ANTI-TERROR FUNDS WASTED L.A. COUNTY PROGRAM HIT FOR BUYING $600 CHAIRS, OTHER DECISIONS.Byline: TROY ANDERSON Staff Writer Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County's bioterrorism preparedness program has made considerable progress since 2001, but bureaucratic and political obstacles and wasteful spending remain, a national panel of experts said in a report released Monday. One recent audit found that of more than $100 million in bioterrorism grants since 2002, more than $200,000 was spent on promotional flashlights, magnets and notepads and the hiring of 800 extras from a casting agency to conduct a smallpox exercise. The actors were given gift certificates and some of the promotional items. Auditors also questioned why the county purchased 70 chairs costing $600 each and 800 computers for 171 bioterrorism employees. ``We want to ensure that taxpayer dollars allocated for disaster preparations are used for disaster preparations and not for trinkets,'' said Tony Bell, spokesman for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San , who requested the audit. In the report by the national panel, the authors said the county's public health system has a long-standing reputation as one of the top local public health agencies in the nation, due in great part to the leadership of Public Health Director Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding. ``Unlike many other jurisdictions that have suffered from high turnover and `burnout Burnout Depletion of a tax shelter's benefits. In the context of mortgage backed securities it refers to the percentage of the pool that has prepaid their mortgage. ,' LACPH's senior management team was a cohesive group that understood the challenges posed by a natural or man-made infectious disease Infectious disease A pathological condition spread among biological species. Infectious diseases, although varied in their effects, are always associated with viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites and aberrant proteins known as prions. incident and was forthright with the shortcomings A shortcoming is a character flaw. Shortcomings may also be:
The authors, including terrorism experts from the Rand think tank, the Trust for America's Health Trust for America's Health (TFAH) is a Washington, D.C.-based health policy organization. The organization's website calls the group "a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention and the Hauer Group, also said they were disappointed about the progress in developing communication plans for the county's minority and non-English speaking populations. ``There are areas we need to improve upon and I think everybody is aware of those issues,'' said Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security Noun 1. Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Department of Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States Maurice Suh Maurice Suh, former Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security and Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles, is an American attorney. Suh was born on October 14, 1964 in Bronxville. , who has been working with the county on bioterrorism preparations. ``We wholeheartedly whole·heart·ed adj. Marked by unconditional commitment, unstinting devotion, or unreserved enthusiasm: wholehearted approval. whole embrace developing communication plans for non-English speaking populations.'' The authors were also critical of the county's bureaucratic hiring process, which has slowed the hiring of bioterrorism experts. As the county prepares to open it's $15 million state-of-the-art public health laboratory in Downey this summer, Public Health Chief of Operations Fred Schunhoff said he's having a very difficult time filling about 50 bioterrorism vacancies. The audit found the cost of the lab is $6.1 million over what was originally budgeted and 22 months behind schedule. The national panel also found that although the county's political leadership supports bioterrorism preparedness, the Board of Supervisors have not always ensured that adequate resources are available and there are no ``clear lines of authority and oversight of preparedness-supported staff.'' Bob Stern, director of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, said the county's bioterrorism program faces difficult political obstacles because no one is in charge of ensuring the county is prepared. ``Part of the problem is Los Angeles County has no strong, one leader,'' Stern said. ``It has five supervisors, each of whom are equal. So it's hard to blame anybody.'' Supervisor Don Knabe, a member of the White House State and Local Officials Commission on Homeland Security, said he would like to give Fielding more power to oversee bioterrorism and other public health preparations by separating his office from the Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
The supervisors expect to get a comprehensive report on the issue in a few weeks and decide whether to break the two agencies up. ``Dr. Fielding would become the point person for bioterrorism preparations or any pandemic pandemic /pan·dem·ic/ (pan-dem´ik) 1. a widespread epidemic of a disease. 2. widely epidemic. pan·dem·ic adj. Epidemic over a wide geographic area. n. outbreaks of any kind,'' Knabe said. ``Funds wouldn't get comingled. It's not only an accountability issue, but now it's a preparedness issue for all of the county.'' troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com (213) 974-8985 |
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