Today, the Sacramento Bee’s Dan Walters, dean of the state’s political reporters, released a brief video commentary on the State Auditor’s review of Judicial Council/AOC spending. He lays out in direct language that what the Alliance has been saying for years is correct: The bureaucracy is bloated, its employees are overpaid, and the Judicial Council has failed to do its job. For those of you with problematic browsers, a transcript of his remarks follows.
As the Governor releases his budget and members of the Legislature begin the task of making decisions on how judicial dollars should be spent, our message is clear: Without significant and systemic reform, the AOC will continue to siphon off the dollars we desperately need to keep our local courts running. At a minimum, and until the statutory or constitutional changes necessary for real reform can be enacted, we call on our sister branches of government to bypass the Judicial Council and its bloated bureaucracy and directly appropriate branch dollars to the local courts. That is one way in which we can be assured that those dollars are being prudently spent.
Directors, Alliance of California Judges
Transcription of Dan Walters video, 1/9/15
For years, a group called the Alliance of California Judges was a kind of a “judicial rebel” against the state bureaucracy in San Francisco—the state judicial bureaucracy—accusing that bureaucracy of being bloated and overpaid and maladroit, and just not able to do a good job of managing the courts. And the rebels were dismissed, and they were belittled, and they were just dished all the way around.
But the State Auditor this week released a report that basically confirmed that everything that group had been saying about the state judicial bureaucracy is absolutely true.
It is bloated. It is overpaid. It has been mismanaged at things. And, the state Judicial Council, which is supposed to oversee that bureaucracy, has failed to do its job.
Now, nobody knows what’s going to happen now, whether the bureaucracy will reform itself, and whether more money will flow into the trial courts and less be spent on the bureaucracy over in San Francisco. We don’t know whether the Governor or the Legislature will step in—there is this thing called judicial independence and separation of powers. The status quo doesn’t work.
It’s wrong.
The Alliance is right.
Things are messed up.
Things ought to change.
Judicial Council Watcher 
unionman575
January 12, 2015
More nice work JCW.
😉
unionman575
January 12, 2015
Keep on truckin’ Dan Walters. Nice!
😉
sharonkramer
January 12, 2015
What does the rest of this article say?
“Jerry Brown is proposing a healthy bump in judicial branch, saying the chief justice has a handle on the branch’s spending and management problems.”
Read more: http://www.therecorder.com/id=1202714637045/Court-Officials-Catch-Governor-at-a-Good-Time#ixzz3OcPCi5Se
California Coalition for Families and Children
January 12, 2015
Reblogged this on California Coalition for Families and Children, PBC.
Wendy Darling
January 12, 2015
Telling the truth is not an act of rebellion, Perhaps Dan Walters has finally figured this out.
Long live the ACJ.
wearyant
January 12, 2015
Well said, Wendy Darling. Thanks for reminding us all of that.
unionman575
January 12, 2015
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/27410051?trk=jserp_job_details_company_logo
Design and Construction Project Manager III (3948)
Judicial Council of California – Burbank
Job description
JOB TITLE: Design and Construction Project Manager III
LOCATION: Burbank, CA
JOB OPENING: 3948
OVERVIEW
The project manager classification in design and construction performs all duties associated with the design and construction of judicial branch facilities.
The project manager III is expected to manage multiple major capital projects of the largest size and complexity and related complex assignments. While there are no formal supervisory responsibilities for this class or position, the project manager III is an experienced project manager with extensive education, training and background in planning, and design and construction of building projects. The candidate will have been, and will be, responsible for retaining and directing professional consultants and contractors and for directly managing and facilitating interactions among diverse, multiple internal and external team members. The project manager is skilled in all technical and managerial aspects of planning, managing design, and delivering construction of major capital building projects.
RESPONSIBILITIES
• Direct the tasks and organize the people/consultants necessary for the evolution and delivery of a building project.
• Conduct regular meetings for oversight of project performance and progress. Participates in the preparation of feasibility studies and reports.
• Performs review of design and construction documents for conformance with the project program and California Trial Court Facilities Standards Provides information or instructions regarding unique features of particular projects, code requirements, or architectural standards.
• Verify the construction progress by reviewing detailed construction schedules and monitor consultant team performance (CM@Risk or G.C. and their subcontractors, architect and their consultants, commissioning authority, and other related consultants).
• Visit construction site regularly for construction observation and attend frequent meetings such as Owner-Architect-Contractor meetings, pre-construction meetings, issues related meetings, commissioning, etc.
• Coordinate transition from construction to ownership/occupancy through document submittal review, training schedule, and close communication with Judicial Council – Facilities Management Unit and Superior Court.
• Review project budgets from initial planning through construction and project closeout.
• Perform fee negotiation with all consultants to insure compliance with project budget and conformity to industry fees; review and recommend for management final approval of additional services fees and scope changes.
• Review all potential change orders to determine appropriate cost basis and for compliance with the construction agreement.
• Oversee the work progress of these consultants through required submittals and frequent meetings.
• Direct the selection process for architects, construction firms, and other consultants.
• Collaborate with the Superior Court regularly to ensure their participation in decisions and operational information required throughout the evolution of the project.
• Team leader in certain technical assignments, such as sustainable or seismic design.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
Attends monthly staff meetings; attends training for professional development; attends Judicial Council training as required; participates in local, regional or national professional conferences, speaks about courthouse topics.
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualifications
Graduation with Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college with a degree in architecture, engineering, or other appropriate discipline. Seven years of professional experience as a project manager in charge of planning, design, and construction. The required experience needs to include the successful completion of at least one significant building assignment.
OR
Two years as a Design and Construction Project Manager II with the judicial branch.
Desirable Qualifications
The successful candidate will have the ability to:
• Provide technical review and advice tactfully and effectively;
• Provide sustained attention to complex plans and specifications and edit the work of others;
• Write clear, concise reports and technical descriptions;
• Plan, manage, and deliver multiple projects;
• Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical deadlines;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships;
• Evaluate the work of consultants, contractors, and others;
• Employ computer applications to collect, analyze and communicate information; and
• Use tact and discretion in dealing with those contacted in the course of the work.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated knowledge of:
• Principles and standard practices of architecture, engineering, construction and familiarity with state and local codes pertaining to judicial branch facilities;
• The integration of functional and technical requirements related to buildings and building systems including operational comparisons;
• The relationship of architectural design to the other engineering features of building, including cost and operation comparisons; and
• 10 years of related Project Management experience.
In addition, a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Construction Management, Engineering, or related business major with three years’ experience in managing and directing building maintenance construction and renovation projects, or an Associate’s degree in Construction Management or a related business major with five years’ experience in managing and directing building construction and renovation projects or 10 (ten) years’ experience in managing and directing building construction and renovation projects is desirable.
In each case where the minimum and desirable qualifications have been met by commensurate experience, consideration will be given as to the exact nature of the work performed as verified by former supervisors, clients, consultants and/or peers.
OTHER
Please Note: If you are selected for hire, verification of employment eligibility or authorization to work in the United States will be required.
HOW TO APPLY
To ensure consideration of your application for the earliest round of interviews, please apply by 5:00 p.m. on Friday February 6, 2015. The Judicial Council of California requires the submission of our official application (fully completed) and a resume to be considered for the job.
To complete an online application, please visit our web site at http://www.courts.ca.gov/careers and search for Job Opening “3948.”
To obtain a printed application, please download it from our website under the Special Access section OR visit:
Judicial Council of California
455 Golden Gate Avenue, 5th Floor
San Francisco, California 94102-3660
415-865-4272 Telecommunications Device for the Deaf
Please refer to “Design and Construction Project Manager III, JO# 3948” on your application materials and all correspondence.
PAY & BENEFITS
Salary Range: Burbank: $7,459 – $9,066 per month
😉
Some highlights of our benefits package include:
• Health/Dental/Vision benefits program
• 13 paid holidays per calendar year
• Choice of Annual Leave or Sick/Vacation Leave
• 1 personal holiday per year
• $120 transit pass subsidy per month
• CalPERS Retirement Plan
• 401(k) and 457 deferred compensation plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• FlexElect Program
• Long Term Disability Program (employee paid/optional)
• Group Legal Plan (employee paid/optional)
The Judicial Council of California Is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
unionman575
January 12, 2015
Mon 1/12/2015 4:10 PM
..
(Sent on behalf of Sherri R. Carter, Executive Officer/Clerk)
Last Friday, the Governor released his proposed budget for the fiscal year 2015-2016 (FY 15-16, which runs from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016). We are still reviewing the proposal, but it appears that, if it is enacted, the Governor’s budget proposal would increase statewide funding for the trial courts by five percent.
Although this is the same increase as was provided for the current fiscal year (FY14-15), new funding was eroded this year by unfunded employee benefit costs and unfunded revenue shortfalls in fines and fees. The Governor’s proposal for FY15-16 appears to provide more complete funding for those areas.
The Governor also proposes to provide the trial courts with one-time funding to address the increased costs of enforcing Proposition 47. And the proposal calls for the judicial branch to study the allocation of funding for court-appointed counsel in dependency courts (but the proposal does not provide additional funding for this area).
While this budget proposal falls far short of restoring the cuts our Court has experienced in the past five years, if the proposal is adopted, this additional money will allow us to hire more staff, open additional courtrooms, ease workload burdens and expand access to justice.
The Governor’s proposal now moves to the legislature, where budget discussions will soon begin in earnest. Although the final state budget will not be known until June, this is a promising start to the budget process.
unionman575
January 13, 2015
When: Thu Jan 22, 2015 1pm to 2pm PST
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Judicial Council Technology Committee Meeting (Closed)
http://www.courts.ca.gov/jctc.htm
unionman575
January 13, 2015
January 15, 2015 Rules and Policy Subcommittee Meeting (Teleconference)
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Call-In Number: 1-877-820-7831
Public Access Code # 4348559 (listen only)
😉
http://www.courts.ca.gov/ctac.htm