New DOES Director Had Chauffeured Rides To Work
The new director of Department of Employment Services, Rochelle Webb, had one of her employees chauffeur her to and from her home for her first two months on the job in an apparent violation of District law, records show.
Shortly after the Gray administration began, DOES reassigned Vernon Lindsay, a "support services specialist," to be Webb's driver, according to documents DOES submitted to Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells' office. (Wells had a hearing last week on the city's on various issues related to the city's fleet).
Webb had Lindsay pick her up and drop her off from home during her first two months at DOES. Or in government-speak, Lindsay "transported the Department Director to and from temporary residence and to attend all meetings using DC 5896, a 2007 Chevy Impala. ... This practice was done from January 2011 to February 2011. The Director is no longer being transported from or to place of residence," DOES wrote in response to Wells' written questions.
City law says that no city employee "shall utilize the services of any District government employee for use as a chauffeur from home to work," except with advanced written authorization from the mayor. Wells' office asked DOES for copy of said written authorization for Webb, but DOES didn't provide any. Instead, DOES provided a Jan. 12 duty reassignment form for Lindsay that sure looks like it made him Webb's personal chauffeur. (You can see for yourself below. It's "Exhibit C.")
Neville Waters, a spokesman for DOES, says Webb spent her first two months in the District living—at taxpayer expense—at the W Hotel downtown (he says they had the cheapest rate). Waters says Webb's office is located at Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road NE, and she requested a driver because she had just moved to the District and was unfamiliar with the area. Evidently, she was unfamiliar enough with the area that she didn't realize the DOES office is a block from the Minnesota Avenue station on Metro's Orange Line; a trip from Metro Center or McPherson Square, near the W, would have taken about 20 minutes and cost $2.80. (This post originally said Minnesota Avenue was on the Blue Line.)
Shortly after she found a permanent place to live, Webb was informed that city law prohibited her from being chauffeured to and from home, Waters says. Webb stopped the rides between work and home as soon as she found out.
It's worth noting that Webb's son recently resigned after it became public that he'd landed a city job.
DOES has long been under fire from critics for mismanaging the summer youth jobs program and not providing enough job training programs for residents. When Mayor Vince Gray announced Webb's appointment in December, he said he was tasking her with a "dramatic transformation" of the agency.
Former DOES Director Joe Walsh says he either took Metrorail or the bus to work, depending on which DOES office he was going to. When he first arrived at DOES, Walsh says, there was a long-time staffer who considered himself to be the director's driver. Walsh says every couple of days he would need to be driven to meetings, but would make it a point to have a different staffer assigned to drive him so no one considered their primary job to be his driver. (Walsh did cop to having been driven home one day, when he was really sick and his chief of staff wouldn't let him take the Metro.)
6:58 pm
She was half wrong. The law prohibits rides from home to work, but not from work to home.
7:14 pm
Keep digging, Alan. You've just barely scratched the surface with this one.
7:44 pm
The W Hotel. Cheapest sale room, not full rate of $525/night. By comparison, Grand Hyatt Metro Center $192/night. That better be one hell of a discount. Just to match the Hyatt non-govt rate, it would have to be 63%.
7:47 pm
At sale price rate, we paid $31,500 for her to stay there.
This is the same as renting an apt at $2,500/mo for one full year lease.
7:54 pm
Also, given she was ina hotel, I will be a check will show also paid up for her other living expenses. How much W Hotel priced room service, laundry, etc... My bet is this little shenanigan cost us over $50K all said and done.
7:55 pm
The City Administrator has a driver too.
8:03 pm
Shame on the Gray administration just keeps stacking up!
8:19 pm
Also check what interests hold the W hotel, and what weight they throw around.
8:45 pm
great work Sunderman!
I thought there was a budget deficit. Is the city administrator or anyone in the Gray administration actually going to get serious about government waste?
8:56 pm
Dr Webb spoke at the DC Federation of Citizens Associations (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DCFed/) tonight about the challenges she's facing as DOES begins to analyze SYEP applications and consider more private and public employers. DOES will by hiring summer staff to provide more on-site supervision for SYEPs in their work environments.
She was pretty impressive. Video clips will be posted on YouTube.
9:10 pm
Your TAX DOLLARS at work, SUCKERS!
9:16 pm
First, were there no viable candidates to found in the metro area? If the city paid for her temporary housing, did we pay for her relocation costs, too?
Couldn't she have purchased a GPS, at her own expense? The GPS will tell you exactly where to go and the best way to get there.
9:17 pm
Correction:
First, were there no viable candidates to be found in the metro area? If the city paid for her temporary housing, did we pay for her relocation costs, too?
Couldn't she have purchased a GPS, at her own expense? The GPS will tell you exactly where to go and the best way to get there.
9:34 pm
Nice try, but you should be digging for other dirt.
DOES is an agency that has been in dire need of a clean-up. Dr Webb is just the person to do it. I think her being from outside of DC is going to ultimately work to the advantage of DC residents.
While I'm sure a cheaper hotel could've been found, I totally disagree with the Metro part. When you work late and unpredictable hours (like Webb and many DC gov agency Directors do), Metro isn't always the most reliable or safest source of transportation.
Sure she could take the Metro
10:11 pm
The W hotel??? You gotta be shittin me! I couldnt afford to stay there if I was a top ranked disco star, which is who they cater to. I could see the JW Marriott, but the $500 a night hipster hotel for rock stars?
Maybe its cause Gray loves Sex and the City so much? http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2010/05/w_hotel_in_hoboken_to_hold_sex.html
Their government rate is $300 to $1000 before tax. Holy shit storm!
Bed Type
Room Features
Rate Description
Average Daily Rate Per Room
1 Queen
Wonderful Non-smoking Room, W Signature Bed, Wi-fi Internet For A Fee, Cordless Phone, Entertainment Centre Tv/stereo
Government Rate-id Required Not Valid For Government Contracted Vendors
Terms & Details
USD 282.00
+ charges & taxes
= USD 322.89
Book Now
1 King
Spectacular Non-smoking, W Signature Bed, Wi-fi Internet For A Fee, Cordless Phone, Entertainment Centre Tv/stereo
Government Rate-id Required Not Valid For Government Contracted Vendors
Terms & Details
USD 322.00
+ charges & taxes
= USD 368.69
Book Now
2 Double Beds
Spectacular Non-smoking, W Signature Bed, Wi-fi Internet For A Fee, Cordless Phone, Entertainment Centre Tv/stereo
Government Rate-id Required Not Valid For Government Contracted Vendors
Terms & Details
USD 322.00
+ charges & taxes
= USD 368.69
Book Now
1 King
Wonderful Non-smoking Room, W Signature Bed, Wi-fi Internet For A Fee, Cordless Phone, Entertainment Centre Tv/stereo
Government Id Required At Check In
Terms & Details
USD 979.00
+ charges & taxes
= USD 1,120.96
Book Now
1 King
Spectacular Non-smoking, W Signature Bed, Wi-fi Internet For A Fee, Cordless Phone, Entertainment Centre Tv/stereo
Government Id Required At Check In
Terms & Details
USD 999.00
+ charges & taxes
= USD 1,143.86
Book Now
2 Double Beds
Spectacular Non-smoking, W Signature Bed, Wi-fi Internet For A Fee, Cordless Phone, Entertainment Centre Tv/stereo
Government Id Required At Check In
Terms & Details
USD 999.00
+ charges & taxes
= USD 1,143.86
10:27 pm
Okay, using Petey's numbers, the lowest this can possibly be is $19,373.00 just room. That exceeds Fed allowed rates, so this has to be a direct voucher reimbursement and there goes per diem. Maximum possible, a whopping $68K.
Since we're off per diem, the next question is what additional fees, like hotel laundry (at W rates...even the Mariott charges $7 a shirt), room service, etc...
Oy
11:43 pm
@ Nice Try: Joseph Walsh was from Boston and he did not do such a great job. Not being from the area quite possibly means that you have more to learn about what already exists and what needs to be implemented. It in no way means that you are more qualified or able to produce greater results than someone who is already within the DMV area.
So far, her "mistakes" have cost the residents of the District of Columbia a significant amount of money (the W Hotel, the driver, the relocation costs). Not to mention the fact that her son received a job from the city and then had to resign from the job due to cronyism and nepotism. Just because she is from out of this area does not mean that she is the right person for the job.
12:06 am
David Alpert pulled that same bologna over at GGW once, castigating Barbara Lang at the DCCC for not using Metro. Where do Rapes often happen? Near Metro stations. And who is most likely the victim? A woman! I understand the "man up and use the metro" mantra. I'm a guy myself, and I use the Metro or a bicycle; but I'm not gonna start telling a woman what's best for her.
12:12 am
http://tinyurl.com/46y8gdc
Dr Rochelle Webb Q&A with Federation of Civic Associations. She hold up to hard questions pretty admirably.
1:24 am
Zimbabwe north
8:30 am
First off, companies and governments are allowed to provide for relocation expenses. If I were a Dr. I would not be accepting a job that would not relocate me to another state. Also in pure sensationalist journalism, key information is left out. We don't know what type of discount (rate) the district is given. Yeah the W is expensive as crap for you and me, but what rate is given to the district. That is a key component.
I have also heard Dr. Webb speak and she is on top of her game. She answered tough questions at her confirmation hearing and even got an article of praise from the news paper. http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2011/02/14/marion-barry-lets-hire-men/
I also heard her son got a raw deal as everynews paper said he was qualified and in the hearing led by Councilmember Che, it was stated the resignations were political and not because of some personnel reason.
Let's report all the facts Alan.
8:47 am
One City, on the take. The issue isn't relocation expenses alone, CP Pop. The issue is also with Vince crowing at every campaign stop about the horrible state of the city's finances were in, and how he could keep the city moving forward with Integrity.Character.Leadership.
How do all of these situations look in light of the above campaign promises? We've got $2k/month Navigator Leases, cronyism, some whack job named Sulaimon, the DOES director running up a tab at the W, Cherita Whiting, Lorraine Green, Gerri Mason Hall, etc. It all adds up.
Right or wrong, the perception of many is that Vince has no control over his administration, and that many of the senior level staff are just out to take as much as possible from the city's coffers. Dr. Webb is but the latest example.
9:07 am
CP Pop -- We don't yet know the rate paid at the W, so don't blame Suderman for speculation in the comments. Also, we didn't say why her son was or wasn't appointed or did or didn't resign. (Personally, if my mom or dad were a D.C. government official right now, I wouldn't take any job with the District, even if they suddenly launched a city-run weekly newspaper and wanted an editor, which I'd be qualified for.)
Frederick Douglass -- Your argument seems awfully hypothetical, but there's still no reason anyone couldn't take Metro TO an office that's a block from the station without fearing for their safety.
9:09 am
Rake all I'm saying is, in positions like hers a relocation expense is usually negotiated. That relocation expense can be used to move here and set up room and board until you find a place. It happens all the time in at jobs once you are on that executive level.
Yes, it is tax payer money, but it was probably negotiated in advance with her salary package.
9:23 am
CP POP, no kidding. I've gotten relo packages before, even for short term consulting work. But, I don't work in government (thank god), and don't have to deal with optics like Dr. Webb. I'm sure an amount was provided in advance - she didn't need to stay at the W, didn't need a driver (last I checked it is pretty easy to get a cab) and should have been more aware of the optics involved. Again, this situation just serves to reinforce the perception that Vince doesn't have his own house in order, and his team is looking to take all they can.
Surely you can agree that it doesn't look good. I notice you don't dispute the remainder of my post...
9:32 am
If the reports of Chauffering are true, then Director Webb should be fired. Period.
9:38 am
@Frederick Douglass/#18--just want to call you out, most rapes do not happen near Metro stations, you just made that up. Even saying they often happen there is an exaggeration at best. The vast majority of rapes happen in the home or car of the survivor or the perpetrator. They overwhelmingly do not happen in public places or outside. That is not to say that people are not raped near Metro stations sometimes, but it is FAR from the most common scenario, and I would wager it's somewhere near the bottom.
10:00 am
Well...I know that ignorance of the law is no excuse. And trust me, I am disappointed about a lot the sticky wickets that the Gray Administration has put itself in. But the driver to and from work could be an honest mistake. (INSERT SMIRK HERE). Agency heads are allowed to be driven to meetings outside the offce. So it is not a stretch for the woman to think that it was OK...OR IS IT?. And when she was told it was not ok....she stopped. So she was ignorant of the law...she did not purposefully disobey the law. Right?
But I do a question. Did the Gray Administration send out communiques to all the agency heads about things like this? I know that prior mayors and city administrators would send out internal policy statements about these issues.
SMH at these folks thinking they are in the West Wing.
10:11 am
Who are these people? Where do you fidn these utter idiots?
Dr. Webb, with her Dr. from Univ. of Phoenix.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rochellelwebb
PATHETIC!
10:17 am
She's being confirmed today at 11. Have a problem with it? Contact your Councilmember or stop pissing in the wind.
11:00 AM
Committee on Housing and Workforce Development, Michael A. Brown, Chairperson (Meeting)
Rochelle Webb Director of the Department of Employment Services of the District of Columbia Confirmation Resolution of 2011, PR 19-0022.
Location: Room 120
http://dccouncil.us/calendar
10:18 am
@nice try - Seriously? Senators move here and don't get chauffeured. There is absolutely no reason for her to have a driver in this city. If Bloomberg takes the train, we should all take the damn train. Or drive your damn self.
I hope she is able to fix DOES, but it seems that shes disconnected from reality and her constituents.
10:20 am
I'm pretty sure there is a HR liaison in each agency that is supposed to know about these types of regulations. It's sad that DC government continues to be such a shame. In fairness, I suppose, DC is still pretty young in governing itself.
10:36 am
The W Hotel and a chauffeur??????? What the hell is going on in this city? We are facing a $600 million budget gap, and some city employees and elected officials continue to treat our city like its their own personal piggy bank.
First, don't give me the excuse that an agency director works long hours and thus needs a chauffeured car. I am a corporate attorney in this city, and work until 9 or 10PM most nights, and often on the weekends. Public transportation, bikes, and cabs work just fine. If those don't work for her, she should get a rental car, at her own expense. Companies often provide relocation expenses but not chauffeured cars!
Second, I don't care if the DC government even got the W for $150/night, which seems quite unlikely. The perception is awful. We don't need our public employees "living" at one of the most luxurious hotels in the city.
I am tired of our public employees and officials who feel entitled to certain perks and standards of living, and their enablers.
The tone starts at the top. Mayor Gray should give all the agencies their marching orders. He should immediately institute a zero tolerance policy: no more cars, no more fancy hotels, no more hiring of sons and daughters.
10:39 am
I am under the impression that CM Brown will delay confirmation of her this morning....let's see
10:44 am
With all this mess, it's no wonder that Vince has a 31% approval rating, as a new study indicates (credit to debonis for posting it today)...Fully Loaded is worse, with a 27% approval rating. ONE CITY, Baby!
10:56 am
Well the good thing about Alan's reporting is that it will make it that much harder for any subsequent adminstration to do much of anything they did before 2010.
At least that part is good.
11:11 am
Someone mentioned that Metro wasn't safe and therefore Dr. Webb shouldn't have taken the metro. Now, do we assume that the driver was also a body-guard? How many times did the car/driver go on an errand without the passenger in question, hence was the driver also a personal shopper?
12:03 pm
There seems to be a trend in the last two administrations to negotiate extremely favorable employment packages with persons whose past employment experience does not warrant the high salaries, relocation packages, car and drivers, "golden parachutes," etc. Rhee got one, as did several other Fenty appointees, and the trend has continued.
This is a departure from previous practices, in which salary caps and residency preferences were observed. It is hard to make the argument that in the center of government and politics in the free world, it is necessary or desirable to use these recruiting tools.
Instead, I would be in favor of performance-based bonuses to incentivize reaching the goals set in a performance contract. The amount of the bonus could be set based on the difficulty of achieving the goal. Mayor and Council could agree on the terms, which would be discussed at the Confirmation Hearing. Periodic reports on milestones would be made public. Terms could be modified for good reasons.
All that being said, the use of luxury accommodations and comandeering a staff member as a chauffeur (especially when there are fleet cars available) shows an absence of judgment that should weigh heavily in the decision whether or not to confirm this person.
12:15 pm
@Rake "(last time I checked it was pretty easy to get a cab)".
You obviously are not black, and are you aware that it is extremely difficult to catch a cab in the eastern HALF of the city.
12:27 pm
A. I live on Capitol Hill, so I know about difficulty finding a cab north of Lincoln Park, for example.
B. The doorman at the W will just hail you a cab, I'm guessing whether you are white or black.
Come on - use more brain, less emotions, emotions.
12:40 pm
I'm sure it was a simple error. When they were searching for the hotel, they must have accidentally clicked the 5* and higher (well there isn't a higher, but I digress) button on Orbitz. Then when they saw the $339 a night "deal" at the W versus $449 a night at the Mandarin and $559 at the Willard and $639 a night at the Four Seasons, they knew they had their best deal!
1:07 pm
@Flabbergasted: The incentive bonuses are built into the MSS level of management, of which all agency Directors, Deputy Directors, and middle managment are classified as being under the DC personnel regulations and Executive Orders. Thus, all of your recommendations have been enacted by the Council (I believe during Council Period 14 (between 2000 and 2002)). All of the agency Directors and other management are supposed to receive scaled bonuses to increase salary based on incentive and meeting requisit objectives. If those objectives are not met, then the Directors and other management do not receive the bonuses.
However, I do not currently know whether the Gray administration; or for that matter whether the Fenty administration, followed the law and did not pay the exhorbitant salaries which also permit the Directors and other management to receive incentive based bonuses. It is certainly worth looking into to find out the truth.
1:15 pm
Why do negroes just abandon ALL good sense when they get a little AH-THORAH-TAY?
1:59 pm
Rochelle Webb is an absolute joke. Ever since she got her PhD from the University of Phoenix Online, she makes all staff refer to her as "Dr. Webb"
That's right, we're entrusting a multimillion dollar program to someone who couldn't get a doctorate from anywhere but the University of Phoenix online.
2:09 pm
Whew! Another great scandal to take the focus off my number one client! Thanks, Dr. Webb!
2:29 pm
Time for her to lawyer up w/F. Scott Bolden.
2:32 pm
OMG...Now there are a couple of issues that I have. And I'm LMAC @:
Mike Madden" Frederick Douglass -- Your argument seems awfully hypothetical, but there's still no reason anyone couldn't take Metro TO an office that's a block from the station without fearing for their safety."
and Rake with "last I checked it is pretty easy to get a cab" live on Capitol Hill.... so I know about difficulty finding a cab north of Lincoln Park, for example"
Bahhahahahah! So first no body wants to mention the metro station that she would have to ride on is Minnesota Avenue. So Mike holla at me when you feel secure in walking a block to Minnesota Avenue one block at night.
And Rake....Ummm Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill is no comparsion to Minn Ave in evening.
And yes crim is horrible there let's take a look kiddies:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2011/02/crime-surges-metro-system#
Minn Ave ranks number 10 and rapes seem to be on the rise at metro station.
As for the W...i need to get some more info before making a comment.
3:51 pm
This is an absolute disgrace. She is the Director of the Department of Employment Services. The money the city spent to house her could have been used to assist someone in locating a job or training. I wish Loose Lips would determine where the funding came from to house her at the W hotel. It probably came from a program to assist D.C. residents locate employment and or training. Her son is offered a job in the D.C. government. Were there any qualified D.C. residents for this position of an Outreach Specialist? Again, this is a disgrace to all D.C. residents. It appears that we need to do a better job in selecting individuals. She may have a PH.D, however, it appears she lack common sense
3:51 pm
Seems to me that a rental car or a taxi ride would have been cheaper than having a city employee serve as her driver (with a city vehicle, I'm sure). Why can't the director of a city agency get a cab between a hotel and the office anyway?? Frankly, I agree with those who have said she should have ridden Metro.
I really don't think the D.C. government should pay relocation expenses for ANY employee. It makes sense for the federal government to occasionally do that, but not a local government. Local government should be run by local people.
When will our mayors -- who ALWAYS say they support statehood and yada, yada, yada -- show some faith in the people of D.C. and actually let D.C. residents run their own local government by hiring them for the top jobs?
4:42 pm
WHAT THE FUCK IS THE PROBLEM? YA'LL WOULD HAVE HER CLAIMED SHE STAYED IN THE BSMT OF SOMEONES HOME THAT WOULD CAUSE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST (HARTSTOCK)? OR FAKE LIKE THEY RENTED AN APARTMENT TO CIRCUMVENT RESIDENCY (NICKLES).
YA'LL MOTHER FUCKERS NEED TO STOP MICRO-MANAGING!
WHEN IS SEWERMAN GOING TO START DIGGING THRU GRAHAM, CATANIA, EVANS AND THE PREVIOUS ADMIN TRASH?
6:19 pm
Recall Gray.
7:11 pm
She doesn't have a PhD. According to her profile on linkedin.com, she has a "D.M." (Doctor of Management), which I've never heard of. Forget the fact that she got it at the Univ. of Phoenix and that supposedly she makes her staff refer to her as "Dr." (tacky if that's true)---a D.M. isn't a PhD. But if you have that degree I guess technically you can still refer to yourself as a "doctor". Lawyers have a doctorate too (JD) but it's very uncommon for a lawyers to use Dr. before their name. Ridiculous.
8:26 pm
Umm I have staid at the W on may occasions at a government rate of less than 175 a night...and I have staid as a non government employee for 250 and under, this is DC folks get out from under the rocks you are living in, Hotels here are dam expensive...yall are being idiots on this blog and loses lips once again is blog based on half truths...shame on you...hope you have a clean past Alan and no one gets smart enough to check your stuff out... Lawyers have ESQ.. and a DM is a doctorate, sorry you are so uneducated
8:52 pm
I was referring to a "J.D". "Esq" stands for "esquire", not the degree that practicing lawyers must have in the U.S., which is a Juris Doctorate. Also, I wrote that D.M. is indeed a doctorate so I guess you're not really that great at reading comprehension.
8:54 pm
maybe DC residence should give a crap about themselves and get the education needed to get into those jobs and they wouldn't have to hire people from other states...woman is qualified any way you slice it, I have been doing some digging myself...and by the way, I am a DC resident (ward 6)and I won't ride the metro to Minnesota ave...there is a dang crack house across the street from the DOES building... I have never met ms. webb, but you are dang straight I would make my staff call me "dr." if I spent all that time in school too...I don't care where you get your education from as long as you get it, UOP is an accredited university last time I checked...
9:02 pm
This one is for you Kam:
Doctor of Management (D.M. or D.Mgt.) is an academic degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and research in management.
It is awarded by some American and international universities, and is similar to a PhD degree in management and business-related sciences. To be admitted as a doctoral student, one typically must hold a Master's Degree and pass a comprehensive entrance exam. The student must complete necessary course work, taught examinable courses, perform independent research under supervision of a qualified Doctoral Advisor, and pass a thesis defense. The D. M. may take four years (full time) to complete and has compulsory taught components and coursework/projects....
9:12 pm
Seems like if half of you on these message boards had the education or the work experience you would know this is nothing new for executives. If you get a doctorate in any field, from any school and are a corporate executive, you deserve to get whatever package you negotiated with your company, in this case DC government. And if you use your $$$ to get a room at the W then guess what, you got a room at the W. Stop being jealous people.
I'm sure the hotels in DC give the government a special rate.
Get a grip on reality and realize this paper tries to make you wallow in your own self pity. They focus on the have and have nots but the real issue is getting an education so you can better yourself.
Instead of asking why ask what did this woman do in her life to get ahead. I wish for more educated proud black people like this woman.
And on top of that, she didn't pull a Sulaimon and go crazy. She owned up and notified the council when they asked.
9:13 pm
Kim
People at the agency informed me her expense is paid using funds that were allocated for programs under DOES. Such as Year-round Youth Employment Program, Transitional Employment Program, Apprenticeship Office.
In mean time, she is reducing the number of people each program serving claiming budget shortfall.
Also sources have told me the final bill is over $30,000, they didn't want to tell me the exact figure, since it would be obvious and easy to narrow the source.
I believe under freedom of information act, it will be easy to get the entire payments made.
9:17 pm
I'm a former DOES employee and I'm Salty because I no longer work there. So I am going to spread lies and hurt as many people as I can. The guy I voted for lost so it is my job to attack this administration. The paper has my back too!
9:37 pm
Salty Former Employee
I understand your frustration, but you do not have to spread lies. The damage done in 3 months using tax payer’s money will be exposed soon.
9:49 pm
I really wish I could defend DOES, but I can't. The agency has been in free fall for years, especially in the last administration.
Overspending SYEP budgets by $30 million in one year. Hiring Hartstock in SYEP, Hiring a whole bunch of incompentent folks and SYEP who had no fucking clue how to run the program except pretend they are important, Recinding youth contracts, stopping the DC Fire Cadet/EMS program on and on and on.
Would love to share a story about what really happen on one of the summer contracts a few years back that would really blow the tax payers minds but....
So crying me a fucking river on where the money could have gone. This Agency has been throwing millions of dollars down the drain for years and hasn't taken the time nor cared to take the effort to help those who needed job training, youth year around, in-school, apprenticships, one-stops on and on.
Nobody called out Joshy poo when he was running the train and now everyone was to cry about.
Please!
10:05 pm
Let me also add that Joshy catching "metro" via the NY Ave metro (one of DOES's location) stop isn't the same location as Minn Ave. DOES's other location was 4th and H street N.E. (across the bridge from Union Station).
10:07 pm
Whatever happen in three months can't compare to the shit that happen in four years
http://www.dcfpi.org/testimony-of-ed-lazere-at-the-public-oversight-roundtable-on
"For the past several years, DC’s summer youth employment program has been funded with unsustainable budgets given its number of participants and length of the program. In 2008, the city spent $55 million to employ about 20,000 youth for nine weeks, overspending the approved budget by a whopping $30 million. Last year, the program cost $41 million. Simple math would show that $22.7 million wasn’t going to be enough to pay for the estimated 20,000 youth enrolled this year, even if the program was shortened from nine to six weeks. I understand that the Chief Financial Officer determined that the money for youth salaries ran out after three and a half weeks of the six-week program.
The choice by the Fenty administration to continue to have an open-enrollment policy thus set the Summer Youth Employment Program to run over its budget again. That is unfair to the kids, and unfair to all of us. Honest and accurate budgeting is always important, but it is especially crucial in tight budget times like we’re facing now.
A second concern is that operating such a large Summer Youth Employment Program makes it hard to create a high-quality experience for all participants. As my colleague Martha Ross of Greater Washington Research at Brookings has noted, DC’s large summer jobs program makes it hard to find meaningful placements and creates substantial management and oversight challenges for DOES that end up consuming much of the agency’s energy. The overly large Summer Youth Employment Program consumes a large share of DC’s workforce development resources and makes it hard to fund other services.
A third concern is that the Fenty administration wants to cover the shortfall by using $8.4 million in federal stimulus dollars under the TANF program, funds that the Department of Human Services had planned to help low-income families weather these difficult economic times by providing money for shelter and basic necessities.
By taking TANF stimulus funds to use to cover cost overruns in the Summer Youth Employment Program, the Mayor is placing vulnerable families at further risk."
9:20 am
HA! Ed Lazere. Let me guess, the punchline at the end of your quote from Ed was "and thus we must raise taxes"...
10:13 am
Michelle Rhee, former DCPS Chancellor, had a driver (a DCPS employee) to transport her from home to work and vice versa using a government vehicle. Her driver also picked up her kids from their school and transported them to the DCPS headquarters building after school let out. Why didn't the City Paper bring up this issue when Ms. Rhee was the chancellor?
10:52 am
Can I get my ass driven around town as well, as a TAX PAYER I DEMAND IT!
10:55 am
@ Joe --
You'd have to ask the previous editors and LL writers about that. Most of us started here late last summer.
12:53 pm
@Mike, according to Klopott, Webb's stay was $182 for a period lasting four weeks. The WPost links to this article but questions the WCP claim that it was for 2mos.
Not expecting any sort of clarification or follow-up here. Pretty much like the "exobortitant" salaries we later found were $900 over the cap.
No follow-up to that either. I understand. It's less sexy.
12:55 pm
Oh and the "we weren't here then" excuse is going to get tired and eventually fall on deaf ears.
You ARE here now and your ethics are still being questioned..then as now.
1:59 pm
It isn't too late to ask Rhee and Henderson about the chauffered rides. Henderson's being driven around too. This bullshit needs to stop. Plus it would do her good to walk.
2:45 pm
Well, Klopott reported one thing, the department told Suderman something else. For now, we'll go with what the department told us, not what someone else told someone else. We're not correcting something we got first-hand just on another newspaper's say-so. And besides, we never printed any cost figure at all for the W, and in fact, didn't focus on the hotel in that post. Your fellow commenters were the ones who decided it must have cost whatever they decided it must have cost. Not that I particularly want to be paying $5,000 (if Klopott's story is correct) for anyone in any level of government's housing -- all these people make enough money to pay for their own apartment or hotel.
I'm happy to answer for what we're doing now; not happy to answer for what people did or didn't do early in a different administration. I don't think Michelle Rhee needed a car or driver, either, but whatever fancy thing she's riding around in now isn't being paid for by our tax dollars. Just because Fenty did it, too, doesn't make it any better.
3:04 pm
Whether Dr. Webb knew or not about the laws on chaufferuring allowances for DC Directors to and from home, she stopped it immediately.
But, she must rid the remaining staff of incompetent from Fenty's administration that are still housed at the agency via tax-payers expense.
When it comes down to KKK DUM-ASS Walsh there's simply no comparison to his "misuse of funds, high salary pays to top level hit dog staffers, some gone as three remains like Mcknight, Debarro and Eshauna Smith. As they have no professional understanding of WIA, procurement regulations, Summerworks nor Wick laws but are receiving top salaries.
Did we forget what happened to the Press about Walsh fag friend receiving Summer funding into his BB&T North Carolina account that was imformed to him.
Therefore, do not compare the Corrupted and Disgraceful Walsh to Dr. Rochelle Webb.
Also, CM Wells must find out who authorize the hotel for Dr. Webb and the chauffeur and have them repay this amount.
Tell us, what Legislator stood up and held Walsh cited by the Department of Labor for over 20 citations, who received the role as Director at Employment Services by default and ruined Summerworks 2010.
This fool allowed the Trust to handle the Summerworks proposal that offered $350 dollars per participant modeling itself after New York.
The Trust Corporation developed by the Control Board operates solely from "DC dollars offers." at least continue to offer $700 to S750 per summer enrollee would today be higher than the Agency that started youth training.
Summerworks was the first created in DC under Barry's administration that other states have incorportated. So, to downsize the per participant cost according to New York when this is DC is unheard of.
What's more puzzling is to note when Black professionals perform with errors they're held accountable, but when DUM ASS WHITE/ASIA folk makes countless errors after errors that includes lies they are simply smack on the hand.
One day, this level of double standards is going to change, and this change will not come from continual requests but forced via a host of demands.
Stop playing with our intellect. Hopefully, Walsh parents in Detroit can find his dum ass a job, and he needs to keep his mouth closed forever.
5:20 pm
I supported Gray, but I've been lately very dissapointed in his team. This is disgusting and I also heard that she brought her allies from back home. Good job on this report.
5:24 pm
Mike, you're really too emotionally attached to this. It explains why your responses are usually what they are.
I asked whether WCP would "clarify" or "follow-up." Your response notwithstanding, Alan's recent posting was the sufficient follow-up. So I'm not sure what the heck you're talking about.
And let's not be disingenuous. You've now been here long enough to know which stories will be eaten alive like a rat in a snakepit.
You also didn't post the salaries of the Gray officials who were paid these high salaries. You wrote story after story about the story of the story. And no, you didn't provide salaries. But the tidbits you did were enough to create the environment where people believed Gray was paying his people waaaaaaaay above the salary cap. Then we later found out that the waaaaaay above cap was actually $900.
Again NO, you didn't put forth the idea but as a journalist, your reporting was 100% instrumental in creating the meme.
Call me pie in the sky, but journalists should take responsibility for the environments they help create. I also don't want to pay relocation expenses for top officials. But, that's why they are top officials and across the board in business, these costs are included in their packages.
5:27 pm
Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck believe they have ZERO responsibility for the corrosive environments they help create too.
Go figure.
7:07 pm
Hey Steve, so what if she brought people from another state. What fairy tale world do you live in where a company has to hire all it's employees from the town it's located in?
Who is she supposed to bring with her? Enemies???
Obviously you don't know how a business works. Ideally you would want the best people you could find, whether they be local or from a national search.
Sometimes I wonder about some of the people that respond to these posts, like because you're not a native Washingtonian you can't perform a job.
Under your logic the POTUS should be from DC and every other fed job should be held by a DC native.
9:21 pm
Sorry, but shouldn't the head of DOES be familiar with the law as it pertains to inappropriate use of DC employees? I'm sure whatever state/local government she is coming from also prohibits the use of a government employee as a chauffeur. Is she just here to rubber stamp or is she here to drive real change within that agency? I'm just saying...
10:47 am
@Steve...thank you and Gregg Irish did the same thing when he ran DOES. He was recruited from San Diego by Anthony Williams. Whenever a Director has come from out of state and worked in the District they have brought their team of folks...who they know...who they have worked with.
@hotmess...Few recently hired employees DC employees at any level are familiar with District Laws. Her background is employment and training.
I’m willing to give her chance and see what changes she does for this agency which is in desperate need of upgrading. The last Director sat on his ass and accomplished nothing.
8:37 pm
The stories about requiring staff to call her Dr. Webb are true...I work for DESERT in Arizona where she came from....and she'd get owned if you didn't...in fact it's Dr. Rochelle L. Webb and DO NOT forget the Dr.!! She also used tio have employees drive her to the airport, meetings, conferences (nothing as bad as driving her to/from home...that I knew of) but we have a light rail she could have easily taken to the airport, and my point about being driven to meetings...she always made other people drive her...like she's too good tio do something as menial as drive. Proud black woman my ass! She is an egotistical bitch who thinks shes better than everyone. And the staff she brought with her...Denise Blackman is an idiot! The other two are intelligent women....especially Jessica Gonzales.
1:00 pm
Ms. Webb was no better during her time with AZ. I'm not the least bit surprised. The article failed to mention all her cronies she gave jobs, too. But that's what we do in America, if someone screws up lets promote them out. Next week she'll be Governor. Like Janet Napalotano she couldn't secure AZ border and now she's in charge of homeland security. WTF, people?