Looking for an out of work sewage administrator?
Until yesterday, Blake Anderson was the top dog at the Orange County Sanitation District. Blake resigned amid a scandal that is so bizarre, it is worth repeating here. We are used to the most ‘traditional’
scandals that can take down an administrator — cooking the books, hiring friends, or saying something embarrassing in the newspaper come to mind. How about this one: Hiring a ‘spiritual-based’ consulting firm to work on employee relations at the sanitation district – Dharma Consulting.
The LA Times says this about the firm: "Founded in 1989 by yoga priest Eric Klein, the firm uses Eastern philosophy to approach business. Leaders must "renew" themselves and take four journeys — of self, contribution, craft and community, according to the company’s website."
By the way, this was no small contract – the Sanitation District confirms they’ve already paid out over $400k!
Back on the Ides of July, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore penned a great piece on this controversy for Human Events magazine, called "Holy Sewage!" The piece starts out:
DeVore ends his piece with a warning for all of you reading this who are not in the service area of the OC Sanitation District:
Read the whole column in Human Events here.
The issue was written about here in the Orange County Register when it was first discovered, and today, Anderson’s resignation is the topic of this article in the Los Angeles Times.