CalTRANS workers watching soccer on taxpayer time
Normally, I would cheer government workers wasting my tax dollars by goofing off. I wish IRS, Franchise Tax Board, numerous bureaucrats and others would spend all their working time — yes, even when earning pay, perks and pensions at my expense — goldbricking.
Then at least they would leave me alone.
But some workers actually provide a service I use, such as CalTRANS, which builds and maintains roads. Yet here’s what CBS Los Angeles found:
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — It looks like a scene from a local sports bar: groups of men watching the World Cup on TV, cheering with every play on the big screen.
But CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein reports undercover cameras found some of these men could be scoring your taxpayer dollars during working hours, sometimes for hours at a time, in the restaurant at Caltrans headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.
The restaurant is privately owned, catering not only to Caltrans employees
but also to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, which is in the building at 100 South Main St. It is also open to the public.
They recently put out a flyer telling “everyone to enjoy watching your favorite World Cup soccer games” — and as Goldstein reports, hidden cameras show many did.
In fact, Goldstein’s cameras caught dozens of people watching games during normal business hours, all while possibly earning your taxpayer money.
It wasn’t just the USA games, where even Mayor Eric Garcetti played hookey from work; crowds were also seen watching games featuring Cameroon, Germany, Iran and Belgium, among others, Goldstein learned.
Many spectators came with their Caltrans badges clipped to their waists, and while some stayed just for lunch around noon, others took time out of their workday to watch the 9 a.m. game and the noon game, a doubleheader on the taxpayer time.
So, what should be done? Investigate and punish the perps?
No: Privatize the roads. All of them. Private-sector companies — Apple, Google, Intel, etc. — do everything better than the government sector. Can you imagine government designing a smart phone?
So let’s get the government out of the roads — and out of our lives.
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John, I was invited to visit a 911 emergency center that was built in Long Beach back in the late 1990’s, right across from the airport on Spring street. I arrived a little bit early, checked in and then thought I would take a self guided tour. On the first level I observed cars passing through intersections all over Long Beach, with different stations observing different intersections and the continuous squawk of people announcing which vehicles were BOLO and which were being driven by known felons. On the second level each office had a $10,000 desk with a FF or a LE officer’s feet plopped on top watching everything from Sesame Street to CD’s of UFC fights. Ten offices, ten lazy men, talking to friends about nothing over the land line. You should see what goes on at most fire stations, the vast majority of time is spent dozing for dollars. 🙂
You should see what goes on at most fire stations, the vast majority of time is spent dozing for dollars,
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Lol!!!! Yes donkey that’s what goes on most of the time. Don’t forget we watch tv all day, BBQ, play checkers, surf the web, blah,blah,blah. I’ll let you keep believing that so it keeps you bitter and angry all the time but when you really want to know then I guess I will see you visit a fire station for some education or just ask me. Till then, stay bitter my friend!!!
Not “bitter” at all Ntheoc, I just dislike thieves, with FF’s and LE being the biggest crooks of all. Though I have to admit, the average LE officer actually works a lot harder than anyone in the FF cabal. 🙂
firefighters credo: “eat ’till you’re tired, then sleep ’till you’re hungry”
Bagdad Donkey whoppering it up as usual…..how can one doomer has so many bad life experiences with public servants?
Suspicious-
How can one bitter poster have so many bad life experiences associating with public servants?
Suspicious-
Disturbing.
Pick an office at random, city, county, state, and make a call. See what happens. Do it a hundred times and take notes. If you reach someone live 25% of the time I would be very surprised. Donkey has a right to vent. My example is just a little thing about contacting public servants and has nothing to do with an honest analysis about what kind of real value citizens get for what they pay (in the “public servant” area). In the first instance, how do you feel about the fire guy up above who is vehement toward Donkey? Do you think this guy should retire at an amount greater than what he makes when actually working? It happens all the time. The system has been rigged, usually by unions. It is breaking the back, so soon we’ll make up the diff in California by paying for each mile we drive, to be checked by black boxes in our cars? R U sh–ing me! There are public servants and there are public servants, but that huge quantities of them are generally overpaid for precious little measurable work, and even less accountability to the public, is probably a very light diplomatic appraisal. Also, we can’t afford the present set up for all of our extraordinarily well paid civic workers. Also, no single public servant is indispensable. So, why do we treat all of them collectively as if they might be? Why shouldn’t citizens be concerned that things have grown to Baby Huey proportions and that some adjustments should be made! Once again, we can’t afford this kind of pie in the sky generosity. That our administrative state (our gold plated nanny state) is always right and immune from criticism is absurd on the surface — really dense. Of course citizens should be concerned. Things are waaaay out of whack. Donkey is venting and he has every right to, even if you don’t like the way he does it.
I’m in tears Ken, I usually don’t get so choked up, but thanks!! 🙂
Ken, Is that cherry or grape Kool aid your drinking?
Ken says,
Why shouldn’t citizens be concerned that things have grown to Baby Huey proportions and that some adjustments should be made –
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Adjustments have been made ken, and really no adjustments were needed but it was the generosity of public employees who made them so how about a simple Thank you! As it always does the economy has rebounded full steam ahead so lets sit back and watch how the private sector big business greed can be able to bring it down again. And again they will point the finger at teachers,cops,firefighters,nurses,etc! I find your comments repulsive ken!!!
RAGWUS feeders hate hearing the truth Ntheoc, I am in no way surprised that you are “Repulsed” by the truth. 🙂
Bagdad Duncey!
I worked for the City of San Diego on contract about 10 years ago and used to observe, EVERY DAY, in the morning and afternoon, city employees on city time sitting around playing banjo, guitar and harmonica. They had a little band, you see, and were practicing for their gigs on the weekend. Metropolitan wastewater, and the music was completely unrelated to their actual ‘jobs’…..New work and projects were always greeted with a wail: “we’re swamped!” and “we don’t have the resources!” You guys really are ‘FEEDERS’ and it’s not long now ’till Atlas shrugs……
Now there is a man that has been in the trenches and seen the truth. How about this one: “I have a report to do!!,” typical RAGWUSeze. 🙂
More like “Atlas Whined.”
Skdog, have you fragged a two year old lately? 🙂
Franchot tone says,
I worked for the City of San Diego on contract
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Wow, it’s nice to get those govt contracts with a guaranteed big pay day huh Fran?? I bet you were the low bidder who did Sh!tty work and had no pride!
Hit the bed you RAGWUS feeding troll!! 🙂
labor unions in the government and public sector are a big problem
Across countries, cultures, centuries….govt work is considered a joke. There are exceptions, but most are screwups, lazy and good at escaping work. Unfortunately, many of them feel entitled to something for little, I.e promotions for having “worked” for 30 years to feather the retirement nest. Parasitic slime, leeches: They are the most admirable traits.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
The misinformation is epic!
See some new Bagdad Bobs have joined CWD. Welcome and thanks for making fools of yourselves!
We appreciate your service-
Ahaul, you and your RAGWUS pals are the only fools posting on CWD. The game is coming to an end, but you can continue lying to yourself. 🙂
Nice to see “cyrano” sticking his big nose into the morass created by the Tres Pendejos over the years. Apparently he’s never read any of the work by Max Weber and doesn’t understand the changes in government management that have taken place over the centuries. Typical doomer nonsense, leavened by Donkey’s daily random unhinged rants.
Skdog, like a vampire hiding in the shadows. Stealing is a crime, just because you and the RAGWUS has legalized your scheme it is still a moral crime. Fragged a two year old lately hero? 🙂
Duncey–
Is your son a gov worker “criminal” too??
LMAO hypocrite
TCS, you are very stupid, my Son does not work for the California RAGWUS cabal, he busts your types for corruption, you know, Lee, Rizzo. 🙂