HIGHLAND: Family of teen shot by deputy disputes Sheriff’s Department account (UPDATE)

HIGHLAND: Family of teen shot by deputy disputes Sheriff’s Department account (UPDATE).   

This is a Sheriff's Department in need of some new leadership and focus not so much because of this one incident, but because of so many others. If this is another example of the cowboy mentality of shoot first and ask questions later, this is tragic for sure.  What is fairly well known but not talked about, is the stress level of uniforms is far too high and may be a contributing factor to use of lethal force where there are alternatives. While internal affairs will do their thing to make the call on the shooting, the real need is to find ways to reach out to stressed out officers and give them the help they need without condemnation or being marked as weak.

A Change in Direction, but not oversight

As a long time activist for the democratic party, I was asked by numerous local leaders to run for Congress in an effort to make it into the Prop 14 created (top two primary) runoff election in November and win the seat.
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Current 8th District Congressman Cook has been a disappointment for working families, seniors and vets, but with that said, Cook might not be one of the top two in November due to many conservatives being unhappy with him as well.
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Cook's obstructive votes have done little to seek and build the consensus needed to find government waste and roll that money into real domestic economic stimulus, job development programs & policies, job retraining & placement and needed transitional assistance. We need to work at healing our country's wounds. Cook and his backers aren't hurting because they have the rest of us to pay for their comfortable salaries & benefits. The people in this district need to remind Cook and his backers that we elect people to find solutions that help all of us and not just Cook & his special interest masters.
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My prior announcement of my intention to run for San Bernardino County District Attorney has been tabled due to not only the request of local leaders that I try and add to the voices for rational & productive leadership in Congress, but due to my realization that the systemic problems in the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office may well require federal intervention to address, which regrettably may or may not come (and which Bob can with the rest of San Bernardino county only hope and pray for).
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With that said, a lot of work to do.

Does the Colonies Case Decision Recognize Key Players like DA Mike Ramos might be if not a Material Witness, a potential Co-conspirator??

One of the many articles written by the local press [See: http://www.highdesert.com/articles/return-44292-vvdailypress-san-bribery.html -- article on the Colonies case], shows how the watchdog role of the press [See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lionel-rolfe/whats-wrong-with-todays-j_b_4516013.html?utm_hp_ref=los-angeles&ir=Los+Angeles for recent discussion] is a dead concept in this County and part of the reason we have local government in San Bernardino County running out of control--no one is asking the tough questions.
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With federal racketeering charges timely added to the complaint (which is not the first time I have referenced that additional approach), the appeal would have likely been unnecessary in the Colonies corruption case and golly gee, had "conspiracy" after the bribe been pled by the DA's office (re alleged cover up efforts), the Supreme Court would likely not have had to step in.
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What the Court in People v Biane, et al (the Colonies corruption case) said [and the following appears to be the trigger analysis]:  "[h]ere, as in Calhoun,supra, 46 Cal.2d at page 30,the indictment alleges that Burum and Erwin participated in a conspiracy that was more elaborate than the mere agreement that a particular bribe be accepted, but involved and depended on the conduct of numerous parties to ensure that at least three supervisors be influenced to approve the $102 million litigation settlement".

What makes this realization so key, is that Mike Ramos has been accused of using his office's powers and or his influence to intimidate/coerce public figures in the County, which is what he is accusing Burum (a former ally of DA Mike Ramos) of doing [e.g. people thinking about running against Mike Ramos like former DA Dennis Stout backing out and stating on the record in 2010 that his clients were being threatened if he (Stout) ran and more recently, there are the allegations of Frank Guzman, who ran against Ramos in 2010 who had to face a frivolous lawsuit (filed by allegedly an ally of Mike Ramos) roughly a month before the June 2010 election (an action tossed out by the court "after" the election), going after Supervisor Neil Derry for a failure to disclose payments in a campaign report on the eve of an election challenge by a long time supporter and friend, San Manuel tribal leader James Ramos, while Mike Ramos skated on his failure to report payments to his ex-wife--just to name a few].
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Through all of the bribery acts, who is a constant figure throughout and is STILL in office?
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75% of SEBA's MEMBERSHIP DID NOT ENDORSE JOHN McMAHON for SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF!! What's up with this unliked guy?

In a press release from SEBA [document says "PLACE ON BRIEFING BOARD - SEBA NEWS FLASH] dated December 3, 2013, it supposedly reports "SHERIFF ENDORSEMENT ELECTION RESULTS" that 95% of the membership voted to endorse McMahon..
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With 2,210 ballots mailed out and 29.6% returned (or 654 "voters"), that conclusion is a reach. It would be more consistent to say that McMahon got a no confidence vote of roughly 75% of the membership.
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Rumors are floating about how even Mike Ramos (the DA that endorsed him) think McMahon is dumb, so with Mike Ramos behind the scenes maybe not liking him and 75% of the eligible voters in SEBA NOT voting for McMahon, who is pushing this guy?

A GOOD EXAMPLE of WHY BOB CONAWAY AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY WOULD BE BETTER THAN SAME-OLE-RAMOS)

How?

Focus should be made on the FHA “Back to Work” Program

There is news being reported about warrants floating out there from the current DA's office in San Bernardino to get a law firm's records which may prove some type of fraud injurying persons with (or formerly with) home mortgages.
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Aside from the fact it is years after people have been impacted (and the banks, loan servicers, foreclosure people committing fraud and or unfair and or deceptive business practices have been untouched by the San Bernardino County DA), there is nothing being done for the victims today, now.
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As part of my administration as San Bernardino County District Attorney I would be remedy focused. To quote the incumbent Mike Ramos, "you can't prosecute yourself out of every problem". 

About the Program

Under the federal “Back to Work – Extenuating Circumstances” program, if one had a foreclosure, short sale, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, or bankruptcy, a homeowner may qualify for a new home loan if the former homeowner is back to work and can document the extenuating circumstances.

Do You Qualify?

FHA will consider former homeowners for eligibility if the former homeowner had a financial hardship in the past but can now document the follow circumstances :

1. The "Back-to-Work" applicant meets FHA loan requirements
2. The "Back-to-Work" applicant can document the mortgage or credit problems resulted from a financial hardship
3. The "Back-to-Work" applicant has re-established a responsible credit history
4. The "Back-to-Work" applicant has completed HUD-approved housing counseling

A lender will first have to determine if the "Back-to-Work" applicant meets FHA loan requirements before he/she can apply for a FHA loan under the Back to Work program. The "Back-to-Work" applicant will need to explain how the financial hardship was something beyond his/her control that reduced his/her income or caused him/her to lose employment. If the "Back-to-Work" applicant's household income dropped by 20% or more for at least six months, it may count for this type of financial hardship.
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To re-establish credit the "Back-to-Work" applicant must have a 12 month record of on-time rental housing payments with no delinquencies, and not have been 30 days late on more than one non-housing loan payment. If the "Back-to-Work" applicant still has any open collection or judgment accounts, then a “capacity analysis” will be done to see if  he/she can repay those creditors.
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It's time to change DA and really help folks! Press releases about delayed and remedy-less paper is not what victims need.

Victorville's SEC Problem

The article offers some interesting ramblings but suggests another hangman's noose can be retired.
VV officials answer, deny SEC complaint | officials, sec, angeles - High Desert News.
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The ongoing problems with local corruption ignore even more obvious facts.
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If the water is polluted under the base, what was the land ever worth.
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Victorville knew full well what the land wasn't worth.
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Keep in mind, VVEDA (Victorville Economic Development Authority, an alter ego of the City of Victorville) pushed the Air Force to deed over the air force base and Victorville's/VVEDA's litigation against Adelanto forced the water rights to be surrendered to VVEDA.
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There is all sorts of waste underground (disclosed in the early 1990s by the Air Force and EPA oversight through the Technical Review Process), which is being ignored or under treated and given the old saying that "desert without potable water is worthless sand", it was worthless [except to the bottler that used some of the water for softdrinks (yuk) and a power company for their cooling towers].
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So what was it that Victorville was selling at the former air force base? The value of the crust was also impacted by the "boneyard" characteristic of the land use [it was a place to park busted a** airplanes for salvage operations and some limited repair work].
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Oh yeah, lets not forget the wind turbine farm fiasco.
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The corruption goes back a long way with Victorville. The housing was usable for low income families, but because it would increase the inventory of low income housing, the houses were allowed to crumble, so rents could be higher for the local landlord class [in Orange County, federal buildings were turned over to homeless and low income projects].
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The hospital had been prior to base closure upgraded and had a state-of-the-art burn unit facility--it was stripped down and abandoned--perhaps because it would be bad for the local hospitals' revenues?
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The modernized pistol range was torn down, which could have been contracted out to anyone of several local gun enthusiast organizations for profit.
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The City's council races (the council oversaw the VVEDA operations) had contributions from every developer in the region.
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A problem is that everyone who is a defendant in the case (I submit the people running the whole show are not in the case as they maybe should be?) drank the same Koolaide and likely believed their yarn about the values set out in promotional documents (which could make selling intent as an element of the federal crimes, tough). I also sense that the length of time has allowed a lot to escape scrutiny, so don't be surprised when some deal is cut so the SEC does not embarrass itself with a poorly prepared case. Heh, this is the San Bernardino High Desert--the only place a Charter School can fleece kids of a hundred million and no one has been convicted, the County could be fleeced a hundred million and no one has yet to spending time for the crime(s) and now it seems certain investors will be similarly screwed. That's what happen when you have the wrong people in leadership!!

Governor Brown Appoints a former San Bernardino County Sheriff & SEBA President after the DA's Office Buries Cases Against POST Certification Cheaters??

Per the Governor's office's press release, Governor Brown appointed Laren Leichliter, 48, of Highland, to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Leichliter has held multiple positions at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department since 1991, including deputy sheriff and fiscal clerk. He was a fiscal clerk at the San Bernardino County Hospital from 1985 to 1991. Leichliter is president of the San Bernardino County Safety Employees’ Benefit Association.
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Leichliter may well run a questionable shop at SEBA. After a recent forum where three San Bernardino sheriff candidates were presented with supposedly random questions (in "unmarked" envelopes) , SEBA gets back 29.4% of the ballots from members of SEBA and Leichliter's team announces an endorsement of the association for incumbent (appointed incumbent) Sheriff McMahon (the other 2 candidates were Clifton Harris & Paul Schraeder). The truth is that 70.4% of the membership DID NOT endorse McMahon (their appointed boss). Leichliter who will now sit on the POST Commission board took a slant from a no-confidence vote that no one else could possibly justify (except McMahon and his campaign guru Ellis). Wow.
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With Sheriff's department management folks signing off on fraudulent POST certification classes and pending charges, does this appointment make sense? Is this the truthful leader the POST Commission needs?
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See excellent Sun article at:http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20131106/two-years-after-indictments-sb-county-sheriffs-post-corruption-case-fizzles#.UntI2Rc_5rg.email.

Were the POST certification scandal cases fizzled out to open the path case for a Leichliter appointment?
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Why wasn't the employee association (SEBA) involved to ferret out what was a lax policy problem vs what was poor management and or oversight vs what was actual criminal conduct. The people signing off on the POST certification classes/work were members of SEBA,  Leichliter's colleagues and or friends.
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By fizzling out the corruption cases,  Lechliter and his buds don't have to answer those questions.
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Is this just old fashioned failure to investigate and failure to hold management who should know and care responsible or does this suggest the culture of cover-up has (a) new champion(s)?
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