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From LA Times

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Times exclusive: Weeks before the Station fire, Forest Service ordered use of state, local firefighters reduced

October 1, 2009 | 8:39 pm

Three weeks before the deadly Station fire erupted, the U.S. Forest Service issued a cost-cutting order to reduce its use of firefighters from state and local agencies — reinforcements whose role in the Angeles National Forest blaze was scaled back early in the battle — documents and interviews show.

An internal memorandum obtained by The Times instructed forest supervisors in the Pacific Southwest region to replace non-federal crews “as appropriate” and with the service’s own personnel and equipment “as quickly as possible.”

The Forest Service reimburses other agencies for joining a firefighting operation on federal land.

Forest Service officials have denied that cost concerns led them to deploy fewer ground crews and helicopters from Los Angeles County on the second morning of the Station fire.

Today, the No. 2 official in the Forest Service, Associate Chief Hank Kashdan, said the Aug. 5 memo should have had “nothing to do with our approach to suppressing a large fire, or a fire that’s going at any present time.”

Kashdan nevertheless said a Forest Service investigation of the attack on the Station blaze would examine whether budget worries had influenced the judgment of those deploying firefighters and equipment.

“It’s fair to everybody to let that investigation run its course and see what the review finds,” he said.

The memo from Regional Forester Randy Moore to forest supervisors warns that looming budget shortfalls require that “fire resources be managed to ensure no deficits,” including through overtime expenses and equipment purchases, in addition to the use of other agencies and contractors.

Those whose homes or other property burned in the Station fire said the document raised more questions about how the Forest Service handled the initial assault on the blaze, especially after county ground crews and helicopters had helped keep the flames to 15 acres on the first day.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/times-exclusive-in-weeks-before-station-fire-forest-service-ordered-use-of-state-local-firefighters-.html#more

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Thousands of cellphones confiscated in state prisons

October 1, 2009 | 8:21 pm

State prison officials have confiscated 4,130 contraband cellphones this year, more than all those seized in the previous three years combined, according to an internal report released today.

The findings sparked concern among legislators that the proliferation of cellphones in state lockups is a growing security problem.

More than 100 illegal phones were discovered at the California Institution for Men in Chino, including 10 in August, according to the report from Matthew Cate, head of the state prisons system. But he said there is no evidence that inmates used the devices during a riot that occurred there Aug. 8.

“Investigations conducted within California prisons have supported allegations [that] cellphones have been used by incarcerated felons to participate in criminal activity,” wrote Cate, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Crimes committed by inmates using cellphones have included the planning of escapes, restraining order violations, use of stolen credit cards to purchase inmate quarterly packages and the coordination of smuggling contraband into prisons, Cate said.

Two years ago, state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) proposed legislation that would have made it a crime for inmates to possess cellphones in prison. He also proposed subjecting all prison visitors and employees to more rigorous screening, including the use of metal detectors. His ideas were shelved because of the state’s budget problems.

“We knew this was a problem two years ago, and it seems to be growing exponentially worse,” Padilla said.

In his report, Cate acknowledged that a test program that planned to use “airport-style screening” at prison entrances had been planned. But he said that “due to the current budget crisis, this pilot program has been placed on hold.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/thousands-of-cell-phones-confiscated-from-state-prisons.html#more

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Man is indicted in 1988 killing of high school friend

October 1, 2009 | 5:05 pm

A Long Beach man linked to the 1988 killing of a high school friend was indicted today for allegedly torturing and murdering the victim and then setting the body on fire to destroy the evidence, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Paul Gentile Smith, 49, was indicted by the Orange County Grand Jury on one felony count of special-circumstance murder with torture and a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon, prosecutors said.

If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is being held in custody without bail.

Prosecutors allege that Smith killed his longtime friend and marijuana dealer, Robert Haugen, 29, in the victim's apartment in Sunset Beach on Oct. 24, 1988. Smith is accused of stabbing the victim 18 times, nearly decapitating him and then setting the victim's body and apartment on fire.

The crime went unsolved until 2007, when Smith was arrested on an unrelated charge in Nevada and a DNA test linked him to blood samples recovered at the Sunset Beach crime scene.

Smith was charged with the murder and extradited to Orange County in March. Today's grand jury action was a superseding indictment.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/long-beach-man-indicted-for-1988-killing-of-high-school-friend-in-sunset-beach.html#more

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Suspect's extradition sought in triple murder in 1981

October 1, 2009 | 4:38 pm

California authorities filed court papers today seeking the extradition of a Miami-based ministry director who is suspected of killing a Cabazon Indian Reservation tribal leader and two other people in 1981 in an effort to stop them from exposing allegedly illegal activities on the reservation.

James "Jimmy" Hughes, 52, who also has lived in Honduras and runs a ministry that serves ex-convicts and provides counseling to battered women and drug addicts there, was arrested Saturday at Miami International Airport while attempting to return to the Central American country, authorities said.

Hughes, a former Army Ranger who was security director for the casino and its bingo operations, was arrested after a joint probe that began in February by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the California attorney general's office.

Hughes allegedly conspired with three others to kill Fred Alvarez and two other people before they could expose allegedly illegal activities on the reservation in rural Riverside County, according to a felony complaint for extradition filed today in Riverside County Superior Court.

He allegedly shot all three in June 1981, according to court records.

The slayings have been dubbed the Octopus Murders by detectives because of the complexity of the crime and the many theories that have circulated over the years regarding who committed them.

The Times reported in 1991 that the reservation casino room was run by a reputed organized crime figure and that Alvarez, a tribe vice president, began complaining that money was "being skimmed." Shortly afterward, he and the two others were killed.

The case is being prosecuted by the state attorney general's office because Hughes is a distant cousin of Riverside County Dist. Atty. Rod Pacheco. "Because of the potential conflict of interest, we are handling the case," said Evan Westrup, a spokesman for the attorney general's office.

Hughes is fighting extradition, so state prosecutors are seeking a so-called governor's warrant in which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would request that the Florida governor issue a warrant to send Hughes to California.

Westrup said he expects the extradition process to be completed in the next month.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/authorities-seek-to-extradite-minister-wanted-in-1981-triple-murder-at-cabazon-indian-reservation.html#more

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Thousands of children get shoes, clothing at giveaway

October 1, 2009 | 3:58 pm

Thousands of underprivileged children and their parents stood in line today for the annual giveaway of shoes, clothing and school supplies at the Fred Jordan Mission in downtown Los Angeles.

Organizers said they served about 5,000 people, giving away at least 4,000 pairs of shoes to needy children.

The line stretched four blocks from the Fred Jordan Mission at 5th Street and Towne Avenue. At least 2,500 people had camped out on the street Wednesday night to make certain they did not walk away empty-handed, said Tom Jordan, the mission's executive vice president.

Among them was 39-year-old Maria Aguilar of Koreatown. Six months ago, Aguilar gathered her three children and left the man who for years had physically abused her. Now, she says, she doesn’t have the money to buy new school clothes or shoes for her children.

So, on Wednesday evening, she brought along ham sandwiches, lemonade and soup as she and her children slept on the sidewalk.

“I feel happy,” Aguilar said. “I’m glad there’s a place where we can get help.”

Over 20 years, the annual giveaway has helped 100,000 impoverished children and their families. The event is among seven giveaways the mission organizes each year, including Christmas toy drives and Thanksgiving meals, according to its website.

Today’s 21st annual back-to-school giveaway began at 9:30 a.m., with hundreds of children receiving new shoes and socks, all provided by Foot Locker. About 60 Foot Locker volunteers were on hand to ensure that each child's shoes were custom-fitted.

At least 300 other volunteers helped distribute care packages that contained toothpaste, soap, shampoo and other items, as well as backpacks. Another 150 volunteers helped give children haircuts.

For lunch, everyone got a hamburger from In-N-Out Burger, said Willie Jordan, president of the mission.

“Foot Locker is proud once again to be part of the Fred Jordan Mission’s Back-to-School Giveaway program,” said Keith Daly, president and chief executive of Foot Locker. “This year marks our 21st year of donating more than 100,000 pairs of athletic shoes and socks to children in need within the Los Angeles community.”

Julio De Los Reyes, 10, who attends 75th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, said he was looking forward to receiving shoes and school supplies. His brother, Kevin, 4, said he was looking forward to everything. "I want the whole thing,” Kevin said.

Organizers were concerned that some items would run out as the crowd continued to grow. "IIt seems like we had more, the police even said we had more,” Jordan said.

In the end, the mission ran out of shoes and pants for children ages 5 to 11. "That’s what makes me sad,” Jordan said. “Some children will leave without shoes.”

As of 3 p.m., volunteers were still handing out backpacks, care packages and meals.

“We are grateful for all the help we’ve received,” Jordan said. “In all these years, God always takes care of these families.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/clothes-giveaway.html#more

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FBI arrests environmental activist in attempted arson

October 1, 2009 | 3:18 pm

The FBI has arrested an environmental activist in connection with the attempted arson of unfinished town homes in Pasadena in 2006, authorities said today.

Stephen James Murphy, 43, was arrested without incident Wednesday at his home in Arlington, Texas, after being named in a criminal complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

According to the complaint, the Pasadena Fire Department responded to a construction site on Sept. 19, 2006, and found what it described as a "crude incendiary device" made from cigarettes that had failed to ignite.

Authorities said DNA found on the cigarettes matched Murphy's DNA, which was in a state Department of Justice database stemming from a previous arrest in California.

The following day workers at the site could not start a tractor, where a note had been written in permanent marker that read "ANOTHER TRACTOR DECOMMISSIONED BY THE E.L.F," federal officials said. Investigators found that someone had tampered with the tractor's ignition system.

Federal and local investigators theorized that E.L.F. was shorthand for the Earth Liberation Front, a radical environmental group that has used vandalism and violence, included arson, to further its cause. FBI officials say the attacks, which have occurred nationwide, have led to millions of dollars in property damage.

A federal judge in Texas today denied bail for Murphy and ordered him transferred to Los Angeles to face charges in connection with the case.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/fbi-arrest-environmental-activist-in-attempted-arson-of-pasadena-townhomes.html#more

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Top L.A. prosecutor disputes statements from Harvey Weinstein, other Roman Polanski supporters

October 1, 2009 | 2:25 pm

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley responded today to supporters of Roman Polanski after his arrest last weekend in Switzerland, saying that the famed film director committed a crime.

Asked about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s description of Polanski’s offense as a “so-called crime,” Cooley said, “Mr. Polanski pled guilty to a crime. ... And there are still five or six other much more serious charges pending that have yet to be resolved. They won’t be resolved until his final sentence.”

Cooley declined to talk about how his office intends to handle the 3-decade-old case should Polanski be extradited to the United States.

The moviemaker fled Los Angeles on the eve of his 1978 sentencing after he admitted to having illegal sex with a 13-year-old girl. As part of a 1977 plea bargain with Polanski, prosecutors had promised to drop rape, sodomy and other charges after the sentencing.

Cooley said it was important for authorities to pursue fugitives from justice in such cases.

“It’s about completing justice,” he said. “Justice is not complete when someone leaves the jurisdiction of the court.”

Under California law, the state will pick up the county's cost associated with extradition.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/top-la-prosecutor-refutes-statements-of-weinstein-other-polanski-supporters.html#more

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Lawsuit seeks to block cuts to in-home care for the elderly and disabled

October 1, 2009 | 2:09 pm

Advocates for the elderly and disabled announced Thursday that they have filed a federal lawsuit in San Francisco to block cuts to California’s home care program, a month before more than 130,000 recipients are scheduled to have their services reduced or eliminated.

State lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approved a July budget deal that sliced $263.5 million from the program, which pays for aides to cook, clean, shop and provide other services that allow the elderly or infirm to live in their homes rather than in facilities such as nursing homes.

The advocates are asking for an injunction before letters go out later this month to the 36,000 Californians whose aid would be eliminated and an additional estimated 97,000 who would lose some services. The cuts are set to go in effect on Nov. 1.

Melinda Bird, senior counsel for Disability Rights California, accused the state of trying “to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and those with disabilities.”

Officials plan to cut services to those with the lowest scores on a scale measuring recipients’ needs. But Bird called the scoring method “arbitrary, irrational and unfair.”

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), who helped craft the budget, appeared somewhat supportive of the lawsuit.

“Democratic legislators have repeatedly fought efforts by Republicans, including, the governor, to dismantle this important program,” she said in an e-mailed statement. “The courts having an opportunity to weigh in on how we serve elderly and disabled Californians could prompt a responsible approach from all sides."

The Schwarzenegger administration plans to fight the suit, said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department of Finance.

The home aide program serves approximately 462,000 Californians.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/lawsuit-filed-to-block-inhome-care-cuts-.html#more

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16 arrested in San Gabriel Valley gang sweep

October 1, 2009 | 1:02 pm

Authorities say they arrested 16 members and associates of the Lomas street gang in a sweep this morning across the San Gabriel Valley.

The sweep was lead by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies from the Temple station, along with the county parole and probation departments, the San Gabriel Police Department and the county Department of Children and Family Services.

The operation involved 80 law enforcement officers focused on Lomas gang members believed to be responsible for a variety of street crimes. Nineteen locations were checked, resulting in the arrest of 15 adults and one juvenile.

They were detained on parole and probation violations, weapons charges and a firearm charge for possession of an assault weapon.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

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FBI probe of Burbank police focusing on alleged excessive force involving 12 officers

October 1, 2009 | 12:44 pm

The FBI investigation into the Burbank Police Department is focusing on allegations of excessive force by officers, court documents obtained by The Times show.

Federal investigators have told the Burbank officials to turn over reports involving 12 current and former officers, according to a federal grand jury subpoena obtained by The Times.

The subpoena specifies information related to "use of force, defensive tactics, Tasers, pepper spray, or the rules and ramifications pertaining to the use of excessive force or a violation of civil/constitutional rights."

In addition, the department has been told to produce records related to internal affairs investigations initiated in response to use-of-force complaints between 2003 to the present for the officers named in the subpoena.

Officials with the FBI confirmed Wednesday that they are investigating possible civil rights violations by Burbank Police officers. Sources familiar with the investigation said it was unrelated to a series of recent lawsuits by seven officers against the department and its management alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller would not comment on specifics of the probe by the agency's civil rights division or on how long the probe would last.

According to the subpoena, authorities requested records related to several officers including Omar Rodriguez, Jose Cruz Duran, Neil Thomas Gunn Sr., Christian Dereck Canales, Jon Murphy Jr., Mike George Reyes, Steve Sarkis Karagiosian, Armen Dermenjian, William Hampton "Bill" Taylor, Nick Wayne Nichols, Tommy Perez and Edgar Manuel Penaranda, according to the subpoena.

Federal officials are seeking use-of-force complaints or allegations generated in response to a Dec. 28, 2007, robbery of Porto's Bakery a well as records in connection with the Aug. 23, 2007, arrest of Rene Escarsega, the subpoena states.
At least three of the officers -- Karagiosian, Rodriguez and Taylor -- are among seven current or former officers who have filed suit against the city and police department alleging violations of civil rights.

The latest was filed last month by Taylor, who alleged that his demotion to captain from deputy chief was due to supporting officers who had filed complaints against the department.

Karagiosian and Rodriguez were part of a lawsuit filed in April against the police department and top managers by five officers who alleged a pattern of racial discrimination and retaliation, as well as unlawful demotions or firings.

Among the most explosive claims were that department officials tolerated an environment in which officers commonly used slurs about race, ethnicity and sexual preference directed at them, their colleagues, suspects and the public.

Burbank City Atty. Dennis Barlow said he was unable to comment on the FBI investigation or the lawsuits against the city and Police Department, citing pending litigation.

Mayor Gary Bric said he was confident that the investigations into the department, which also includes an independent probe by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, would be thorough and complete. He said there would be no limits on investigators.

"I'm sure people are looking at this and have questions and concerns about what's happening to our Police Department," Bric told The Times Wednesday. "But we can assure there's been no impact on public safety."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/fbi-probe-of-burbank-police-focusing-on-excessive-force-involving-12-officers.html#more

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Bone fragments at Phillip Garrido's home likely animal, not human

October 1, 2009 | 12:26 pm

When Phillip Garrido was arrested last month in the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard in 1991, there was speculation from law enforcement that he might be responsible for other abductions and even killings.

Authorities dug up Garrido's backyard in Antioch, Calif., and found some bones fragments, heightening those concerns.

But today, authorities said the bone fragments were likely from animals, not humans.

More from the Associated Press:

Hayward police searched the Garrido property last month for any links to the kidnapping of Michaela Garecht in 1988. Dublin authorities also combed for evidence as part of their probe into the 1989 disappearance of Ilene Misheloff.

Garrido has been charged for allegedly kidnapping Jaycee Dugard in 1991 and holding her captive in his Antioch backyard for 18 years. He and his wife, Nancy, have pleaded not guilty.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/bone-fragments-in-garridos-home-likely-animal-not-human.html#more

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Elizabeth Smart, abducted in 2002 in Utah, speaks publicly of her ordeal for the first time
Smart, now 21, details nine months of captivity and repeated rapes during testimony in a federal court hearing to determine whether abductor Brian David Mitchell is mentally competent to face trial.

By Nicholas Riccardi

October 2, 2009

Reporting from Salt Lake City

For the first time since her 2002 abduction captured worldwide attention, Elizabeth Smart spoke publicly about her ordeal, testifying Thursday in federal court that self-proclaimed religious prophet Brian David Mitchell repeatedly invoked religion to justify the sexual abuse she said she endured for nine months.

"Any time that I showed resistance or hesitation he turned to me and said, 'The Lord says you have to do this, you have to experience the lowest form of humanity to experience the highest,' " said Smart, who was 14 when she was kidnapped.

Testifying in a hearing to determine whether Mitchell is mentally competent to face federal kidnapping charges, Smart, now 21, calmly said she had been shackled and repeatedly raped. She testified that Mitchell "married" her in a bizarre wedding ceremony the night of her abduction and that he believed he would vanquish the anti-Christ someday soon.

Her kidnapping set off a nationwide search, which ended in 2003 when a motorist spotted Smart, who was a wearing blue pillowcase-like veil over her face, as she walked down a street in a Salt Lake City suburb with Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. The motorist recognized Mitchell from news reports.

Mitchell and Barzee have been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial in state court. Federal prosecutors have filed kidnapping charges against them and called Smart as a witness to bolster their case that Mitchell, who has been in a state mental hospital for years, is faking his mental illness to avoid punishment.

Smart has remained largely out of the public eye since her abduction, though she appeared on CNN to offer advice to Jaycee Lee Dugard, who in August was discovered 18 years after being kidnapped from South Lake Tahoe.

"I would just encourage her to find different passions in life and continually push forward and learn more and reach more for them," Smart said, "and not to look behind, because there's a lot out there."

Smart was the only witness who testified Thursday. The hearing was scheduled to allow her to leave for a Mormon mission in France. Mitchell's competency hearing will continue Nov. 30.

Mitchell entered the courtroom first, pale and sporting an unruly gray beard. He wore a beige jumpsuit, his hands and ankles shackled. As he has throughout the proceedings, he continuously sang a Mormon hymn and ignored U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball's order to stop. U.S. marshals moved him to a holding cell where he watched the proceedings via video link.

Smart had asked U.S. Atty. Brett Tolman if Mitchell could be muzzled rather than removed from court because she wanted to face him.

She remained poised throughout her 100-minute testimony. The only hint of emotion came when Tolman -- referring to a manifesto Mitchell had written to allegedly justify his behavior -- asked Smart about Mitchell's reported contention that she could have escaped if she had wanted and that she had opened the window to her bedroom the night she was taken.

"No," she said with a steely tone.

Smart testified that on June 4, 2002, Mitchell woke her in the middle of the night with a knife pressed to her throat, and that Mitchell threatened to kill her and her family unless she came with him. She said he led her to a remote camp in a canyon in the mountains behind the Smarts' Salt Lake City home, where he took her as a "plural bride" in the wedding ceremony.

He then raped her, something that happened three to four times a day, Smart said. "There wasn't an actual 24-hour time period that he wasn't able to rape me."

She said that Mitchell and Barzee locked a cable around her leg and fastened it to a tree. Smart testified that during one sexual assault, she bit him to make him stop. He chided her for the bite, she said, but didn't stop.

Another time, when Barzee was reportedly becoming jealous of Mitchell's attentions toward Smart, Mitchell took the girl away from the camp and asked if he could have sex with her, Smart said. She testified that she said no.

"How did it make you feel to say no to him on that occasion?" Tolman asked her.

"Wonderful," she said.

As winter approached, Smart said Mitchell moved her and Barzee to a camp in the hills outside San Diego. The three survived on food Mitchell stole, and on one of his foraging runs Mitchell got drunk and high on stolen prescription drugs, broke into a church and passed out, she said. He didn't get out of jail for almost a week, and Smart said she and Barzee survived on rainwater.

She said she decided to use religion against him. She said she told Mitchell that she thought God was calling them back to Salt Lake City, and he agreed to return there.

"California, I felt that was so far away. I felt that no one would ever find me," she testified. "Even if it took 20 years to find me I thought the chances would be better in Salt Lake."

Tolman asked her what words she would use to describe Mitchell. "Evil, wicked, manipulative," she replied. "Sneaky, slimy, selfish, greedy. Not religious, not spiritual, not close to God."

Smart's family sat in the front row for her testimony. Outside the courthouse, her father, Ed Smart, praised her composure. "I was very proud of her, how she was so forthright," he said.

He had never heard some of the stories she told Thursday. "I had no idea what she'd gone through," he said, choking up. Ed Smart said the testimony should "clinch" the issue of whether Mitchell is mentally competent to stand trial.

Mitchell's attorney, deputy federal public defender Bob Steele, said he was impressed by Smart's testimony. "She was courageous and very generous," he said. "You can't hear that kind of thing without being appalled."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-elizabeth-smart2-2009oct02,0,1263764,print.story

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Texting while driving banned for federal workers
Obama signs an executive order preventing government workers from text messaging while driving on the job or in a government-owned vehicle.

By Kim Geiger

October 2, 2009

Reporting from Washington

In an effort to curb accidents caused by distracted drivers, the Obama administration has banned federal employees from text messaging while driving and said it would consider new restrictions on cellphone use by rail, truck and bus drivers.

President Obama signed an executive order Wednesday night banning federal employees from text messaging while driving on the job or in a government-owned vehicle. The order was announced Thursday by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at a two-day summit in Washington on distracted driving.

"Driving while distracted should just feel wrong -- just as driving without a seat belt or driving while intoxicated seems wrong to most Americans," LaHood said at the summit, attended by more than 300 lawmakers, safety experts and industry representatives.

Being distracted delays a driver's reaction time, according to research by the University of Utah, as much as a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% -- the legal limit. Deaths blamed on distracted drivers are up since 2004, and are most common among young, inexperienced motorists, according to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

LaHood said the administration would push states to pass laws against distracted driving, especially for school bus drivers. The department will also seek a new rule to revoke commercial drivers' licenses for school bus drivers convicted of texting while driving.

Driving while talking on cellphones has been banned in seven states, and texting while driving has been banned in 18 states. Seventeen states have made it illegal for school bus drivers to use cellphones while driving.

In California, it is illegal to text message while driving and to talk on a cellphone while driving without using a hands-free device. It is also illegal for school bus and transit bus drivers to use a cellphone while driving.

The American Trucking Assn. supports the department's plans, noting that its member companies already required drivers to observe such policies.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is the author of a bill that would go even further by tying state passage of distracted driving laws to federal highway funds.

During the summit, Schumer urged the administration to endorse the bill, which would require all states to ban texting or e-mailing by drivers or risk losing 25% of their annual highway funds.

"The fact is, the federal government cannot, by itself, outlaw texting while driving," Schumer said, noting that states have the authority to make such laws. "But the federal government can make it hard for those states that don't go along."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-texting2-2009oct02,0,6543571,print.story

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Obama officials to address school violence in Chicago
Atty. Gen. Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are to meet with school officials, students and residents in the aftermath of a deadly beating.

By Katherine Skiba

October 2, 2009

Reporting from Washington

A chilling cellphone video of a Chicago honors student's fatal beating has captured national attention, and President Obama responded Thursday by announcing that two Cabinet secretaries would travel to his hometown next week.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. and Education Secretary Arne Duncan would meet Wednesday with school officials, students and residents and talk about school violence.

"Obviously, [the incident] is of great concern to the president, as somebody who lives in Chicago," Gibbs said. "But [it] would and should be a concern for every American."

Gibbs has indicated that the administration was preparing an initiative to address the national issues of youth crime and gang violence.

Duncan was the head of Chicago's public schools for seven years before Obama picked him as Education secretary. He already was scheduled to be in Chicago on Wednesday morning to attend an education grant conference.

Four teens have been charged in the death of Derrion Albert, 16, a sophomore honor roll student. Officials have said he was walking to a bus stop when he got caught up in a melee near his school.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-chicago-beating2-2009oct02,0,3219465,print.story

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Obama on Chicago's Olympics bid: 'The most American of American cities'

October 2, 2009 | 2:52 am

After an all-night flight from Washington, President Barack Obama made a rhetorical pitch for the International Olympics Committee to award the 2016 Summer Games to his adopted hometown of Peoria.

No, it was Chicago.

And he called the Windy City "the most American of American cities." So much for that recent love affair with Pittsburgh.

The president was introduced by his wife Michelle, who also made a plea for the games to come to her hometown, in fact, to her neighborhood, invoking detailed personal memories of her late father. The text of her remarks is here. Both transcripts were provided by the White House.

Remarks of President Obama to the International Olympics Committee:

President Rogge, ladies and gentlemen of the International Olympic Committee:

I come here today as a passionate supporter of the Olympic and Paralympic Games; as a strong believer in the movement they represent; and a proud Chicagoan. But above all, I come as a faithful representative of the American people, and we look forward to welcoming the world to the shores of Lake Michigan and the heartland of our nation in 2016.

To host athletes and visitors from every corner of the globe is a high honor and a great responsibility. And America is ready and eager to assume that sacred trust. We are a nation that has always....

...opened its arms to the citizens of the world — including my own father — who have sought something better; who have dreamed of something bigger.

I know you face a difficult choice among several great cities and nations with impressive bids of their own. So I've come here today to urge you to choose Chicago for the same reasons I chose Chicago nearly twenty-five years ago — the reasons I fell in love with the city I still call home. And it's not only because it's where I met the woman you just heard from — though after getting to know her this week, I'm sure you'd all agree that she's a pretty big selling point.

You see, growing up, my family moved around a lot. And I never really had roots in any one place or culture or ethnic group. Then I came to Chicago. And on those Chicago streets, I worked alongside men and women who were black and white; Latino and Asian; people of every class and nationality and religion. I came to discover that Chicago is that most American of American cities, but one where citizens from more than 130 nations inhabit a rich tapestry of distinctive neighborhoods.

Each one of those neighborhoods — from Greektown to the Ukrainian Village; from Devon to Pilsen to Washington Park — has its own unique character, history, song, and sometimes language. But each is also a part of our city — one city — a city where I finally found a home.

Chicago is a place where we strive to celebrate what makes us different just as we celebrate what we have in common. It's a place where our unity is on colorful display at so many festivals, parades, and especially sporting events, where perfect strangers become fast friends at the sight of the same jersey.

It's a city that works — from its first World's Fair more than a century ago to the World Cup we hosted in the nineties, we know how to put on big events. And scores of visitors and spectators will tell you that we do it well.

Chicago is a city where the practical and the inspirational exist in harmony; where visionaries who made no small plans rebuilt after a great fire and taught the world to reach new heights. It's a bustling metropolis with the warmth of a small town; where the world already comes together every day to live and work and reach for a dream — a dream that no matter who we are or where we're from; no matter what we look like or what hand life has dealt us, with hard work, and discipline, and dedication, we can make it if we try.

That's not just the American Dream. That is the Olympic spirit. That's why we see so much of ourselves in these Games. And that's why we want them in Chicago. That's why we want them in America.

We stand at a moment in history when the fate of each nation is inextricably linked to the fate of all nations — a time of common challenges that require a common effort.

And I ran for President because I believed deeply that at this defining moment, the United States of America has a responsibility to help lead that effort, and to forge new partnerships with the nations and peoples of the world.

No one expects the Games to solve our collective challenges. But we do believe that in a world where we have too often witnessed the darker aspects of our humanity, peaceful competition between nations represents what is best about our humanity.

It brings us together, if only for a few weeks, face to face. It helps us understand one another just a little better. It reminds us that no matter how or where we differ, we all seek our own measure of happiness, and fulfillment, and pride in what we do. And that is a very powerful starting point for progress.

Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential election. Their interest wasn't about me as an individual.

Rather, it was rooted in the belief that America's experiment in democracy still speaks to a set of universal aspirations and ideals. It sprung from the hope that in this ever-shrinking world, our diversity could be a source of strength and cause for celebration; and that with sustained work and determination, we could learn to live and prosper together during the fleeting moment we share on this Earth.

That work is far from over, but it has begun in earnest. And while we do not know what the next few years will bring, there is nothing I would like more than to step just a few blocks from my family's home and welcome the world back to our neighborhood.

At the beginning of this new century, the nation that has been shaped by people from around the world wants a chance to inspire it once more; to ignite the spirit of possibility at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic movement in a new generation; to offer a stage worthy of the extraordinary talent and dynamism offered by nations joined together — to host games that unite us in noble competition and shared celebration of our limitless potential as a people.

And so I urge you to choose Chicago. I urge you to choose America. And if you do; if we walk this path together; then I promise you this: the city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud. Thank you.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/10/barack-obama-olympics-remarks-text.html

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From the Daily News

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Universal Studios to get $3 billion NBC makeover
PROJECT: Media giant to spend $100 million on transit as part of redevelopment.

By Dana Bartholomew, Staff Writer

Updated: 10/02/2009 12:25:23 AM PDT

UNIVERSAL CITY — Hoping to cage a traffic monster in one of the Valley's most congested corners, NBC Universal said Thursday it would spend $100 million on roads and buses in its proposed $3 billion studio makeover.

Three years after it launched the massive proposal, the century-old Universal Studios rolled out a plan to encourage public transit and avoid traffic jams around its studio, retail and residential development.

In the next two decades, the studio aims to redevelop nearly 400 acres into an environmentally sustainable theme park, business and entertainment industry hub with 2,900 new apartments and condos.

"For us, this is really a relaunch," Ron Meyer, president and chief operating officer of Universal

Studios, said during a briefing with the Daily News. "We are the largest employer in the San Fernando Valley and take very seriously our relations with the neighbors.
"With what we have in mind, we will have less impact on our neighbors than ever before."

The new Universal complex will include expanded studio production facilities, new office space, shops and a refreshed Universal CityWalk and Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.

A new residential community east of the studios will also include 35 acres of open space, with roads meant to ferry traffic off congested Barham Boulevard and beyond.

Bus shuttles will connect Universal workers, visitors and residents to every major transportation hub, with new buses linked from West Hollywood to Woodland Hills.

A $10 million freeway redesign plan aims to draw up to $300 million in federal funds to speed traffic on the 134 and 101 freeways.

But some residents, who had not yet seen the new traffic improvements, still feared the project would unleash a traffic monster.

"It's too big, and in the wrong place," said Alan Dymond of the Studio City Residents Association. "It is at the choke point for the Valley and downtown.

"If they build it, the traffic generated would be a traffic octopus - bigger than a monster movie."

The so-called NBC Universal Evolution Plan is now undergoing a draft environmental impact report with a public comment period expected early next year.

Executives at the Valley's largest employer said they hope to create 12,000 new jobs, $2 billion in new local spending and $26 million in new tax revenue each year for the city and county of Los Angeles.

On Thursday, NBC Universal brass were palpably excited as they gathered around a model of a new-and-improved studio complex. On the walls of the legendary "black building" hung posters for movie hits like "The Killers," with Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner, and "Rear Window" with Jimmy Stewart.

"We've been here 100 years, and this is about being here another 100 years," said Tom Smith, senior vice president for West Coast real estate. "We have a strong tie to the community and we want to have greater ties.

"We're a major economic engine for Los Angeles."

The NBC Universal Evolution proposal is not to be confused with a controversial plan by Thomas Properties Group to build commercial offices at the Universal City MTA station across the street. Under that plan, NBC Universal would rent part of nearly 1.5 million square feet of office space. The EIR for the so-called Metro Studios Project at Lankershim is expected sometime next year.

To help sell its massive studio enhancement project, NBC Universal claims to have knocked on 10,000 doors, met with 60 community groups and mailed out 300,000 fliers.

New additions include a potential 3,000-square-foot amphitheater. Some theme park attractions would be moved to accommodate apartments.

To help reduce traffic, the studio would:

The new Universal, its planners say, would allow people to live, work, shop and play on site without ever having to open a car door.

"It's a place where people can walk, go out in the community, where people wouldn't have to leave every day," said its master architect, Bob Hale.

As yet, community reaction remains mixed.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in a statement, reiterated his support for the expansion: "The Evolution Plan is a $3billion investment in Los Angeles, especially the entertainment industry, and will bring thousands of jobs to Angelenos in especially trying times."

Councilman Tom LaBonge expressed concern about traffic, and whether studio jobs would be swapped for condos.

"I know we need housing," LaBonge said. "But we also need to keep those jobs there."

Polly Ward of the Hillside Federation, an umbrella group for 40 area homeowner groups, gave it a hearty thumbs up.

"They have always done what has been good for the neighborhood," she said of Universal. "I trust them."

But some who hadn't seen details of the new traffic improvements said the studios should do more to encourage mass transit for its 7,500 employees and its millions of theme park visitors.

"This is same-o,"' said Jack McGrath of the Studio City Chamber of Commerce. "They should be paying all of their employees (and guests) to take the subway, or buses ... to really cut down on congestion."

Studio officials, however, said they aim to build Universal City to the highest environmental standards.

"We are sincere about what we want to do, how we want to do it. We want to be a ... successful company, while being mindful of the community," Meyer said.

"Without their cooperation, we can't do this -- we don't want to do this."

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13463331

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Officials urge Valley participation in census

By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer
Updated: 10/01/2009 11:20:22 PM PDT

Activists and city officials launched a six-month campaign Thursday to get Latinos and the poor to participate in next year's federal census, with plans to target areas such as the central and northeast San Fernando Valley.

"These are the areas where there are the most minorities, the most immigrants and the most poor," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a City Hall news conference with other officials and civic activists. "These are also the people who need the most help.

"You could take this map and put it over Dallas or New York or any other major city and find the same thing."

Villaraigosa was part of a group led by members of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials who are joining with community groups and Latino media to push for greater participation in the census, which will be held on April 1.

"Latinos and immigrants have been reluctant to participate because they fear the information will be used against them," Cardinal Roger Mahony said. "What they need to know is that this information is confidential and cannot be given to any other government agency."

Villaraiogsa also termed as "ridiculous" proposals to boycott the census until the federal government approves immigration reform.

"The idea to boycott the census boggles the mind," Villaraigosa said. "There is no point to boycotting the census."

The mayor estimated the last census resulted in an undercount of 76,000 people in Los Angeles, resulting in the loss of more than $200 million under state and federal funding formulas.

Nationwide, officials estimated 3 million people were not counted in the 2000 census, resulting in the loss of billions of dollars for public programs such as schools, hospitals and transportation.

Villaraigosa said the count also has political ramifications in how seats in the House of Representatives and the state Legislature are allocated and how the districts are drawn.

One problem facing local jurisdictions in developing programs to participate in the census is a lack of funding.

Norma Vega, executive director of the city's Office of the Census 2010, said the state allocated $24 million 10 years ago for such programs. According to the state Department of Finance, Sacramento allocated just $2 million this year due to budget cuts.

Vega said the city has had to rely on donations from foundations to help fund outreach efforts.

"We will be working with all the elected officials in the Valley to coordinate our efforts there," Vega said. "The Valley is a high priority for us."

Part of the Latino outreach effort, called "ya es hora" (now is the time), will be a major campaign by Spanish language media.

La Opinion publisher Monica Lozano said her newspaper will begin publishing articles on the importance of the census and coordinating efforts with Univision, KMEX and other Spanish-language outlets.

Univision anchor Gabriela Teissier said the broadcast outlets plan to run a series of public service announcements to encourage participation.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13467195

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LAPD, family both trying to find man missing 4 1/2 years
DISAPPEAR: Family of Valley man missing since 2005 celebrates his birthday; cops suspect homicide.

By Sue Doyle, Staff Writer
Updated: 10/02/2009 12:25:04 AM PDT

Robert Spellman has been missing since April 13, 2005.

A 27-year-old bachelor, Robert Anthony Spellman frequently worked out at a Sherman Oaks gym, then stopped at his mother's house for dinner before heading to his own home in Woodland Hills.

He followed that routine until just after midnight on April 13, 2005, kissing his mom goodbye as he promised to return that night.

But the charismatic luxury-car salesman vanished the next day, and his family never saw him again.

It's been 4 1/2 long and frustrating years for Spellman's heartsick relatives, baffled about the disappearance of the 1995 Grant High graduate who brightened their lives with stories about girlfriends, his two dogs and his dreams of someday working for the California Highway Patrol.

And as they prepared to mark what would be his 32nd birthday today, his relatives talked about grappling with his fate - and theirs.

"When you have somebody who goes missing, it's worse than if someone dies. At least then you know they're dead," said one of Spellman's relatives, who asked not to be identified because of safety concerns. "But here, you're looking all over the place to see if you can find the person."

The uncertainty experienced by the Spellman family is like that facing relatives of the 3,000 adults who are reported missing each year to the Los Angeles Police Department.

About half of the cases involve senior citizens with Alzheimer's or dementia who wander away from their caregivers, officials say. Those cases are usually resolved in a couple of days.

The rest involve mentally ill residents, suicides, adults who leave their families and those - like Spellman - that confound authorities.

"Every case is different. There are always some twists and turns," said Detective Carmine Sasso, who took over supervision of the LAPD's eight-member Missing Persons Unit two years ago.

"My whole outlook is to be aggressive with investigations - get out in front of it."

Sasso credits the department's aggressive approach to its success rate - about 95 percent of missing persons cases are solved within a year.

About 1 percent, however, are turned over to LAPD's elite Robbery-Homicide Division. In May 2007 -- after no word from the young man or activity on his credit cards or bank accounts -- Spellman's case became one of those.

"It just didn't meet the pattern of a missing person after two years," homicide Detective Chuck Knolls said.

"He was a young man. He wasn't a transient. He didn't appear to have any kind of personal problems that he would run away from. And he was family oriented."

Nationally, 95 percent of missing people are found within five days, but after that the chances decrease, said Thomas Lauth, an investigator with the National Center for Missing Adults.

"The chances of them being endangered increases as time goes on," he said.

But amazing stories of missing people who are reunited years after their disappearances keep families hopeful, such as the high-profile story of Jaycee Dugard of South Lake Tahoe, who returned home after 18 years of captivity in a backyard.

Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted from her bedroom one night in 2002 in Salt Lake City, was found nine months later.

These stories spark renewed hope in families of long-term missing people, said Monica Caison, founder of Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons, based in North Carolina.

"Hope is hope, and without a body there is hope that that person is still out there," Caison said. "So we do have to go by what we feel."

These amazing tales of return also keep the Spellman family believing that they'll see him someday walk through the front door and sit down at the dinner table.

"The easy thing to think of is that the person is dead," Spellman's relative said. "Until we find a body, there's a smidgen of hope."

Spellman's family said they became concerned when he failed to show up as planned for dinner April 13, 2005. His mother went to his rented home in Woodland Hills, where she said she ran into one of her son's co-workers, who said he might have taken an impromptu trip to Las Vegas.

Uneasy with the exchange, Spellman's mother filed a missing person's report.

But Spellman's relatives said the original detective was indifferent to their concerns and didn't even send officers to the home of the missing man until June 28 - more than two months after he had vanished.

The family later filed a complaint with the LAPD, claiming the detective assigned to the case lagged in launching an investigation into Spellman's disappearance. They were eventually told that an internal investigation determined there had been no wrongdoing.

For their part, police said they closed the missing person's case after Spellman's landlord filed a notice of eviction against him. The landlord's attorney told authorities that Spellman had gone to her office nearly two weeks after he was reported missing - a premise Spellman's family disputes.

After hiring a private investigator, the family was stunned to learn that the case had been shelved. They quickly refiled it, and police launched an investigation.

After two years of dead ends, the case was reclassified as a suspected homicide.

"The circumstance of how his family found out that he was missing led us to believe that he wasn't just a walkaway - that he had met some foul play," Knolls said.

He said he believes Spellman, who worked for a luxury-car company in Downey, may have been killed in a business deal that soured.

He said that authorities have two suspects but lack sufficient evidence to pursue a prosecution. He speculated that a killer may have received help from one or more unwitting third parties.

"Those are the people we need to talk to," Knolls said.

While the LAPD pursues its investigation, Spellman's family is also at work. Relatives have posted a $50,000 reward, created a Web site, and posted images of Spellman on MySpace and YouTube.

And today his family will gather to mark his 32nd birthday.

"It's a very somber day," his relative said. "We always remember him every day. There's not a day that goes by that we don't."

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13466825

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L.A. port and other agencies to get $26.5 million in federal stimulus money

Daily News Wire Services
Updated: 10/01/2009 12:48:04 PM PDT

LONG BEACH - A handful of Southern California agencies will receive $26.5 million in federal economic stimulus funds -- including $6 million for the Long Beach-Los Angeles port complex -- for projects aimed at reducing diesel emissions, the head of the EPA announced today.

"Upgrading hundreds of vehicles and machinery to clean diesel technology will help create and save jobs and reduce the health and environmental costs of dirty diesel emissions," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said at a news conference at the Port of Long Beach.

"The 16 million residents of the South Coast can breath cleaner air and live healthier lives," she said. "Putting green innovation, sustainable technology and clean energy into action at these ports, our gateways to the global economy, will also send a powerful signal to the world that we can ensure economic strength at the same time we protect our health and our environment."

Jackson said pollution from diesel engines is one of the top health risks in the state, resulting in more than 2,000 hospitalizations and more than 50,000 cases of asthma and respiratory problems annually.

The grants funds include:

-- $4 million for the South Coast Air Quality Management District to research emerging clean heavy-duty truck technologies;

-- $4 million for the Port of Long Beach to implement a large-scale diesel emission reduction project, including replacement and retrofitting of equipment and engines;

--$2 million for the Port of Los Angeles to replace or retrofit 27 pieces of diesel pollution-emitting equipment;

-- $8.9 million for the California Air Resources Board to retrofit at least eight switch-yard locomotives; and

-- $951,431 for Caltrans to reduce emissions from various pieces of construction equipment;

"California is once again proving that what is right for the environment is also good for the economy," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said. "This funding will further California's progress in cleaning our air while also supporting and creating green jobs, pumping up local economies and helping to protect the health of Californians."

EPA officials said the projects will help eliminate about 26 tons of particulate matter, 453 tons of nitrogen oxides and 920 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13463064

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L.A. Council nixes $250,000 contract with taxicab consultant

Daily News Wire Services
Updated: 10/01/2009 10:49:04 AM PDT

Amid allegations of a backroom deal, the Los Angeles City Council voted on Wednesday to end a $250,000 contract with a consultancy hired to help develop a system for regulating taxicabs.

"I think this sends an important message to the city, to our residents and to our staff, and I hope they've heard it loud and clear: we are going to be a transparent City Hall," Councilman Paul Koretz said.

He said the city will approve "nothing that looks like a backroom deal - - whether it is or not. Perception is important, and it's time that we are perceived as an open and transparent city."

Members of the Los Angeles Taxi Workers Alliance objected to Nelson- Nygaard Consulting Associates being given the contract without public hearings.

They claimed the same company was to blame for the current taxi franchising system, which a UCLA study characterized as "modern sharecropping on wheels."

Rita Robinson, general manager of the city's Transportation Department, said public hearings were bypassed because the City Council's Transportation Committee refused to put the matter on its agenda.

Robinson said the department decided to move forward with Nelson-Nygaard because all other bidders were rejected during the selection process, and because of time constraints. The current system for regulating taxicabs expires on Dec. 31, 2010.

Though the contract was not a "backroom deal," the department still should have observed proper procedure, Koretz said.

In the wake of today's City Council action, the department plans to send out a new request for bids. Since no one has been disqualified from the process, Nelson-Nygaard could still end up with the contract.

Several taxi drivers have protested against the consultancy, claiming it helped craft the current taxi franchising system where 70 percent of cabs are owned by companies that lease them to drivers for $350 to $700 a week.

Gray Palmer said those rates prevent drivers from making a living wage.

"Our language -- for example 'franchise slavery' -- it may sound like bombast, it may sound like an exaggeration, but I'm here to tell you I'm a lease driver, I'm a member of the lowest class of workers in this public utility, and last week I worked more than 70 hours and I made $11," Palmer recently told the City Council's Transportation Committee.

"We have fixed lease amounts -- completely unregulated -- and there's not enough business to support the cars, the owners' cost, the company's cost and the workers." he said. "It's a disaster."

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13462266

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Jackson autopsy could pose problems for his doctor

THOMAS WATKINS, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson's autopsy report was surprising as much for what it didn't contain as for what it did: The singer was in relatively good health for a man his age and no illegal drugs were detected in his system.

Jackson's physical condition, detailed in his autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press, could be a useful tool for prosecutors as they weigh charges against his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who told police he administered a powerful anesthetic to the singer shortly before he died.

The coroner has ruled Jackson's death at age 50 a homicide with his death caused by acute intoxication of the anesthetic propofol with other sedatives a contributing factor. The coroner found the propofol was administered without any medical need and that recommended resuscitation equipment was missing.

The autopsy findings block a potential defense for Murray — that Jackson hid serious pre-existing conditions that increased the risk of death from the drugs he willingly took.

"It clearly establishes that Michael Jackson was a healthy person whose death appears to have been directly caused by the administration of some very powerful sedatives," said criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Mark Werksman. "This autopsy report seems to clear the path for a prosecution that his death was caused by an overdose."

The Los Angeles County coroner's report shows Jackson's weight of 136 pounds was in the acceptable range for a 5-foot-9 man. His heart was strong with no sign of plaque buildup. His kidneys and most other major organs were normal.

Still, the singer did have health issues, many of them age related, including arthritis in the lower spine and some fingers, and mild plaque buildup in his leg arteries. Most serious was the condition of his lungs, which the autopsy report said were chronically inflamed and had reduced capacity that might have left him short of breath.

But the report noted the condition of his lungs would not have been a direct or contributing cause of death.

Murray's attorney, Edward Chernoff, said he was anxious to see the full autopsy results and would not comment until he had done so. He added that he stood by his original statement that Murray did not administer anything that "should have" killed Jackson.

Except for a brief video posted to YouTube, Murray has not spoken publicly since Jackson's death. In the video, Murray said: "I told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail."

Michael G. Dave, a Los Angeles lawyer specializing in civil litigation, said the autopsy report would be valuable for the Jackson family in the event they file a wrongful death civil suit. Such suits have a lower burden of proof than criminal prosecutions.

"That report, at face value, is dynamite for both the prosecutors and the heirs of Michael Jackson," said Michael G. Dave, a Los Angeles lawyer specializing in civil litigation. "It will go a long way to enable the heirs to win any wrongful death suit."

Stan Goldman, criminal law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said the autopsy findings would likely bolster a possible prosecution.

"The question for me is not if the prosecution has a stellar case for involuntary manslaughter but if they are going to try to go for some kind of murder," Goldman said.

Records state Murray told police he administered 25 milligrams of propofol to Jackson. But that's a very small dose that would not have kept the star under for long, raising questions about whether Murray misspoke or police misinterpreted what he told them.

The report provided details about Jackson's state from head to toes.

He had a ¾-inch scar behind his left ear and another apparent scar behind his right ear. He had a scar beside each of his nostrils and another, 4-inch scar on his right shoulder. He had a pair of additional scars about 3-inches long at the base of his neck and smaller scars on his arms and wrist. He also had a small scar near his navel and a 2-inch scar on the right-hand side of his abdomen.

He was going bald at the front of his head, with his remaining hair described as short and tightly curled. The bald part of his scalp was darkened with what appeared to be a tattoo stretching across the top of his head from ear to ear.

The coroner found depigmentation of his skin around his chest, abdomen, face and arms. The report also said he was actively producing sperm.

http://hosted2.ap.org/CAVAN/a2d5807e3aca4657a8fae2a88f644ead/Article_2009-10-02-US-Michael-Jackson-Autopsy/id-p9ba71d2344a844849cc35f22968aaee1

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From the White House

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, 2009 AT 3:20 PM

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Posted by John Brennan

Today, per a Presidential Proclamation and a Senate Resolution, marks the start of the sixth annual National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As stated in the President’s Cyberspace Policy Review, cybersecurity is a national priority and is vital to our economy and the security of our nation. The financial industry, our government networks, and your home computers are under continual attack from a variety of malicious actors, including domestic hackers, international organized crime rings, and foreign intelligence agencies. They are stealing your identities and financial information, sensitive government data, and proprietary industry information. As President Obama stated in his May 29th speech, "America's economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity."

However, there is much that we can do to reduce our vulnerability and improve our resilience to cyber attacks, and we call on all Americans this month to recognize their role in improving the nation’s cybersecurity. One of the themes for this year’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. This refers to the fact that government, industry, and the individual computer user must all play a role in securing our information networks and data. Public-private partnerships are critical to these efforts, and one example of this partnership is the National Cybersecurity Alliance. This joint industry and government organization provides a variety of information on National Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities. Further, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) provides information on cybersecurity efforts happening within your state.

During the month of October, I will be posting additional information on this blog regarding a variety of cybersecurity topics, including Cyber Threat, Cybersecurity Tips for the Home User, and Cybersecurity Careers.

Please check back here weekly for additional cybersecurity information.

John Brennan is the Deputy National Security Advisor and Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/National-Cybersecurity-Awareness-Month/

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From the Department of Homeland Security

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Release Date: October 1, 2009

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today kicked off National Cybersecurity Awareness Month by announcing the Department’s new authority to recruit and hire cybersecurity professionals across DHS over the next three years—established to help fulfill the Department’s broad mission to protect the nation’s cyber infrastructure, systems and networks.

“Effective cybersecurity requires all partners—individuals, communities, government entities and the private sector—to work together to protect our networks and strengthen our cyber resiliency,” said Secretary Napolitano. “This new hiring authority will enable DHS to recruit the best cyber analysts, developers and engineers in the world to serve their country by leading the nation’s defenses against cyber threats.”

The new hiring authority, which results from a collaborative effort between DHS, the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget, allows the Department to staff up to 1,000 positions over three years across all DHS components to fulfill critical cybersecurity roles—including cyber risk and strategic analysis; cyber incident response; vulnerability detection and assessment; intelligence and investigation; and network and systems engineering.

Although DHS does not anticipate the need to fill all 1,000 positions, this cap reflects the Obama administration’s commitment to equipping DHS with the critical tools necessary to build a world-class cyber organization and compete for cybersecurity talent.

Secretary Napolitano made the announcement in remarks marking the start of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. She was joined by Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III and White House National Security Staff Acting Senior Director for Cybersecurity Chris Painter.

In her remarks, Secretary Napolitano emphasized the important roles shared by individuals and the private sector—in partnership with the federal government—in protecting the nation’s cyber networks from terrorism and intrusion.

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights the steps being taken by government entities to secure the nation’s cyber infrastructure through programs such as the DHS National Cybersecurity Division and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team. Throughout October, DHS and its public and private sector partners will promote efforts to educate citizens on guarding against cyber threats at home, work and school.

For more information about National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, visit www.uscert.gov, www.staysafeonline.org or www.msisac.org.

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1254411508194.shtm

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Secretary Napolitano Announces More than $355 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Airport Security Projects

Release Date: October 1, 2009

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced more than $355 million in funding for more than a dozen airport security projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“These state-of-the-art technologies will bolster security and increase efficiency for both travelers and employees,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Investing Recovery Act funds in these critical airport projects will create jobs in local communities while strengthening our efforts to guard against terrorism.”

Secretary Napolitano announced approximately $254 million in ARRA funds for inline baggage handling systems at six airports—including Washington Dulles International Airport ($154 million); Mineta San Jose International Airport ($20.9 million); San Antonio International Airport ($14.4 million); Portland (Maine) International Jetport ($9.2 million); Port Columbus International Airport ($35.2 million); and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ($20 million).

Inline baggage handling systems eliminate the need for passengers to walk checked baggage to a screening location and wait before proceeding to the security checkpoint, incorporate enhanced explosive detection technology to provide on-screen viewing capabilities for TSA officers conducting baggage screenings and reduce the number of re-scans and physical bag searches

In addition, Secretary Napolitano announced approximately $38 million in ARRA funds to support new and enhanced closed circuit television (CCTV) systems, which enhance surveillance capabilities at six airports—including Chicago Midway International Airport ($2.7 million); Little Rock National Airport/Adams Field ($5.9 million); Kansas City International Airport ($9.4 million); Omaha Eppley Airfield Airport ($3.6 million); Washington Dulles International Airport ($8.1 million); and Tampa International Airport ($8.1 million).

Secretary Napolitano also announced approximately $37 million in ARRA funds for the purchase and installation of multiple additional checkpoint technologies—including $15 million for Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) units, which detect traces of explosives; and $22 million for Bottled Liquid Scanners (BLS), a technology that screens medically necessary liquids such as infant formula and liquid medications to ensure they do not contain a threat.

More than $25 million will fund the purchase and deployment of approximately 150 backscatter advanced imaging units to airports across the nation—designed to bolster security by quickly screening passengers for concealed threats of all kinds without physical contact. This deployment follows a successful pilot phase, during which 46 imaging technology units were deployed at 23 airports and passengers opted to use imaging technology for primary screening 99 percent of the time.

In awarding ARRA funds, DHS prioritizes shovel-ready projects that infuse resources into local economies quickly while meeting critical security needs. DHS has obligated more than 50 percent of its ARRA funds to date—more than $1.5 billion.

ARRA, signed into law by President Obama on Feb. 19, committed more than $3 billion for homeland security projects through DHS and the General Services Administration (GSA). Of the $1 billion allocated to TSA for aviation security projects, $700 million was dedicated to screening checked baggage and $300 million was allocated for checkpoint explosives detection technology and closed circuit television systems.

To learn more about the DHS Recovery Act projects, visit www.dhs.gov/recovery.

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1254405418804.shtm

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Testimony of Secretary Napolitano before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, "Eight Years after 9/11: Confronting the Terrorist Threat to the Homeland" (Written Testimony)

Release Date: September 30, 2009

Dirksen Senate Office Building
(Remarks as Prepared)

Chairman Lieberman, Senator Collins, and members of the Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to testify on the range of actions the Department of Homeland Security is taking to confront the terrorist threat to the homeland.

Guarding against terrorism is the founding purpose of our Department. Addressing this threat will always remain our highest priority, and as a major part of this mission, we are continually bolstering our efforts against domestic threats.

The way to secure our country from this type of terrorism is the same way we must secure it from terrorism in general. This is a shared responsibility in which all Americans have a role to play. The federal government; law enforcement on the state, local, and tribal levels; and the American people are the lines of defense against terrorism, whether foreign-affiliated or homegrown. They complement each other, and they must work together.

DHS is pursuing a collaborative, layered, strategic approach, working with the public and all levels of government to build the Nation’s overall capacity to prevent or respond to any threat that may arise. All of DHS’ law enforcement components focus on counterterrorism as part of their mission. These DHS components collaborate extensively with each other and with federal partners—such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)—on important counterterrorism operations.

As a critical part of our efforts, DHS is reinvigorating its coordination and collaboration with our state, local, and tribal partners—the Nation’s first preventers and first responders. The work of state, local, and tribal law enforcement at the local level puts them in the best position to notice when something is out of place and warrants a closer look—which is often the first step to thwarting a domestic terrorism plot. The Department facilitates information sharing with state, local, and tribal law enforcement to improve their understanding of domestic terrorist threat, in part by filling information gaps between the federal Intelligence Community (IC) and the Nation’s thousands of law enforcement agencies. DHS is also strengthening the Department’s intelligence enterprise by supporting the state and major urban area fusion centers where state, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement and other emergency response providers share information and intelligence.

The Department also works with a wide variety of communities, individuals and civic organizations to promote preparedness, community engagement and partnerships that constitute a strong defense against violent extremism. In all our work, we ensure that DHS and our partners act with the highest regard for the Constitution and the laws of the land. As President Obama has said, our security and our liberty are not mutually exclusive values—DHS aggressively protects both.

Combating terrorist threats within the United States poses a challenge in part because the threat is so diffuse. Terrorists inspired by international terrorist organizations can come from any age group, ethnicity, area, religious background, or claimed ideological affiliation. It is important to emphasize that no religious belief is a threat to our security. Indeed, DHS does not and will not police beliefs. But violent extremism is a very real threat, and DHS will combat any terrorist or terrorist group that threatens the American people with violence, no matter what belief lies behind that violence. Violent extremists operating in the United States have just one overarching characteristic in common: they pose a threat to the security of the American people. In turn, the American people are joined together by our common responsibility to secure ourselves from this threat.

Federal Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat Terrorism
Thousands of DHS personnel carry out our counterterrorism mission every day. Every law enforcement component within DHS has statutory responsibilities that are critical to combating the range of terrorist threats. DHS personnel within Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and its Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) perform critical counterterrorism law enforcement work whenever they are on the job. They count among their daily responsibilities tasks such as securing the aviation and marine sectors, securing our borders, and combating the smuggling of dangerous contraband such as illegal weapons—all of which are critical to countering domestic terror threats. These “boots on the ground” are the forward-facing part of DHS’ expansive counterterrorism effort. These DHS personnel play an indispensible role in the overall mission of keeping the Nation safe.

DHS also plays a critical role in ensuring a more unified federal effort against terrorism—one of the key reasons the Department was founded. We work together with many federal departments and agencies to secure our Nation from attacks inspired by international terrorist organizations through information sharing, investigation, engagement and enforcement. DHS works closely at the interagency level—with the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Justice, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the ODNI, among others—to combat violent extremism on many fronts. I am happy to be testifying today alongside representatives of two of our indispensible federal partners—Director Robert Mueller of the FBI and Director Mike Leiter of NCTC.

Among our partnerships, DHS offers robust support to Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs), led by the FBI, that include federal and local law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts. DHS personnel from our operational law enforcement components —including ICE, CBP, USSS, TSA, and FAMS—are hard at work in JTTFs across the country right now, conducting law enforcement work that is keeping Americans safe from criminal activity that has its roots in violent extremism. JTTFs have proven instrumental in securing the American people from a number of terrorist threats, and we view our ongoing participation in them as an indispensable part of DHS’ overall counterterrorism work.

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) within DHS strengthens the counterterrorism capabilities of law enforcement—on the federal level and other levels—through training in intelligence collection and information sharing, critical infrastructure and key resource protection, improvised explosive and weapons of mass destruction recognition, and critical incident response.

DHS coordination with federal partners strengthens the information sharing, investigations, and preparedness activities necessary to secure our country from the whole range of terrorist threats. But the Department also collaborates extensively outside the federal government—a critical part of DHS’ role in strengthening the Nation’s overall security from the threat of terrorism.

State and Local Partnerships and Information Sharing
While federal efforts are critical and essential to the Nation’s security from terrorism, let me be clear: The federal government can’t do it alone. Law enforcement on the state, local, and tribal level represents a critical ring of defense against terrorism of all kinds. The Department of Homeland Security assists these so-called “first preventers” in addressing terrorist threats that manifest within the United States—helping them to make sense of the activities they are encountering on the beat that may represent the first steps in a terrorist plot.

DHS works with state, local, and tribal governments to facilitate information sharing—a particularly important tool in our efforts to combat terrorism, whether they are international or homegrown extremists. All the steps the Department is taking to strengthen our intelligence enterprise are centered upon an important objective: ensuring DHS provides law enforcement with useful information by intently focusing our intelligence and analysis on meeting the needs of our partners. Across DHS, there are multiple operational, technological, programmatic and policy-related activities underway that focus on both improving the sharing and analysis of information with these consumers and between departmental components. Despite significant resources being devoted to these efforts, there is always a need to ensure that they are efficient and have been integrated with government-wide initiatives to improve information sharing such as those associated with the efforts to establish the Information Sharing Environment (ISE).

Strong information sharing is essential to law enforcement’s ability to assess data and analyze threats. As the primary information-sharing entity within the Department, DHS’ Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) is taking the lead in meeting this need. I&A is currently undergoing an important realignment to strengthen to delivery of useful, actionable intelligence to state and local law enforcement, based on their particular needs. This focus on information sharing with our state, local and tribal partners has elevated the Department’s role at the Nation’s 72 state and major urban area fusion centers. These centers, established by state and local authorities themselves, are the primary way that DHS shares intelligence and analysis with our homeland security partners and are key tools for stakeholders at all levels of government to share information related to threats.

These centers allow DHS to bridge the information gap between the IC and state, local, and tribal authorities, but they are not simple extensions of the IC. Rather, they are analytic centers that ensure that law enforcement have the information necessary to protect America’s local communities. My priority is for all of them to be centers of analytic excellence that provide the maximum possible benefit to the Nation’s security.

DHS is in the process of taking a major step toward this goal by establishing a Joint Fusion Center Program Management Office (JFC-PMO) within I&A to ensure coordination across all DHS components toward the twin priorities of strengthening fusion centers and DHS intelligence products. This will be a Department-wide effort that will require the involvement of a range of DHS components. Fusion centers are a high priority, and all DHS components will have new or enhanced roles in providing coordinated support to them. The JFC-PMO will:

Lead a unified Department-wide effort to develop and implement survey tools to ensure state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies have the opportunity to define and identify the types of homeland security-related information they need and the format in which they need it.

Develop mechanisms to assess regional and national threats and trends by gathering, analyzing and sharing locally generated as well as national information and intelligence through fusion centers.

Coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement leaders to ensure that DHS is providing the right personnel and resources to fusion centers.

Promote a sense of common mission and purpose at fusion centers by offering training, exercises and other support that build the kind of peer-to peer relationships across all disciplines – including terrorism analysis—that are the cornerstones of active and vibrant thinking, analysis, and information exchange.

Develop, promote and sustain rigorous legal, privacy, civil rights and civil liberties-related training and support to law enforcement partners and DHS personnel.
I have directed the Acting Under Secretary for I&A to submit a plan that outlines the proposed organizational structure, functions, business processes, and specific action objectives of that office. Throughout this process, I&A is working with the ODNI and other federal partners on adopting best practices in production, planning, and customer service. Congress has identified the establishment of an office such as the JFC-PMO as a critical to improving information sharing, and we are moving forward with a sense of urgency on this issue.

The establishment of an office that coordinates all DHS efforts to strengthen fusion centers comes in addition to other actions we have already taken—and continue to take—in this regard. I&A has deployed 41 intelligence officers to fusion centers nationwide, with another 25 currently in the pipeline. I&A will deploy a total of 70 officers by the end of fiscal year 2010. Furthermore, I&A will continue to install the Homeland Secure Data Network (HSDN), which allows the federal government to share Secret-level intelligence and information with state, local, and tribal partners, at all 72 fusion centers by the end of FY 2010. Currently, 30 fusion centers have access to HSDN.

Earlier this month, I announced an important partnership that will strengthen HSDN: a new arrangement with the Department of Defense (DOD) for select fusion center personnel to access terrorism-related information from DOD’s classified network. This reflects DHS’ extensive work with our federal partners to ensure the federal government as a whole collaborates successfully with state and local law enforcement to combat terrorism, and I want to thank DOD for its partnership. Under the new initiative, select fusion center personnel with a federal security clearance will be able to access specific terrorism-related information resident on the DOD Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet)—a secure network used to send classified data. This agreement is an important step forward in ensuring that first preventers have a complete and accurate picture of terrorism threats.

Other interagency partnerships further contribute to the quality of terrorism-related information and analysis that DHS shares with state and local law enforcement. As part of its current realignment, I&A has considered its analysis role within the IC, and is focusing on strengthening its analysis in several areas where its expertise is most needed. Two of these areas are violent radicalization and domestic terrorism—areas where I&A cooperation with federal partners is vital to success. I&A is currently realigning to collaborate with NCTC and other federal agencies for substantive reporting on violent radicalization in order to provide law enforcement with an accurate and comprehensive view of the threat. Furthermore, I&A will work with the FBI and other federal law enforcement partners to identify analysis and other reporting that could be relevant to our state, local and tribal law enforcement partners, in order to improve information-sharing efforts.

These resources and strategies not only facilitate the day-to-day operations of fusion centers and DHS I&A, but also a number of other important programs:

Fusion centers conduct support initiatives designed to familiarize state, local, and tribal law enforcement with violent radicalization, train them to recognize threats in their regions, and assist them in identifying, collecting, analyzing and sharing information on violent radicalization activities in their respective jurisdictions. This is the primary role of the Regional Threat Analysis (RTA) Branch of I&A.

At the request of state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, I&A continually produces Homeland Security Reference Aids (HSRAs). Each of these reports focuses on the threat posed by a specific violent domestic extremist or terrorist group. These products serve as primers on various violent extremist groups of concern; set forth the objectives, membership, presence, activities, and capabilities of these groups; and assess the threats they pose to law enforcement and the general public.

I&A and fusion centers work together on joint analytical products on violent radicalization and violent extremist activity in the United States.

The realignment of the Office of Intelligence & Analysis will also strengthen our cooperation with fusion centers and aid I&A in combating violent extremism. First, I&A is reorganizing a number of functions previously dispersed throughout the Office under the leadership of the Deputy Under Secretary for Plans, Policy, and Performance Management (PPPM). PPPM’s responsibilities include developing and unifying applicable strategies, plans and policies for I&A, using collaborative outreach, advocacy, and strategic futures analyses. These efforts, conducted in coordination with all DHS intelligence components, will lead to an integrated DHS intelligence enterprise focused on mission and consumers—namely, our state, local and tribal partners. Second, I&A is realigning its Operations element to integrate a number of previously scattered functions under it. The new I&A Operations element will maximize the effectiveness of I&A’s knowledge management, counterintelligence, mission support and training, collection requirements, and external operations programs by coordinating them. It will also better align I&A’s information technology capabilities with the needs of our analysts and our law enforcement partners. These changes will strengthen the efforts of the DHS intelligence enterprise, and fusion centers in particular, to provide timely and useful information and analysis to law enforcement regarding terrorist threats within the United States.

I want to emphasize that in all of our information-sharing programs, especially with regard to programs focused on violent extremism, DHS works to ensure the highest regard for our Constitutional rights, especially the First Amendment freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, and protest. The Department’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) works with I&A and other DHS components on policies and procedures to safeguard these rights, and provides training and reference materials for our law enforcement partners that help ensure their respect for these rights, as well. This is an important priority for us, as we work toward a Nation whose people and values are secure.

Engaging Communities, Individuals, and Others Outside of Government

Though the federal government and state, local, and tribal law enforcement continually work to secure the Nation from the threat of terrorism, government can’t counter the threat alone—the American public has a key role to play in our security, particularly against the threat of violent extremism.

In many ways, the public’s role in helping to secure the Nation from domestic terror is the same as securing our country from the broader threat of terrorism. The steps are simple—notify the authorities if something seems suspicious, and prepare for any incident that may occur. With regard to violent extremism, individuals have another important role: ensuring that our communities are not places where violent extremism can take root.

While only a tiny fraction of any American community ever embraces violent extremism, preventing and countering violence and other criminal activity is a shared responsibility. With this in mind, DHS is working with communities, individuals, and others outside of government in order to better understand the phenomenon of violent extremism and to develop strategies to counter its causes.

The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 charges DHS with leadership on the issue of violent extremism and violent radicalization within the United States. DHS established its Counter Violent Extremism Working Group (CVEW) in January to coordinate counter-violent extremism efforts across the Department. In addition to and separate from the operational and intelligence activities I discussed earlier, these efforts also include comprehensive community outreach and engagement programs.

Many of DHS’ outreach efforts are led by the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), which promotes civic engagement with many different communities as a means of increasing communication, building trust, and fostering resilient communities. In addition to serving those primary goals, engaging key communities also helps to prevent the isolation and alienation that many believe are precursors for violent extremism. It is important to note that such engagement with the many key groups which with CRCL holds dialogues—such as Arab and Somali American communities, as well as Muslim and Sikh leaders—is important in and of itself as a matter of civil rights protection and smart, effective law enforcement. But by helping communities more fully engage with their government, DHS is also preempting alienation and creating buy-in to the broader shared responsibility of homeland security.

CRCL’s Engagement Team works closely with these key communities and other members of the American public in order to provide information and respond to concerns. The Engagement Team is currently active in eight metropolitan areas*, convening roundtable meetings and coordinating outreach events for community members and federal, state, and local government officials.

CRCL is also helping to increase the cultural competency of DHS employees, as well as federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, on issues such as religious dress, misguided stereotypes of religious or minority groups, and cultural practices. This process helps to prevent the alienation of these communities from their public servants and helps to create a spirit of partnership. In turn, CRCL has worked with community leaders to encourage young people to seek jobs with the federal government, which has further improved the language skills and cultural competency—and thereby the effectiveness—of DHS. The DHS Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives also works with CRCL and other federal partners to encourage civic involvement at the grassroots level within religious communities in order to ensure that at-risk populations are afforded every opportunity to engage their community leaders and address concerns.

Through its own programs and outreach to community groups, another DHS component —U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—helps to foster successful immigrant integration and build a common civic identity among all Americans. USCIS offers educational and teaching resources to immigrants, both before they leave their country of origin and after they arrive in the United States, to promote America’s civic identity and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The Office of Citizenship within USCIS provides training and technical assistance to educators, volunteers, public libraries, and immigrant-serving organizations in teaching immigrants three parts of America’s common civic identity: communicating in English, embracing the principles of American democracy, and identifying with U.S. history.

DHS also engages academia and international partners in countering violent extremism. DHS’ Science & Technology Directorate, the Department’s research arm, conducts efforts to understand the phenomenon of violent radicalization by developing stronger links between national and international scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. S&T supports research on understanding how violent extremism develops within individuals, groups, and societies; measuring the level of violent extremism in the U.S.; understanding the roles that communities, governments, and civic organizations play in moving individuals toward and away from violent extremism; and documenting the impact of media on the spread of violent extremism. DHS has also formed the U.S.-U.K. Joint Contact Group (JCG) and the U.S.-Germany Security Contact Group (SCG) – formal bilateral relationships between DHS and the U.K. Home Office and German Interior Ministry, respectively—which in part focus on countering violent extremism. CRCL has worked through these groups to establish strong relationships with Muslim communities worldwide. In addition, I have met personally with several of my counterparts from European Union countries on the topic of violent radicalization, and how the United States can learn from European experiences.

Our security is a shared responsibility. So DHS and other federal government actions to engage individuals, communities, academia, and international partners—on preparedness, as well as on preventing violent extremism from taking root in America—are critical to this effort.

Conclusion

DHS was created to combat the threat of terrorism to the homeland. We are making important progress by coordinating, engaging and sustaining America’s many rings of defense—federal agencies; state, local, and tribal law enforcement; civic organizations; international partners; and the American public—to ensure that violent extremism does not take root in our country. Working together, each of these rings of defense can bring about greater security from the range of terrorist threats.

Chairman Lieberman, Senator Collins, and members of the Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to testify, and thank you for your continuing support of DHS and its mission to combat terrorism. I am happy to answer your questions.

*Washington, D.C.; Houston, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Detroit, Michigan; Columbus, Ohio; and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/testimony/testimony_1254321524430.shtm

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From ICE

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September 30, 2009

76 arrested statewide in ICE-led multi-agency gang enforcement effort
Operation Community Shield enforcement actions target gang members in 4 Utah counties

SALT LAKE CITY - A total of 76 gang members and gang associates across the state, including many with serious criminal histories, are facing criminal charges or deportation today following a two-month, multi-agency gang enforcement surge spearheaded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in close coordination with the offices of the Utah U.S. Attorney and the Utah Attorney General.

The arrests were made as part of an ongoing initiative by ICE's National Gang Unit called "Operation Community Shield." As part of the initiative, ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies across the country to target the significant public safety threat posed by transnational street gangs.

Thirty-six of the gang members and gang associates arrested in Utah over the last two months are facing federal or state criminal prosecution on charges ranging from re-entry after deportation to murder and drug possession. The remaining 40 gang members and gang associates are foreign nationals who are being processed for deportation.

Operation Community Shield is a proactive partnership designed to remove transnational gang members and their associates from our communities," said Utah U.S. Attorney Brett L. Tolman. "Reducing gang violence in Utah involves a coordinated effort by local, state and federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors. Operation Community Shield is one tool we will continue to use to target gang violence in Utah neighborhoods. We recognize and appreciate the contributions of local, state and federal agencies to Operation Community Shield this year."

Among those charged federally is a 34-year-old Honduran national with ties to the Sureno 13 street gang who has been previously deported at least five times. Guadalupe Alfredo Melendez-Laine was taken into custody by ICE agents in Salt Lake City Aug. 12. Melendez has a lengthy criminal record, including numerous prior arrests and convictions, including a local arrest two years ago for possession and distribution of heroin. The documented gang member is charged with re-entry after deportation, a violation that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Also charged with re-entry after deportation is Juan Castillo-Ortiz, 26, a Mexican national and member of the Brown Pride street gang. Castillo-Ortiz, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for weapons violations and felony drug charges, was arrested by ICE agents in Salt Lake City Aug. 27.

The enforcement surge focused on gang members and gang associates in four areas statewide - Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden and St. George. The initial arrests occurred in the Salt Lake City area in August, where ICE took 23 individuals into custody. The operation culminated this past weekend with 21 arrests in St. George. The intervening enforcement actions in the Provo and Ogden areas resulted in 17 and 15 arrests respectively.

In each jurisdiction, ICE worked closely with local law enforcement agencies to identify gang members and gang associates who posed a significant threat to public safety. Agencies that played a pivotal role in the gang enforcement surge include the police departments in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Logan, Provo, Orem, St. George, West Valley, Washington City and Park City; the sheriffs' offices in Cache, Davis, Washington, Millard and Mohave counties; as well as the Salt Lake County Metro Gang Unit; the Utah Highway Patrol, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Central Utah Narcotics Task Force. ICE officials say the success of the operation is due in large part to the extraordinary support provided by local and state authorities.

"The SECURE Strike Force is partnering with ICE in Operation Community Shield to do just what the people of Utah need: get the worst criminal aliens off our streets," said Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. "As attorney general, I am committed to protecting all law-abiding Utahns from these dangerous gang members."

Since Operation Community Shield began in February 2005, ICE agents nationwide have arrested more than 14,000 gang members and gang associates. More than 200 of those arrests occurred in Utah.

"This latest operation clearly shows our collective resolve to attack and dismantle the street gangs that are threatening our communities," said Jonathan Lines, assistant special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations that oversees the agency's activities in Utah. "ICE will continue to use its unique immigration and customs authorities to target these organizations and combat the violence and intimidation they use to hold our communities hostage to fear."

The foreign national gang members and gang associates who were arrested during the enforcement surge on administrative immigration violations have been placed in removal proceedings. They will be held in ICE custody and scheduled for deportation hearings before an immigration judge. The majority of the foreign nationals were from Mexico, but the arrestees also include citizens of Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, Peru, Cuba and Vietnam.

Under Operation Community Shield, ICE is using its powerful immigration and customs authorities in a coordinated, national campaign against criminal street gangs in the United States. As part of the effort, ICE's National Gang Unit identifies violent street gangs and develops intelligence on their membership, associates, criminal activities and international movements to deter, disrupt and dismantle gang operations by tracing and seizing cash, weapons and other assets derived from criminal activities. Transnational street gangs have significant numbers of foreign-born members and are frequently involved in human and contraband smuggling, immigration violations and other crimes with a connection to the border.

To report suspicious activity, call ICE's 24-hour toll-free hotline at: 1-866-347-2423 or visit www.ice.gov.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090930saltlakecity.htm

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September 30, 2009

New ICE initiative uses biometrics to enhance identification and removal of criminal aliens from Prince William County
Now criminal and immigration records of all those arrested to be checked

MANASSAS, Va. - Beginning Tuesday, law enforcement agencies in Prince William County will benefit from a new initiative developed by the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) that modernizes the process used to accurately identify and remove dangerous criminal aliens from the community.

The initiative, Secure Communities, is administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Secure Communities enables ICE to determine whether an individual arrested by a participating state or local law enforcement agency is a dangerous criminal alien and take the appropriate action to remove the individual from the community.

The Secure Communities biometric identification technology is now accessible to more than 12 state and local law enforcement agencies in Prince William County that utilize the Prince William - Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center for booking. The program has already been implemented in more than 80 counties, including Fairfax, with nationwide coverage expected by the end of 2013.

Secure Communities is fundamentally different from other ICE programs, primarily because under Secure Communities, state and local law enforcement officials are not authorized to enforce immigration laws on behalf of ICE. ICE officials make immigration status determinations and take appropriate action under the law, consistent with ICE policies and regulations.

At the Prince William - Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center where trained officers are authorized to enforce immigration law via a 287(g) agreement, Secure Communities will provide technological enhancements to the collaborative efforts of ICE and the 287(g) officers in identifying dangerous criminal aliens. Secure Communities enhances the ongoing joint efforts by Prince William County and ICE to identify criminal aliens in the county's jail system and process them for deportation.

Formerly as part of the booking process, arrestees' fingerprints were taken and checked for criminal history information against the DOJ biometric system maintained by the FBI. With the implementation of Secure Communities in Prince William County, the fingerprint information will now be simultaneously checked against both the FBI criminal history records and the biometrics-based immigration records maintained by the DHS.

If any fingerprints match those of someone in DHS' biometric system, the new automated process notifies ICE. ICE evaluates each case to determine the individual's immigration status and takes appropriate enforcement action after offenders complete their prison terms. Top priority is given to aliens who pose the greatest threat to public safety, such as those with prior convictions for major drug offenses, murder, rape, robbery and kidnapping.

"Secure Communities is a DHS initiative to more broadly manage and modernize the processes used to identify and ultimately remove dangerous criminal aliens from our communities," said Acting Secure Communities Executive Director Marc Rapp. "Our goal with this effort is to use information sharing to prevent criminal aliens from being released back into the community, with little or no additional burden on our local law enforcement partners."

"Secure Communities is an effective tool, which will enhance the Adult Detention Center 287(g) program in further identifying criminal illegal aliens," said Superintendent of the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center Colonel Pete Meletis.

Secure Communities bolsters the ongoing joint efforts by ICE and participating law enforcement agencies in the United States. Eventually, with DOJ and other DHS component collaboration, ICE plans to expand this capability to all state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation.

Secure Communities is part of DHS's comprehensive plan to distribute technology that links local law enforcement agencies to both FBI and DHS biometric systems. DHS's US VISIT Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) holds biometrics-based immigration records, while the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) contains biometrics-based criminal records.

"US VISIT is proud to support ICE, helping provide decision makers with comprehensive, reliable information when and where they need it," said US VISIT Director Robert Mocny. "By enhancing the interoperability of DHS's and the FBI's biometric systems, we are able to give federal, state and local decision makers information that helps them better protect our communities and our nation."

"Under this plan, ICE will be utilizing FBI system enhancements that allow improved information sharing at the state and local law enforcement level based on positive identification of incarcerated criminal aliens," said FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Assistant Director, Daniel D. Roberts. "Additionally, ICE and the FBI are working together to take advantage of the strong relationships already forged between the FBI and state and local law enforcement necessary to assist ICE in achieving its goals."

Secure Communities is a key facet of ICE's enforcement priority to identify, locate and remove criminal aliens, building on the success of the agency's Criminal Alien Program. In fiscal year 2008, ICE identified more than 221,000 potentially removable aliens incarcerated nationwide. This fiscal year, the agency anticipates spending more than $1 billion on such efforts, which in addition to Secure Communities, also includes expanding the agency's Criminal Alien Program and Fugitive Operations Program.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090930manassas.htm

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September 30, 2009

O'Hare Airport temporary staffing employees sentenced for harboring illegal aliens who were given access to secure areas
Assisted illegal workers in obtaining unauthorized airport security badges

CHICAGO - The owner of a Bensenville temporary employment agency and her assistant were sentenced in federal court Wednesday for harboring illegal aliens and assisting those workers in obtaining unauthorized access to secure areas at O'Hare International Airport, including the tarmac. The sentences resulted from a multi-agency federal investigation conducted in 2007 and led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Mary Gurin, 38, of Carpentersville, Ill., and Norinye Benitez, 26, of Franklin Park, were sentenced Sept. 30 by U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo, Northern District of Illinois, for harboring illegal aliens for financial gain. Gurin, who pleaded guilty May 11 to the charge, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. Benitez received 12 months and one day of imprisonment following her Dec. 12 guilty plea.

According to documents filed in court, Gurin owned Ideal Staffing, a staffing agency located at 170 N. Pine Lane, Bensenville, Ill., that contracted with several companies to provide temporary employees for work done in and around O'Hare.

Between February 2006 and November 2007, Gurin knowingly employed at least 54 illegal workers and arranged for them to fraudulently obtain airport security badges by falsely certifying information on the security badge application forms. The badges allowed the workers to enter secure areas while loading pallets, freight and meals for companies doing business at O'Hare, including some commercial airlines.

At times, Gurin also knowingly distributed airport security badges issued in other names to the illegal workers, which circumvented the appropriate security screening process and allowed illegal workers access to secure areas.

The 54 illegal workers from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador all faced state felony charges for possessing fraudulent identification in the form of an airport security badge. To date, ICE has recovered 34 fraudulent airport badges.

"These cases illustrate the need for ICE's continued vigilance to protect our nation's airports and other critical infrastructure," said John Morton, assistant secretary of Homeland Security for ICE. "The defendants circumvented airport security and the screening process in the name of greed."

According to court documents, Gurin supervised the work of Norinye Benitez, her office assistant. Under Gurin's direction, Benitez assisted hiring between 35 and 40 illegal workers and fraudulently obtained airport security badges for them. Benitez admitted to falsifying information on employment forms for workers who did not have proper identification, and to knowingly hiring illegal workers who presented counterfeit documents. Benitez, who is herself an illegal alien, will be transferred to ICE custody after she completes her prison sentence.

ICE was assisted in this investigation by the following agencies: Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General; Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Attorneys' Office, Northern District of Illinois; Cook County State's Attorney's Office; Cook County Sheriff's Police Department; City of Chicago's Office of the Inspector General; U.S Customs and Border Protection; and the Transportation Security Administration.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090930chicago.htm

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October 1, 2009

ICE deports Mexican fugitive sought for sexually assaulting a child

COLUMBUS, Ohio - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers deported a Mexican national on Thursday wanted by authorities for sexually assaulting a minor in his home country.

Jose Luis Martinez-Gonzalez, 23, was turned over to Mexican authorities at 10 a.m. on Sept. 29 at the Port of El Paso's Stanton Street Bridge. Martinez-Gonzalez is wanted in Oaxaca, Mexico, for raping a minor.

Martinez-Gonzalez entered the country illegally at an undisclosed location along the Arizona-Mexico border. He has been sought by Mexican authorities since February. Earlier this month, ICE agents with the Office of Investigations in Columbus, Ohio, apprehended Martinez-Gonzalez without incident.

An immigration judge ordered Martinez-Gonzalez removed to Mexico on Sept. 17. A week later, the Mexican attorney general's office asked ICE for assistance in returning the fugitive to Mexico. Martinez-Gonzalez, who was arrested and charged on administrative immigration charges, arrived in El Paso Del Norte Port of Entry (Stanton Bridge) in El Paso, Texas, and was turned over to Mexican authorities, Oct. 1 on a flight that originated in Columbus, Ohio.

"Through this removal we are securing our community while enabling the Mexican justice system to run its course," said Rebecca Adducci, field office director for the ICE Office of Detention and Removal Operations in Michigan and Ohio. "Whenever ICE deports these fugitives, both countries benefit."

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0910/091001columbus.htm

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October 1, 2009

ICE, Texas law enforcement arrest 20 in 3-day anti-gang operation

BIG SPRING, Texas - Twenty people were arrested this week during a three-day, joint anti-gang operation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Big Spring Police Department (BSPD) and Howard County Sheriff's Office that ended Wednesday.

This is the latest joint, local action of an ongoing national initiative of ICE's National Gang Unit called Operation Community Shield, in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to target the significant public-safety threat posed by street gangs, many with transnational ties.

During this operation, all of those arrested are U.S. citizens who live in Big Spring. Eight had outstanding arrest warrants; the others were arrested on various criminal charges. Of those arrested, 15 were active gang members or their associates of the following gangs which operated in Big Spring: Blood, Mexican Mafia, Tango Blast and Aryan Brotherhood.

"Street gangs pose a significant threat to public safety nationally and to the local residents of Big Spring," said John Chakwin, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Dallas. "Our ICE agents routinely work with local law enforcement agencies to share information and pool our resources to help remove criminals from our communities." Chakwin oversees 128 counties in north Texas and the State of Oklahoma.

"This initial operation was successful and appreciated," said Big Spring Chief of Police Lonnie Smith. "The joint effort goes to show gang members that law enforcement at all levels are committed to make our community safe for all."

"Operations such as this are very important and an effective way to impact the crime in our community," said Howard County Sheriff Stan Parker. "It is important that we work together, pool our resources, and let criminals know we will not tolerate their activity."

Following are three examples of gang members who were arrested during the latest anti-gang operation in Big Spring, Texas:

A Mexican Mafia member was arrested on outstanding state felony warrants relating to sexual predator offenses. He had illegally removed a court-ordered ankle monitor. A gang associate was also arrested after trying to help the gang member escape.
The leader of the Big Spring West Texas Tango Blast gang was arrested on outstanding state felony arrest warrants relating to delivering a controlled substance.
A Mexican Mafia member was arrested on outstanding state felony warrants relating to narcotics and weapons offenses.
The National Gang Unit at ICE identifies violent street gangs and develops intelligence on their membership, associates, criminal activities and international movements to deter, disrupt and dismantle gang operations by tracing and seizing cash, weapons and other assets derived from criminal seized activities.

From the inception of Operation Community Shield in February 2005 through Aug. 31, 2009, ICE agents working in conjunction with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide have arrested more than 14,500 street gang members and associates belonging to more than 900 different gangs, and representing 5,831 criminal violations. More than 170 of those arrested were gang leaders and 2,483 were MS-13 gang members or associates.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0910/091001bigspring.htm

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October 1, 2009

ICE deports illegal alien wanted in Jamaica for murder

ALEXANDRIA, La. - A Jamaican national who fled to the United States to avoid serving a criminal sentence for murder was deported Sept. 24 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers.

Mark Dixon, 39, was returned to Jamaica under ICE escort without incident. The New Orleans Field Office of Detention and Removal coordinated his removal with the assistance of the ICE Attaché in Kingston, Jamaica.

In 1998, Dixon illegally entered the United States in Buffalo, N.Y. On Feb. 27, 2008, he was convicted in Arizona for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and for making a false claim to U.S. citizenship. Dixon was sentenced to a year and six months in prison. He subsequently appealed the conviction to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and on Feb.12, 2009, the court affirmed the conviction.

On June 16, 2008, Dixon was released from the Bureau of Prisons into ICE custody. He was later served with a Notice to Appear before an immigration judge charging him with immigration violations. On July 1, 2008, an immigration judge ordered Dixon removed to Jamaica.

"Apprehending dangerous foreign fugitives hiding in the United States is a top priority of ICE and our international law enforcement partners, including the Jamaican authorities," said Philip Miller, field office director for the Office of Detention and Removal in New Orleans. "ICE is committed to ensuring the integrity of the nation's immigration system and it is in the interest of national security and justice around the world to capture and return wanted fugitives to their native countries to face justice."

Nationwide, ICE has arrested more than 190 foreign fugitives from countries around the world since fiscal year 2007. ICE returned more than 369,000 illegal aliens to their countries of origin during fiscal year 2008, a nearly 27 percent increase over the previous year.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0910/091001alexandria.htm

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October 1, 2009

Canadian predator on the run for more than 20 years nabbed by ICE, Florida law enforcement officials

FORT MYERS, Fla. - A Canadian national that has been evading law enforcement for more than 20 years for sexually molesting a child was nabbed in Homestead, Fla., Tuesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents and officers from the Collier County Sheriff's Office and the Homestead Police Department.

Douglas Elmore Brenner, 65, is wanted by the Waterloo Regional Police in Canada for sexual assault on a juvenile under 14. He entered the United States. in 1984 and assumed the identity of a deceased man in 1986.

ICE agents learned about Brenner after receiving information from the Collier County Sheriff's Office who learned that Brenner was hiding in Florida. An investigation was immediately launched to track down Brenner. He was found in a hotel located at 841 North Krome Avenue in Homestead.

Brenner has been charged administratively for being illegally present in the county. He has been placed in administrative removal proceedings and will appear before an immigration judge. If ordered removed, Brenner will be turned over to Canadian authorities based on an outstanding arrest warrant.

Brenner is currently being held at the Krome Detention Center in Miami where he will await the outcome of his case.

"Those who think that they can evade justice by hiding in the United States are sorely mistaken," said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Tampa. "This recent arrest is a testament to the excellent working relationships between law enforcement here in Florida."

Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said, "By making sure this type of criminal does not return to our streets this multi-agency effort has made Collier County a safer place to live."

McCormick thanked the Collier County Sheriff's Office, the Homestead Police Department and the ICE Office of Investigations in Miami and the Miami Field Office of Detention and Removal for their assistance in this case.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0910/091001fortmyers.htm

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From OurLA

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Latest Changes to City Hall's Deal with the Unions

Written by Roy Stone, City Librarian's Guild
Thursday, 01 October 2009

PLEASE POST AND SHARE WITH CLERICAL AND SECURITY STAFF

Dear Guild Members,

I have been waiting for some definite information and facts to send but then there was another meeting to review the proposal changes and another to clarify the actual ordinance. Therefore, most of the rumors that are going around are not likely to be accurate. THERE WILL BE MEETINGS SCHEDULED TO REVIEW THE PROPOSAL, SO WATCH FOR DETAILS SOON.

THE FACTS:

The recent review of the cost for the Early Retirement Incentive Plan (ERIP) caused the City Council and the Coalition of L.A. City Unions to modify parts of the proposal that was ratified by us and the other unions in July. An agreement was reached (hammered out) and an ordinance was passed by City Council on September 18. TO SAVE JOBS, TO SAVE SALARIES, TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO RETIRE, AND TO SAVE SERVICES THIS RESULTED IN A FEW SERIOUS CHANGES TO THE AGREEMENT. On September 30, the City Council unanimously passed a slightly revised ordinance that basically spelled out the details that had not been included in the previous ordinance. This starts the 30 day cycle.

Furlough time: While the Mayors plan was for 208 hours for this fiscal year, City Council and the Coalition agreed to 59 hours through the end of this fiscal year. There was an early concept of involving holiday hours in this proposal, but the Librarians’ Guild was very instrumental in removing the holiday consideration. Therefore, THE ACTUAL FURLOUGH WILL BE 3.5 HOURS IN EACH OF THE REMAINING PAY PERIODS, to the end of the fiscal year. HOLIDAYS REMAIN AS FULLY PAID. We know this is not easy, but the alternative was disastrous for you and a great many other workers and families; the Mayor’s plan was a minimum of a 1000 layoffs, and approximately 12 furlough hours per pay period(3 days per month), and those remaining trying to maintain some semblance of service, to note just a few of the problems.

Increase in retirement contribution: Since the plan was still under funded, it seemed reasonable to have those receiving a retirement benefit of additional service or age credit have their base annual retirement amount reduced by 1%. Those still working will have their contribution rate increased to 7%, rather than the 6.75% that had been agreed to.
CORRECTIONS: Security Officers had heard that their uniform/boot allowance was being postponed…this is not correct: there is no change to the uniform/boot allowance. For everyone: There will be no change to accrued sick or vacation time payments, however it will not be paid until August; retirement incentive bonus money will not be paid until the next fiscal year also.

The city is in dire financial straits there is no question about this. The agreement reached is not easy for anyone. City Council and the Coalition leadership agonized over these changes for over a week in very tough negotiations. Obviously a lot of what was accomplished was to get the city through this fiscal year. How do we know the city won’t come back in six months with more financial problems? The Coalition will be working with the CAO to regularly review the budget so there will not be any surprises and we can present proposals for the city to get through this time. When 2000 people have retired the city WILL BE IN A MUCH BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION.

For the second time in just a few months we are asking you to look at a proposal, look at the alternatives, look at your co-workers and decide what is best for everyone. But the details of the proposal are still being put into an official form by the CAO, so as soon as a document is available we will send email it.

Library hours: We know there is a problem currently and an even larger one looming when people start retiring. There is nothing to do yet, but as soon as we get to the next level the Guild will be requesting to Meet and Confer with Management about the situation. The same goes for transfers and acting positions, etc.

Ballots: Preparations are being made, but the printing needs to wait until the documents have been completed by the CAO

If you have concerns not addressed please email them.

Sorry this is so long; and I am sure that I missed a few things that are important, but these are the highlights.

Roy Stone

http://ourla.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=653&Itemid=3233

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Transit Talk: October Public Metro Meetings

Written by Chelsea Cody
Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Along with meetings about the new rapid transit line proposed for Wilshire Boulevard, there are a number of other public meetings planned for October to discuss Los Angeles transportation.

The city will be gathering people together for a series of discussions about the draft master bicycle plan as well as the Crenshaw Transit Corridor project.

Bicycle master plan meetings are scheduled for the following dates:

Harbor Area
Thursday, Oct. 22
Peck Park, 5-7 p.m.

Central/South Los Angeles
Saturday, Oct. 24
Exposition Park - Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Library
10 a.m.-12 p.m.

San Fernando Valley
Monday, Oct. 26
Marvin Braude Center (Conference Room 1B)
5-7 p.m.

West L.A.
Wednesday, Oct. 28
Felicia Mahood Multi Purpose Center
5 - 7 p.m.

The Crenshaw light rail project proposes the implementation of a line from Wilshire and La Brea to South LA and LAX. For a more detailed description there is a PDF map available, here. Second District County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas who supports the project, has set up a webpage about the upcoming meetings.

The public discussion meetings for the Crenshaw line are scheduled for:

Wilshire United Methodist Church “Hall of Fellowship”
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, 6-8 p.m.
4350 Wilshire Blvd., LA, CA 90010
Metro Bus lines 20, 720, 210,710

West Angeles Church “Crystal Room”
Thursday, October 1, 2009, 6-8 p.m.
3045 Crenshaw Blvd., LA, CA 90016
Metro Bus lines 38, 210, 710

Inglewood High School “Cafeteria”
Saturday, October 3, 2009, 10 a.m.-Noon
231 S. Grevillea Ave., Inglewood, CA 90301
Metro Bus lines 40, 111, 115, 212, 740

Transfiguration Church Hall
Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 6-8 p.m.
2515 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., LA, CA 90008
Metro Bus lines 40, 42

http://ourla.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=648&Itemid=3233

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Heather Mac Donald

The Truth About Policing and Skid Row
Summer 2009 proved that poor people’s best friend is the LAPD, not homeless advocates.

28 September 2009

The homeless industry on Los Angeles’s Skid Row lost its final shred of legitimacy this summer. Three murders and their aftermath exposed the advocates’ opposition to assertive policing as dangerous, hypocritical posturing. Los Angeles officials should reorient their funding priorities in light of the lessons of the summer of 2009.

For 25 years, Skid Row constituted a real-world experiment in the application of homeless-advocate ideology. The squalor that engulfed the 50-block district just east of downtown Los Angeles was the direct outgrowth of advocates’ claims that the homeless should be exempt from the rules of ordinary society. The result was not a reign of peace and love among society’s underdogs, but rather brutal predation and depravity. Occupants of the filthy tents and lean-tos that covered every inch of sidewalk in the area pimped each other out and stole from, stabbed, and occasionally killed one another. Gangs and pushers from South Central and East Los Angeles operated with impunity under cover of the chaos that reigned on the streets.

The intrepid small wholesalers and warehouse owners who tried to keep the area’s once vigorous commercial trade alive removed feces, condoms, and hypodermic needles from the entrance to their properties every morning. Elderly residents of the local Single Room Occupancy hotels were imprisoned in their tiny apartments, terrified to go outside.

In 2006, Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton announced a full-scale attack on Skid Row anarchy. His Safer City Initiative (SCI) would be a demonstration project, he said, for Broken Windows theory, which holds that tolerance for low-level forms of crime and disorder allows more serious crime to fester. When the police started enforcing jaywalking, public urination, and public camping laws, thousands of warrant absconders and violent parolees on the lam lost their refuge. Order gradually returned to the streets.

The homeless themselves were the Safer City Initiative’s most immediate beneficiaries. As the lawlessness in the encampments was pushed back, deaths from drug overdoses, untreated disease, and other non-homicidal causes of mortality diminished as well, falling 36 percent in just three years. Skid Row’s violent crime—the victims of which were almost always other vagrants—decreased 45 percent from the first nine months of 2006, before SCI began, to the first nine months of 2009. The lean-tos faded away as their inhabitants discovered that they could no longer smoke weed and crack in them all day without disturbance.

Skid Row’s radical social-service providers and public-housing advocates declared war on the Safer City Initiative. They directed a nonstop barrage of propaganda and lawsuits against the LAPD, claiming that its officers were abusing the poor on behalf of would-be gentrifiers. One of the most vocal critics was Casey Horan, executive director of Lamp Community and a highly public presence in Skid Row politics. Lamp is a subsidized housing provider that counsels its mentally ill clients to use drugs “safely”—an approach to drug treatment known as “harm reduction”—rather than requiring abstinence from drugs as a condition of residency. Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez has championed Horan, giving Lamp a prominent and always virtuous role in his book and subsequent movie about Skid Row, The Soloist.

Horan calls the Safer City Initiative a “discriminatory . . . initiative targeting poor, homeless and disabled people” that has “infringed on the civil and human rights of the predominantly black downtown community” (these statements appear on Lamp’s website). In an ACLU lawsuit against the LAPD, Horan claimed that “aggressive policing” was causing “fear and stress” among the Skid Row population that “add[ed] significantly to their issues.” SCI has had “no affect [sic] on violent crime” on Skid Row, Lamp alleges, a statement contradicted by crime statistics. At the same time, however, Lamp’s website dismisses the problem of “serious or violent crime” on Skid Row, saying that crime rates there are “relatively low.”

Given Horan’s long record of opposition to assertive policing, jaws dropped all over Skid Row on the morning of August 12, 2009, when the Los Angeles Times quoted Horan criticizing the LAPD for not fighting lawless behavior aggressively enough. Horan’s about-face came in a Times exposé of the reckless mismanagement at Lamp that had led to a double murder in April. Horan’s desperate effort to deflect responsibility for the violence in her own facility contradicted everything she had ever said against the Safer City Initiative and blew apart the advocates’ longstanding opposition to proactive policing.

At around 5 am on April 12 (Easter Sunday), a drug dealer and an associate were gunned down while watching TV in a Lamp residence. The events leading up to that double murder, described in an affidavit from an LAPD homicide detective, provide a breathtaking glance into the criminal mindset, above all, into its inability to defer gratification or to place long-term consequences ahead of short-term gain. The Lodge, one of several facilities for mentally ill addicts that Lamp operated on Skid Row, was a veritable drug bazaar. Inglewood-based dealer Lamont Ward, known exclusively as “Q,” directed the largest portion of the drug trade there through a network of intermediaries that included the Lodge’s night manager. Residents sold Q’s wares from their apartments or rented their apartments to outside dealers in exchange for drugs (the sublessors would then sleep in the streets, according to an employee). The Lamp philosophy of tolerating residents’ drug use creates a de facto sanctuary zone in the residents’ apartments; not surprisingly, drug-dealing rapidly colonizes that sanctuary zone. Q himself set up shop just outside the Lodge next to a flower planter. Near Q’s drug post, a Lamp resident conducted a brisk beer trade from his car trunk; the attendant bustle undoubtedly helped Q’s drug sales escape undue police notice.

Rival dealer Tommy Hayes challenged Q’s empire at the Lodge. Hayes used many of Q’s resident dealers for his own agents and hung out at the Lodge night and day, ordering pizza with his clients. Apparently no Lamp managers objected to his presence there, just as they never seemed to be disturbed by the other dealers doing a lucrative business from residents’ apartments.

When the Cadillac-driving Q tried to extort Hayes for a portion of his earnings, Hayes threatened to take Q out. Hayes announced: “F—k Q. He doesn’t tell me what to do. This is my spot. I can have motherf—kers shut down this place and shoot the place up,” as a resident later told the police. Q decided to act first. “Baby Girl,” a single mother of four who sold Q’s drugs at Lamp with her girlfriend, put Q in contact with “Speedy,” her “home-boy.” Speedy, a member of a cop-killing gang which operates from the Hollenbeck area in Los Angeles, agreed via cell-phone at 3 am on April 12 to do a hit on Hayes. Speedy put less forethought into the decision than most people expend on the choice of a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte or a low-fat Java Chip Frappuccino. Speedy (a.k.a. Richard Luna) lived up to his moniker. Barely two hours after receiving his assignment, he had fatally shot Hayes and an unintended second man in the Lodge’s TV room.

Speedy may be fast, but that doesn’t mean that he has no standards. He aborted his first approach to the Lodge when he saw that too many sundry dealers and residents were milling around the common area for him to do his job right. (This lively social scene was taking place at around 4:30 am, in a facility that is supposed to provide shelter for a vulnerable mentally ill population.) Speedy returned, seething, to Baby Girl’s car (Baby Girl having driven him to the Lodge). Everything was “f—ked up,” he said, banging the car’s dashboard. Speedy wanted out and wanted his money, now. Baby Girl (a.k.a. Shanana Flores) called Q back to convey Speedy’s frustration. Q, realizing that he had a perfectionist on his hands, hurried over to the Lodge himself, shooing the residents into their rooms and his dealers off-site: “Get your s—t out of here,” he announced. “S—t about to go down. It ain’t gonna be cool. This will be twisted. Motherf—kers won’t know where this is coming.” Q and the Lamp night manager turned off the security cameras, then Q called Baby Girl to announce that everything was ready to go. Speedy walked back to the Lodge, wearing gloves and a black hooded jacket, and five minutes later sauntered back to Baby Girl’s car, the job completed.

Speedy might with equal propriety be called Dopey, however. He had agreed to commit murder with nothing more than Q’s assurance that he would find $4,000 to $5,000 in drugs and cash on Hayes’s person. Yet the Lodge’s dealers and residents had already ransacked Hayes’ corpse by the time Speedy went to harvest the booty. “There was nothing. F—k that,” he told Baby Girl angrily when he got back into her car the second time. Speedy’s efforts to collect his payment would prove forever unavailing; all that he ever received from Q was $700 in small bills. Struck by the injustice of it all, he pressed Baby Girl for his payment over the phone the following month from the Los Angeles County Jail, where he was being held on an unrelated charge. Speedy showed a charming but unwarranted trust in the correction system’s respect for his privacy. That call and other bugged jail conversations provided the police with further evidence against him in the murder case.

Q was arrested on July 1 at the guard house of the exclusive residential community where he worked as a security guard and charged with two counts of murder. Speedy and Baby Girl have also been charged with murder.

Casey Horan denied almost everything in the Los Angeles Times’s August 12 exposé. She denied that there was any dealing going on in the Lodge and claimed as well that no one had ever reported drug sales activity to her or to her staff. Her first assertion is preposterous, given the numerous witnesses who have given statements to the police describing the pervasive trafficking at the site. Her second claim is incredible as well. I spoke with several people associated with the Lodge who say that residents had told staff about the dealing, to no avail. Given that a night manager was a partner of Q’s, it’s hardly surprising that staff might not have responded with alacrity to allegations of drug dealing. But even if the non-criminal residents had been too cowed to report the dealers’ occupation of the building, any conscientious management of a rehab facility would have noticed the many tell-tale signs of trafficking.

Horan’s denial that the Lodge sheltered a busy drug trade was childish but hardly surprising. Her explanation for how the murders could have happened in her facility, however, was nothing short of stunning. She had the gall to blame the police for the murders—because they weren’t policing aggressively enough on Skid Row, she said! “It was really the Wild West out there,” Horan sniffed. “We were aware that this is bleeding through our doors.” The “LAPD did not adequately police the area immediately outside the Lodge,” the Times paraphrased her as saying, “despite numerous calls Lamp made to them about crime there.”

Recall: This is the woman whose website dismisses the Safer City Initiative as unnecessary and labels it a “discriminatory . . . targeting [of] poor, homeless and disabled people.” Horan has endlessly sought to discredit the police tactics that could have forestalled the Hayes double murder—stopping and questioning people for minor violations of the law, such as the beer sales outside the Lodge, and arresting people for drug possession. No less an authority than Q has unwittingly testified to the efficacy of such broken-windows policing. Pressed by Speedy to cough up his blood money, Q told Baby Girl that he couldn’t sell drugs on Skid Row to raise the necessary funds. “If I went down there and got stopped then I’m really f—ked,” he explained. When a killer shuns a neighborhood because he figures that there is a good chance that he will be stopped, you know that the police are doing their job. Long before the Easter murders, SCI officers had noticed that misdemeanor enforcement had driven away many Skid Row dealers, since they could no longer spend all day littering and jaywalking while waiting for sales.

LAPD officers who work on Skid Row cannot recall Horan or her staff ever asking for more enforcement. Nor have Lamp officials participated in the community meetings that the LAPD constantly organizes to bring together Skid Row social-service providers, business owners, and residents. Contrary to Horan’s assertions, the police constantly made arrests around the Lodge, but the disorder surrounding and spilling out from the facility was endless. Horan did not respond to a request for an interview about her efforts to increase police activity around the Lodge.

Horan’s effort to shift the blame for the lawless chaos at the Lodge to the police was not just cowardly and hypocritical; it also undercuts the entire homeless-advocate world view. Confronted with an outbreak of lethal violence in her own facility, she did not interpret it as an indictment of society’s failure to spend enough on welfare and public housing—which is the mandatory advocate line—but as a break-down of law and order, for which the solution is tougher policing. Whether her response was blindly defensive or whether it shows that even Casey Horan possesses a hidden appreciation of the truth does not matter. She is now on record explaining crime as a problem of law enforcement, not economic inequality, and calling for more policing in response.

And Horan is right, of course. The double murder was a law-enforcement failure, not just on the part of the police, but even more so on the part of Lamp management. The problem was not just that it was the “Wild West” on the streets, as Horan charges, but that it was the “Wild West” inside the Lodge. Horan thinks she is exonerating herself when she states: “We were aware that [street problems were] bleeding through our doors.” She is only damning herself further, however. If Lamp management was aware of such problems, it should have eradicated them root and branch. Institutions need to show the same intolerance for disorder inside their walls as the police show out on the streets.

Casey Horan’s inadvertent affirmation of the need for assertive policing was the summer’s second serious blow against the left-wing anti-cop machine. The first occurred three weeks earlier, when a Skid Row stop for drinking in public led to the arrest of a depraved murderer less than 24 hours after his crime. On July 25, two mounted officers accosted Charles Samuel for drinking a beer on the street. When the 50-year-old Samuel told the officers that he was a parolee, they searched him, as is their right under the law, and discovered crack in his pocket. They arrested him for possession. Further investigation turned up physical evidence strongly suggesting that Samuel was responsible for abducting a 17-year-old girl the previous day and slashing her throat after she was unable to withdraw cash from an ATM machine. He left his victim to die in her own car in a Skid Row parking lot.

The Samuel arrest had already demonstrated beyond any possible cavil the value of broken- windows policing in high-crime areas. Had the police not stopped Samuel on the open container charge, he might still be on the loose. Add the lethal consequences of Lamp’s lax attitude towards criminal behavior and Horan’s sudden rebirth as a law-and-order advocate, and you have a comprehensive refutation of the homeless advocates’ attack on law enforcement. The Safer City Initiative has done more to protect the truly vulnerable from abuse than a thousand Casey Horans and ACLU lawyers ever have. Los Angeles’s leaders could spread the proven benefits of the Initiative more widely by redirecting taxpayer funds to the perpetually under-staffed police and to social-service providers who advocate respect for the law. In the meantime, supporters of public safety for the poor as well as the wealthy can celebrate this summer’s affirmation of the value of assertive, compassionate policing.

Heather Mac Donald is a contributing editor of City Journal and the John M. Olin Fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

http://www.city-journal.org/2009/eon0928hm.html

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From Ron Kaye

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Small Towns Out in the Desert Somewhere Are Run Better Than LA

By Ron Kaye
on September 29, 2009 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

The most memorable line Antonio Villaraigosa ever uttered came when he was under criticism for jet-setting around the world, hobnobbing with big shots and failing to pay attention to his duties as mayor of the second largest city in America.

"I'm mayor of the city of Los Angeles, not some small town in the desert somewhere. We are a global city," Villaraigosa said.

The heart of the problem with the mayor and other officials is that they run LA like it is a small town out in the desert somewhere, a town run by a small clique of insiders who act like they own the place, show little or no regard for the common good and, worst of all, are hopelessly inefficient.

Incompetent is the word most often used to describe city government.

A case in point is the LA Convention Center, a white elephant that has gobbled up hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Gary Toebben, head of the LA Chamber of Commerce, in his weekly Business Perspective column point to Controller Wendy Greuel's recent audit of the Convention Center as an example, noting these findings:

"Los Angeles may be losing thousands of dollars in fees waived by Convention Center staff because there is no system in place to access the actual costs of each event. Failure to properly maintain the Convention Center and restrictions in city ordinances prevent the staff from adjusting rates to adequately compete with other communities during non-peak booking periods. Perhaps most startling is a labor mandate requiring that the Convention Center utilize city electrical workers, which has resulted in thousands of overtime hours. Twenty-five city electrical workers earned an average of $94,000 in overtime pay with one topping out at $146,000."

There's a lot of other damaging findings in the audit:

* A flawed system for using employee overtime with a lack of oversight, which has led to over a million dollars being wasted. LACC uses City employees from other Departments - and pays them overtime, as opposed to expanding its pool of as-needed employees that can provide these services at regular rates.

* Employees are being paid "overtime" when they are no longer full-time City employees. The Convention Center needs to immediately seek to recover tIie nearly $34,474 owed to the City.

* An employee that has been on administrative leave for 3 and a half years and is still being paid a monthly uniform allowance.

.• A lack of control over fixed assets. The Convention Center is supposed to have 61,893 fixed assets worth nearly $11.4 million. We sampled 60 items to verify their existence--and could not locate approximately 25% of the items.

• No clear policy or oversight for fees being waived by the Convention Center.

• For November 2008 alone, we found that 43 parking cards were used by people after the completion or cancellation of their events.

If only this kind of mismanagement were contained to the Convention Center.

The lack of regard for the public's money runs right through everything City Hall does.

The mayor boasts his business tax amnesty netted $20 million from scofflaws who avoided $7 million in penalties but hundreds of millions of dollars still owed the city go uncollected.

For seven years, the city has tried to regulate billboards but still doesn't know where those that don't have permits are, fully one-third of them of the 11,000 billboards blighting the city.

Under criticism for blanket approval to spend millions of dollars a year for community and commercial events, the City Council comes up with a policy to pay only part of the costs and then finds out that the figures they have been getting are totally fictitious. There is no bookkeeping because nobody really cares about where the money goes as long as it keeps flowing in.

The list is endless. Spending is routinely approved without any cost-benefit analysis, audits of poorly performing departments and programs create more paperwork than action.

Is it any wonder that a quarter of the way into the new fiscal year, there's a $300 million hole in the budget?

Put aside for the moment, the corruption and the sweetheart deals with unions and contractors, the biggest problem is simply a lack of competence. No one is held accountable; there aren't even accounts that are reliable.

Yet, we have the highest paid city government in America with Council members getting $180,000 a year and citywide electeds even more. No other city pays anything like that. We have 1,000 retired city employees getting $100,000 a year and thousands more who will join that exclusive club in the next few years.

The plan to start an initiative drive to cut the elected officials' salaries in half won't solve the problem. But it will make us feel better and it might send them a message that voters are fed up with them and want to see change in a hurry.

This is a city with 4 million people, not some small town out in the desert somewhere. It's time City Hall started managing LA like the big city it is.

http://www.ronkayela.com/

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10,000 Cops, 15 Liars -- Crazy Days at City Hall

By Ron Kaye

on October 1, 2009 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (0)

UPDATE: City Hall's deal with the Coalition of Unions has changed once again and the terms have become available thanks to email blast from Roy Stone of the City Librarians Guild. You can read all about it at OurLA.org.

As we start the second quarter of the city's new financial year with a hole in the budget large enough to hold all the water wasted from bursting pipes, DWP's overpaid workers are getting another pay raise and the City Council is torn between putting trained police officers on furlough or breaking the 10,000 cops promise.

Of course, the mayor and council already betrayed their promise that the tripled trash collection fee for homeowners would go to hire more cops -- most of it went into the salaries of civilian city workers -- so it should come as no surprise that we will soon have fewer cops on the street and more crime in our neighborhoods.

Watching the Council operate on Channel 35 is an educational experience, one that takes great patience and a strong stomach. Is it any wonder that 9 out of 10 voters don't bother to cast ballots in most city elections?

Apart from the lesson the homeless taught us the other day about how to get the Council to listen (packed the Chamber with supporters and stage a riot), there were several highly instructional moments.

The actuary for the LACERS civilian pension carefully explaining in his fourth revision that even the latest Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP) didn't pencil out without the taxpayers footing part of the bill was among the more informative.

Then, there was each Council member asking the same question about whether the LAPD was still hiring new recruits for the Police Academy.

Yes, they each were told, the monthly hiring letters went out last Friday. No, they can't be rescinded because the recruits were giving notice from their current jobs.

Even better was the moment LAPD officials explained that the Council had created an impossible dilemma for the department.

On the one hand, LAPD was ordered to hire as many officers this year as retire or quit so the "magic" 10,000 cops number was maintained. On the other hand, the LAPD was ordered to cut $129 million from its payroll.

That's when the moment of enlightenment came.

Police union leader Peter Repovich told the Council they are nuts, or at least their policies are. Even the homeless complaining about LAPD's genocide against them on Skid Row cheered.

Hiring hundreds of new recruits makes absolutely no sense, he said, when you are about to take 1,500 experienced officers off duty every day with furloughs.

What is going on at City Hall is crazy.

Two years after the flood of bad economic news began, one year after it became a tsunami, the nation's highest paid city officials have still no coherent policy for how to deal with a crisis they created with a long series of sweetheart union contracts that are unaffordable when revenue has fallen sharply.

Understand that the Council (and mayor) already have gutted the city's ability to enforce Building and Safety codes and plan for developments that actually preserve the quality of our lives, jeopardized the public safety by putting firefighters on furlough and gone to war against the Engineers and Architects Union, thereby robbing many departments of the skills of their most highly-trained workers.

Now it's the cops turn.

Yet, spending on social welfare programs not only goes but is expanding. And they expect the cops and firefighters, working without contracts, to take less than they are giving to the IBEW workers at the DWP.

Every single measure that has been taken does nothing to solve the real problem: City government costs too much and delivers too little.

The mayor had promised to use a scalpel -- not a meat cleaver -- to solve the budget crisis but that was just another broken promise like so many others.

Nearly every measure being taken only temporarily reduces costs, deferring until next year or the year after the moment of truth when the bills come due and there's no money left in the treasury to pay them.

There is only one answer that preserves city services: Cuts in pay and benefits. But not a single city official has mustered the couraage to even bring the subject up.

In fact, the mayor has yet to say an intelligible word about the budget crisis in all these months, yet to provide the leadership a sane and reasonable person might expect from the top official of such a great city. Instead, he goes around town praising himself for his modest successes in a variety of social service programs.

It's all crazy, I tell you, but what would you expect when you let the inmates of the asylum run the place.

http://www.ronkayela.com/

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