Bruce Gillman, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation, conceded that the agency had practiced poor record-keeping procedures with its Gold Card program. (Photo by David Crane/Los Angeles Daily News)
More than 40 percent of the parking citations dismissed by City Hall's controversial Gold Card Desk were dropped without explanation, according to a final audit of the program released Thursday.
Used by public officials to challenge parking tickets, the desk came to light in an audit of the Department of Transportation released in May. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ordered the program halted after critics raised questions of preferential treatment. | Related story: Findings publicize 'Gold Card Desk' for city officials to request reviews of parking citations
Following up on her audit, Controller Wendy Greuel subpoenaed documents for the 1,026 citations that were dismissed by the two-member Gold Card Desk. Reviewing hundreds of documents and emails, she determined the Gold Desk dismissed 43 percent of the citations without any explanation.
"There's no comprehensive policy utilized for the dismissal of tickets," said Greuel.
Bruce Gillman a spokesman for the Department of Transportation, conceded that the agency had practiced poor record-keeping procedures.
"We have implemented all of the controller's recommendation," he said.
A review of the tickets, issued
from 2008-2010, show that 75 percent of the requests for dismissal came from the Department of Transportation, and the rest came from City Council and other city offices.In August 2008, for instance, DOT interim General Manager Amir Sedadi asked that 150 tickets be dismissed because of a glitch in a parking kiosk in San Pedro. The tickets apparently weren't dismissed quickly enough, prompting follow-up emails from City Councilwoman Janice Hahn's office.
In another instance, a member of Greuel's own staff used the service. Ben Golombek, who was then Greuel's press secretary, asked the Gold Card desk to dismiss a 2008 citation issued to his mother, who he said was unfairly ticketed while dropping off a rental car. The ticket was tossed out.
On Thursday, Greuel's office called the discovery of Golombek - who now works for a state lawmaker - requesting to use the service "disappointing."
Former Building and Safety Department general manager Andrew Adelman, who resigned in 2009 amid a sex scandal, used the service a handful of times. He successfully challenged some tickets, but wasn't able to fight two parking citations totaling $140.
An email sent by Jimmy Blackman, then chief of staff to Villaraigosa, described being with a friend who received a ticket for parking at a failed meter.
"I can assure you that the meter was in fact broken and he was not trying to avoid paying 50 cents to park," Blackman wrote to Rita Robinson, then the head of DOT. "Normally, I would just have him pay the ticket, especially with our city's fiscal climate, but he is not in the position to do so at this time."
Robinson responded that the city had a "defective stock" of meters, then forwarded the email to the Gold Card Desk, which ultimately dismissed the ticket.
It was unclear if Blackman knew his email would wind up at the Gold Card desk. He declined to comment.
Source: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_18385036?source=rss
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