Randy Economy

Bruno Mars Will Runaway With Grammy's on Sunday

2013-02-09T21:41:00.001-08:00

I am one of the biggest Bruno Mars fans on this planet. Okay. I said it. This guy INSPIRES ME beyond words. It has been a while since I blogged. Been on a whirlwind, and just catching my breath. Anyway....not going to be "running away" from ANYTHING in this world... Go Bruno GO!

Bruno Mars is Locked Out of Heaven

2013-01-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't BLOGGED in a while. No, I haven't given up on YOU, far from it. Just been SWAMPED over at www.loscerritosnews.net. @loscerritosnews +RandyEconomy Loving this @BrunoMars +BrunoMars hit "Locked Out of Heaven!"

DING DONG: Brian Okam is the WORST BASKETBALL FREE THROW SHOOTER EVER!

2012-12-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

WATCH: This is the worst free throw in the history of basketball. Appalachian State's Brian Okam's attempted free throw had more height than distance.

Ding Dong....

BABY NICOLE ANGELA: New born infant with ‘one eye’ inspires hope, medical treatment

2012-12-02T23:41:00.001-08:00

To my readers....this story really hits home for me, because this precious little gift is my VERY OWN God Daughter. I am at a loss for words, but God is Love and Miracle can happen each and every moment! Randy

Effort begins to search for ‘miracle’ treatment’ for daughter of Mark and Emma Hylland, regardless of hurdles and an entire Pacific Ocean between them.

Nicole’s medical condition is known as Anophthalmos and is extremely rare, its cause unknown. Parents Mark and Emma have been on a wrenching and emotional roller coaster ever since.

By Randy Economy

The birth of a new born child is always considered to be the most monumental occasions in the life of any mother and father.

Norwalk community leader Mark Hylland and his partner Emma Naquinez were ecstatic with the birth of their daughter last week.

On November 25^th, Nicole Angela was born at the Provincial Hospital in Augusan Del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines.

Father Mark Hylland was unable to be present for the birth of his daughter since he is in the middle of his finals exams at California State University Dominguez Hills, where he is pursuing Bachelors in Labor Studies. In just a few weeks he will graduate with honors and will enter CSUDH’s online Negotiations, Conflict Resolution, and Peace Building Master’s Program.

Meanwhile, he is an ocean apart from Emma and this past week’s birth was already full of raw mixed emotions.

After baby Nicole Angela was born, doctors at the hospital experienced difficulty opening her right eye. When they did, they were shocked with what they did not see. Nicole did not have a right eye ball.

Nicole’s medical condition is known as Anophthalmos and is extremely rare, its cause unknown. Mark and Emma have been on a wrenching and emotional rollercoaster ever since.

Hylland oversees the Bohol/Philippines Coffee Project which he started with the support of “Gus” Velasco, the Santa Fe Springs icon who passed last year. This sustainability project is aimed at fighting poverty and protecting the environment through coffee.

“I discovered much more than coffee in the Philippines. It was there that I met Emma. She was my guide as I searched for coffee. I have learned so much from her, she is an amazing woman and a wonderful mother.”

More at Los Cerritos Community Newspaper

Randy's Monday Notes: Assessor Noguez 'Arrest Petition and Exhibits' tell the tale of how the 'Perfect Public Scam' went wrong in so so many ways, and DA Cooley is now a 'short timer"

2012-11-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

John Noguez Arrest Petition and Exhibits

SHOUT OUT TO OUT GOING LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY STEVE COOLEY.....

MONDAY NOTES

Just a couple of THOUGHTS for this CYBER MONDAY MORNING...

Look for another couple of HUGE WEEK'S in the MASSIVE CRIMINAL PROBE deep inside the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office.... Stay tuned to Los Cerritos Community Newspaper for all the latest details.... This case continues to EXPAND. The fall out of the arrest of Juan Reynaldo Rodriguez aka: "AMERICA'S ASSESSOR" Johnny "The Gooze" Noguez is beyond the scope of comprehension.

As the Reporter who blew the lid off this entire situation along with LCCN Publisher Brian Hews, the amount of evidence is overwhelming....there are going to be many more "twists" and "turns"....Look for a lot more hand cuffs to be put into use....

Monday looks like a another big day for "The Pirate" and Mr. Hews with The News -- think we will heading to KFI AM640, and KTLK 1150AM in the afternoon in Burbank, firming up details..... I will keep you all posted.

COUNTDOWN TO LACEY....Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley is an "official" short timer as the "TOP PROSECUTOR" here in "Hood."Going to miss Steve....he has been the BEST DISTRICT ATTORNEY in the HISTORY of LA County. Jackie Lacey has named her "new transition team" and it looks SOLID as a ROCK... I wonder what defeated LA County DA candidate Alan Jackson is going to do in the future...? Hummm.....

The LA Mayor's Race is HEATING UP....look for Wendy, Jan and Eric to start the "big fight" against Kevin James....this is going to be FUN FUN FUN....

Related articles

Sources: Locked up Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez ‘outraged’ over ‘non-Vegan Meal options’ at LA County Jail, and he is only getting three showers per week

2012-11-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

John "The Gooze" Noguez Rodriguez Reynaldo Alonzo Martinez Jones

As you know, Los Cerritos Community Newspaper blew the lid off the massive criminal corruption investigation deep inside the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office nearly one year ago. Good times here at Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in 2012. My Publisher Brian Hews and Editor Jerry Bernstein have a LOT to be thankful for this week. So, first and foremost…thanks a million to each and every one of our readers….and die hard supporters!

In case you haven’t heard, LCCN is being nominated for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for our “body of work” by several media outlets and reporters all over the country. Just to be “considered” for this amazing honor is beyond our wildest dreams. Our “tiny” Los Cerritos Community Newspaper is doing “huge work” according to outgoing Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, and I totally concur.

More on that down the road.

Anyway….

Sources have told me that JAILED Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez has been in a foul mood as he enters his SECOND month in SOLITARY CONFINMENT in a Downtown jail cell.

“Insiders” tell me that ‘The Gooze’ is beyond “cranky” in “lock up.” Noguez is a “devote vegan,” and my AMAZING sources are telling me that he is not getting a “special preference” or “special treatment” when it comes to his daily “meal selections” in County jail.

Known by his rock solid, loyal supporters as “America’s Assessor,” Noguez, whose real name is Juan Reynaldo Rodriguez is also being limited to three showers per week.

Keep you posted.

Happy Turkey Day!

PSY - GANGNAM STYLE heading to ONE BILLION VIEWS on YOU TUBE

2012-11-21T13:34:00.001-08:00

Gangnam_Style_PSY_08logo (Photo credit: KOREA.NET - Official page of the Republic of Korea)

It is Thanksgiving Week here in the United States. We can all bow our heads and thank the "man up stairs" for allowing artist Psy for giving us "Gangnam Style" this holiday season. What is this world coming too? Think about it. This ditty will have more than ONE BILLION VIEWS on You Tube before Christmas. Scary, ain't it. Pass me some of that dark meat, and stuffing. It's ON, BABY!

PEOPLE LIKE US: Kelly Clarkson SCORES with new "anthem" about "what kind of people?"

2012-11-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

Do you NOT love KELLY CLARKSON? I would love to interview her about her latest ditty called "People Like Us." I am so glad she didn't call this song "People Like You People," or "My People Like Your People," or "What Type of People Are You?" Anyway.... Go gettem, Kelly.

GREATERLONGBEACH.com: IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS BEHIND BARS FOR JOHN NOGUEZ

2012-11-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

HUGE KUDOS TO THE GREAT FOLKS OVER AT www.GreaterLongBeach.com for this HEADLINE of the MONTH AWARD WINNER...and a nice pat on the back for us over here at LCCN....Are you READY for this HEADER:

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS BEHIND BARS FOR JOHN NOGUEZ

"After nearly a month in the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles—all of it in solitary confinement—LA County Assessor John R. Noguez appeared in Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon to ask a judge for a reduction in his $1.6 million bail.

His request was denied.

Noguez is the central figure in a massive criminal corruption case that has already resulted in the arrest of high-powered tax agent Ramin Salari, Assessor Major Property Appraiser Mark McNeill and former Assessor Appraiser Scott Schenter. Salari, McNeill and Schenter have all posted bail.

Noguez’ bail will “remain at $1.6 million,” David Demerjian, Senior District Attorney who oversees the Public Integrity for the County of Los Angeles, confirmed to Los Cerritos Community Newspaper.

Presuming Noguez will remain unable to raise that kind of money, it appears likely that he will spend the holiday season behind bars.

Demerjian told LCCN that Noguez is not scheduled to be back in court until January 22, 2013 for a preliminary hearing.

CONTINUE READING THE LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWS

The Ron Paul Revolution is Officially Over...and his last talk to Congress lasted 45 minutes. Blah, Blah, Blah

2012-11-15T01:34:00.002-08:00

The Ron Paul Revolution has come to an end. Finally. His address to Congress on Wednesday was his last official act before he leaves public office....for good.... The Republican Party never quit "got" what Ron Paul was really all about. I got it. I understood Ron Paul. His words will fade quickly from the "Congressional Record." But...in case you care...here are his finale...all 46 MINUTES worth....BLAH BLAH BLAH....

I wonder what POOR STAFFER had to actually write this address for him....

Ron Paul Revolution design (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ron Paul: This may well be the last time I speak on the House Floor. At the end of the year I’ll leave Congress after 23 years in office over a 36 year period. My goals in 1976 were the same as they are today: promote peace and prosperity by a strict adherence to the principles of individual liberty. It was my opinion, that the course the U.S. embarked on in the latter part of the 20th Century would bring us a major financial crisis and engulf us in a foreign policy that would overextend us and undermine our national security. To achieve the goals I sought, government would have had to shrink in size and scope, reduce spending, change the monetary system, and reject the unsustainable costs of policing the world and expanding th

Ron Paul, member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

e American Empire. The problems seemed to be overwhelming and impossible to solve, yet from my view point, just following the constraints placed on the federal government by the Constitution would have been a good place to start. How Much Did I Accomplish? In many ways, according to conventional wisdom, my off-and-on career in Congress, from 1976 to 2012, accomplished very little. No named legislation, no named federal buildings or highways—thank goodness. In spite of my efforts, the government has grown exponentially, taxes remain excessive, and the prolific increase of incomprehensible regulations continues. Wars are constant and pursued without Congressional declaration, deficits rise to the sky, poverty is rampant and dependency on the federal government is now worse than any time in our history. All this with minimal concerns for the deficits and unfunded liabilities that common sense tells us cannot go on much longer. A grand, but never mentioned, bipartisan agreement allows for the well-kept secret that keeps the spending going. One side doesn’t give up one penny on military spending, the other side doesn’t give up one penny on welfare spending, while both sides support the bailouts and subsidies for the banking and corporate elite. And the spending continue

Ron Paul, member of the United States House of Representatives (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

s as the economy weakens and the downward spiral continues. As the government continues fiddling around, our liberties and our wealth burn in the flames of a foreign policy that makes us less safe. The major stumbling block to real change in Washington is the total resistance to admitting that the country is broke. This has made compromising, just to agree to increase spending, inevitable since neither side has any intention of cutting spending. The country and the Congress will remain divisive since there’s no “loot left to divvy up.” Without this recognition the spenders in Washington will continue the march toward a fiscal cliff much bigger than the one anticipated this coming January. I have thought a lot about why those of us who believe in

Ron Paul (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

liberty, as a solution, have done so poorly in convincing others of its benefits. If liberty is what we claim it is- the principle that protects all personal, social and economic decisions necessary for maximum prosperity and the best chance for peace- it should be an easy sell. Yet, history has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled. Authoritarianism vs. Liberty If authoritarianism leads to poverty and war and less freedom for all individuals and is controlled by rich special interests, the people should be begging for liberty. There certainly was a strong enough sentiment for more freedom at the time of our founding that motivated those who were willing to fight in the revolution against the powerful British government. During my time in Congress the appetite for liberty has been quite weak; the understanding of its significance negligible. Yet the good news is that compared to 1976 when I first came to Congress, the desire for more freedom and less government in 2012 is much greater and growing, especially in grassroots America. Tens of thousands of teenagers and college age students are, with great enthusiasm, welcoming the message of liberty. I have a few thoughts as to why the people of a country like ours, once the freest and most prospe

English: Ron Paul at the University of Pittsburgh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

rous, allowed the conditions to deteriorate to the degree that they have. Freedom, private property, and enforceable voluntary contracts, generate wealth. In our early history we were very much aware of this. But in the early part of the 20th century our politicians promoted the notion that the tax and monetary systems had to change if we were to involve ourselves in excessive domestic and military spending. That is why Congress gave us the Federal Reserve and the income tax. The majority of Americans and many government officials agreed that sacrificing some liberty was necessary to carry out what some claimed to be “progressive” ideas. Pure democracy became acceptable. They failed to recognized that what they were doing was exactly opposite of what the colonists were seeking when they broke away from the British. Some complain that my arguments makes no sense, since great wealth and the standard of living improved for many Americans over the last 100 years, even with these new policies. But the damage to the market economy, and the currency, has been insidious and steady. It took a long time to consume our wealth, destroy the currency and undermine productivity and get our financial obligations to a point of no return. Confidence sometimes lasts longer than deserved. Most of our wealth today depends on debt. The wealth that we enjoyed and seemed to be endless, allowed concern for the principle of a free society to be neglected. As long as most people believed the material abundance would last forever, worrying about protecting a competitive productive economy and individual liberty seemed unnecessary. The Age of Redistribution This neglect ushered in an age of redistribution of wealth by government kowtowing to any and all special interests, except for those who just wanted to left alone. That is why today money in politics far surpasses money currently going into research and development and productive entrepreneurial efforts. The material benefits became more important than the understanding and promoting the principles of liberty and a free market. It is good that material abundance is a result of liberty but if materialism is all that we care about, problems are guaranteed. The crisis arrived because the illusion that wealth and prosperity would last forever has ended. Since it was based on debt and a pretense that debt can be papered over by an out-of-control fiat monetary system, it was doomed to fail. We have ended up with a system that doesn’t produce enough even to finance the debt and no fundamental understanding of why a free society is crucial to reversing these trends. If this is not recognized, the recovery will linger for a long time. Bigger government, more spending, more debt, more poverty for the middle class, and a more intense scramble by the elite special interests will continue. We Need an Intellectual Awakening Without an intellectual awakening, the turning point will be driven by economic law. A dollar crisis will bring the current out-of-control system to its knees. If it’s not accepted that big government, fiat money, ignoring liberty, central economic planning, welfarism, and warfarism caused our crisis we can expect a continuous and dangerous march toward corporatism and even fascism with even more loss of our liberties. Prosperity for a large middle class though will become an abstract dream. This continuous move is no different than what we have seen in how our financial crisis of 2008 was handled. Congress first directed, with bipartisan support, bailouts for the wealthy. Then it was the Federal Reserve with its endless quantitative easing. If at first it doesn’t succeed try again; QE1, QE2, and QE3 and with no results we try QE indefinitely—that is until it too fails. There’s a cost to all of this and let me assure you delaying the payment is no longer an

option. The rules of the market will extract its pound of flesh and it won’t be pretty. The current crisis elicits a lot of pessimism. And the pessimism adds to less confidence in the future. The two feed on themselves, making our situation worse. If the underlying cause of the crisis is not understood we cannot solve our problems. The issues of warfare, welfare, deficits, inflationism, corporatism, bailouts and authoritarianism cannot be ignored. By only expanding these policies we cannot expect good results. Everyone claims support for freedom. But too often it’s for one’s own freedom and not for others. Too many believe that there must be limits on freedom. They argue that freedom must be directed and managed to achieve fairness and equality thus making it acceptable to curtail, through force, certain liberties. Some decide what and whose freedoms are to be limited. These are the politicians whose goal in life is power. Their success depends on gaining support from special interests. No More ‘isms’ The great news is the answer is not to be found in more “isms.” The answers are to be found in more liberty which cost so much less. Under these circumstances spending goes down, wealth production goes up, and the quality of life improves.

Ron Paul taking questions in Manchester, NH (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Just this recognition—especially if we move in this direction—increases optimism which in itself is beneficial. The follow through with sound policies are required which must be understood and supported by the people. But there is good evidence that the generation coming of age at the present time is supportive of moving in the direction of more liberty and self-reliance. The more this change in direction and the solutions become known, the quicker will be the return of optimism. Our job, for those of us who believe that a different system than the one that we have had for the last 100 years, has driven us to this unsustainable crisis, is to be more convincing that there is a wonderful, uncomplicated, and moral system that provides the answers. We had a taste of it in our early history. We need not give up on the notion of advancing this cause. It worked, but we allowed our leaders to concentrate on the material abundance that freedom generates, while ignoring freedom itself. Now we have neither, but the door is open, out of necessity, for an answer. The answer available is based on the Constitution, individual liberty and prohibiting the use of government force to provide privileges and benefits to all special interests. After over 100 years we face a socie

The western front of the United States Capitol. The Capitol serves as the seat of government for the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is located in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall. The building is marked by its central dome above a rotunda and two wings. It is an exemplar of the Neoclassical architecture style. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ty quite different from the one that was intended by the Founders. In many ways their efforts to protect future generations with the Constitution from this danger has failed. Skeptics, at the time the Constitution was written in 1787, warned us of today’s possible outcome. The insidious nature of the erosion of our liberties and the reassurance our great abundance gave us, allowed the process to evolve into the dangerous period in which we now live. Dependency on Government Largesse Today we face a dependency on government largesse for almost every need. Our liberties are restricted and government operates outside the rule of law, protecting and rewarding those who buy or coerce government into satisfying their demands. Here are a few examples: Undeclared wars are commonplace. Welfare for the rich and poor is considered an entitlement. The economy is overregulated, overtaxed and grossly distorted by a deeply flawed monetary system. Debt is growing exponentially. The Patriot Act and FISA legislation passed without much debate have resulted in a steady erosion of our 4th Amendment rights. Tragically our government engages in preemptive war, otherwise known as aggression, with no complaints from the American people. The drone warfare we are pursuing worldwide is destined to end badly for us as the hatred builds for innocent lives lost and the international laws flaunted. Once we are financially weakened and militarily challenged, there will be a lot resentment thrown our way. It’s now the law of the land that the military can arrest American citizens, hold them indefinitely, without charges or a trial. Rampant hostility toward free trade is supported by a large number in Washington. Supporters of sanctions, currency manipulation and WTO trade retaliation, call the true free traders “isolationists.” Sanctions are used to punish countries that don’t follow our orders. Bailouts and guarantees for all kinds of misbehavior are routine. Central economic planning through monetary policy, regulations and legislative mandates has been an acceptable policy. Questions Excessive government has created such a mess it prompts many questions: Why are sick people who use medical marijuana put in prison? Why does the federal government restrict the drinking of raw milk? Why can’t Americans manufacture rope and other products from hemp? Why are Americans not allowed to use gold and silver as legal tender as mandated by the Constitution? Why is Germany concerned enough to consider repatriating their gold held by the FED for her in New York? Is it that the trust in the U.S. and dollar supremacy beginning to wane? Why do our political leaders believe it’s unnecessary to thoroughly audit our own gold? Why can’t Americans decide which type of light bulbs they can buy? Why is the TSA permitted to abuse the rights of any American traveling by air? Why should there be mandatory sentences—even up to life for crimes without victims—as our drug laws require? Why have we allowed the federal government to regulate commodes in our homes? Why is it political suicide for anyone to criticize AIPAC ? Why haven’t we given up on the drug war since it’s an obvious failure and violates the people’s rights? Has nobody noticed that the authorities can’t even keep drugs out of the prisons? How can making our entire society a prison solve the problem? Why do we sacrifice so much getting needlessly involved in border disputes and civil strife around the world and ignore the root cause of the most deadly border in the world -the one between Mexico and the US? Why does Congress willingly give up its prerogatives to the Executive Branch? Why does changing the party in power never change policy? Could it be that the views of both parties are essentially the same?

united states currency eye- IMG_7364_web (Photo credit: kevindean)

Why did the big banks, the large corporations, and foreign banks and foreign central banks get bailed out in 2008 and the middle class lost their jobs and their homes? Why do so many in the government and the federal officials believe that creating money out of thin air creates wealth? Why do so many accept the deeply flawed principle that government bureaucrats and politicians can protect us from ourselves without totally destroying the principle of liberty? Why can’t people understand that war always destroys wealth and liberty? Why is there so little concern for the Executive Order that gives the President authority to establish a “kill list,” including American citizens, of those targeted for assassination? Why is patriotism thought to be blind loyalty to the government and the politicians who run it, rather than loyalty to the principles of liberty and support for the people? Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it’s wrong. Why is it is claimed that if people won’t or can’t take care of their own needs, that people in government can do it for them? Why did we ever give the government a safe haven for initiating violence against the people? Why do some members defend free markets, but not civil liberties? Why do some members defend civil liberties but not free markets? Aren’t they the same? Why don’t more defend both economic liberty and personal liberty? Why are there not more individuals who seek to intellectually influence others to bring about positive changes than those who seek power to force others to obey their commands? Why does the use of religion to support a social gospel and preemptive wars, both of which requires authoritarians to use violence, or the threat of violence, go unchallenged? Aggression and forced redistribution of wealth has nothing to do with the teachings of the world’s great religions. Why do we allow the government and the Federal Reserve to disseminate false information dealing with both economic and foreign policy? Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? Why should anyone be surprised that Congress has no credibility, since there’s such a disconnect between what politicians say and what they do? Is there any explanation for all the deception, the unhappiness, the fear of the future, the loss of confidence in our leaders, the distrust, the anger and frustration? Yes there is, and there’s a way to reverse these attitudes. The negative perceptions are logical and a consequence of bad policies bringing about our problems. Identification of the problems and recognizing the cause allow the proper changes to come easy. Trust Yourself, Not the Government Too many people have for too long placed too much confidence and trust in government and not enough in themselves. Fortunately, many are now becoming aware of the seriousness of the gross mistakes of the past several decades. The blame is shared by both political parties. Many Americans now are demanding to hear the plain truth of things and want the demagoguing to stop. Without this first step, solutions are impossible. Seeking the truth and finding the answers in liberty and self-reliance promotes the optimism necessary for restoring prosperity. The task is not that difficult if politics doesn’t get in the way. We have allowed ourselves to get into such a mess for various reasons. Politicians deceive themselves as to how wealth is produced. Excessive confidence is placed in the judgment of politicians and bureaucrats. This replaces the confidence in a free society. Too many in high places of authority became convinced that only they, armed with arbitrary government power, can bring about fairness, while facilitating wealth production. This always proves to be a utopian dream and destroys wealth and liberty. It impoverishes the people and rewards the special interests who end up controlling both political parties. It’s no surprise then that much of what goes on in Washington is driven by aggressive partisanship and power seeking, with philosophic differences being minor. Economic Ignorance Economic ignorance is commonplace. Keynesianism continues to thrive, although today it is facing healthy and enthusiastic rebuttals. Believers in military Keynesianism and domestic Keynesianism continue to desperately promote their failed policies, as the economy languishes in a deep slumber. Supporters of all government edicts use humanitarian arguments to justify them. Humanitarian arguments are always used to justify government mandates related to the economy, monetary policy, foreign policy, and personal liberty. This is on purpose to make it more difficult to challenge. But, initiating violence for humanitarian reasons is still violence. Good intentions are no excuse and are just as harmful as when people use force with bad intentions. The results are always negative. The immoral use of force is the source of man’s political problems. Sadly, many religious groups, secular organizations, and psychopathic authoritarians endorse government initiated force to change the world. Even when the desired goals are well-intentioned—or especially when well-intentioned—the results are dismal. The good results sought never materialize. The new problems created require even more government force as a solution. The net result is institutionalizing government initiated violence and morally justifying it on humanitarian grounds. This is the same fundamental reason our government uses force for invading other countries at will, central economic planning at home, and the regulation of personal liberty and habits of our citizens. It is rather strange, that unless one has a criminal mind and no respect for other people and their property, no one claims it’s permissible to go into one’s neighbor’s house and tell them how to behave, what they can eat, smoke and drink or how to spend their money. Yet, rarely is it asked why it is morally acceptable that a stranger with a badge and a gun can do the same thing in the name of law and order. Any resistance is met with brute force, fines, taxes, arrests, and even imprisonment. This is done more frequently every day without a proper search warrant. No Government Monopoly over Initiating Violence Restraining aggressive behavior is one thing, but legalizing a government monopoly for initiating aggression can only lead to exhausting liberty associated with chaos, anger and the breakdown of civil society. Permitting such authority and expecting saintly behavior from the bureaucrats and the politicians is a pipe dream. We now have a standing army of armed bureaucrats in the TSA, CIA, FBI, Fish and Wildlife, FEMA, IRS, Corp of Engineers, etc. numbering over 100,000. Citizens are guilty until proven innocent in the unconstitutional administrative courts. Government in a free society should have no authority to meddle in social activities or the economic transactions of individuals. Nor should government meddle in the affairs of other nations. All things peaceful, even when controversial, should be permitted. We must reject the notion of prior restraint in economic activity just we do in the area of free speech and religious liberty. But even in these areas government is starting to use a backdoor approach of political correctness to regulate speech-a dangerous trend. Since 9/11 monitoring speech on the internet is now a problem since warrants are no longer required. The Proliferation of Federal Crimes The Constitution established four federal crimes. Today the experts can’t even agree on how many federal crimes are now on the books—they number into the thousands. No one person can comprehend the enormity of the legal system—especially the tax code. Due to the ill-advised drug war and the endless federal expansion of the criminal code we have over 6 million people under correctional suspension, more than the Soviets ever had, and more than any other nation today, including China. I don’t understand the complacency of the Congress and the willingness to continue their obsession with passing more Federal laws. Mandatory sentencing laws associated with drug laws have compounded our prison problems. The federal register is now 75,000 pages long and the tax code has 72,000 pages, and expands every year. When will the people start shouting, “enough is enough,” and demand Congress cease and desist. Achieving Liberty Liberty can only be achieved when government is denied the aggressive use of force. If one seeks liberty, a precise type of government is needed. To achieve it, more than lip service is required. Two choices are available. A government designed to protect liberty—a natural right—as its sole objective. The people are expected to care for themselves and reject the use of any force for interfering with another person’s liberty. Government is given a strictly limited authority to enforce contracts, property ownership, settle disputes, and defend against foreign aggression. A government that pretends to protect liberty but is granted power to arbitrarily use force over the people and foreign nations. Though the grant of power many times is meant to be small and limited, it inevitably metastasizes into an omnipotent political cancer. This is the problem for which the world has suffered throughout the ages. Though meant to be limited it nevertheless is a 100% sacrifice of a principle that would-be-tyrants find irresistible. It is used vigorously—though incrementally and insidiously. Granting power to government officials always proves the adage that: “power corrupts.” Once government gets a limited concession for the use of force to mold people habits and plan the economy, it causes a steady move toward tyrannical government. Only a revolutionary spirit can reverse the process and deny to the government this arbitrary use of aggression. There’s no in-between. Sacrificing a little liberty for imaginary safety always ends badly. Today’s mess is a result of Americans accepting option #2, even though the Founders attempted to give us Option #1. The results are not good. As our liberties have been eroded our wealth has been consumed. The wealth we see today is based on debt and a foolish willingness on the part of foreigners to take our dollars for goods and services. They then loan them back to us to perpetuate our debt system. It’s amazing that it has worked for this long but the impasse in Washington, in solving our problems indicate that many are starting to understand the seriousness of the world -wide debt crisis and the dangers we face. The longer this process continues the harsher the outcome will be. The Financial Crisis Is a Moral Crisis Many are now acknowledging that a financial crisis looms but few understand it’s, in reality, a moral crisis. It’s the moral crisis that has allowed our liberties to be undermined and permits the exponential growth of illegal government power. Without a clear understanding of the nature of the crisis it will be difficult to prevent a steady march toward tyranny and the poverty that will accompany it. Ultimately, the people have to decide which form of government they want; option #1 or option #2. There is no other choice. Claiming there is a choice of a “little” tyranny is like describing pregnancy as a “touch of pregnancy.” It is a myth to believe that a mixture of free markets and government central economic planning is a worthy compromise. What we see today is a result of that type of thinking. And the results speak for themselves. A Culture of Violence American now suffers from a culture of violence. It’s easy to reject the initiation of violence against one’s neighbor but it’s ironic that the people arbitrarily and freely anoint government officials with monopoly power to initiate violence against the American people—practically at will. Because it’s the government that initiates force, most people accept it as being legitimate. Those who exert the force have no sense of guilt. It is believed by too many that governments are morally justified in initiating force supposedly to “do good.” They incorrectly believe that this authority has come from the “consent of the people.” The minority, or victims of government violence never consented to suffer the abuse of government mandates, even when dictated by the majority. Victims of TSA excesses never consented to this abuse. This attitude has given us a policy of initiating war to “do good,” as well. It is claimed that war, to prevent war for noble purposes, is justified. This is similar to what we were once told that: “destroying a village to save a village” was justified. It was said by a US Secretary of State that the loss of 500,000 Iraqis, mostly children, in the 1990s, as a result of American bombs and sanctions, was “worth it” to achieve the “good” we brought to the Iraqi people. And look at the mess that Iraq is in today. Government use of force to mold social and economic behavior at home and abroad has justified individuals using force on their own terms. The fact that violence by government is seen as morally justified, is the reason why violence will increase when the big financial crisis hits and becomes a political crisis as well. First, we recognize that individuals shouldn’t initiate violence, then we give the authority to government. Eventually, the immoral use of government violence, when things goes badly, will be used to justify an individual’s “right” to do the same thing. Neither the government nor individuals have the moral right to initiate violence against another yet we are moving toward the day when both will claim this authority. If this cycle is not reversed society will break down. When needs are pressing, conditions deteriorate and rights become relative to the demands and the whims of the majority. It’s then not a great leap for individuals to take it upon themselves to use violence to get what they claim is theirs. As the economy deteriorates and the wealth discrepancies increase—as are already occurring— violence increases as those in need take it in their own hands to get what they believe is theirs. They will not wait for a government rescue program. When government officials wield power over others to bail out the special interests, even with disastrous results to the average citizen, they feel no guilt for the harm they do. Those who take us into undeclared wars with many casualties resulting, never lose sleep over the death and destruction their bad decisions caused. They are convinced that what they do is morally justified, and the fact that many suffer just can’t be helped. When the street criminals do the same thing, they too have no remorse, believing they are only taking what is rightfully theirs. All moral standards become relative. Whether it’s bailouts, privileges, government subsidies or benefits for some from inflating a currency, it’s all part of a process justified by a philosophy of forced redistribution of wealth. Violence, or a threat of such, is the instrument required and unfortunately is of little concern of most members of Congress. Some argue it’s only a matter of “fairness” that those in need are cared for. There are two problems with this. First, the principle is used to provide a greater amount of benefits to the rich than the poor. Second, no one seems to be concerned about whether or not it’s fair to those who end up paying for the benefits. The costs are usually placed on the backs of the middle class and are hidden from the public eye. Too many people believe government handouts are free, like printing money out of thin air, and there is no cost. That deception is coming to an end. The bills are coming due and that’s what the economic slowdown is all about. Sadly, we have become accustomed to living with the illegitimate use of force by government. It is the tool for telling the people how to live, what to eat and drink, what to read and how to spend their money. To develop a truly free society, the issue of initiating force must be understood and rejected. Granting to government even a small amount of force is a dangerous concession. Limiting Government Excesses vs. a Virtuous Moral People Our Constitution, which was intended to limit government power and abuse, has failed. The Founders warned that a free society depends on a virtuous and moral people. The current crisis reflects that their concerns were justified. Most politicians and pundits are aware of the problems we face but spend all their time in trying to reform government. The sad part is that the suggested reforms almost always lead to less freedom and the importance of a virtuous and moral people is either ignored, or not understood. The new reforms serve only to further undermine liberty. The compounding effect has given us this steady erosion of liberty and the massive expansion of debt. The real question is: if it is liberty we seek, should most of the emphasis be placed on government reform or trying to understand what “a virtuous and moral people” means and how to promote it. The Constitution has not prevented the people from demanding handouts for both rich and poor in their efforts to reform the government, while ignoring the principles of a free society. All branches of our government today are controlled by individuals who use their power to undermine liberty and enhance the welfare/warfare state-and frequently their own wealth and power. If the people are unhappy with the government performance it must be recognized that government is merely a reflection of an immoral society that rejected a moral government of constitutional limitations of power and love of freedom. If this is the problem all the tinkering with thousands of pages of new laws and regulations will do nothing to solve the problem. It is self-evident that our freedoms have been severely limited and the apparent prosperity we still have, is nothing more than leftover wealth from a previous time. This fictitious wealth based on debt and benefits from a false trust in our currency and credit, will play havoc with our society when the bills come due. This means that the full consequence of our lost liberties is yet to be felt. But that illusion is now ending. Reversing a downward spiral depends on accepting a new approach. Expect the rapidly expanding homeschooling movement to play a significant role in the revolutionary reforms needed to build a free society with Constitutional protections. We cannot expect a Federal government controlled school system to provide the intellectual ammunition to combat the dangerous growth of government that threatens our liberties. The internet will provide the alternative to the government/media complex that controls the news and most political propaganda. This is why it’s essential that the internet remains free of government regulation. Many of our religious institutions and secular organizations support greater dependency on the state by supporting war, welfare and corporatism and ignore the need for a virtuous people. I never believed that the world or our country could be made more free by politicians, if the people had no desire for freedom. Under the current circumstances the most we can hope to achieve in the political process is to use it as a podium to reach the people to alert them of the nature of the crisis and the importance of their need to assume responsibility for themselves, if it is liberty that they truly seek. Without this, a constitutionally protected free society is impossible. If this is true, our individual goal in life ought to be for us to seek virtue and excellence and recognize that self-esteem and happiness only comes from using one’s natural ability, in the most productive manner possible, according to one’s own talents. Productivity and creativity are the true source of personal satisfaction. Freedom, and not dependency, provides the environment needed to achieve these goals. Government cannot do this for us; it only gets in the way. When the government gets involved, the goal becomes a bailout or a subsidy and these cannot provide a sense of personal achievement. Achieving legislative power and political influence should not be our goal. Most of the change, if it is to come, will not come from the politicians, but rather from individuals, family, friends, intellectual leaders and our religious institutions. The solution can only come from rejecting the use of coercion, compulsion, government commands, and aggressive force, to mold social and economic behavior. Without accepting these restraints, inevitably the consensus will be to allow the government to mandate economic equality and obedience to the politicians who gain power and promote an environment that smothers the freedoms of everyone. It is then that the responsible individuals who seek excellence and self-esteem by being self-reliance and productive, become the true victims. Conclusion What are the greatest dangers that the American people face today and impede the goal of a free society? There are five. 1. The continuous attack on our civil liberties which threatens the rule of law and our ability to resist the onrush of tyranny. 2. Violent anti-Americanism that has engulfed the world. Because the phenomenon of “blow-back” is not understood or denied, our foreign policy is destined to keep us involved in many wars that we have no business being in. National bankruptcy and a greater threat to our national security will result. 3. The ease in which we go to war, without a declaration by Congress, but accepting international authority from the UN or NATO even for preemptive wars, otherwise known as aggression. 4. A financial political crisis as a consequence of excessive debt, unfunded liabilities, spending, bailouts, and gross discrepancy in wealth distribution going from the middle class to the rich. The danger of central economic planning, by the Federal Reserve must be understood. 5. World government taking over local and US sovereignty by getting involved in the issues of war, welfare, trade, banking, a world currency, taxes, property ownership, and private ownership of guns. Happily, there is an answer for these very dangerous trends. What a wonderful world it would be if everyone accepted the simple moral premise of rejecting all acts of aggression. The retort to such a suggestion is always: it’s too simplistic, too idealistic, impractical, naïve, utopian, dangerous, and unrealistic to strive for such an ideal. The answer to that is that for thousands of years the acceptance of government force, to rule over the people, at the sacrifice of liberty, was considered moral and the only available option for achieving peace and prosperity. What could be more utopian than that myth—considering the results especially looking at the state sponsored killing, by nearly every government during the 20th Century, estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. It’s time to reconsider this grant of authority to the state. No good has ever come from granting monopoly power to the state to use aggression against the people to arbitrarily mold human behavior. Such power, when left unchecked, becomes the seed of an ugly tyranny. This method of governance has been adequately tested, and the results are in: reality dictates we try liberty. The idealism of non-aggression and rejecting all offensive use of force should be tried. The idealism of government sanctioned violence has been abused throughout history and is the primary source of poverty and war. The theory of a society being based on individual freedom has been around for a long time. It’s time to take a bold step and actually permit it by advancing this cause, rather than taking a step backwards as some would like us to do. Today the principle of habeas corpus, established when King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215, is under attack. There’s every reason to believe that a renewed effort with the use of the internet that we can instead advance the cause of liberty by spreading an uncensored message that will serve to rein in government authority and challenge the obsession with war and welfare. What I’m talking about is a system of government guided by the moral principles of peace and tolerance. The Founders were convinced that a free society could not exist without a moral people. Just writing rules won’t work if the people choose to ignore them. Today the rule of law written in the Constitution has little meaning for most Americans, especially those who work in Washington DC. Benjamin Franklin claimed “only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.” John Adams concurred: “Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” A moral people must reject all violence in an effort to mold people’s beliefs or habits. A society that boos or ridicules the Golden Rule is not a moral society. All great religions endorse the Golden Rule. The same moral standards that individuals are required to follow should apply to all government officials. They cannot be exempt. The ultimate solution is not in the hands of the government. The solution falls on each and every individual, with guidance from family, friends and community. The #1 responsibility for each of us is to change ourselves with hope that others will follow. This is of greater importance than working on changing the government; that is secondary to promoting a virtuous society. If we can achieve this, then the government will change. It doesn’t mean that political action or holding office has no value. At times it does nudge policy in the right direction. But what is true is that when seeking office is done for personal aggrandizement, money or power, it becomes useless if not harmful. When political action is taken for the right reasons it’s easy to understand why compromise should be avoided. It also becomes clear why progress is best achieved by working with coalitions, which bring people together, without anyone sacrificing his principles. Political action, to be truly beneficial, must be directed toward changing the hearts and minds of the people, recognizing that it’s the virtue and morality of the people that allow liberty to flourish. The Constitution or more laws per se, have no value if the people’s attitudes aren’t changed. To achieve liberty and peace, two powerful human emotions have to be overcome. Number one is “envy” which leads to hate and class warfare. Number two is “intolerance” which leads to bigoted and judgmental policies. These emotions must be replaced with a much better understanding of love, compassion, tolerance and free market economics. Freedom, when understood, brings people together. When tried, freedom is popular. The problem we have faced over the years has been that economic interventionists are swayed by envy, whereas social interventionists are swayed by intolerance of habits and lifestyles. The misunderstanding that tolerance is an endorsement of certain activities, motivates many to legislate moral standards which should only be set by individuals making their own choices. Both sides use force to deal with these misplaced emotions. Both are authoritarians. Neither endorses voluntarism. Both views ought to be rejected. I have come to one firm conviction after these many years of trying to figure out “the plain truth of things.” The best chance for achieving peace and prosperity, for the maximum number of people world-wide, is to pursue the cause of LIBERTY. If you find this to be a worthwhile message, spread it throughout the land.

Thanks GREATERLONGBEACH.com for your kind words regarding our work at Los Cerritos Community Newspaper today!

2012-11-14T16:43:00.001-08:00

JAILED LA COUNTY ASSESSOR IN COURT SEEKING BAIL REDUCTION

By Dave Wielenga

November 14, 2012|Community News, Elections, Featured, LA & OC| Photography: blog.jetsettingmagazine.com

[From Randy Economy of Los Cerritos Community Newspaper]

Los Angeles County Assessor John R. Noguez, jailed since Oct. 17 on dozens of felony counts ranging from accepting bribes to money laundering, is back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom today trying to get his $1.16 million bail reduced.

Noguez is being held at the Men’s Central Jail on Bauchet Street and he is not being allowed visitors with the exception of his legal representatives. Sources within law enforcement have told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper that Noguez is still in “solitary confinement” at least 23 hours per day and is only allowed to take three showers per week.

“He is being treated like any other inmate,” District Attorney Steve Cooley told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in an interview.

Noguez, whose legal name is Juan Reynaldo Rodriguez, was arrested on October 17 at 8:30 a.m. at his home in Huntington Park, after a long criminal probe that was first revealed publically by Los Cerritos Community Newspaper. Sources close to the case who do not want to be identified tell LCCN that the 47-year old Noguez may face additional felony counts.

CONTINUE READING AT LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWS

Letters: 85 year old resident battles for Justice with the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office, for YEARS

2012-11-13T20:39:00.001-08:00

Age pyramid for Los Angeles County, California, United States of America, based on census 2000 data (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I wanted to thank one of my amazing readers from the State of Washington who has had an ONGOING WAR with the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office for almost SIX YEARS. This reader is 85 YEARS YOUNG and his still fighting for JUSTICE on a CASE that SHOULD have been resolved YEARS AGO. Keep them cards and letters coming!

Send your notes to Randy@Cerritosnews.net.

To: Mr. Randy Economy:

You have already done Yeoman service in the battle for honesty and effective, ethical public service!

I congratulate you and say, "We need more like you!"

I always ask myself, why aren't these public officials, who remain in office, after a scandal, investigations, arrests and indictments, have not been and are not constantly participating in cleaning out and ridding public offices of corruption? Now here we are, i.e., you particularly and some others doing their jobs for them! Doesn't say much for our public officials does it?

EB
Washington

John Noguez gets ready to CELEBRATE ONE MONTH IN JAIL! Peanut Butter and Jelly PARTY IN THE CELL BLOCK!

2012-11-12T16:12:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 22: Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez attends a bail hearing at the Criminal Courts Building on October 22, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Noguez has pleaded not guilty to a long list of corruption charges. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Big week here in LA County. First of all, JAILED Los Angeles County Assessor John Juan Rodriguez Noguez Meraz Rodriguez is heading BACK in front of a JUDGE on WEDNESDAY.

I hear "The Gooze" is munching on "Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches" in his one piece Orange Jumpsuit.

Yep. Going to be in the court room. Keep you posted.

Got an update for Los Cerritos Community Newspaper today on our site....

By Randy Economy

Jailed Los Angeles County Assessor John R. Noguez will be back in a downtown Los Angeles County court room on Wednesday in hopes of having his $1.16 million bail reduced.

Los Cerritos Community Newspaper has been told by sources within law enforcement that Noguez is still in “solitary confinement” at least 23 hours per day, and is only allowed to take three showers per week.

“He is being treated like any other inmate,” District Attorney Steve Cooley told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in an interview.

Peanut butter jelly (Photo credit: Ibán)

Noguez is being held at the Men’s Central Jail on Bauchet Street and he is not being allowed visitors with the exception of his legal representatives.

Noguez, whose legal name is Juan Reynaldo Rodriguez, was arrested on October 17 at 8:30 a.m. at his home in Huntington Park and is being charged with dozens of felony counts ranging from accepting bribes to money laundering.

Sources close to the case, who do not want to be identified tell LCCN that the 47-year old Noguez may face additional felony counts.

LCCN will be covering Wednesday’s court appearance of Noguez and will continue to provide updates on the case as they develop.

Los Cerritos Community Newspaper was the first media outlet to report on the current criminal probe back in early February.

FOLLOW LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ON ELECTION DAY!

2012-11-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

I want EVERYONE to stay CONNECTED on ELECTION DAY to LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER at www.loscerritosnews.net for all the HOTTEST ELECTION NEWS and RESULTS!

LCCN will be covering Assembly races, Congressional campaigns, and LOTS of LOCAL RESULTS from CERRITOS COLLEGE, to DOWNEY CITY COUNCIL, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's race and DOZEN'S MORE!

Election DAY HAS ARRIVED! VOTE DAMN IT! Stay CONNECTED TO www.loscerritosnews.net.

Livestream GOES DARK after Sandy hits New York City

2012-10-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBase

I am a total fan of the on line service called "Livestream." They are based in the heart of NYC and they have been literally taken down by Hurricane Sandy.

I wanted to post this note I just got from Max and the Livestream Team....

From Livestream:
We would like to update you on the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Livestream’s services and on the Livestream team.

Livestream Service:

Livestream's primary data center, hosted at Internap in New York (4th floor of 111 8th Avenue, New York) lost power on Monday night. As a top tier data center facility, Internap switched to a backup generator without any issues.

Monday Monday (Photo credit: soonerpa)

At 5:35am EST on Wednesday, the Internap generators failed due to an issue with the fuel pumps. At 12:00pm EST, Internap resolved the fuel pum
p issue, and our servers started to receive backup power once again. By 3pm our engineering team recovered our full service.

Unfortunately, our servers are still running on backup power from diesel generators, and until power from the utility company is fully restored, we are still at a risk of further outages. Generators, which rely on diesel fuel, are set to be refueled tonight with an additional 5 days worth of diesel, but full power should be restored by Sunday.

Image via CrunchBase

Livestream HQ:

Our New York HQ located at 111 8th avenue (located in the same building as our servers at Internap but on a different floor) also lost all power on Monday night and is still without power.

Our New York team, staff of 82, is unable to work in this office until power is fully restored.

As of today we restored basic level phone support for our Premium customers. Tomorrow our full sales and support team will be operating and answering calls out of a temporary office located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Livestream Team:

I’m glad to share that all of the Livestream team members along with their families and friends appear to be safe in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Many team members are at home without electricity, internet connection, phone, or hot water – but they are safe and in good spirits. Together we continue to push Livestream forward, to help our customers and to help NYC recover.

We truly appreciate your patience and support in this trying time for the people and places affected by the storm, the Livestream Team & Service, and our customers around the world who rely on our service and support. We understand the impact this outage has had on your events, customers and viewers, and on behalf of Livestream we would like to extend our sincere apologies.

Thank You for Your Support

The well wishes, support and kindness from the Livestream Community has been awe inspiring. As a NYC startup, we're seeing a solidarity come through and it's motivating us to push forward and provide the best service possible to our customers.

Best Regards,
Max Haot & The Livestream Team

Another Bloody Weekend In Norwalk. Man Stabbed To Death In San Gabriel River Bed

2012-10-30T06:53:00.001-07:00

English: Map of the San Gabriel River watershed, Greater Los Angeles Basin of Southern California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The violence continues in Norwalk.....out of control. A press statement was issued in the middle of the night on Tuesday morning, announcing the details about a violent stabbing in the San Gabriel River Bed. It appears that two jurisdictions were attempting to see who was going to investigate this latest violent death. Norwalk Sheriff's are now the lead agency in this case. As soon as I get the name of the victim, I will update my readers.....

STABBING CLAIMS LIFE OF MAN IN SAN GABRIEL RIVER IN NORWALK

LCCN....

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau detectives responded to the San Gabriel River at Foster Road to investigate the circumstances surrounding the stabbing death of a man that occurred on Sunday, October 28, 2012.

The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives have learned that on Sunday, October 28, 2012, at approximately 8:10PM , Downey Police Department officers responded to a 9-1-1 call of a “person stabbed” on the West side of the San Gabriel River at Foster Road, Downey. Upon their arrival, Downey Police officers discovered the victim, 46-year-old male Hispanic, lying unconscious on the West side of the San Gabriel River.

LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER COVERAGE ON MURDER

LCCN CONDEMS MEASURE B IN LA COUNTY

2012-10-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

“Los Angeles County government officials have no business in policing adult film performers to see if they are wearing condoms, plain and simple,” said the Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group editorial."

Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group is the latest area newspaper to urge a No vote against Measure B, the so-called “Safer Sex” initiative on the Nov. 6th ballot, joining eight other newspapers and 44 local chambers of commerce and business groups who have all endorsed No votes against the ballot initiative which threatens 10,000 jobs and over $1 billion in local tax revenue and economic activity.

Our ENDORSEMENT against B has hit the national wire services. Even made Wall Street Journal, Yahoo News, and newspapers up and down California.

“The avalanche of opposition to Measure B has been overwhelming with virtually every newspaper in the county recognizing how poorly written and ill-conceived this initiative is and the devastating consequences it will have on the local economy,” said James Lee, communications director for the No on Government Waste Committee. “All together, these newspaper endorsements against Measure B represent over 1.6 million readers and we are confident when they read these editorials, they will become convinced and vote No against Measure B.”

More at www.loscerritosnews.net

WATCH HURRICANE SANDY POUND NEW YORK CITY

2012-10-29T13:05:00.002-07:00

What an AWFUL AWFUL situation unfolding in the Eastern United States. Here is an LIVE STREAM from HURRICANE SANDY in New York City. BE SAFE

LIVE VIDEO OF HURRICANE SANDY!

2012-10-28T19:43:00.001-07:00

Broadcasting live with Ustream Here is a LIVE CAM from NEW YORK CITY of HURRICANE SANDY! BE CAREFUL. This is a real NASTY GAL!

SHOUTOUT! District Attorney Steve Cooley Talks Candidly With Me About The Arrest of Assessor John Noguez, Corruption, Life, Career, and a WHOLE LOT MORE!

2012-10-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Less than 48 hours after the arrest of Los Angeles County Assessor John R. Noguez on dozens of felony charges, Brian and myself had the honor to sit down for a couple of hours with Los Angeles County Distirct Attorney Steve Cooley who gave us an EXCLUSIVE LOOK into how the whole case was pieced together, and how Los Cerritos Community Newspaper played a key role in exposing the corruption buried DEEP inside the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration. Mr. Cooley has agreed to pen the "FORWARD" in an upcoming book Brian Hews and I are working on "behind the scenes." Make sure you go to LCCN web site for the ENTIRE scoop. Man, wonder what the "big boys" in Downtown LA are saying about this SCOOP today.... BTW.... Look for a lot more arrests....yep....this is just getting fun.... xo r

LCCN Reporter Randy Economy, District Attorney Steve Cooley and Publisher Brian Hews during exclusive interview about the arrest of Assessor John Noguez, his career and hopes for the future.

Los Cerritos Community Newspaper’s Exclusive Interview with Los Angeles County District Attorney less than 48 hours after the arrest of Assessor John Noguez, and two others. Part one of two.

By Randy Economy and Brian Hews

In an exclusive interview with Los Cerritos Community Newspaper, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley say that the arrest last week of Assessor John Noguez and two others on bribery and money laundering charges are “just the beginning” in what is expected to be an several other additional arrests.

Cooley spoke to LCCN from this office in Downtown Los Angeles last Friday just 48 hours after Noguez, Encino property tax agent Ramin Salari and Assessor Major Property Appraiser Mark McNeil were arrested on dozens of felony counts.

“This guy is going down,” Cooley said about Noguez. “We have so much evidence, it is overwhelming the case we have on him.”

“Well, he got arraigned yesterday (Thursday), and he (Noguez) didn’t look too happy. This is such an out of body experience for him,” Cooley said.

“There was a sense very early on (in the investigation) that there was some substance to the allegations within the Assessor’s Department,” Cooley told LCCN.

“When we did the search warrants, many months ago, there was realization that we were going to get the goods on this guy, it was just a matter of time, and pulling it all together, finding the parcels involved,” Cooley said with a stern look on his face.

“The key was finding promissory notes that Noguez had signed back to Salari, and then going in with the search warrants and finding the actual checks written to Noguez by Salari and then finding a list of properties that were Salari’s clients, we figured that one out pretty early, and we were able to build our case around witnesses,” Cooley said.

Cooley also confirmed to LCCN that the massive investigation is still “going strong.”
“The next phase of the case will be focused on political money laundering, by individuals, and that is a different form of political corruption,” Cooley said.

“This next phase of the investigation will be about bribes and misappropriation of public funds by lowering assessments of property and then perjury charges,” Cooley said.
“There are additional sanctions for being public officials when it comes to dealing with misappropriating public funds and that they must vacate their office and that they may never hold elected office again,” Cooley said.

The case against Noguez and the Assessor’s office began in earnest in the late spring of this year, Cooley said. He said that he and members of this prosecutorial staff had monitored media reports from Los Cerritos Community Newspaper as well as other publications.

“There were two assigned trial lawyers, supervised by Dave Demerjian, Head Deputy of Public Integrity, and two entire squads of investigators, a lot of law clerks, a lot of volunteer law clerks who worked around the clock,” Cooley said.

He also said the amount of evidence against Noguez, additional Assessor staff members, as well as other political operatives is “overwhelming.”

“There were millions of pages of documents, computer emails, and actual computers,” Cooley said. He also talked about a program his office created that analyzed documents through a special “keyword” search component.

“You can’t read a million documents, so we created a program that does keywords on people and subjects. We seized a lot of computers, scanned all of their hard drives, and some of them were doing this on County of Los Angeles computers,” Cooley said.

Cooley said several “political operatives” also were involved in getting properties reduced for clients who retained their services. “In additional to personal lap tops, tablets, cell phones, and other messaging devices, we have the trail of evidence we need for our case.”

More at LCCN.....

JACKIE LACEY CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO LOS ANGELES TIMES ARTICLE ON DA CANDIDATE ALAN JACKSON DONOR BEING A FELON. A felon? Huh....

2012-10-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Album:Victorino Noval Foundation's Photos inFundraiser for Los Angeles's future DA Alan Jackson....FROM FACEBOOK

The LA Times had a BOMBSHELL article regarding the Alan Jackson for District Attorney campaign today.... make sure you check it out. I was JUST sent this response from veteran political wiz Parke Skelton on behalf of Camp Lacey....

JACKIE LACEY CAMPAIGN RESPONDS TO LOS ANGELES TIMES ARTICLE ON ALAN JACKSON DONOR BEING A FELON

Today, the Los Angeles Times ran an article ("Donor in D.A. race is also a felon," Los Angeles Times, October 20, 2012) detailing the complex relationship between convicted felon Victor (a.k.a. Victorino) Noval and Los Angeles County District Attorney candidate Alan Jackson. Noval and his family members and an employee have directly contributed $115,000 to fund Alan Jackson's effort to become D.A.

Victor Noval was convicted of masterminding a $60 million fraud against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a crime that was called the "largest in that agency's history." (Los Angeles Times, October 18, 1997). At the time, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Shapiro called it a "classic Ponzi scheme with a real estate gloss." In 2003, Noval was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $20,733,000 in restitution.

Now, Noval and his immediate family have emerged as the single largest source of support for the Jackson campaign. Noval, his sons and an "assistant at the Noval Foundation" have contributed $15,000 directly to the Jackson campaign committee.

In addition one of Noval's sons contributed $100,000 to the state Republican Party, money that was used to send out hundreds of thousands of mailers to Republican households endorsing Jackson in the days leading up to the June primary election.

Jackson, who edged Carmen Trutanich out of the November runoff by a 1.5% margin, simply would not have been in the runoff without the massive infusion of funds from the Novals.

Additionally, Victorino Noval hosted a fundraiser for Jackson at his $6 million Beverly Hills home in May 2012. About 100 guests were present, but it is not known how much was raised for Jackson at the event.

Why is this important?

1. Laws may have been broken.

The State Republican Party received $100,000 from Noval on May 30, 2012, and then spent the vast majority of that money the next day sending out mailers for Jackson. If the contribution was specifically "earmarked" for Jackson the contribution is an illegal violation of the county's campaign contribution limit of $1,500 for a candidate for District Attorney. The startling fact is that the Republican Party had not even endorsed Jackson and was required to hold an emergency telephone endorsement meeting on May 26. It would have been impossible for the Republican Party to endorse Jackson on May 26, solicit a $100,000 contribution from someone who had never before made a contribution to the Party on May 30, and then prepare and send out hundreds of thousands of units of mail endorsing Jackson on May 31 without coordination between the campaign and the Party.

2. This says something about Jackson's ethics.

"I want to ensure that public corruption is a zero tolerance issue," stated Alan Jackson (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, October 16, 2012.)

Zero tolerance of public corruption has to start in the campaign. Jackson cannot just shrug this off and say, "I didn't know." The fact is that it is his job to know - his most important job. The public should not have to accept the appearance that their District Attorney has been bought and paid for by a convicted felon.

Jackson's campaign has the affirmative responsibility to carefully vet ever contribution they receive - particularly when the money is coming from someone they "don't know" who is giving such large sums and bundling money from their children and low-level employees. Especially when they are hosting a major fundraiser at their home. Especially when they are being solicited for six-figure contributions to support your candidacy through the Republican Party.

"Five minutes of searching Google send up enough red flags about Victor Noval to make it look like May Day in Pyongyang," stated Jackie Lacey's campaign consultant Parke Skelton. "We know that dubious characters want to contribute to a D.A.'s campaign, we have made it our job to vet them and weed them out."

Some links concerning Victor Noval: 2003 HUD Office of Inspector General, p10: http://www.hudoig.gov/pdf/sar/sar50.pdf

LA Times article about Noval's arrest: http://articles.latimes.com/1997/oct/18/local/me-43980

Photos from Noval's fundraiser for Jackson: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=410503282303045&set=pb.159323637421012.-2207520000.1350750110&type=1&theater

Catch me on The Tim Conway, Jr. Show tonight starting at 7 p.m. on KFI 640 AM!

2012-10-18T16:50:00.001-07:00

Heading off to the Clear Channel Broadcasting Network up in Burbank to be the featured Guest on THE TIM CONWAY JR. SHOW on KFI AM 640.

This is going to be HOT! Who the hell really cares about what Jesse Jackson Says when you got "The Pirate" on with Conway!

What a BLAST!

TUNE IT IN AND TURN IT UP!

Where's that Pulitzer: The Scoops and Acclaim Keep on Coming for Enterprising Los Cerritos News Duo

2012-10-18T15:56:00.001-07:00

Thursday has been AMAZING for BRIAN and I here at Los Cerritos Community Newspaper. We ARE LOVING RICHARD HORGAN FROM FISHBOWLLA TODAY! Great profile about our efforts....and that darn "P-Word" keeps cropping up from our fellow media pros here in the Land of LA!

By Richard Horgan on October 18, 2012 12:45 PM

The last time a pair of reporters did this much damage on the municipal corruption front, it led to a Pulitzer Prize for the LA Times. Whatever awards the Los Cerritos News tandem of Randy Economy and (owner) Brian Hews win in the near future for their enterprise reporting about the massive scandal tainting the LA County Assessor’s office will be equally well-deserved.

Every other day, the duo have been detonating another bombshell, the culmination of many thousands of hours of investigative work and dozens of thoroughly documented articles. On September 27 for example, Economy (pictured) and Hews wrote about some bogus property value breaks given to The Grove developer Rick Caruso. More recently, on October 12, it was about how a modest Huntington Beach home owned by the man at the center of the graft – John Noguez – had somehow earned historical status.

On the top left-hand corner of the Los Cerritos News website, there is a quote given byWarren Buffett to the LA Times this spring on prominently display. It reads: ““In towns and cities where there is a strong sense of community, there is no more important institution than the local paper.” A principle that is at the very heart of Economy and Hews’ reporting for the website and weekly print edition.

Economy has also been blogging about his diligent efforts. About a year ago, when he first revealed that assessor Noguez’s real name is actually Juan Reynaldo Rodriguez, people laughed. No one is laughing now, and Economy has a career-crowning achievement blowing up nationally. In his own words:

If you have read my blog in the past number of years, I was one of the loudest voices about the seedy political ways of Juan Reynaldo Rodriguez, aka John R. Noguez, the Assessor of Los Angeles County who on Tuesday was arrested in the “biggest political scandal” in Los Angeles County history. I have never been more proud to call myself a “Community Newspaper Reporter!” The system works. Community Newspapers are the backbone of America’s news rooms. Going to be in an court room tomorrow [October 18] to see Noguez, Ramin Salari and Mark McNeil all in handcuffs, and all in Los Angeles County jail garb.

By the way, the Bell corruption scandal that led to that aforementioned LAT Pulitzer is a story that the Los Cerritos News initially had, and turned over to the paper. Economy has been doing all kinds of media since D.A. Steve Cooley gave his paper credit at press conference. And as far as Caruso is concerned, well, the developer is no longer running for mayor.

ASSESSOR JOHN NOGUEZ ARRESTED! Thanks! OUR LEGAL SYSTEM STILL WORKS HERE IN AMERICA

2012-10-17T19:57:00.002-07:00

Thanks to all of our amazing peeps over at KTLA! Manoman. What a ride.

In the Halls of Justice today in Los Angeles!

If you have read my blog in the past number of years, I was one of the loudest voices about the seedy political ways of Juan Reynaldo Rodriguez, aka John R. Noguez, the Assessor of Los Angeles County who on Tuesday was arrested in the "biggest political scandal" in Los Angeles County history. I have never been more proud to call myself a "Community Newspaper Reporter!" The system works. Community Newspapers are the backbone of America's news rooms. Going to be in an court room tomorrow to see Noguez, Ramin Salari and Mark McNeil all in handcuffs, and all in Los Angeles County jail garb.

District Attorney Steve Cooley....and his amazing amazing team.....

Brian Hews....reading the Indictment Documents.....with Fox News.....and around one hundred reporters.....

LOS ANGELES – District Attorney Steve Cooley announced today the arrest of Assessor John Noguez, his chief appraiser and Arizona tax consultant Ramin Salari on charges they engaged in an elaborate and complex conspiracy to slash property values and save millions in property taxes to help Salari’s clients. Cooley said the arrests and charges are part of a continuing investigation into public corruption at the Assessor’s Office. Noguez, who announced he would take a leave of absence in June, returned to work briefly before going out on an indefinite medical leave. “Los Angeles County voters and taxpayers deserve honest, hardworking elected and appointed officials who will serve the best interests of the people,” Dist. Atty. Cooley said during a press conference Wednesday. “Residents must have confidence that their government is not for sale to the highest bidder or the highest briber.” Noguez, whose real name is Juan Renaldo Rodriguez, was arrested at his Huntington Park home by District Attorney’s investigators with the Bureau of Investigation. The 47-year-old is being held on $1.385 million bail. Ramin Salari, a tax consultant and campaign contributor to Noguez, was arrested at a residence in Encino by D.A. investigators. The 49-year-old is being held on $1.36 million bail. Mark McNeil, a principal assessor promoted by Noguez to head the Major Appraisal Division, was arrested at his home in West Los Angeles by D.A. investigators. The 54-year-old is being held on $1.16 million bail. The complaint’s overt acts allege that Noguez accepted $185,000 in bribes from Salari between February and September, 2010. Noguez also received a list of properties represented by Salari. Soon after receiving the checks and the list, Noguez’ chief appraiser – Mark McNeil -- appeared at hearings and reduced the assessed value on numerous properties, including the Old Spaghetti Factory, and properties in Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, Torrance and Los Angeles. The complaint also alleges Noguez also told appraiser Scott Schenter to “take care of our buddy Ramin,” and, “We have to take care of our donors.” Schenter was charged previously in a separate complaint. Noguez is charged with 24 felony counts, including four counts of accepting bribes; five counts of perjury, two counts of conspiracy; and 13 counts of misappropriation by a public officer. The complaint alleges the fraud and embezzlement exceeds $500,000. Salari is charged with 23 felony counts, including eight count of bribing an executive officer; two counts of conspiracy; and 13 counts of misappropriation. In addition to allegedly bribing Noguez, Salari is charged with four counts of paying appraiser Scott Schenter $100,000 in bribes. McNeil is charged with 14 felony counts, including one count of conspiracy and 13 counts of misappropriation by a public officer. Schenter, who worked from 1988 to early 2011 as a county appraiser, was charged in a separate complaint with allegedly slashing values on multi-million dollar homes, condos and businesses in Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. He allegedly secured campaign contributions from the owners of those homes and business for Noguez. Deputy District Attorneys Susan Schwartz and Michele Gilmer are prosecuting the case. If convicted as charged, Noguez faces up to 30 years, four months in state prison; Salari faces up to 29 years, four months in state prison; and McNeil faces up to 20 years, eight months in state prison.

Candidate Dick Long has Female Vote Nailed in California

2012-10-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Do we NOT love campaigns here in Southern California?

Take this hot pic captured by Brian Hews, Publisher of Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group.

Guy named "DICK LONG" wants our votes in November.

Yep.

He has the "Chick Vote" totally nailed!