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Friday, April 26, 2013

THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE - AND THE ROLE OF ONE RHONDA SIMMONS.

Our City and County of San Francisco - wastes millions on some FAKE workforce programs. Make no bones about it.

Our City's Office of  Economic and Workforce Development (OWED) needs much to be desired.

Again and again audits - reveal more money goes to pay - those salaries linked to inept folks - who purport to know some - but know nothing - when it comes to workforce development.

Economic Development is other case - that will be dealt another time. There is a time for everything - but today it is WorkForce - its progress and the lack of it - and that is the case.

I have met and tried to work with the former Directors - more Jesse Blout and Michael Cohen.

Then came Jennifer Matz and I did not have much to do with her - she jumped ship but tried to do some good.

Now we have Joaquin Torres - and he will have many hurdles to encounter and his work will be very - difficult.

I have monitored each and everyone of these shenanigans - when City Build was first started and it failed miserably.

The many One Stop centers - and many meetings were held at City Hall.

People pretending to do something - but producing less - and always failing the needy, those that have never been given good opportunities; aspiring San Franciscan.

It never gets better it always keep getting worse.

Why does this City and County of San Francisco - keep wasting money - pouring good money after bad money - when it comes to City Build and the many fake work force programs - all over San Francisco and more in the Bayview.

One of those charlatans we imported from Oregon - who has no personality - talks in a rough voice - Rhonda Simmons. Outsiders mostly - taking control of our training programs. Most of them do not live in San Francisco. And we permit this nonsense - right under our nose. Who is in charge of all the on going shenanigans?

I remember some 7 or 8 years ago - may be longer - sitting in some office around a small round table - at City Hall in the Office of the Economic Development and Work Force - Michael Cohen was in charge.

Accompanying me at this meeting - Rudy Corpus, Mitchel Salazar, and John Nauer -  talking to this woman who had just come from Oregon - my gut feeling told me - something is wrong with this woman.

This woman can tell you a story - constantly moving from one idea to another idea - but never being articulate - and never, ever having a clear picture of the situation at hand - focusing on a little here - a little there - a mind confused and more her personality.

At a recent meeting at City Hall when Supervisor David Campos asked this woman Rhonda Simmons - a question.

She said she had some material that she could read, but -  the print was fine and she had forgotten her eye glasses!

When some other Supervisors grilled her and said that Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) - did have a meeting in District 6 - but there was NO real outreach.

Rhonda was surprised and suggested another woman present - could better answer the questions at hand.

Rhonda Simmons the woman in charge of the program - who has been wasting our tax payers money - had to defer to a White woman to tell us - more lies.

At the helm of affairs - is this one woman Rhonda Simmons who was brought here from Oregon - and someone told me some years ago - 7 or 8 years ago - at last - may be we San Franciscans could see - some little light at the end of the tunnel. That has not happened.

Guess what - it has got from bad to worse. Whatever Rhonda Simmons touches - turns to utter - crap.

I have testified again and again - that this woman - is NOT in touch with reality - and has no personality - that can garner progress and bring about solutions. She does not know much about real work force and I have spoken to her - and she still does not get it.

Rhonda you need to move out of the kitchen and should have a long time ago - you say from your talk that it is hot in the kitchen - well, move out and get out.

This entire TechSF is to hoodwink the public. Has been hoodwinking the public for all the time it has created this circus of sorts.

If anyone who really wants a good job - follows this process - most of those candidates - are left holding the bag.

Some time ago a young Black man with a degree - decided to try Bay Area Video Coalition (BVAV ) after reading their advertisement that promised the world.

Not to be confused with Baycat - as Malia Cohen thought it was - open her mouth - put her foot - and some told her the difference between the two, entities.

This graduate Black man - goes to an office at the Western Addition and fills out an application With BAVC.

Once filled -  this application affords him access to some centers  complete with an Identification Card - that records each and every time anyone visits a center. 

So if you visit five centers - each of these visits are record - and there is no way of telling that - this visit is the same person - or  different people.

The folks getting paid fall back on these statistics - to show - how well they perform - in what they deliver as drab services.

What a charade!

Again the young Black man was told to fill out a resume. He filled out a resume and gets the same information he got - this time by email - to do the same thing he did when he first went to the office at Western Addition.

BAVC keeps harping that they work with various Tech Companies.

Invite young folks to join in  meetings - rubbing shoulders with tech savvy NERDS - socializing with some NERDS.

These gimmick and ploys - defy sound explanation and creates a dark cloud about these so called Tech Companies - that have not helped San Francisco and San Franciscans and more our disadvantaged youth.

TechSF brags it can provide career paths linked to Information Technology career paths:

 * Networking and Security

 * Desktop and Tech Support

 * Programming

 * Digital Multimedia

Any audit done linked to the millions of tax payers money spent - will reveal - most of the money goes towards salaries and paper work - administrative expenses.

Less to prepare our youth, young adults, and anyone who truly visits with good intentions - to get vocational training - and a career job.

You are told to go to City College to take free classes. Do you know if you are a San Franciscan - the classes are free.

The little counseling given is general - and does not help any one too  much.

No one truly helps you with your resume - and if you do not have skills - what can you put on your resume.

The many Tech companies - want a higher level of skills.

For those of you who want to go through the rigors of trying out the shenanigans. Here are some contacts:

Dov Golodner - Bay Area Video Coaliation - 2727 Mariposa Street - techsf@bavc.org

Patty Leeper - Bay Area Video Coalition - 2727 Mariposa Street - techsf@bavc.org

Tameko Jones, MSW -YearUP - 210 Spear Street - tjonessfb@yearup.org     415.512.7588 ext 3507

Brittany Janis - BAYCAT - 2415 Third Street, Suite 230
Brittany

STEPS TO PARTICIPATE IN TECHSF

 1. Fill out online application at: http://bavc.org/fuse
 2. Within 5 business days you will receive an email requesting a
     resume, examples of your work (when applicable) and a   
     reminder of your assignments.
 3. Once reviewed, within 5 business days you will be contacted to
     schedule a short phone interview to check on you assignments
     and determine your job readiness qualifications.
4. Following review, within 5 business days, you will receive 
    notification either requesting additional information, referring
    you to other support services or preliminary acceptance into
    TechSF.
5. With preliminary acceptance: You will be instructed to come to
    BAVC to provide verification of your age, residency and to sign
    a goals statement.

Our youth, especially those that have NOT been given opportunities by our City and County of San Francisco are now being taken for a joy ride.

Witness the number of weeks it days for anyone - including some one who is a graduate - to have anything meaningful happen. 

Now imagine among our youth and young adults - both women and men - who has the patience as one experiences all the difficulties of life - transportation, lack of money, lack of money to have lunch, lack of real and meaningful support - since you are on your own - the number of levels and trips one has to go through - the loops and the circles - just to get to the - fountain.

Mayor Ed Lee must get to the bottom of  this nonsense.

Have someone who know the practical side of Workforce like Mohammed Nuru at his side.

I can provide the victims of this charade. Not everyone was taken for a ride by the above ploys and machinations - but most were.

In the mean time Rhonda Simmons is enjoying a large salary, tons of benefits.

All amenities this City offers - at tax payers' expense. This only happens when we have NO accountability and less transparency.

This and the other so called ploys involved with high TechSF - most of it fluff - with no career jobs offered to San Franciscans. 

http://www.workforcedevelopmentsf.org/trainingprograms

TechSf Minimum Qualifications

 * 18 years of age or older
 * Ability to work in the United States
 * Possess a High School Diploma or General Education Diploma
 * Selective Service Registration (for males as required)
 * The program has a particular focus or serving individuals who
    are long-term unemployed and underemployed for more than
    6 months (27 weeks).

Our City has lost its mind. Training is best given by the many UNIONS - who must step up and do what they are supposed to do.

We hire these good for nothing individuals - who cannot articulate - pretend they are doing something - linked to Work Force.

More with Federal and State grants. We give them all the freedoms that are given decent, hard working people - who have the ability to deliver - but; in this case these folks are - full of it.

The best way to find out about the programs is for a full audit to be done.

If the audit reveals what I know - which is pathetic - those that are now running the drab, inept Work Force must be sent - packing. Time to clean house - once and for all.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you Francisco, your only mistake in this is assuming it is racial - trust me, the sheer ineptitude and neglect by these people spans EVERY race and ethnic group. It is ASTOUNDING that after all this time NO ONE is holding them accountable. And where is all that Workforce money going?

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