I am pretty sure he canceled the program to pressure Council into giving the dept. more money.
I also believe him that they had no idea of how many vouchers would actually be cashed in.
Remember, Barth is part of this and she would not risk hew reputation just to help Boks.
I don't know whether the AGM is an exempt position or at will like Boks. I doubt she would have left a secure civil services position for an at risk position.
Why on earth he did not lay people off I don't understand.
I think he cancelled the program not thinking anyone would really notice..he's stupid. The only notification was the email to the rescue groups that had them and then the "hidden" post that had to be clicked on twice on the LAAS site. If he were up to something, he would have put out one of his famous press releases. It's just laziness and an an inability to think on his part. Never in a million years did he think what is happening now would be happening. Barth will be out with Boks..she'll make a deal to go to another department. Boks will be broke and homeless...Maybe he'll finally understand what the animals who wind up in his shelters feel like...when no one cares.
When Boks goes, Barth will be Acting GM. Council has nothing against her. Remember, she is one of them, a City Lifer. Tony may want to rub our faces in it for another 4 years and keep her on.
Don't underestimate Linda Barth. Most Animal Service employees actually like her. She empathizes with the animals. She has fostered many kittens and adopted a dog from the shelter. Besides being genuinely honest and sincere. Remarkably intelligent, always diplomatic. It's just too bad that Boks overrules her sensibility all the time.
It would be nice if someone who actually knew what they were talking about would say something here. This is all blind speculation about city technical crap.
And what Cardenas, Alarcon and Zine did was show how little they actually understand about what's going on, and what irresponsible budget-busters they are. Whatever you want to say about Boks, the bottom line was that he was the only one saying they shouldn't spend more money on a program than they had available. But the "three mouseketeers" led the charge to do just that.
Zine, Alarcon and Cardenas are responding to three years of boks crap. They are responding to Boks shoot first style of unilaterla decisions that affect the image of the City. They have consistently demanded of him that he go through channels.
I understand Boks was in a difficult situation here, but Christ, after 39 months he stills has no control or accounting over the number of $30 certificates outstanding? he and Barth have no idea what the overun would be 3.5 months hence, even if they canceled the program.
EXACTLY! How can you claim something is "too much" when you have no idea what or where it is? You have no idea of how many vouchers are currently out or how many are used or the rate of increase of use and why? As Zine said, "you study the situation first and then act." It isn't a budget crisis. LAAS has a HUGE budget, the largest in the entire country (except for L.A. County who serves more people and deals with more animals). There is no excuse for this. Not to mention the program pays for itself. Boks is a moron, that is fact not "blind speculation" Ed.
The $30 voucher program has been around since, I believe, 1991. I don't recall ever hearing there were problems with it.
When the mandatory s/n law became enforceable in Oct, of course the demand for the $30 vouchers would increase. DUH!! How could Boks not have figured that would happen? Not only is that poor management, it's downright stupidity! He had FIVE MONTHS to figure there was a problem, yet says it all came to a head in one day? BALONEY!! No wonder why the animal welfare community and City Council members are fed up with him!
As for Boks hinting that there might be some fraud or shenanigans taking place with the vouchers - I'd love an explanation of what that might be.
Boks would have been better served if he had Brenda Van Den Bosch with him at the Council mtg, as she is the one who deals with all the rescue groups that dispense the s/n coupons. I suspect she would have had some valuable input in the discussion - but I also suspect that Boks very much looks down at her as just a clerk. Sad!
Everyone knows some rescuers claim they are the "owners" of animals for which they get vouchers.
And the feral cat people say these cats are "owned" by their volunteers so they can get the coupons. This is probably "good fraud", because the end result is less puppies and kittens to populate the streets and shelters.
But Boks should not even mention fraud if he is not willing to name and quantify the perpetrators.
13 comments:
Council Members Cardenas, Alarcon and Zine, great team work on Item 19!
Brad Jensen
Cypress,CA
No, Boks is not that bold.
I am pretty sure he canceled the program to pressure Council into giving the dept. more money.
I also believe him that they had no idea of how many vouchers would actually be cashed in.
Remember, Barth is part of this and she would not risk hew reputation just to help Boks.
I don't know whether the AGM is an exempt position or at will like Boks. I doubt she would have left a secure civil services position for an at risk position.
Why on earth he did not lay people off I don't understand.
I think he cancelled the program not thinking anyone would really notice..he's stupid. The only notification was the email to the rescue groups that had them and then the "hidden" post that had to be clicked on twice on the LAAS site. If he were up to something, he would have put out one of his famous press releases. It's just laziness and an an inability to think on his part. Never in a million years did he think what is happening now would be happening. Barth will be out with Boks..she'll make a deal to go to another department. Boks will be broke and homeless...Maybe he'll finally understand what the animals who wind up in his shelters feel like...when no one cares.
When Boks goes, Barth will be Acting GM. Council has nothing against her. Remember, she is one of them, a City Lifer. Tony may want to rub our faces in it for another 4 years and keep her on.
Don't underestimate Linda Barth. Most Animal Service employees actually like her. She empathizes with the animals. She has fostered many kittens and adopted a dog from the shelter. Besides being genuinely honest and sincere. Remarkably intelligent, always diplomatic. It's just too bad that Boks overrules her sensibility all the time.
Ed, I think you are wrong. Linda is at much at fault for this as Ed is. Besides the new GM would get rid of her. Linda is a paper pusher only.
"Most Animal Service employees actually like her."
Well that's just plain odd. Didn't the no confidence letter signed by employees name Linda Barth too?
Brad Jensen
Cypress,CA
It would be nice if someone who actually knew what they were talking about would say something here. This is all blind speculation about city technical crap.
And what Cardenas, Alarcon and Zine did was show how little they actually understand about what's going on, and what irresponsible budget-busters they are. Whatever you want to say about Boks, the bottom line was that he was the only one saying they shouldn't spend more money on a program than they had available. But the "three mouseketeers" led the charge to do just that.
Zine, Alarcon and Cardenas are responding to three years of boks crap. They are responding to Boks shoot first style of unilaterla decisions that affect the image of the City. They have consistently demanded of him that he go through channels.
I understand Boks was in a difficult situation here, but Christ, after 39 months he stills has no control or accounting over the number of $30 certificates outstanding? he and Barth have no idea what the overun would be 3.5 months hence, even if they canceled the program.
"the bottom line was that he was the only one saying they shouldn't spend more money on a program than they had available."
I guess I shouldn't have bought the house I'm living in because it cost more money than I had available.
Brad Jensen
Cypress,CA
EXACTLY! How can you claim something is "too much" when you have no idea what or where it is? You have no idea of how many vouchers are currently out or how many are used or the rate of increase of use and why? As Zine said, "you study the situation first and then act." It isn't a budget crisis. LAAS has a HUGE budget, the largest in the entire country (except for L.A. County who serves more people and deals with more animals). There is no excuse for this. Not to mention the program pays for itself. Boks is a moron, that is fact not "blind speculation" Ed.
The $30 voucher program has been around since, I believe, 1991. I don't recall ever hearing there were problems with it.
When the mandatory s/n law became enforceable in Oct, of course the demand for the $30 vouchers would increase. DUH!! How could Boks not have figured that would happen? Not only is that poor management, it's downright stupidity! He had FIVE MONTHS to figure there was a problem, yet says it all came to a head in one day? BALONEY!! No wonder why the animal welfare community and City Council members are fed up with him!
As for Boks hinting that there might be some fraud or shenanigans taking place with the vouchers - I'd love an explanation of what that might be.
Boks would have been better served if he had Brenda Van Den Bosch with him at the Council mtg, as she is the one who deals with all the rescue groups that dispense the s/n coupons. I suspect she would have had some valuable input in the discussion - but I also suspect that Boks very much looks down at her as just a clerk. Sad!
Everyone knows some rescuers claim they are the "owners" of animals for which they get vouchers.
And the feral cat people say these cats are "owned" by their volunteers so they can get the coupons. This is probably "good fraud", because the end result is less puppies and kittens to populate the streets and shelters.
But Boks should not even mention fraud if he is not willing to name and quantify the perpetrators.
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