A Fat Tax - really?!

Taxed to death or because of it?

Denmark has recently instituted the world’s first imposed “Fat Tax” due to research showing that less than 10% of the population was considered “obese” and it contributed to 4% of the country’s premature death. The foods targeted are high in saturated fats such as dairy products and lard. (Time Magazine)

Opponents of the tax claim it is the government’s way of filling their coffers.

Denmark has banned potential harmful ingredients from being used in food products and forbid importation of certain foods into the country based on the ingredients used to process the food such as transfats, the ingredient used mostly in snack foods.  They have attributed the ban to a 30% lower incident of cardiovascular disease.

Is the “Fat Tax” a good idea or a knee jerk reaction?

The foods it targets are high in saturated fats, but mostly natural products.  Butter, other dairy products, olive oil, etc.

The French eat foods high in saturated fats (butter is the main ingredient in a lot of the food) and are among the healthiest people in the world.  They also ban harmful ingredients to be used or imported into the country.

Some would argue that it is not the type of fat, but the process the product is subjected to. 

Processed foods are refined, bleached, crunched, ground, mixed with fillers, emulsifying agents and anti clumping compounds. Artificial colors added to make it pleasing to look at. Synthetic sweeteners or heavily refined sugars are added under the pretense they are derived from “natural” sources.

Research has shown that artificial sweeteners contribute to cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and don’t help you lose weight and actually cause you to gain weight.

High fructose corn syrup, used in almost everything we eat, contributes to weight gain, which will cause other ailments such as diabetes and organ stress.

Do you realize almost every “fast food” burger has high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient?  When I make my burgers (deemed among the best burgers ever by my guests), I have yet to add any type of sweeteners to them.  I only add, oh sorry…secret recipe, all natural ingredients.

So, could something like the “Fat Tax” ever fly here in the United States?

Doubt it. 

The government is uneducated or doesn’t care as to what is healthy or harmful to people. 

Your pet or farm animal is getting better nutrition than you are.

Many of the officials in Washington D.C. that are involved in the scrutiny of your food were also high administration officials in the very same companies that produce the artificial and/or harmful ingredients that you eat and feed your families.  Many of these ingredients are banned from importation into other countries based on their track record and research documenting their harmful effects on humans.

Start reading the labels on your food packages.  Do you know what each ingredient is?  Can you pronounce it? What’s a GMO? 

There is no way that we can implement a fair “Fat Tax” without sweeping reform in Washington and without pulling almost EVERY food item off the shelf. 

But changes can be made as to the production of our food and education to the public. 

Cigarettes now have warning labels on the packaging declaring what could (or will) happen if you smoke. 

How about food ingredients?

Might read something like this; 

These ingredients have been clinically shown to cause diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney stress/failure, liver stress/failure, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, skin disease, hair loss, etc., etc.

Warning labels for food?  Yeah, that’ll happen…

Is there stress in Police work? Part 4

This is a continuation of a series of articles regarding the different types of stressors that officers face daily, in their personal and professional lives from a personal point of view.

Is there stress in Police work? Part 4

After being “forced” out of a detail, I chose to enter the Field Training Program to train the new officers, fresh out of the academy.

I enjoyed the challenges of exposing the new officers to the rigors of police work.  It was an eye-opening experience for most of the officers and it was my duty to make sure it was a safe learning (and mostly enjoyable) experience for the new person.

After some exposure to the various challenges inherent to law enforcement, some officers decided that police work was not for them and gracefully bowed out.  Some handled some situations poorly, certainly not to the best of their abilities and training, and continued to struggle throughout their training period.

It became apparent that some were not ever going to be suited for police work and needed to find other avenues for employment.

I digress.  I made sure the new officer was able to experience the full gamut of police work.  Dead body calls, bank robberies, report calls, public contact, traffic stops, foot and vehicle pursuits (yes, at that time, we could chase bad guys).  Everything from the most trivial of misdemeanor crimes to the most heinous felonies.  It was always a learning experience, but I wanted it to be interesting and enjoyable, if possible, for the new officer.

I had trainees tell me and my supervisor that I was the best, or one of the best FTO’s (Field Training Officer) that they had, because they were able to experience a variety of calls, not just drunks sleeping on bus benches all day long, etc.

After about 7-8 years of Field Training, I noticed a “shift” in the program and some of the candidates that entered it.

Some new officer’s personalities were more defiant.  A lot were more submissive and less apt to get involved in serious situations.  When critique was given after each incident, excuses and rationalization became the norm.  Blame was placed on everything/everyone other than the new officer.  If the defiance continued, I would bring the new officer into the Sergeant’s office to discuss the situation.  Several times the stubbornness of the new officer continued and would require an intervention by the Sergeant or even higher ranking supervisors. 

When it was very apparent that the new person was not able to successfully complete the training period, they were given several options to follow up with.

Some would get the hint, and again, some would not.  Other procedures had to be implemented to terminate the employee, requiring proper documentation from the FTO(s).  I’ll talk more about those people later.

But wait!  If you documented to the point that it made someone else work a little extra, like the sergeant in charge of field training, then you, as a FTO, were talked to about “too much documentation”.

Really?!?!?

The Sgt. claimed he didn’t have enough time to read a nine page daily evaluation report about a “problem child” as he had several others to read each day.  So, I was instructed to shorten my evaluations.  I refused as I explained that my ass would be on the line if I didn’t document the deficiencies exhibited by the trainee and he failed to progress properly, and due to the inability to “get it” may commit a grave error. 

As a result, we were subjected to a “FTO report writing” class.  We, as the trainers, were now being trained on how to document the trainees based on the training supervisor’s inability to manage his time to do his job.

The first two evaluations that were on the top of the stack of “How not to write an evaluation” were mine and a fellow squad mate, also a FTO.  Both were documenting two different trainees and both were fairly long.

Needless to say, it was a long class with much “discussion”.

Back to the people we were training out in the field.

As an officer, you HAVE to develop certain skills.  You have to look a little deeper, longer and harder at people and the things they do.  Sometimes you have to ask questions that you would never ask anyone else.  You have to be willing to put hands on people, to make an arrest and get physical, if need be.  Some of the new folks were absolutely terrified to get close to our contacts in the field.  They couldn’t/wouldn’t  make eye contact.  They danced around suspects as they attempted to get close to handcuff them.  They would run from a fight.

Others couldn’t wait to play “cops and robbers”, even off duty.

One particular academy classmate of mine would sit in his personal vehicle, while off duty, and in field training status, in a particular notorious area of town and try to conduct “undercover” surveillance of drug dealers in the area.

A trainee of mine, again while off duty, would dress up in his academy training gear, that had LVMPD emblazoned on it, and put his gun belt on and handle the domestics in the apartment above him (rumor had it that he was smitten by the female in the apt.)

The same trainee, off duty, would dress up in full uniform and drive his personal vehicle to his old work place and walk in with extra guns jammed into his belt.  When his old co-workers asked him what he was doing, his response was “just checking out the old neighborhood”.  When they asked about the extra fire power in his belt, his response was that he and his Field Training Officer (me) had been threatened by gang members and he wanted to be “prepared”.

Both incidents were documented and brought to the attention of the department, but yet nothing was done.  No discipline other than a “talking to”.

The rationale of the department was that they had spent a significant amount of money to attract, hire and train these new officers and they didn’t want to lose their “investment”. 

When the senior officers objected, the administration claimed that there was “strength in numbers” and we should be glad that there is another “body” that can back you up while on a call.  The senior officers stated they wanted “quality”, not “quantity”.  A “quality” officer was worth 10 of a “quantity” officer.

That’s when I knew it was time to look elsewhere on the department.

To be continued.

John Vellardita as a lead negotiator for CC Teachers - Really?!

School Union taking another leap…backwards

Clark County Education Association recently hired John Vellardita as a lead negotiator to head in their negotiations with the Clark County School District.

A logical choice?  Maybe, considering he is adept at misguiding and misappropriating.

Last year, Vellardita and 15 other defendants were ordered to pay out over $1.5 million in damages as a result of an investigation and a jury’s decision emanating from a scheme that sabotaged the Service Employees International-United Healthcare Workers West and claims that they were attempting to start a rival organization. (court case)

The trial revealed evidence of:

            A scheme to undermine the well-being of union members.

            The theft and destruction of union documents and property.

A conspiracy to use SEIU-UHW’s money and other resources to start a rival Union, even if it meant harming the very members whose interests they        claimed to represent.   

The jury’s verdict was unanimous, finding Vellardita and 15 others liable.  Vellardita was ordered to pay the largest chunk of the award.

Recently, a local article shows a quote from CCEA President Ruben Murillo that the union is “100% behind” Vellardita because he has no criminal record and “has vast experience in negotiations”. (RJ Story) Nowhere did I see any cites of his “vast experience”.

I’m pretty sure the suit was civil and would never show as a criminal offense, Mr. Murillo.

Vellardito was picked from a pool of 14 candidates and deemed the “best qualified”.  Best qualified as what?

Talk about the “bottom of the barrel”.  What were the qualifications of the other 13 candidates?  What kind of lawsuits were they involved in and how much did they have to pay?  Were they accused of destroying evidence and burglary?  Threatening other employees?

The teacher’s union has historically been deemed inadequate, without “teeth” by the membership, with no respect, support or faith from the teachers. 

What do they have to lose?

The last meeting had 30 teachers in attendance out of 17,000 represented employees.

Clark County School District is ranked the lowest in the nation, and now the union hires someone with less than reputable and documented background to represent the teachers they are meant to protect?

I’m wondering how the arbitrators are going to look at it when they make a decision.

Everything about Vellardita has been laid out, his credibility, integrity, morality for everyone to see and yet he still gets the job?

I spoke with a fellow police academy classmate about some of our fellow recruits.  We knew of their background and witnessed their inadequacies while in the academy as did our Training personnel.  We knew that they were not going to be the type of Police Officers the department was hoping for, yet they graduated, even after causing major problems in the academy and field training.  Years later, those officers were plastered across the paper for committing robberies, attempting suicide, and other embarrassing incidents that cost the department money, time and integrity.

Hopefully, they will look at the hardworking teachers that he will be attempting to represent and not his sullied past as he sits in front of them.

World Superhero Registry. Yes, it’s true.

Last week, I let you know about “Phoenix Jones”, a real-life “superhero” that was arrested by police in Seattle for pepper spraying several citizens.  Phoenix believed they were in a fight.  Reports were otherwise.

The whole “superhero” thing piqued my interest.  I’ll be honest with you; I’ve been collecting comic books since I was a kid and have watched the latest superhero movies as an adult (Thor was the latest movie).

Sooo, I began poking around the internet and guess what?  There is a “World Superhero Registry” (World Super Hero Registry)  Yes, there is a website dedicated to those who want to dress in tights (and some not so tight) and fight crime.  Honestly, a few are a little flamboyant and really don’t accomplish anything, like “Pink Man”, who wears a pink (really) unitard and rides a unicycle.

Colorful names like “Nostrum”,  every color of “Arrow”, ”Angle Grinder Man”, “Death’s Head Moth”,  “MotorMouth”, “Nyx”, etc., abound.

So dedicated is this site, it lists active, retired, and heroes in training.  It also lists training academies (the last one was scheduled on Oct 16^th, 2011).  There is a list of resources such as people to contact who want to make you your next superhero costumes, electrical body armor and weapons, give legal advice, participate in a blog to get advice on how to get started as a superhero, etc.

Included in the lists are; the superheroes picture, name, if his/her identity is known (some are listed as semi-public), FAQ’s, superheroes philosophy, any “arch enemies”, organizations they belong to (Not one was a member of the AFL-CIO), the area where they are active (some are in foreign countries), websites and their mission statement.  Not one superhero vehicle was listed or shown.  Guess mechanical aptitude is not a requirement to be a superhero.  Boring…

Not listed are any “superpowers” or special weapons. No one appears to be able to fly, or at least anymore (probably listed under the “retired” listing.  No listing for “expired”). There is a lot of capes and bulky, baggy clothing, scarves and other items that would be great to grab during a fight.  Didn’t they watch “The Incredibles”?  Remember Edna?   She explained to “Mr. Incredible” why capes were detrimental to superheroes.

If I were going to design a superhero costume, it would be made of a flexible, slick material with mica particles so it would reflect different colors based on the ambient light. Snug fitting with Kevlar inserts to protect the vital areas including a ballistic “cup”. The skullcap would have a thin, but solid ceramic polymer that was custom fitted to my large cranium (7 ¾ hat size) with digital hearing devices implemented into the earpieces and protective eyepieces that transitioned with available light, had magnifying ability and could resist small arms fire.  The gloves would be a combination of rubber for grip, leather for durability (deer skin seems to hold up to human sweat better than cow skin), Kevlar for protection and insulated against shock as the fingertips would have the ability to generate 150,000 volts upon touch.  The shoes would have a cross between rubber and hard plastic and I could alternate which medium I wanted to be in contact with the ground by using a built-in lever on the shoes.  My utility belt would be able to spray/shoot a chemical agent capable of disabling the criminal, light up the area and hold the necessary tools of the trade, such as high tensile strength rope, striking tools, cutting instruments, a large caliber less than lethal weapon, and of course, handcuffs.

My vehicle would be a smaller, all-wheel drive with adjustable suspension so it could be raised for off-road ventures, carbon-fiber panels infused with Kevlar and also with mica for a chameleon effect. Old fashioned smoke and oil dispensers in the rear and a complete electronics array for searching the town for bad guys.  An electro-magnetic-pulse gun to disable other vehicles electronics.  A winch system in the front and the back that shoots darts that anchor into anything they hit.  Run flat, and armored tires.  Extendable spikes to shred other vehicle tires and fenders.  Full skid plates, etc. And of course a cappuccino machine.

A name?  Sorry.  Never gave this superhero stuff much thought……..snicker

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Today Las Vegas was the location of a Sporting event tragedy: RIP  Dan Wheldon

This is a continuation of a series of articles regarding the different types of stressors that officers face daily, in their personal and professional lives from a personal point of view.

Is Police work stressful? Part 3

After being involved in patrol duties for a while, I then progressed to “Line Solution Policing”, a concept that allows officers some freedom to incorporate some of their time to investigate and follow-up on incidents that they normally wouldn’t have time for and to engage with the public professionally.

Initially, we were “mopping up” bad guys, recovering stolen property, preventing retaliatory gang hits, finding dope, guns and making the news.  I collected quite a scrapbook from our numerous forays. We were having a grand time doing “our job”. 

We then had a new supervisor transfer to our squad. 

The first day I walked into our office and noticed the new sergeant talking on the phone.  There seemed to be a lull in the conversation, so I introduced myself.  The response was a screaming tirade directed at me for interrupting the phone conversation.  I turned around and walked out, now eavesdropping on the rest of the conversation, realizing that the sergeant was headed for a divorce.

The rest of sarge’s stay with our team was uneasy, to say the least.  We seemed to be walking on eggshells all the time as we dealt with his personal problems. One of our ideas was to “borrow” impounded bicycles from the Pawn Detail and use them in some undercover work.  We were able to roll up on crimes in progress and made quite a difference in the crime in the area.  At the time LVMPD didn’t have a Bike Team.

A new sergeant entered our team, sort of a prima donna. 

I asked him if we should consider starting a Bike Team as they did in Seattle and was wildly successful. Sarge told me “That’s a stupid idea”.  Needless to say, I quit talking to him after that.

After that incident, I was informed I needed to move on as my time was up in LSP. 

I was given carte blanche to go anywhere in patrol I wanted.

I decided I would try the “Field Training Program” and train the new rookies, fresh out of the academy while on patrol. I knew what I thought a police officer should be like and wanted to be a part of that training.

Another eye-opening experience.

To be continued…

Personal and Professional levels of Stresses  

These superheroes don't have their own comics

These superheroes don't have their own comics.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “superhero" as: a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person.

On October 9, one of Seattle's most, probably only, popular superhero was arrested.

Yes, Seattle has a superhero. Actually, they have a group of superheroes called the "Rain City Superhero Movement". (reallifesuperheroes.org)

Evidently only one of the movement has been proactive.

“Phoenix Jones" was arrested for pepper spraying several citizens whom he believed were involved a street fight.  Extraordinary or superhuman powers? Skillful or successful?

I’m pretty sure pepper spray is not extraordinary or super human unless you have a natural tendency to spray it from a body orifice. I'm also pretty sure that you would not want to deal with the consequences, personally, after you’ve sprayed someone.

Evidently, Phoenix also carries some sort of stun device. Again nothing special.

As far as skill, I'm not sure who came up with his costume but it is pretty sharp, with a built-in, bullet resistant vest and stab protection.

Success? While dressed up in his fancy costume and in patrol mode, his mode of superhero transportation is…wait for it..... his godmother’s Kia. When police were notified of a masked man driving a Kia, they tracked the registered owner down and asked if she knew who was driving her car. She stated it was her godson and he was out “doing good deeds”.  So much for the secret superhero lair.  When he was arrested for the pepper spraying assault, he was booked in under the name of Benjamin John Francis Fodor.  So much for the secret identity.

Okay, at least he has transportation, but as for meetings with the other superheroes...... well, I wonder about these meetings. When they decided to form this movement and come up with their costumes, were they all playing with latex and spandex? I'm guessing Phoenix is the chief “Superhero”, or the president or whatever they call the head of the superhero group. Did they vote him in based on his powers? Or is he the only one that had superhero transportation?

The superhero group has a membership of 9 superheroes, including Phoenix Jones. For some odd reason, Phoenix's wife, Purple Reign, is not listed among the members, who are identified as; Thorn, Buster Doe, Green Reaper, Gemini, No Name, Catastrophe, Thunder 88, Penelope and Phoenix Jones.

I couldn't find any crime busting stats for any of the other eight superheroes.

Honestly, I am hoping that they come out with a calendar with photos for each month of each superhero. Since I could find no statistics on the other members, my imagination is running wild. Purple Reign? Penelope? I'm not sure how the ratio of women to men among the superhero ranks is but some of the costumes I've seen on the female superheroes in the movies keeps me wanting more.  

Believe it or not, we found that there are even more superheroes in Seattle, but they don't want to be associated with the “Rain City Superhero Movement”. Two other heroes named “Capt. Ozone”  and “Night Owl”  do not want to be recognized as members. Seattle, not Gotham City, Smallville, or New York even, must be the superhero capital of the world.

Here in Las Vegas, ”Batman” was seen on the strip getting his ass kicked by a drunken tourist.  I would post the link but some of the language is not family friendly.  Check it out on YouTube. 

Evidently superheroes in Las Vegas don't cut the mettle.

Guess that's why they're called Street performers, not superheroes. Or maybe that's the Superhero Junior Varsity Boot Camp.....

Goofy criminals

I know we all deal with strange, kind of kooky people almost on a daily basis depending on your job description.

In my previous job, I dealt with the public on several different levels, many times a day. I got to realize that there was a huge spectrum of personalities out in society. Many times, each incident seemed easy enough but the people involved made it very difficult to resolve. I also realized, in the criminal world, there are the same types of people involved while committing crimes.

A little research resulted in finding, even by my standards, some really screwed up criminals. Some of these were overseas and I had never heard of these incidents.

In Australia in 1989, a martial artist, after receiving his first degree black belt in Chinese Kung Fu, believed his level of expertise gave him the skill and power to kill a wild animal with his bare hands. He decided to test his martial arts abilities by driving to the zoo, breaking in and jumping into the “lion’s den”, literally. Evidently, lions do not play fair and engaged in mortal combat. Police and zookeepers located what was left of the martial artist, which were his hands clenching lion fur.

In 1994, a terrorist organization in Jordan ordered attacks against all Jordanian stores that sold either videos or liquor. A 31-year-old terrorist, had accepted $50 in US currency to place a bomb in a Turkish movie theater. He entered the theater clutching his bomb, and then noticed the movie that was playing on the screen. He became engrossed in the movie as it was a Turkish pornographic movie. He had never seen this type of cinematic art and was intrigued. He placed his bomb package underneath the seat he sat and watched the movie. 10 min. later, the bomb went off, removing both his legs and his testicles. His penis was removed with surgical precision and was found safely inside his right hand. He never made it to the hospital to have his appendages reattached.

On April 1, 2010, Somali pirates purposely attacked the USS Nicholas, a guided missile frigate. The Pirates were armed with AK-47s, RPG's, pistols and grenades. The USS Nicholas is armed with 40 anti-ship missile, one three-inch artillery rifle that fires 120 rounds per minute, two triple tube torpedo launchers, 4 .50 caliber machine guns and a 120 mm computer automated Vulcan Gatling gun that fires 4500 rounds per minute.

Evidently, the Pirates failed to notice the weapons on board of the USS Nicholas, the U.S. Navy steel gray paint, and the 453 foot length of the ship which is considerably larger than the private yachts that they are accustomed to attacking. The pirates fired first with their small arms. The sailors immediately returned fire with the Vulcan cannon shooting down three of the four RPG's. The 50 caliber machine guns disabled the pirate skiff. The one grenade that made it through the firestorm struck the hull of the USS Nicholas, denting it. The three pirates on the boat surrendered and, after retrieving the prisoners, the USS Nicholas overpowered the mothership, which was a converted ex-shrimping schooner, and captured the rest of the crew.

We all know and respect Chuck Norris.  He has trained with Bruce Lee, has several degrees in various martial arts including his own hybrid concoction of fighting skills. He is an accomplished actor and is well known for training other fighters. In 1994, at the beginning of his fame as " Walker, Texas Ranger", he was walking down the street by himself and noticed two men walking towards him. Both men were slightly larger than Chuck and they were walking directly at him. He noticed that both men were staring right at him and assumed that they wanted autographs. So he walked up to them and stopped with a smile upon which they immediately produced two large pocketknives and demanded that he give them his wallet. They further stated that they knew who he was and that he had lots of money and instructed him to give it up or he was dead. When all was said and done and the police responded approximately 4 min. later, both the men were sitting on the curb with compound fractures of their arms and the two bloody knives laying in the gutter. Chuck was leaning against a wall wearing his beard, jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat and just shrugged at the officers. The police laughed so hard that they bent over, holding their sides and took some time to compose themselves enough to handcuff the criminals. One of the officers asked the failed muggers if they knew who they attempted to mug. One of them said," yeah, we knew who he was, but we figured all that crap on TV was fake!"

Then there's the story of a purchase of a radio system by a police department for tens of millions of dollars, only to find out the department was bilked out of its money for a system that's been proven not to work…

Who's the criminal? The company that sold the radio system, or the purchasing agent(s) for the police department that that didn't do their research?

Three guesses?