National Park Service is failing women

Lennart Gabel

From the High Country News (How the National Park Service is failing women):

...In January 2016, the Department of the Interior released a report revealing that female employees of the River District of the Grand Canyon had been sexually harassed for years, and that park and regional administrators had known and failed to stop it. Since then, women working in parks, monuments and historic sites across the country have come forward alleging on-the-job sexual harassment, assault and gender discrimination. Many of them, like Olivia, are worried about retaliation and have asked to remain anonymous.

This year, over 60 current and former Park Service employees contacted High Country News, describing their experiences. I have interviewed many of them and others, in total at least 50 people — from park rangers and scientists, to superintendents and a former Park Service director — ranging in age from 23 to 70. Their testimony reveals an agency that has failed to protect its workers from sexual misconduct. Several factors contribute to this: a murky internal process for reporting and investigating complaints; a longstanding culture of machismo that dates to the agency’s foundation; and a history of retaliation against those who speak out...

Rob's comment:

But President Trump will make sure this stops, right?

Controller: City costs outpacing income

Photo: Anita Ritenour

From the office of the City Controller:

The Five Year Financial Plan is required under Proposition A, a Charter amendment approved by voters in November 2009. The City Charter requires the plan to forecast expenditures and revenues during the five year period, propose actions to balance revenues and expenditures during each year of the plan, and discuss strategic goals and corresponding resources for City departments.

The Five Year Financial Plan shows that the cost of City services is projected to outpace revenue growth during the five year period. 

Total expenditures are projected to grow by $1,408.3 million over the next five years, which represents an increase of 29%. During the five years of the plan, baselines and reserves grow by $212.3 million (15% of total expenditure growth), employee salary, pension, and fringe benefit costs grow by $698.0 million (50% of total expenditure growth), citywide operating costs grow by $450.1 million (32% of total expenditure growth), and departmental costs are growing by $48.0 million (3% of total expenditure growth).

In contrast to expenditure growth, available General Fund sources are projected to increase by $559.9 million over the same period, an overall growth of 11%. 

If the City does not take corrective action, the gap between revenues and expenditures will rise from $119 million to approximately $848.4 million from Fiscal Year (FY) 2017-18 to FY 2021-22.

As required by the Charter, the City will need to implement strategies to close the gap between sources and uses over the five-year time period.

View the full report.