Speaker Emeritus Karen Bass shadowed ER children's social workers Patricia Frazier and Aiyana Davis at the DCFS Wateridge office April 6. Bass accompanied them as a part of the SEIU 721 "Walk a Day in My Shoes" program on two investigations of allegations of abuse.

SEIU Walk a Day in My Shoes program was created to ensure decision makers have hands on experience to better inform their decisions and help them stand up for working families and quality public services.

Social workers responded to an immediate referral concerning allegations of neglect of a seven-year-old, but when they arrived neither the child nor the mother was home nor were any of the neighbors. "Today we were running around a lot trying to find clients, which happens a lot. I do think Speaker Bass got a little idea of some of the things we go through, but I wish she would have opportunity to actually see what it's like to interview parents about different allegations and see the different concerns we see when we visit families," Aiyana said.

Bass, who is running for congress, said: "I learned how challenging the job is and it also reinforced the fact that different policies and additional resources are needed. I really admire and respect the work that the social workers do and I am very clear that I need to work on public policy and I could not do the work that they do."

Bass currently represents the 47th assembly district and is the speaker emeritus. She is running to succeed retiring U.S. Congresswoman Diane Watson in California's 33rd congressional district.

"We need to pay attention to the system and we need to provide all the resources that we can so that social workers can do their job of keeping children safe."

"I really enjoyed the company of speaker Karen Bass and I think she is compassionate for social workers and I just hope that when she moves on and wins congress that she does not forget the plight of the social worker."
What's Next?
The SEIU 721 Walk a Day program gives elected officials and their staff an up-close look at the hard work we do to keep children and families safe. Currently we are taking candidates for local, statewide and federal offices to experience public service firsthand.

All 41 members of the newly democratically elected SEIU 721 Executive Board Members were sworn in by SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger on April 21, 2010. The executive board is charged with governing SEIU 721 consistent with the bylaws that members voted upon last fall.

"...It's been a long road to get us here and I look forward to working with each of you on behalf of our members..." Bob Schoonover, SEIU Local 721 President. 

LA County's budget plan released on April 19 includes cuts to public health, libraries and public safety but also keeps core services mostly intact. That's in part because of hard work by LA County employees.

Last year, 55,000 employees represented by SEIU Local 721 negotiated contracts that recognized the hard times, protected family health care and will Build a Better LA County by giving workers a voice in making government more efficient and effective for residents.

This year LA County employees are working to preserve funding from the state. Because LA County is mostly funded by state and federal budgets, cuts proposed by Gov. Schwarzenegger could lead to more service reductions for families, hospitals and neighborhoods.

"We came into bargaining with a slogan of building a better LA County, and we meant it. LA County is in better shape than some areas because we got ahead of the problem. But this year is still going to be tough for employees and our clients. We're trying to lay a strong foundation for recovery, not cut programs even more."
- Linda Dent, SEIU 721 Vice President and Intermediate Clerk, Registrar-Recorder

 

School districts have to open their budgets to the public. So do cities and counties. Now annual, independent audits may soon be the norm for California's multi-billion-dollar court system too.

Today a key legislative committee voted 9-0 for AB 2521, which will require independent audits of the Administrative Office of the Courts and local trial courts. The audits could flag mistakes before they are made, prevent abuse of funds and allow public debate about court spending priorities before court employees are laid off and courthouses closed to the public.

The committee also approved AB 1749, which creates whistleblower protections for AOC and court employees.

"Court employees and the public need to have confidence in the court system," said LA County Court Reporter Arnella Sims, who spoke before the committee vote. "There is a need for accountability and transparency regarding the precious finances of the judicial branch."

Why does accountability matter?

With open books and budgets, Los Angeles courts might not have laid off 329 people and closed courtrooms due to budget cuts. An independent audit of the Administrative Office of the Courts could have revealed reserve funds available to prevent these layoffs and court closures. And audits could help prevent more layoffs in the future.

San Mateo court administrators overlooked a $4 million deficit leading to dozens of layoffs and increasing backlogs that delay justice for crime victims and others who count on our courts. An independent audit could have found this mistake in time to prevent the layoffs.

"Without sensible, outside audits of the courts, mistakes can have serious consequences for families like mine," said San Mateo court worker Annette Ruiz Vides.

The Administrative Office of the Courts has spent nearly $2 billion on a computer system and costs have grown more than 35% without public oversight, according to the Daily Journal newspaper.

The Judicial Council called California courts' deficits "staggering" and said that available reserves should be used to keep courts functioning. But the report did not detail what funds were available.

Court closures, layoffs, lines, and backlogs.

California's trial courts are in sorry shape, and the public has suffered, but many believe this could have been prevented - if only the public and the legislature had known about all the available funds in our statewide court system.

Why didn't we know?

Because the administrative body that oversees courts, the Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) - unbelievably -- falls outside the jurisdiction of California's basic rules of good governance, including independent audit and financial oversight requirements.

It's time to change that and make sure that the AOC can't hide the ball anymore. Courts are for the public. Our tax dollars and fees fund them. It's time for the AOC and trial courts to receive rigorous, independent audits.

What you can do:

SEIU court employees are supporting AB 2521, which will require AOC and court audits. AB 2521 will be heard in committee on Tuesday, April 20.

To spread the word, share our video with your friends, along with a note about why you want more transparency and accountability in our court system.

March was social worker month and to celebrate social workers in several offices throughout Los Angeles, Riverside and Ventura counties nominated their peers to honor the critical work social workers do for children, families and elders in Southern California.

Here are some of the photos:

By John Tanner
SEIU 721 Executive Director

Note: This blog post ran as an op-ed in the Daily Journal, one of California's leading legal newspapers, on Tuesday, April 6.

There's a bona-fide budget crisis hitting California's courts and Los Angeles' packed courthouses. Courtrooms are already closed one day a month, and that has backed up cases and limited access to justice for small businesses, families and the public at large.

Over the next three years, as much as 30 percent of the Los Angeles Superior Court system could shut down unless the state's funding priorities shift.

That's the picture court employees and officials, law enforcement, family advocates and many judges have been painting for more than a year.
 
Now even the Judicial Council finally is saying what the rest of us have known. A report released March 30 by the state courts' governing body said without immediate help the cuts to local courts will be "staggering."

"Courts will require additional funding to be able to avoid significant reductions in operations, including potentially substantial staff reductions and furloughs over the next three years," the report states.
 
Just last month, the cash-strapped Los Angeles Superior Court laid off 329 employees, cut document-processing services and shut down services for the public like the traffic-citation call center that assisted 2,000 people each month. Revenue generating services such as traffic and civil cases have been compromised. Justice is further delayed for families, crime victims and the 100,000 people who use Los Angeles courts every day.

Court employees and officials are asking the Judicial Council immediately to free up money, cancel this layoff and restore services to the public.