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RantZ and RaveZ - $31,100,000,000,000.00! That is a lot of MONEY to owe……The United States of America is in DEBT! I mean really BIG Debt. What does this mean for all tax paying residents and business owners living and working in the 50 states of America from Sea to Shining Sea.
It means that sooner or later the bill has to be paid or terrible consequences can happen to all law-abiding taxpayers.
At this point in history, it does not matter who is occupying the Federal, State of Local Elected Offices in our country. What matters is that we can’t continue to let the DEBT grow larger and larger as the days and months pass. It must come to a stop sooner or later. If you are invested in stocks or bonds or any other financial investments, my advice to you is examine the risks to your investments. I have reviewed my portfolio with my financial “Experts” and things are not very positive at this time. I encourage you to review your finances and investments with an expert you can trust. Don’t wait until it is too late. This is a very serious financial matter for you and your family.
Mayor Karen Ruth Bass has some very uninformed staff informing her on LAPD Personnel Recruitment matters.
Mayor Bass was a former speaker of the California State Assembly and a former member of the United States Congress. With that vast political experience in both California and Washington, D.C., one would think Mayor Bass would have established a reliable and informed staff to assist and direct her with her activities as Mayor of Los Angeles. Mayor Bass was sworn in as my L.A. Mayor on Sunday December 11, 2022. Since that time, Mayor Bass has had the opportunity to begin her responsibilities and hire personnel to assist her with her many duties as Mayor of the second largest city in America.
The first major directive Mayor Bass initiated was to declare a State of Emergency to deal with the expanding Homeless population in Los Angeles. Shortly after the order, the L.A. City Council approved $50 million dollars to immediately address the Homeless Population. While those wheels were in motion, Mayor Bass began to attend to her many other responsibilities.
One of the main responsibilities of the Mayor is to make sure safety is provided for all people, places and structures in the city. With the LAPD personal strength constantly shrinking and currently at 9,235 sworn members, the task of providing sufficient resources to police the 3,908,705 residents who occupy 472.93 sq miles the task is nearly impossible. As we know, Los Angeles is not like many other cities in America. Los Angeles is spread from San Pedro to the Hills of Northridge and from the Pacific Ocean on the West to East Los Angeles. Quite a vast territory to provide effective public safety.
With all that is happening in Los Angeles, Mayor Bass has called for an overhaul of the LAPD disciplinary system, more detectives to work cases and best of all to Root Out Right-Wing Extremist Police Officers and lowering the bar for new police recruits.
I have known and respected Mayor Bass for a number of years. Her advisors are out of touch and must not be aware of the previous LAPD scandals involving the corrupt officers from Rampart Division and the corruption that has occurred within the LAPD in the past. There was the corruption in the Hollywood Division when officers became burglars and looted video stores. There was the Christopher Commission and the Federal Consent Decree following the Rampart Division Corruption Scandal. The millions of dollars spent on corruption cases. While not perfect, the LAPD has maintained an Internal Affairs Division and Inspector General to keep the Department clean and away from corruption.
Mayor Bass and her team of uninformed personnel need to review the past corruption that impacted the LAPD see if the LAPD really needs to lower the bar for new recruits or raise the bar to recruit honorable and responsible people to fill the dedicated and professional LAPD ranks and join those professional personnel dedicated to Protecting and Serving all the people of Los Angeles.
In addition to using some common sense and focusing on recruiting Good, Honest and Honorable people to join the LAPD, Mayor Bass and her crew of uninformed personnel should take the time to read (POST) Police Officer Standards and Training requirements and see what background and training it takes to become a member of a law enforcement agency in California. Including the LAPD!
For the record. I joined the LAPD in 1968 and have served continuously since that time. Currently as a Field Reserve Officer.
(Dennis P. Zine is the author of RantZ and RaveZ. The column is published every two weeks in CityWatchLA.com to help keep you informed of political and associated activities in and around Los Angeles. Dennis is a retired member of law enforcement and a retired Los Angeles City Councilmember.)