Local News in Brief : Panel OKs Hot Line to Report Waste of Funds

Aproposal by East Valley Councilman Howard Finn to establish a hot line for residents to report fraud and waste involving Los Angeles city funds was approved by the City Council’s Finance and Revenue Committee on Tuesday. It now goes to the full council.

The committee action was based on a recommendation by City Administrator Keith Comrie to try the hot line for 18 months. An answering machine would be used to take complaints, and callers could remain anonymous under the proposal.

No one voiced opposition to the proposal at the committee meeting. Earlier, representatives of city employee unions contended that the proposal would lead to harassment of workers who might appear to be malingering when they were simply taking authorized coffee breaks.

Finn, in proposing the hot line, said one set up five years ago by the federal General Accounting Office had saved $40 million. The county Department of Public Social Services says it has saved nearly $1 million with a hot line established six years ago for citizens to report welfare cheaters.