The Mayor's Gang Plans Lacks 'Vision,' Controller Report Finds

"There is no strategic plan or vision which could result in an ineffective use of resources over the long-term," City Controller Laura Chick wrote in her summary findings released today (.pdf) on the city's strategy for fighting gang violence. A year ago she recommended (.pdf) that there be "a single point of accountability... a centralized, empowered entity--directly under the Mayor--" to oversee the millions of dollars being spent. But "a majority of these dollars are still strewn throughout City departments," which means there's "a risk that the City will continue to have disjointed programs resulting in duplicated services and an inefficient process," she wrote.

However, Chick gives the mayor credit for building a solid framework in a year's time, but notes that the "house has yet to be built." And just as important as vision and framework, the plan also lacks the all-so-important evaluation standards for services contracted outside of the Mayor's office. How can you know you're spending money wisely if you're not keeping tabs?

Even the LA Times, in their endorsement of him for mayor, took a pot shot at the plan: "Worthy initiatives such as the one to effectively guide and oversee the city's gang programs cannot be evaluated without the test of time, yet are still trumpeted as outstanding successes."