Except as otherwise provided in this section, all applications and records concerning any individual made or kept by any public officer or agency in connection with the administration of any provision of this code relating to any form of public social services for which grants-in-aid are received by this state from the United States government shall be confidential, and shall not be open to examination for any purpose not directly connected with the administration of that program, or any investigation, prosecution, or criminal or civil proceeding conducted in connection with the administration of any such program. The disclosure of any information that identifies by name or address any applicant for or recipient of these grants-in-aid to any committee or legislative body is prohibited, except as provided in subdivision (b).

 

California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10850(d) reads:

Any person, including every public officer and employee, who knowingly secures or possesses, other than in the course of official duty, an official list or a list compiled from official sources, published or disclosed in violation of this section, of persons who have applied for or who have been granted any form of public social services for which state or federal funds are made available to the counties is guilty of a misdemeanor.

So when the county of San Bernardino, aka Linda Haugen, Michael de la Rosa and Nancy Swanson, enacted a program where every employee would be checked against the welfare data base to determine if they or anyone in their household was connected with a welfare case anywhere, why were they not prosecuted?  It would seem those involved with cross-referencing employees and the welfare data base would be guilty of maybe 1000 misdemeanor counts or more.

Are one, two or all three sleeping with Mikey?  What is the story here?  This seems like a clear-cut case of selective prosecution not to mention civil rights violations and more.  These are real crimes and should be prosecuted as such.  What gives?

iePolitics: Guess what Board of Supervisors: Another “I told you so”

Linda Haugan

Well this is the day for exposing corruption . . . or for the guilty to face the music.  Today a case we have been talking about for over a year here at iePolitics finally made it to mainstream media and it doesn’t even involve cops.

Two former county welfare workers have been indicted, having stolen over $500,000 combined.  Of course the Linda Haugen’s and Nancy Swanson’s of HSS said we were full of crap.  Well members of the Board of Supervisors, I told you so!  And if you would conduct an audit of HSS departments you would find tens of millions of dollars in fraud and corruption, much of which is purpetrated by Linda Haugen and Nancy Swanson themselves.

Continue reading

iePolitics: Where’s Michael?

It’s been months since we heard that a position was being created for our favorite used car salesman MDLR.  In our economy, the county thought it wise to add yet another layer to TAD bureacracy by creating the position of Assistant Director at a salary of $107, 744 to $137,987.  These are the requirements:

The ideal background for this position consists of a combination of experience, which should include at least three years of progressively responsible administrative or management experience within a large social service organization to include responsibility for multiple programs and directing a significant number of staff through subordinate supervisors, and education which is commensurate with the responsibilities of this position.

The ideal candidate will be an organized results-oriented manager who has a commitment to customer service, along with excellent interpersonal skills, being a team player and creating a positive and fair work environment.  In addition, this person must be able to embrace new ideas and effectively implement them in order to help customers achieve self-sufficiency.

Note:  There are no minimum education requirements. In other words, the position was created for Michael de la Rosa.  All of us except those who run HSS understand that completing MLA and reading the liner notes of the latest book on business strategy does not replace an MBA.

Continue reading

iePolitics: Here’s Lucy!!

We finally found her!  We wondered what happened to her after her promotion.  She suddenly was no longer employed by the county.  Here is the memo announcing her promotion:

Well this is embarrassing! Not for us but for the idiot who runs TAD. You see, Ms. Swanson, who belittles ESP employees who are required to have more education than Swanson and her band of ignoramuses, didn’t bother to check Lucy’s claims of being a college graduate.   Why should she?  She is of such low-level intelligence herself, she would not be able to tell the difference between a college graduate  and a high school drop out.

Continue reading

iePolitics: Employees run amuck at Workforce Development

Well we see that nothing has changed under County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux or his new Economic Development Agency chief.  We have written extensively over the years about the problems with lax accounting and falsified statistics with job developers and job placement specialists.

Not long ago the positions were all reclassified, with some employees being given large raises.  That has done little to promote productivity or integrity.  Very high-placed sources tell us that, if anything, things have gotten worse.

Continue reading

iePolitics: I should have thought of this myself!

I heard back from the Feds on the TAD issue and I so totally should have thought of this.  EVERYONE whose name, social security number or address may be in the CIV system because you, a family member, someone living in your home, a second parent/former significant other, etc., has received cash aid, food stamps, Medi-Cal, IHSS, child care, foster care, or certain adoptions, any time in the past ten years needs to call the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing at 1-800-884-1684 and file a complaint.  They will set up an appointment for an investigative interview in San Bernardino for about two months from now—that’s how backed up they are.  This is a critical step in the process of suing the county. It must be completed and must be done timely.

Continue reading

iePolitics: TAD Management Violating Civil Rights of Employees and Clients

TAD management, aka Nancy Swanson and Linda Haugen, is at it again.  Now there is a big surprise.  They are violating the civil rights of both clients and employees.

Let’s say, for instance, 10 years ago you were an18-year-old unmarried woman who could not care for your newborn and allowed it to go into the foster care system.  The baby qualified for AFDC/TANF.  Even though you eventually relinquished your parental rights, you will forever be linked to that child in the C-IV system.

Continue reading

iePolitics: Is Greg Devereaux’s Impending Arrival Being Felt in TAD

So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.

Peter Drucker

Interesting changes are being made in San Bernardino County’s Transitional Assistance Department’s (TAD) management structure.  Unless Assistant Administrative Officer Linda Haugen and TAD Director Nancy Swanson are even more stupid than we already know, they have to be very nervous about the new head honcho in town, County Administrative Officer (CAO) Greg Devereaux.  Linda Haugen was able to . . . um “charm” . . . her way out of trouble with former CAO Mark Uffer but those who have worked with Devereaux say he cannot be “persuaded” by the same means.  We know that neither Linda nor Nancy are capable of producing anything resembling a well-thought-out and intelligent work product, so they have a lot to worry about.

Before being devoured by TAD, the Jobs and Employment Services Department (JESD) was considered one of the best departments to work for in the county.  Employment Services Specialist positions were highly sought after.  The department was known for treating its employees and the public very well.  It had a positive work environment for employees and did an awesome job of helping the less fortunate in our community. Continue reading

iePolitics: Devereaux showing who’s boss or exhibiting strong leadership capabilities?

“Cautiously optimistic” and “nervous” are two of the phrases I have heard repeatedly about San Bernardino County’s new head honcho, County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux.  Even before assuming office, Devereaux has ended a decades-long policy of 9-80s for county management, a move that makes line staff very nervous as many depend on “flex time” to survive in these hard economic times.  But it is also a sign that Devereaux is not going to be afraid to lead.

After six years of despot leadership by former County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer and his band of thugs, it is easy to understand why line staff are wary of our new leader.  I’ve been asked my opinion repeatedly by everyone from the lowest level employee to managers to newspaper reporters.  Here is my standard response:

Seeing Devereaux’s close, personal relationship with the Fourth District makes me nervous on a personal level, especially when considering what the Fourth District recently did to me.  That being said, I have two friends who are long-term city of Ontario employees who have nothing but respect for Devereaux.  They are rank-and-file and are allowed to work 9-80s.  Ontario employees, most of whom are represented by San Bernardino County Public Employees Association, have the best contracts of any governmental agency in San Bernardino County.

From what I hear from those that know Devereaux, he is tough but also fair.  I also hear he will not take the crap from county managers that Uffer not only tolerated, but encouraged.   He will not play the games Uffer played and will not tolerate bad managers.  Unlike Uffer, he is consistently described as a ‘professional.’ Continue reading

iePolitics: More on Welfare Fraud Investigator Situation

Just to keep everyone updated as I have lost most phone numbers and emails, we are still trying to get a date set for a meeting.  I’ve also been discussing the situation with newspaper reporters and we have some interest.  They understand that if anyone is willing to go on the record it will have to be those that have been forced to resign or retire as current fraud investigators will face loss of their jobs.

The reporters I’ve spoken to so far seem incredulous that the classification has been so decimated and the reason for it.  Everyone knows welfare fraud is rampant in this county and getting worse. Continue reading