Action or no action

"Dear Rumblings Team,

After reading the posts on the Rumblings in ITA blog, it is pretty obvious that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction with the current crop of political appointees. The terms "management" or "leadership" don't appear to apply in this case. What can be done to improve the situation?

There are three possible paths before us: 1. Nothing changes, 2. Randi and Ken step up and lead the department and 3. Randi and Ken leave the department to be replaced by unknown persons. From the reactions noted on Rumblings, it does not appear that Randi or Ken are likely to change their modus operandi on their own initiative, making the first path the most likely path. For the second path to be taken, there must be some driving force to cause the changes. It is not likely that this blog is sufficient to cause the required change. The third path will be taken when the driving force from the previous path is applied and Randi or Ken refuse to change, seeking career opportunities elsewhere.

Clearly, there is a desire among the rank and file in ITA to bring about change for the better. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand how politics works in Los Angeles, and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that our voices can be heard. Not simply posting our grievances on Rumblings, but by using the same mechanisms that drive the elected leadership of our fair City to bring about the changes needed so that the rank and file can do their jobs efficiently, effectively and without fear of coercion, retaliation or the corrupt effects of inappropriate influence from self serving contractors and vendors.

How can this be done? The strategy is to influence our Mayor and select Council members through lobbying and financial support. The Mayor will run for re-election next year, and needs about $1 Million to keep his job. By combining efforts, we can get the attention of the Mayor and Council. This is completely legal, ethical and unstoppable. Unless Randi or Ken has made some sort of egregious error, it is unlikely that either will be fired outright. But probing questions concerning their effectiveness can make their lives difficult, so difficult that they will either change (unlikely) or seek employment elsewhere (remember John Hwang, Jesse Juarros and Liza Lowrey???). We have three avenues to do this:

1. Contact our various union leadership and ask them to visit the Mayor and select Council members. We need to detail the dubious deeds of Randi and Ken to the unions so they can ask the Mayor and Council members to investigate. If they don't want to pursue the matter, the Union can remind them that their endorsement, and cash, can be directed to their opponents come election time. The down side of this is that the unions may not feel that our little department is worth spending their political capital to support. The up side is the anonymity by using the union business representatives as our advocate.

2. Each of us can contribute up to $1,000 to the Mayor's re-election campaign and $500 to a Council member's campaign. Strings attached. We can also contribute to the campaigns of the respective opponents. The down side is that there is no anonymity, your name will be known. The up side is that Randi or Ken can not prove that you did anything more than support a candidate for office, something both of them do.

3. We form a Political Action Committee (PAC) with the stated objective of promoting effective policies and legislation related to the use of technology in Los Angeles government. We contribute our own money, and seek contribution from our industry partners, especially those who have been shut out by the improper influence over Randi and Ken. The PAC then puts its weight, which could be significant, behind the effort to remove Randi and Ken, and to persuade the Mayor and Council to adopt good IT policies. The down side is that there may not be anonymity for contributors. The up side is that we can bring in much more money (equals influence) to bring about the changes we need.

The choice is clear, you can cry about being called a coward or you can show Ms. Levin and Mr. Simmons that we have picked up the gauntlet. Game on!

Please feel free to respond to LATechnologyPAC@gmail.com"

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