BECOME A LAWYER WITHOUT LAW SCHOOL

THIS BUNCH OFCORRUPT CLOWNS WAS FINALLY ARRESTED TODAY 9/21/10 IN CALIFORNIA -------------WHAT A GROUP--CALIFORNIA POLITICS AT IT'S BEST ---CHICAGO AND OUR GANGSTER PRESIDENT DON'T HAVE ANY THING ON US

OH!! AND IS OUR "LITTLE MAN" PRESIDENT GONNA BE PISSED AT THIS GUY

Robert Rizzo, a former city manager to the Los Angeles suburb of Bell, was among eight current and former city officials arrested Tuesday in a corruption investigation. Rizzo's exorbitant salary was what ignited the public's anger and led to the police sweep today.

The district attorney's office said several City Council members were taken into custody along with ex-city manager Robert Rizzo and Mayor Oscar Hernandez.

"This, needless to say, is corruption on steroids," District Attorney Steve Cooley said at a news conference in Los Angeles
The district attorney, state attorney general and others have been conducting investigations of officials in the small working-class city since it was disclosed they were paying themselves huge salaries. Rizzo was making nearly $800,000 a year.

The investigations involve allegations of corruption, misuse of public funds and voter fraud in the city where one in six of the 40,000 residents live in poverty.

A message left at Rizzo's Huntington Beach home was not immediately returned.

Cooley said one arrest required authorities to use a battering ram.

The suspects were booked into county facilities and will be kept away from other inmates for their protection, Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

The arrests were the latest twist in a scandal that emerged in July with the disclosure that Rizzo was paid almost twice the salary of President Barack Obama.

It also was revealed that former Police Chief Randy Adams was making $457,000 a year, and Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia was paid $376,288. Four of the five City Council members paid themselves nearly $100,000 a year for their part-time service.

Rizzo, Adams and Spaccia resigned and the council members reduced their salaries to about $8,000 following the disclosures and angry public reaction. The four council members are currently the target of a recall.



Related Content

* Current and former officials arrested in Bell

Here is a breakdown of the charges filed by the county district attorney’s office Tuesday:

• Former City Manager Robert Rizzo, 56, is charged with 53 felony counts, including 44 counts of misappropriation of public funds between July 1, 2005, and July 22, 2010; six counts of falsification of public records by an official custodian; and three counts of conflict of interest. The charges include an allegation that he “took, damaged and destroyed property of a value exceeding $2.5 million.”

• Mayor Oscar Hernandez, 63, is charged with 21 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds between Jan. 1, 2006, and July 26, 2010. The criminal complaint alleges that he took more than $262,000.

• Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo, 52, is charged with 20 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds between Jan. 1, 2006, and July 26, 2010. The criminal complaint alleges that more than $262,000 was taken.

• City Councilman George Mirabal, 60, is charged with 20 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds between Jan. 1, 2006, and July 26, 2010, along with the allegation that more than $262,000 was taken.

• City Councilman Luis Artiga, 49, is charged with 13 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds between June 1, 2008, and July 26, 2010, and is accused of taking just over $129,000.

• Former City Councilman Victor Bello, 51, is charged with 16 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2009. The criminal complaint alleges that he took more than $193,000.

• Former City Councilman George Cole, 60, is charged with 12 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2008. He is accused of taking more than $133,000.

• Former Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia, 52, is charged with four felony counts of misappropriation of public funds between July 1, 2005, and July 22, 2010. The criminal complaint alleges that she took more than $1.3 million.

(RPI TVWatch) – Building on the tremendous success of its reality dramas “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills,” hailed by critics as “unwatchable by anyone under the age of 25,” MTV plans to roll out a slightly darker version of the same beaten formula in the upcoming fall season with “The Manson Girls: The Next Generation”.

The unscripted reality series will follow the exploits of three highly-annoying recent high school grads, Bethany, Hillary, and Maddie, as they spend the final summer before college in Sausalito working as a lifeguard, retail associate, and photographer’s assistant respectively by day while committing serial ritual murders by night on the instructions of Charles Manson, who communicates to them through their cat “Princess.”

"They’re delighted by the success of Laguna and the Hills, but the network felt they wanted something a little edgier,” said Brian Berker, the show’s creator and executive producer, “We’re still documenting the lives of rich, vapid California girls in excruciating detail, but in this case we get the added bonus that they’re actually real-life serial killers.”

Berker admits he was initially skeptical of their authenticity when their agent first pitched the idea, but became a believer after following them for a day with a handheld – a day that ended with the ritual slaughter of a successful real estate agent in his palatial California home.

"I only wish I’d been a believer from the get-go because that one may have been their best ever,” said Berker, who could not use the footage due to poor lighting. “Maybe I’m biased because it was my first time.”

Dr. Daniel G. Heller, Chair of Alternative American Studies at UCLA, said he sees the show exposing a new generation to the uniquely American antics that characterized the first Manson Family.

“It’s travesty that the man’s - that Charlie’s legacy has been lost on today’s youth,” said Heller, who’s written several as yet unperformed experimental operas based on the exploits of Manson and his followers. “He magnified the wild manic death energy terror creeping inside of each one of us. He took the death seed, spread it to his followers and it grew into this wild beautiful terrifying venus fly-trap bloodthirsty flower that was hell-bent on devouring the whole bourgeoisie capitalist fascist police state and it was a beautiful thing man! Just beautiful man! Just beautiful! Just beautiful!”

Although the series is expected to air Tuesdays in The 10 Spot starting in September, there is a strong likelihood that it will definitely be a one-season run for the show, as the girls are currently in custody at a maximum security California prison facing 35 counts of murder in the first degree.

Berker, himself facing multiple counts of aiding and abetting, but currently out on bail, was nevertheless optimistic that the series could go on, despite a lack of cooperation from the California Attorney General’s office.

“Look, if you could have put a camera on OJ during his trial, you’d have been a genius,” said Berker. “No way we don’t get to shoot this and no way it doesn’t get picked up. It’ll work itself out. Just look at who the governor of this state is.”

“I just hope that Charlie likes it,” said Bethany.

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Manipulation of photo by Katie R. at Rummy Night V, Roxborough, PA

With apologies to Jen, Tammi and Patti. Please don't hurt me.