Santa Ana winds are not the only catastrophe that has hit Southern California. Cash strapped cities have gone where no civilization has gone before and permitted fining hapless victims of hurricane level winds for preposterous pretexts such as “causing a public commotion” or “failing to obey posted signs.” Pictures show the signs were obstructed or destroyed by the hurricane force winds, exposing the officers to prosecution for perjury.
Some pictures are worth more than a thousand words. The picture at left shows signs knocked to the ground a block from the main station of the Long Beach Police Department. Nearing the end of the month for meeting quotas which technically should not exist, several patrol cars staked out the area waiting to intercept travelers seeking safety or cars and trucks that were forced off the road or knocked over. Rather than fulfill their oaths to protect public safety and render assistance, the officers rushed to issue tickets to meet or exceed their quotas. Sure this is illegal. A jury awarded $2 million in damages against the Los Angeles Police Department in April. But if cities file for bankruptcy, plaintiffs cannot collect damages but will still be stuck with legal expenses.
Long Beach is paying such a high price for its employees’ careless disregard for human life that the city may be forced to file bankruptcy. Its annual deficit is projected at $47 million, more than ten percent of revenues. Major sports events are moving elsewhere or finding that they simply cannot obtain insurance for spectator deaths or injuries. The Swimming Grand Prix and Soccer Nation have already announced that these events will not return to Long Beach in 2012. These announcements have already cost Long Beach more in lost hotel tax revenues than its aggressive ticketing and shoot-to-kill policies. And attorney Brian Claypool is seeking $20 million in punitive damages for the relatives of an unarmed man shot to death for alleged trespassing; in fact the victim had received an invitation from a host who was delayed returning to the property. Mail delivery errors show that California governments also cash in on arrests or shootings for petty matters like trespassing by selling these lists to service providers without a signed privacy waiver.
The Toyota Grand Prix of Racing has not been able to obtain insurance for spectator deaths or injuries in Long Beach. If pedestrians are killed and the benchmark $ 20 million per corpse civil damage amount is awarded, multiple deaths would drive Long Beach into bankruptcy. That may be the only way for the cash strapped city to renegotiate public employee contracts so that no more innocent lives are put at risk.
Read more in the Examiner.com National Edition at these links:
Comments