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ROBERT RICHARDSON LETTER
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Dear Tenants:
As most of you know, Mr. Robert Richardson, the rental agent for Pasadena, has been "relocated" due to what we think is unfair and unjust treatment. The Caltrans employee who has caused this egregious treatment, Linda Wilford, has also lied to and threatened a number of tenants on a variety of issues.
The following is a letter petition that we will be walking from door to door asking for your support for Mr. Richardson by signing it. As this only effects the tenants in Pasadena, we will only be going to houses in Pasadena. We will be at your door, hopefully during the week and concentrate mostly on this coming week end.
Robert Richardson has assisted many of us in maintenance issues and rental problems. We have found him to be, above all, an honest man who had taken the added effort to do what he thought was right. We hope you agree and that you will support this Pasadena effort.
Write Your Own Richardson Support Letter!
January, 2003
Mr. Jeff Morales
Director
Department of Transportation
1120 N Street #1100
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Director Morales:
It has been brought to the attention of the Caltrans tenants in the City of Pasadena, that our Rental Agent, Mr. Robert Richardson, has been “relocated.” We further understand Linda Wilford, an employee of Caltrans, caused this action due to the relocation of Caltrans tenants, the Corrales family. Mr. Richardson assisted the Corrales’ to move because their former Caltrans home was uninhabitable and in violation of health and safety codes. In addition, Linda Wilford attempted to evict the Corrales’ family on Christmas Eve (see attached Los Angeles Times article) and then sent a “five day notice to pay or quit” when the rent had been paid via certified mail before it’s due date. In our opinion, the Corrales’ are in compliance with Caltrans rental policies.
Mr. Richardson has been one of the few Caltrans employees who has gained the respect and trust of the tenants because of his willingness to respond to their individual rental and maintenance concerns. In our opinion, he has tried to protect and look out for the interest of Caltrans while at the same time being helpful and informative to the tenants who worked with him. We are very upset over the unfair treatment that we believe Mr. Richardson has received at the hands of Linda Wilford for doing his job properly.
As Caltrans tenants in Pasadena, we would like to see Mr. Richardson reinstated to his previous status and ensured that he does not lose any of his benefits or his good standing as a Caltrans employee for doing the right thing for the right reason.
In our opinion, Mr. Richardson would be a benefit to the State and taxpayers by assuming the position of Property Services Manager for District 7. In the words of Tony Harris, Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation, “Robert Richardson is one of the best and most respected rental agents the department has.” He should not be punished for doing his job properly.
We appreciate your immediate attention to this matter. We await your written reply.
Sincerely,
The Caltrans tenants in Pasadena
cc: Governor Gray Davis
Agency Secretary, Marie Contreras-Sweet
Assemblymember Carol Liu
Brice Paris
Teresa Arias
An additional tenant letter regarding Robert Richardson
January 21st, 2003
Lloyd Allan Roth
214 West State St.
Pasadena, CA 91105
626-799-6260
Teresa Arias
Regional Manager
Dept. of Transportation
Dear Ms. Arias
I have lived as a Caltrans tenant since May of 1973, just short of 30 years. I have seen many rental agents come and go. Robert Richardson was among the best. During these recent trying times of rent strikes, neighborhood petitions, and an impossible Caltrans appeal process, (now discontinued, leaving tenants with no administrative recourse), Robert remained helpful and fair. He was always courteous and gentle, even when my continuing frustration crept perilously close to anger.
I left on holiday vacation in mid-December and returned on January 9th to find that Robert had been reassigned. I had met with him and Al Guine, originally on Dec.3rd, 2002 and left him a three-page work list on my home, long-deferred, on which work had just begun. I also attached Statement of Work, a Caltrans summary dated Oct. 19th, 1998 given to me by Tom Sudeck. As virtually every Caltrans maintenance process requires my rather constant supervision (not the subject of this letter), I asked him to discontinue work while I was gone.
Imagine my surprise when I returned to discover that, in an attempt to remove asbestos flaking from the heating ducts, most of them had been removed and the furnace shut off. This left the house quite cold at night for my roommate, for a friend staying here in my absence. One asbestos duct was left up; a bag of ducts left in the house for about a week.
I called Robert the next day only to discover that responsibility for Pasadena had been transferred to Jimmy Li. I immediately called Jimmy and left a message about the list, about my concerns. I had learned in the interim that my neighbor Lorraine at 232 State had been moved out of her house because the asbestos had (inadvertently) been blown throughout it. During my absence, work on my rain gutters was half-done, old gutters strewn about my driveway and between my house and the one immediately to the west. Rasmik of RNR came out on Monday, Jan. 13th, with Al Guine, on his third visit (again to inspect gutters, the upstairs bathroom leaking into the dining room below, about which nothing has been done.). Rasmik assured me that work on my furnace, unlike Lorraine's, was done correctly. But then, he also assured me I'd have my heat on soon. I'm still waiting. He did call me last night; work began this morning.
I understand transitions can be difficult; I too spent ten years in a bureaucracy: the L.A. DPSS as a Children's Service Worker. I am not blaming Jimmy Li. Al Guine has been very nice. I simply do not understand why this transition had to occur at all. My understanding is that Robert was, at worst, guilty of moving the Corrales family out of their very small (and unsafe) house into a large unoccupied big one. I know this family; they are most deserving. Robert should not have been disciplined; he should be receiving a humanitarian award. Whatever procedure he allegedly violated had to be small compared to the large amount of goodwill he created in this little corridor community.
Bring Robert Richardson back. Whoever did this, undo it. Admit your mistake, apologize, and let his discipline for (as I have now been informed) not signing a questionable reprimand be the time he has served thus far. If punishment is supposed to fit the crime, Robert has been treated unjustly.
And what exactly did I do to deserve this? Much work remains to be done on this house; I do not want this comedy of errors to continue-bringing Robert back would help. . .unless you've reassigned him to that new freeway I hear you're building through Yosemite. I have pictures of all this work; you have the paper trail. Let's work together to make this happen.
I am going to deduct the two parabolic heaters I bought at Costco from February's rent. I want my house inspected for asbestos. Though I expect that people living here (and my cat) are safe, asbestosis is a rather long, grim painful way to die. I'd also like the bathroom leak checked for mold...I understand common molds; the one that grows on my bread was used in the discovery of penicillin. I just want to insure that it is not of the toxic variety. I've called Jimmy Li this morning and left a message so informing him.
I am on the Board of the Caltrans Tenant group, where I hear many horror stories of how Caltrans District Seven Administration neglects, mistreats, and occasionally abuses tenants, I continue to expect this repair and maintenance process will get better. I do everything I can to make it work right, to treat all who do work here in a gracious manner, as you would no doubt do with those who repair your homes. I've always treated people fairly. Ask anyone who works for Caltrans...with the possible exception of John Dykstra, a rental agent some ten years ago...who was frankly maniacal in his use of power.
But so too did Robert Richardson treat people fairly, and look what happened to him. All of our actions have consequences; take responsibility for yours. Rather than have Robert's reassignment be interpreted symbolically by all of those whom he has helped, just correct the mistake you made.
Sincerely,
Lloyd Allan Roth
Robert did not ask me to write this; quite the contrary: he couldn't stop me from writing it.
CC: Gov. Gray Davis, Assemblywoman Carol Liu, Jeff Morales, Brice Paris,
Linda Wilford, Robert Richardson, Jimmy Li.. Among others
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