Two assemblymen have urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to immediately name a new Employment Development Department boss so the new leader can start fixing severe problems besetting the state's unemployment insurance program.
From delays in handing out benefit checks to jobless Californians to technology projects plagued by multi-million dollar cost overruns and years of delays, the problems in EDD's unemployment insurance program require the immediate attention of a new boss, Democrat Jose Solorio and Independent Juan Arambula said in a letter to Schwarzenegger.
"First and foremost, we call on you to act swiftly in appointing a new EDD director," the lawmakers wrote in a joint letter to the governor that was delivered late Monday.
"We believe the lack of leadership at EDD significantly contributes to the department's difficulties and poor program performance," their letter added.
"Further, the absence of a director means there is no one to hold accountable, and this is unjustifiable to hard working Californians and their employers who pay taxes to support the benefits and programs EDD is supposed to administer," the two men wrote.
EDD's last director, Patrick Henning, retired in late 2009, signing off with a bizarre Haiku-like farewell greeting that suggested he was happy to be out of the hot seat.
Henning's chair has remained vacant for five weeks since then.
The Governor's office said it's trying to find a new recruit for EDD's top job.
"The governor is committed to filling the position and is currently working with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to find a qualified candidate to serve as director of the department," Schwarzenegger spokesman Mike Naple said.
Solorio chairs the Assembly insurance committee, while Arambula chairs the Assembly budget subcommittee on state administration.
In their letter to the governor, the lawmakers expressed concern that the department to does not appear to have an effective plan that meets the needs of unemployed workers, saying EDD's performance has been "terrible" during the economic recession.
Both men grilled senior EDD managers at a recent hearing over how the department is failing to properly manage costs and deadlines of major technology projects, and they revisited that theme in their letter to Schwarzenegger.
"EDD has not demonstrated an ability to manage a set of complex technology projects necessary to meet the long term needs of the state's unemployed," they wrote. "Technology projects are running significantly over original cost estimates, and in some cases are nearly six years behind schedule."
The lawmakers said they consider EDD's problems severe and vowed to hold more oversight hearings through the year. They have also requested the Joint Legislative Audit Commitee to launch an audit of the UI program.
The legislators said they will propose legislation that would require adding staff to EDD unemployment centers who can answer questions and help the jobless "rather than refer directing them to a telephone system which is currently incapable of handling high volumes of calls."
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