SoCal Connected Investigates The Price of Power(union head: taxpayers' feeling irrelevant)

News Blaze ^ | 03/12/10

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Published: March 12, 2010

SoCal Connected Investigates The Price of Power

New Episode Airs Thursday, March 18 AT 8:00 PM

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In the middle of the worst budget crisis in Los Angeles history, one department is thriving without mandatory job cuts, furlough days or loss of the perks they've come to enjoy. In fact, thanks to a new contract approved by the L.A. City Council in December, most of its already well-paid workers will get salary increases over the next five years. Which department is it? It's the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) and this week SoCal Connected Anchor Val Zavala looks into how the DWP stays immune from L.A.'s fiscal problems.

In a rare sit-down interview, Brian D'Arcy, powerful head of the IBEW Local 18 (the union representing 9 out of ten DWP workers) defends the deal, saying the higher salaries paid DWP workers are merely the price of attracting talent in a competitive job sector. Confronted with the complaints of angry ratepayers, he responds that "...generally how they feel is not relevant."

And if you're expecting a different view from the management side, you'll be disappointed. DWP Interim General Manager S. David Freeman echoes D'Arcy, arguing that DWP actually keeps its costs lower than privately-owned southland utilities such as PG&E and Edison. But that may be cold comfort to customers. According to a former DWP commissioner, some L.A. residents should soon expect their utility bill to exceed their monthly mortgage. Find out what's driving up utility costs and who's in the driver's seat at the LADWP, in "The Price of Power," this Thursday, March 18 at 8:00 p.m.

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P!

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Insanity.

L.A. to Shut Down City Departments in Budget Crisis; IBEW Local 18 Head: "How Taxpayers Feel Is Not Relevant"