Fraud Scheme Exposed

DMV Employee Jailed for Peddling Drivers Licenses
Charged $500 a pop to unqualified drivers

California Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown has secured jail terms for a former DMV employee and two associates for "jeopardizing the safety of thousands" by running a scam in which unlicensed drivers paid up to $500 to acquire a phony driver's license without taking a DMV driving test.

"This trio of characters allowed wannabe drivers to acquire a California driver's license without passing a single driving test," Brown said, "thereby jeopardizing the safety of thousands of Californians by putting ill-prepared drivers on our roads and highways."

Former DMV employee Rodney Wheatly, 46, of Fairfield and his two co-conspirators, Donald McGowan, 55, and Maricar Bazemore, 37, both of Vacaville, all entered no contest pleas to a single felony charge of unlawful access to a computer system (PC 502(c)).

Wheatly was sentenced to one year in Sacramento County Jail, and the other two defendants were sentenced to six months. Their prosecution was handled by Brown's office following a DMV undercover investigation. Investigators believe the trio issued about 20 fraudulent driver's licenses, but they were unable to confirm a precise number.

The investigation was initiated in late 2009 after a concerned citizen called DMV's Office of Internal Affairs to report a scheme involving the illegal sale of California driver licenses at a Napa DMV field office.

DMV investigators set up an undercover operation in which one of the agents posed as an unlicensed driver with a record of failed driving test attempts. The agent made initial contact with Bazemore over the phone and claimed to be a friend of a friend with an interest in purchasing a license. Bazemore agreed to meet the agent at a Taco Bell in Vacaville, adjacent to the senior citizens' home where she worked, and told the agent to bring $500 for the license.

At the Taco Bell, the agent and another undercover investigator posing as her boyfriend met with Bazemore and McGowan, who was introduced as the best friend of Wheatly, the DMV employee. Bazemore and McGowan instructed the undercover agents to drive to the Napa DMV field office where Wheatly would process the driver's license.

Before entering the Napa DMV field office, the agent paid McGowan $300. Inside, Bazemore instructed the agent to complete an application for a driver's license and directed her to Wheatly's window where she was told her driver's license would be mailed to her.

Upon leaving, the agent requested that Bazemore and McGowan provide her with a temporary driver's license before she paid them the remaining $200. They agreed, and the exchange was made the following week at the same Taco Bell in Vacaville.

Did You Know California Law Forbade Suing Adults who Supplied Booze to a Drunk-driving Minor who Killed your Kid?

...That's About to End

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed a measure that will end that prohibition.

The governor signed AB 2486, written by Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) after the measure – jointly sponsored by the Consumer Attorneys of California and Mothers Against Drunk Driving – sailed through both houses of the Legislature with virtually no opposition.

Although it is illegal to supply alcohol to a minor under state law, California is one of just three states that prohibit a civil recourse even in cases that end with teen deaths. By ending that restriction, AB 2486 seeks to boost responsible behavior and deter adults from providing alcohol to minors. Entitled the Teen Alcohol Safety Act of 2010, the measure will allow a civil action to be brought against an adult “social host” who spawns tragedy by providing alcohol to underage teens.

A lawyers' group co-sponsored the measure along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

“We’re very grateful for the governor’s signature and support,” said Christopher B. Dolan, Consumer Attorneys of California president. “As we’ve said all along, this effort is about saving young lives. We hope that by strengthening the legal consequences, adults will think twice before providing alcohol to teens.”

Not that it negates Mr. Dolan's or any of his organization's 3,000 attorney members, of course, AB2486 will provide much new work for members of CAOC and many other attorneys.

California has seen a surge in recent years of teens hospitalized or even killed after engaging in binge drinking. Some cases involved parents or other adults knowingly providing alcohol to teens.

The bill was inspired by the tragic death of Shelby Allen, a 17-year-old from Redding, Calif., who died of alcohol poisoning in December 2008 at a friend’s home with the parents present.

When efforts to seek criminal prosecution failed, Shelby’s parents attempted to pursue answers through the civil courts only to be rebuffed by California’s barrier against such lawsuits. An attorney for her parents brought that restriction to the attention of CAOC, which enlisted MADD California in supporting the bill.

Under AB 2486, the families of a minor injured or killed by alcohol would still need to prove in court the elements of negligence – that an adult breached their responsibility to uphold the law and knowingly provided alcohol. Because of the measure’s limited scope, its greatest impact would be to act as further deterrence to help keep parents from promoting behavior that runs counter to common sense and criminal law.

Prang Warns West Hollywood Residents, Beware: 'Scam' Petition would Put Billboards Everywhere

This from Councilman Jeffrey Prang:

VOTER ALERT - you may be asked by paid petition signature gathers, either at you home, or at grocery stores and other businesses, to sign a petiton alleging to lower your taxes and to impose a new tax on billboards in West Hollywood. THIS IS A SCAM. It is an initiative paid for by an aggressive billboard company in an effort to open all of West Hollywood to billboards and tall walls. Currently, West Hollywood only allows outdoor advertising on Sunset. Other advertising in the city is "grandfathered," as it was there before the laws were imposed - but new advertising is not allowed off Sunset Bl.

The proposed tax on billboards is legally questionable, moreover, the city recently adopted a new law to generate fees from billboards and tall walls. This initiative is not about taxing billboards; its about allowing even more to proliferate in our neighborhoods. I urge you, please DO NOT SIGN the petition.

Scanty List of Auditors Disciplined in the Years Since Enron Inspired New Rules for Accounting (LINK)

Cloaked Disciplinary Hearings for Accounting Auditors

May Break Open to Media, Public

Once hailed as the legislation that was supposed to expose creative-accounting misdoings to the disinfectant powers of daylight, Sarbanes-Oxley (sometimes shortened to "SOX" or "SarbOx"), has had some pretty outstanding holes in it, which have gone relatively unnoticed for almost a decade.

One of the most negligent of those "oversights" is the SarbOx language that--pun intended,--keeps oversight proceedings--proceedings meant to ensure honesty and accuracy in the accounting offices of America's publicly traded corporations--cloaked in secrecy.

However, changes may soon come that would put a public eye on auditors whose conduct is under examination by the congressionally appointed board whose job it is to ferret out wrongdoing on behalf of shareholders and anyone who has an interest in honest accounting.

This from a press release sent to journalists today by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board:

Under current law, firms and auditors litigating with the PCAOB have little incentive to consent to public proceedings and can prevent proceedings from becoming public for long after the information would be most relevant to investors, other auditors, and interested parties.

“No other auditor, investor, audit committee, or member of the media is entitled to know what the PCAOB considers to merit discipline, whom it has charged, what issues are being litigated, or whether the PCAOB staff has prevailed or not,” said Acting Chairman [Daniel L.] Goelzer. “The public is in the dark about how the Board uses its enforcement authority until there is a settlement or an SEC decision on the Board’s sanctions.”

PCAOB's Daniel Goelzer has assigned to his staff the task of writing new language to present to congress, which would allow disciplinary hearings to be open to the press and the public without consent of all parties, and without needing extraordinary merit for public scrutiny to be allowed, as is now the case.

Debut Orchestra Goes All-out in Final Concert of the Season: At the Broad Stage in Santa Monica

“I find it fitting that the YMF Debut Orchestra is concluding its 55^th season with a program entitled "Revolutionary Voices," Maestro Case Scaglione said. “Classical music's course has always been driven by composers who have had the courage to push the envelope and think outside the box. YMF has always searched for and supported these composers. From the time of Igor Stravinsky all the way to Charlie Fox today, YMF has carried on this tradition proudly. In addition to a world premiere by Mr. Fox we will also perform the music of Weber, Pärt, Michael Daugherty, and Beethoven.”

According to Scaglione, the pieces chosen for the April 17 concert are insignia of their respective eras.

“Each one of these pieces employs a compositional technique that was bold and fresh for the time. Michael Daugherty's Red Cape tango from 1994 brings the comic book character Superman to life while Beethoven throws us even deeper into the jowls of romanticism with his wonderfully evocative 5th symphony,” he said. “And all of this performed by the world-class Debut Orchestra. It is going to be a musical event to behold.”

The five dramatic musical pieces are considered cutting edge examples of their times. The concert will begin with Weber’s Der Freischütz, considered to be the first important German Romantic opera. Festina Lente by Pärt brings drama to the recounting of the beginning of the Christian era with violas, violins and bass all play in harmony at varying tempos. Fox will premiere his Arabesque For Orchestra. Daugherty's Red Cape Tango ties American pop culture directly into the classical arena. It is the final movement of his Metropolis Symphony, a work inspired by the life and times of the comic book character Superman. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, is one of the most popular and often played symphonies. It is considered groundbreaking both in terms of its technical and emotional impact.

For more information visit the Young Musicians Foundation’s website at www.ymf.org or call 310-859-7668.

Founded in 1955, Young Musicians Foundation (YMF) is devoted to preserving the classical music heritage by providing performance opportunities; financial assistance and community outreach programming that contributes to the personal, academic and artistic development of youth from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. YMF is committed to the belief that music unifies a community and is a universal language. It is to this end that YMF strives to keep classical music alive.

The Debut Orchestra Performing Brahms for High School Students in Hollywood, Audience at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica

The Young Musicians Foundation, The Legacy Continues

C U L T U R A L W A R F A R E!

A Fiery Roundtable
A Brilliant Concert

The Young Musicians Foundation and its Debut Orchestra, led by music director and conductor, Maestro Case Scaglione, present “Cultural Warfare,” a concert performance and what promises to be a lively roundtable dialogue. The Debut Orchestra’s first performance takes place Sunday, March 14 at the Broad Stage, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica, 4:00 p.m. This will be followed by a performance on Monday, March 15 at Hollywood’s Helen Bernstein High School, 1309 N Wilton Place, Los Angeles, CA 90028 at 1:30 p.m.

Removal requested ()Restore requestedEdited

As part of its Outreach Concert Series the Young Musicians Foundation (YMF) along with its world-famous Debut Orchestra, has set out to revolutionize the way music is presented to young people by bringing together classical scores and an interactive presentation that includes provocative visuals and spirited conversations about pop culture, art, and current events, infused with music history and appreciation, literature.

To provide more than just an extraordinary listening experience, Maestro Scaglione and YMF Artistic Administrator Dr. Mieko Di Sano will use innovative slides, videos, and music examples to get across the imagery. Students will discuss how the current societal norms compare to the events and culture that produced pieces like Pärt’s Fratres for Violin & Strings in the late 20^th century (Sunday) and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor in the late 19^th century (Monday).

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“We have a moral obligation as classical musicians in the modern era to bring our splendid art form to tomorrow's generation,” said Maestro Scaglione. “If the young people in our cities and towns are not tirelessly sought out we cannot expect them to understand the magnitude and importance of what we do. I can think of no better introduction to Western Art Music than an open, interactive discussion with the youth of Los Angeles. This will be a wonderful opportunity not only for our young audience
as a learning experience, but for us to rediscover why we fell in love with classical music to start with.”

The concert series is underwritten with generous funding from State Farm Insurance, and partners with Teach for America.

YMF’s concerts not only prepare young players for their life as professional musicians, but also allow YMF to bring great music to the people of Southern California for free. With the generosity of corporate underwriting, YMF continues to expand that tradition so that every child, regardless of race or socio-economic standing, can be taken to those magical places visited only through great music.

For more information visit the Young Musicians Foundation’s website at www.ymf.org or call 310-859-7668.

What Gets Young People Excited These Days?

It's not drugs. It's not rebellion.
And, it's not necessarily shoes, but...

For many, it's something small, something personal that connects them to their peers, their heroes and their world. I love this generation. Here's an example of what I mean: Click the play arrow and learn about the youth of today from a minor, yet emblematic moment in time as Brian DeWolf, our researcher at the Business Journal, opens a pair of reissued retro Air Pennys.

Brian sent me an email after he agreed to let me blog the impromptu video I took at the office...(I think the kids are alright.)

"Hey Thom, at the risk of being obnoxious, here’s more on the shoes.

The ones I just got…

These were the three colorways that came out in 1996 for Penny Hardaway when he was playing for the Orlando Magic.

Hardaway ended his career on the Miami Heat, so these are the shoes in Heat colors. Interestingly, he retired before these shoes came out so he never wore them in a game.

These are some more special edition colorways.

The Air Penny line has about 4 or 5 different shoe models, and they just came out with the ones below about a month ago. The idea with

these is that they’re pulling elements from each shoe in the series and putting them into one shoe.

How's This for Government Intrusion Into Healthcare: Undercover Officers Posing as Patients to Expose Fraud by Doctors & Nurses

Conservative and Republican politicians have so many labels to choose from. They can be Blue Dogs, RhINOs (Republican in Name Only)...& Now,
the Hippo:

Republican Senator Exposes Himself as Complete Hypocrite.

Today's New York Times Health section's lead story is about how Sen. Tom Coburn (R. Okla.), who is himself an M.D., proposes to establish a network of undercover government agents to lay in hospital beds across the country to expose waste and fraud. This guy is one of the vocal Repubs. who have been fear mongering about Obama's government takeover of health. All the president wants to do is consolidate the buying power of uninsured Americans. Sen. Coburn wants to put agents in hospital rooms to spy on providers. Click on the photo or here for the full NYT story.


Health Care Reform Calculator
Also, if you want to know EXACTLY how the three health care reform proposals might effect you or you and your family, the California-based Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation has a dynamic calculator here.

City of L.A. to Grade Banks it Invests Through

Alarcón's Report Card Proposal Moves Closer to Becoming Law

Richard Alarcón's proposed ordinance requiring financial institutions to submit local investment “report cards” about how socially responsible and committed to the local economy they are has been drafted and is one step close to becoming law. The ordinance is to be presented to the City Council within 45 days.

Currently, the City of Los Angeles has nearly $30 billion in investments, including savings and pension funds.

A source close to the councilman's recently confirmed to RepublicOfL.A. that he has had conversations with Arianna Huffington about her online newspaper, The Huffington Post's so-called "Move Your Money" campaign, encouraging people and institutions to abandon large banks in favor of smaller, community banks and credit unions.

However, the source made clear that Councilman Alarcón's proposed investment report card law is not an outgrowth of that movement.

“The City of Los Angeles has an obligation to ensure that not only are our taxpayers dollars spent properly, but that they are also invested in a way that gives the greatest benefit to our City, and the report card created by the Responsible Banking Initiative will give us the information we need so we can invest smarter,” said Councilman Alarcón.


The councilman said even better interest rates are not enough for the city give business to institutions that under serve the community.

"A slightly lower interest rate isn’t much of a deal, if the same bank is taking advantage of homeowners, refusing to issue small business loans or not opening branches or ATMs in low-income areas.”

Alarcón was joined by colleagues on the council who share the belief that the city's investment portfolio should be placed with financial firms that demonstrate a commitment to the city's residents and businesses.

“...This ordinance will put the City in a position to have a more meaningful relationship and ensure the banking industry is a partner in not only the investment aspect, but also the community benefit," said Councilman Bernard Parks.

Alarcón will be presenting the Responsible Banking Initiative to leaders of other cities during next week’s National League of Cities meeting.

Interestingly, a statement issued by Alarcón's office referenced the use of a "national model to promote investment in banks that are operating in a socially responsible manner, including investing back into local communities and providing much needed services to residents, especially those in lower-income areas."

As mentioned, there is a national movement afoot already: Huffington's "Move Your Money" campaign, which state legislators in New Mexico have attempted to do in recent weeks. It looks like L.A. is next.

While Los Angeles would be the biggest City to create comprehensive reporting requirements for banks wanting to do business with the City, it is not without precedent. In 2006, the Philadelphia City Council unanimously approved a law requiring all banks that do business with the City fill out a Statement of Community Reinvestment Goals within Philadelphia. This year, five states have introduced bills to look at how State deposits can be used to ensure reinvestment within their State.

Tonight: Baby Boomers Getting the Once Over on CNBC by Brokaw

...But, Will Boomers be Told the Truth About what They've Done for a Change?

Tom Brokaw's greatest contribution to the American mediascape may not be his role as an anchor on NBC; it may be his coining of the phrase "The Greatest Generation" to describe the once-young Americans who fought and won World War II. However, his treatment of another generation tonight on CNBC via a new documentary called "Boomers" derived from his book of a similar name, heaps another overdose of attention upon the already majorly overexposed Baby Boom generation. This time it's about how they're "facing aging" in these most challenging of economic times in, well, a generation."


A side note to our valued Baby Boomer readers: Forget about aging; you're aged! Well-aged. Old. There. You're old. Sorry; it's just a fact. You've been old for a few years now.

Bland Book

Brokaw's book, Boom! Voices of the Sixties, which was released in 2007, was described that year, by USA Today's Michael Minzesheimer as bland and better at descriptions than analysis. If the same turns out to be true for the documentary, he will have missed an opportunity to hold up a mirror to Boomers and ask them if they can see that what they did in the 1960s has not defined our world; it's what they did after the sixties that gave us the planet we walk today. In the 1980s the sold a nation the idea that greed was good. In the 1990s the fine-tuned that message by turning everything that wasn't bolted down over to corporate America. Rather than the more tangential message "Greed is Good," the mantra of the nineties gave us instructions. It was "Privatize! Outsource! Contract it out!"

Cheaters

A public school teacher recently told me a set of parents, whose daughter had been caught cheating on a final, protested the disciplinary action the school had decided to take by saying, "Come on, everybody cheats a little." The parents were likely Gen-Xers--my demographic--rather than Boomers.

I don't buy it. Not everybody cheats. But, that's the legacy of the Baby Boomer Generation.
Cheating is taking advantage of the trust of others. The others of whom the Boomers have taken advantage are the generations to come.

The Space Program as an Example

Their parents' generation gave Boomers the advantage of a highly accessible higher education system, the crown jewels of whose public university component may have been California's U.C. and CSU systems. But Boomers have decided to begin dismantling is in order to minimize their own pain as they continue aging. It's just too expensive now, they say. And yes, look at the ages of the politicians, administrators, corporate leaders, and even the largest demographic segment of taxpayers driving the deconstruction of nation's largest public university systems. They're boomers. Boomers represent about 25 percent of the U.S. population, weighing in at about 80,000,000 people, according to the U.S. Census.

To be sure, they've done great things. They've vastly improved race relations and increased human communication with technology and openness.

But, they dropped the ball or actually kicked it over the fence and onto the freeway (and in some cases told other generations to go get it), when it came to the economy, infrastructure, the environment, and the family unit.

Boomers have totally gutted U.S. manned space exploration. Think about what their parents did. They went to the moon--multiple times. We couldn't do that today if we wanted to. Think about where we find ourselves today in space: the shuttles are retiring; we're going to have to use the Russians rockets in order to get to the space station until the return to 1960s space-capsule technology is made real. Yes, that is the plan).

Kidding

Unfortunately, there are so many ways to point to the Boomers as being responsible for so much that is wrong with America today. It's sad. So, if Mr. Brokaw (aged 70, and not a Boomer) expects the youth of today to buy another sales pitch of the Baby Boom generation as being anything but a net failure, he's kidding himself and the Boomers too.