Monday, August 30, 2010

"I Believe"

http://www.andiesisle.com/creation/magnificent.html

Many thanks to Irene Masiello for sending me this awesome,magnificent and inspiring video! It
kind of puts things in perspective!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Israeli Researchers Use Nanotechnology to Create a Chemotherapy “Smart Bomb” to Fight Cancer

Chemotherapy, while considered an effective cancer treatment, also brings debilitating side effects such as nausea, liver toxicity and a battered immune system.

Now, a new way to deliver this life-saving therapy to cancer patients has been developed by researches at Tel Aviv University. The breakthrough technology consists of a nano-sized vehicle with the ability to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly into cancer cells while avoiding interaction with healthy cells, increasing the efficiency of chemotherapeutic treatment while reducing its side effects.

Dr. Dan Peer of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Cell Research and Immunology and Prof. Rimona Margalit of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology led the research.
.
“The vehicle is very similar to a cluster bomb,” explains Dr. Peer. Inside the nano-vehicle itself are tiny particles of chemotherapy drugs. When the delivery vehicle comes into contact with cancer cells, it releases the chemotherapeutic payload directly into the cell. According to Dr. Peer, the nano-medical device can be used to treat many different types of cancer, including lung, blood, colon, breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and even several types of brain cancers.

The finding was recently reported in the journal Biomaterials.

A Sweet Payload to Trick Cancer
The key to the drug delivery platform is the molecule used to create the outer coating of this cluster nano-vehicle, a sugar recognized by receptors on many types of cancer cells. “When the nano-vehicle interacts with the receptor on the cancerous cell, the receptor undergoes a structural change and the chemotherapy payload is released directly into the cancer cell,” says Dr. Peer, which leads to more focused chemotherapeutic treatment against the diseased cells.

by Baruch Gordon

Because the nano-vehicle reacts only to cancer cells, the healthy cells that surround them remain untouched and unaffected by the therapy. The nano-vehicle itself, adds Dr. Peer, is made from organic materials which fully decompose in the body once it has performed its function, making the treatment safer than current therapies.

Clinical Trials Coming Soon
This drug will be an improvement on anything currently on the market, says Dr. Peer. Delivering chemotherapeutics directly into cancerous cells themselves is not only more potent, but also much safer.

Drs. Peer and Margalit are working with ORUUS Pharma in California, which has licensed the “cluster bomb” platform from the university and can ensure a quick transition from the lab to clinical trials, which should begin in two years or less, says Dr. Peer.

Source=>>

Friday, August 27, 2010

Investigative Reporters BEWARE a Sad Day for America!

By Ray Fernandez

In the age of new media when most cell phones are equipped with cameras and video that can turn a regular citizen into an investigative reporter that can be posted on media sites such as YouTube and made available to millions of viewers government has a right to be worried when citizens try to shine a light in the behavior of public servants who are paid with your tax dollars.

Rudy writes

"I am refused court access and threatened if I try to appeal by more court punishment since I was denied access (standing) the last time and I could not pay the $23,000 fine for thinking I have an interest in either my mother or her house, our home. The more we try to bring the truth out the more we are punished for it."

In the recent Gulf Oil disaster Reporters were threatened with arrest. News stories were yanked. Scientific reports buried. And data from the NOAA research vessel—initially sent to the region to take readings of the seafloor—was suppressed and YouTube videos were posted of reporters attempting to talk to workers who where forbidden to do so.

Most elder victims of elder abuse I have talked to are very afraid to talk about the abuse because of retribution,backlash,ridicule and intimidation they receive when attempting to report elder financial or elder abuse and when my own mother attempted to file a report for abuse she was ridiculed, the officer that took the report discredited her because "her hand was shaking when she signed the report" and "there was no signs of abuse" Ps. she was in a wheelchair where she was walking on her own power before the abuse took place, this is the protection you can expect from your law enforcement officials if the system is not reformed.

Others like 25 year old Anthony Graber who tried to report abuse are not so lucky. Graber, a sergeant with the Maryland Air National Guard, is now facing 16 years in prison, not for dangerous driving, but for a YouTube video he posted after receiving a speeding ticket.

Just like many of us who were pushed into elder advocacy when our loves one were abused, Graber never thought himself being an advocate for accountability.

According to the report the video, filmed with a camera mounted on Graber's motorcycle helmet designed to record biking stunts rather than police abuse, shows a plain clothes officer jumping out of an unmarked car and pointing a pistol at the motorcyclist exposing the officer's abusive attitude and putting the citizen's life in danger when he sworn an oath to protect the very same.

After he posted the video on YouTube, police raided Graber's home, seized computers and put him in jail.

Investigative reporters, whether professional or just a common citizen with a cam face a grim future if caught video taping or reporting abuse of any type wether it is grandma getting tazered or a *citizen getting beat in the street by police officials.

It is interesting that the attorney David Rocah representing Graber said "The case is critical to the protection of democracy because I don't think you can have a free country in which public officials are able to criminally prosecute people who film what they are doing."

Graber who had never been arrested before,is being charged with illegal wiretapping and could face 16 years in jail.

"This is about shielding the policeman, a public servant, from journalistic scrutiny," Steve Rendall, a media analyst with Freedom and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), said. But don't expect to read the story on your local media as they are hard pressed to report on elder abuse or other sensitive topics.

I think that we can all agree on is public officers - public officials tasked with protecting the public interest - should not be able to hide behind such rules to avoid scrutiny.

Supporters of abusive behavior will argue privacy laws" but it is interesting to note that you can't walk through Washington Square [a public space in New York] without being recorded by dozens of video cameras run by the police." One might be tempted to ask, "What happens to our privacy then?"

In 2007, police in Florida arrested Carlos Miller, after the journalist photographed the arrest of a woman.The arrest prompted the reporter to start the blog Photography is Not a Crime where he has documented more than eight similar incidents.

Of course we all know just ask Investigative Reporter Janet Phelan, that it is all about intimidation,the ruining of lives and reputations and the silencing of a citizens G-d given right about speaking out against perceived abuses, a sad day for America indeed!

The case that comes to mind as an example of a citizen journalist filming police was arguably the case of Rodney King, a black man in Los Angeles who was assaulted by several police officers. His beating was filmed by a citizen standing at a nearby gas station.

Without video evidence, King, a convicted felon, may have stood little chance testifying against police officers in court.

If you want more information on this story just do a Google search on Anthony Graber

*Denver police officers were caught on video tackling and beating a 23-year-old man who was doing nothing but talking on a telephone.

Investigative Reporters on Elder Financial Abuse are Stonewalled and Slimed

janice.rocco@asm.ca.gov;
sbcsentinel@yahoo.com;
jonathan.cooper@doj.ca.gov;
russ.heimerich@dca.ca.gov;
gary.duke@dca.ca.gov;

To Whom It Might Concern:

Dear Sirs;

As a non profit group we represent elder financial abuse victims in most all 50 states and have documented cases of exploitation and elder financial abuse which has been called *the scourge of the 21st century by experts and has reached epidemic proportions ...

It is clear that victims and or investigative reporters attempting to call attention to the problem are often discredited and run into a wall of secrecy,intimidation,and non cooperation.

I can assure you that that a great many of us have lived in the flesh the cover up and propagation of conservatorship/guardianship abuse and attempting to write off the problem as "ludicrous and absolutely untrue" is pouring salt into the wounds of those of us who have lost loves ones because of insensitivity of public officials who turn their backs on the very same people they have vowed to protect.

Sincerely,

Ray Fernandez
Editor

*Financial abuse of elders continues to increase at an alarming rate experts say that elder financial abuse is "the crime of the 21st century" as the burgeoning senior population is increasingly targeted. Tragically, it is estimated that 150,000 to 200,000 seniors are financially abused in California each year, and the National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that there may be 5 million victims a year, nationally. ref=>>http://www.blogger.com/www.allbusiness.com/crime-law-enforcement.../5484854-1.html

--------------------------------------------

From: writejanet@live.com
To: russ.heimerich@dca.ca.gov; gary.duke@dca.ca.gov
CC: janice.rocco@asm.ca.gov; sbcsentinel@yahoo.com; jonathan.cooper@doj.ca.gov
Subject: RE: Public Records Act Request
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:21:02 -0400

Mr. Heimerich,

I am working on an article concerning the PFB. I would appreciate your comments on the following:

1)What action did the PFB take on the issues detailed within the article concerning Lawrence Yetzer, which was emailed to Gil DeLuna ont he recommendation of Gary Duke? The medical records and financial records point to multiple felonies committed by Melodie Scott and attorney J. David Horspool, in the course of that brief conservatorship. Was an investigation launched and/or was law enforcement contacted?

2)The PFB has refused to release information as to the disposition of reports and has gone so far as to refuse to reveal the stats pertaining to reports, which would do an end run around the privacy issue. Why is that?

3)To my knowledge in review of the applicable correspondence and affirmed by your legal counsel, Gary Duke, PFB analyst Angela Bigelow made inaccurate statements as to the very mandate of the PFB to Janis Schock, and informed her that the PFB has no dominion over professional conservators. In another case, a former employee of the PFB told a potential complainant, Carolyn Perkins, that there was no point in making a report to the PFB, as it would likely not receive proper attention. A number of other complainants have reported that there reports have gone unresponded to--no letter confirming that their complaints were investigated or processed in any manner.

I have grave concerns as to what is going on inside your Bureau. You are maintaining a level of secrecy that is not consonant with democratic institutions. You are certainly free to attack me and my journalistic skills any way you wish. If you cannot respond to the questions, a good hard left at the questioner may --in some cases--deter her. But it isn´t going to work here.

I will look for your reply. If you choose not to reply, I will report that your answer was to refuse to respond to questions and to attack my credibility.

Sincerely,

Janet Phelan

-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Russ.Heimerich@dca.ca.gov
To: writejanet@live.com
CC: sbcsentinel@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:14:00 -0700
Subject: RE: Public Records Act Request

Ms. Phelan –

You are, of course, free to cc your e-mails to anyone you wish – I am not in the least concerned.

However, your question about whether PFB is engaged in covering up conservatorship crimes, or murders, or embezzlement is ludicrous and absolutely untrue. It is worthy of no other polite response than that.

From this point onward, you may request whatever public documents you wish under the California Public Records Act and we will fulfill them in accordance with the law. However, we will no longer consider you a bona fide reporter and we will no longer entertain further questions from you. Any communication from you that does not include a Public Records Act request will be ignored.

As a courtesy, I am cc-ing the San Bernardino Sentinel in case your editor or publisher wishes to contact me about this matter.


Russ Heimerich
Office of Public Affairs
(916) 574-8171 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (916) 574-8171 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (office)
(916) 416-8878 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (916) 416-8878 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (cell)

From: Janet Phelan [mailto:writejanet@live.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 4:12 PM
To: Russ Heimerich
Subject: RE: Public Records Act Request

Please define "appropriate."

Be advised that my emails are being bcc'ed to a number of parties, including now Assemblyman Dave Jones' office and others. As you are clearly NOT contacting law enforcement when reports come in alleging crimes committed by conservators, would you typify the PFB as a cover for conservatorship crimes?

There is growing nationwide concern that the judicial commissions and police internal affairs are, in fact, covering up the crimes committed by judges and police officers, respectively. Would you typify the PFB as serving a similar function for conservators? I am aware that reports have come into the PFB alleging murder, embezzlement and more. You have refused to supply stats on the disposition of reports, not responded to many complaints in any manner and are refusing to answer questions as to whether the allegations are even investigated.

I am eagerly awaiting your response to my question: Is the PFB in fact engaged in covering up conservatorship crimes? The documentation I have accumulated points to an affirmative response. Do you have anything to show that would prove otherwise?

Yours in the Constitution,

Janet Phelan

------------------------------------------------

From: Russ.Heimerich@dca.ca.gov
To: writejanet@live.com
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:38:10 -0700
Subject: RE: Public Records Act Request

My replies are in blue, below.

Russ Heimerich

Office of Public Affairs
(916) 574-8171 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (916) 574-8171 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (office)
(916) 416-8878 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (916) 416-8878 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (cell)

From: Janet Phelan [mailto:writejanet@live.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 10:59 AM
To: Russ Heimerich; Janet Phelan
Subject: Re: Public Records Act Request

As the Redlands Police have denied that the DCA or PFB has contacted them in reference to Scott offering services without a license, could you please tell me what guidelines you use to come to a decision about contacting law enforcement?

We contact law enforcement when it is appropriate for us to do so.

And as your Department received numerous complaints from individuals alleging crimes committed by Melodie Scott in her performance of fiduciary duties, and the Redlands Police also denies contact from the Department concerning these alleged crimes, would you then maintain that the PFB has investigated all these allegations and found them without merit? Or would you maintain that law enforcement WAS contacted?

As I have already told you, investigatory material is confidential and not subject to disclosure. That means we will not discuss investigations with you, nor will we provide you with any investigatory materials. Members of the public, including reporters, are only entitled to receive information and public documents regarding those cases in which a publicly disclosable act, such as a license revocation, has occurred.

As to the Janis Schock issue, I stated in my last email my reluctance to contact the PFB on her behalf. I was trying to encourage your agency to answer the question she has tendered as to the disposition of her report. I have in my possession the names of numerous individuals who are now alleging that their complaints were improperly processed or seemed to have disappeared into a black hole. At some point in time,this will become a matter of further scrutiny. In the meantime, I stand by my earlier efforts to encourage your agency to respond to Ms.Schock's question as to whether her initial complaint was closed or not.

Sincerely,

Janet Phelan
San Bernardino County Sentinel

------------------------------------------------

From: Russ.Heimerich@dca.ca.gov
To: writejanet@live.com
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:12:42 -0700
Subject: RE: Public Records Act Request

No, the PFB is NOT the only body that can investigate alleged crimes committed by professional fiduciaries.

The PFB only has authority over a licensee’s license. If a fiduciary commits a crime, it is up to local law enforcement to prosecute, though as is the case with many of our boards and bureaus, we will assist when it is appropriate to do so. If a fiduciary commits murder, that is a felony and must be investigated and prosecuted by local law enforcement. We can certainly take action against a license for such things as murder, embezzlement, etc. And if an investigation turns up a felony, our boards and bureaus turn that information over to local law enforcement and it becomes their investigation.

As for advertising oneself as a professional without a license to do so, we can and do investigate but it is up to the local law enforcement – the DA, to be precise – to prosecute. Local law enforcement also has the authority to investigate, but most of the time they have other, more pressing matters to attend to and will leave investigation into such misdemeanors in the hands of the appropriate board or bureau. They tend to focus more on enforcing the Penal Code, not the Business and Professions Code. Whether they prosecute as a result of our investigation is up to them.

In reality, most of DCA’s boards and bureaus have very little – if any – power to take action against unlicensed practitioners. We can, and do, investigate unlicensed activity and one or two of our boards can issue notices to appear, citations, and fines. But in most instances it remains up to the local DA to prosecute. Some counties are more aggressive in prosecuting than others – some will work closely with us and some have other, more pressing concerns.

PFB’s business with Janet Schock is between PFB and Janet Schock. Your attempts to intervene on her behalf, while stemming, no doubt, from good intentions, are inappropriate, and it would be inappropriate for us to discuss any issue regarding Janet Schock with you. In order to make myself perfectly clear, we will not communicate with you regarding Janet Schock and, after this communication, will not acknowledge any questions you may have about her or her case.

Russ Heimerich
Office of Public Affairs
(916) 574-8171 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (916) 574-8171 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (office)
(916) 416-8878 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (916) 416-8878 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (cell)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Stealing From Grandpa And Grandma

His dad is rich, and dying. He's facing huge credit card bills and unemployment. His inheritance is just sitting there. And sitting in the desk drawer is a power of attorney document Dad signed for him years ago, giving him the right to do anything he wants with the father's money. The temptation is too powerful, and the crime is too easy, to stop.

The story plays out thousands — perhaps hundreds of thousands of times — every year across the country, a scourge of old age.

America's vulnerable, graying population, and the concentration of wealth among older adults, has created a massive opportunity for fraud. Hard statistics are not available, but experts suspect that perhaps half a million elderly adults are ripped off by family members, lawyers and accountants every year, potentially taking $2.6 billion from infirm older Americans. The crime is known as elder financial abuse. Financial expert and consumer advocate John Wasik has called it "the crime of the 21st century."

"This is something that's rarely explored because the victims are rarely in a position to report the abuse," said Wasik, author of 13 books on personal finance issues.

This story will discuss the warning signs of elder theft and offer tips on what to do if you suspect a family member or friend is suffering financial abuse.

The tool used by the criminals who steal from the elderly is a legal document called a "power of attorney," which enables a designated adult to make financial decisions on behalf of another. Because power of attorney decisions are rarely reviewed, the document has been called a "license to steal." In legal circles, the crime is called "power of attorney abuse."

High-profile cases of elder financial abuse have helped shine a light on this age-old problem. In 2009, Brooke Astor's son and attorney were convicted of stealing $10 million from the socialite's $100 million fortune.

But Astor's estate is dwarfed by that of 104-year-old Huguette Clark, a reclusive heiress worth half a billion dollars who's been the subject of several msnbc.com stories by my colleague Bill Dedman. He's discovered suspicious transactions involving priceless paintings, musical instruments and a New York City apartment, and his reporting has led to a criminal investigation headed by the Manhattan district attorney's office. Thanks to inquiries from more than 100 msnbc.com readers, the New York office of Adult Protective Services is looking into the case. Many writers were prompted by their own personal encounters with elder theft.

That's the first and most important tip, experts say: Get involved. Report the crime. Many criminals get away with siphoning off cash because other relatives have detached from the older adult's life, assuming someone else is doing their job and taking care of end-of-life details.

"Keeping involved, active and in touch with the older person, staying aware of how they are doing and asking a lot of questions, that's very important for prevention and early intervention," said Sharon Merriman-Nai, co-manager of the National Center on Elder Abuse. "It can take next to no time for someone's assets to be depleted, so the quicker you can act, the better."

That means calling your state's Adult Protective Services officer, as msnbc.com readers did in response to Clark's story. You can find a state-by-state list here.

One serious challenge for family members who want to step in and help out: Frequently, local police will interpret elder theft as a civil, rather than a criminal, matter. That's why it's important to report suspicions to the Adult Protective Services office, which knows how to handle such incidents.

Reporting the crime is also critical because financial abuse is often accompanied by other forms of abuse, Merriman-Nai said.

"Physical abuse may be present, too. And if there's financial abuse, there's almost certainly some kind of psychological abuse going on," she said. "Quite often, they are being physically intimidated." In extreme cases, victims won't be able to afford the health care they need because their funds are depleted.

Calling to accuse a relative or a formerly trusted advisor is a big step, however, and one many family members are reluctant to make. It's also possible, Merriman-Nai said, that disputes or rivalries might cause one family member to misinterpret the actions of another. So it's important to ask questions and, if possible, obtain paperwork detailing alleged abuse, such as bank statements.

Wasik said: "You really kind of need to have something in hand to show this stuff is going on. It's not easy to prove without documents."

Garage sales hide theft
But elder financial abuse, particularly when committed by professional financial advisers, can be hard to spot and even harder to prove, said Jerry Walker, a Seattle-based lawyer who specializes in estate planning.

"There's all sorts of ways to liquidate items and have no record of it," Walker said. "I've seen big garage sales, for example, where a lot of property is sold and there are no receipts ... or they form a company and funnel money to the company. They can change beneficiaries or even hire relatives to do easy jobs. There's lots of crazy ways to get money out of an estate."

Elder financial abuse can be brutal and obvious, as in the Astor case. Or it can be much more subtle, Wasik said. In many cases, the issue is greed brought on by a sense of entitlement.

"Some cases are really egregious, such as a wayward son or daughter who comes into the picture and cleans out the accounts. But there are any number of scenarios," he said. "Other times, there are children who know the money is there, and the temptation for some is too great. A lot of people who lost their homes or are going to lose their homes have no financial assets at all. They are technically impoverished, but they see Mom and Dad sitting on a nest egg and they say, 'Hey, they're going to give it to me anyway, so why not use the money now?' "

Some cases are even more sinister, Merriman-Nai said.

"It's called 'undue influence,' and it's far more sophisticated, a very well-plotted-out, strategy to separate older individuals from their assets," she said. "It begins with someone gaining the trust of an elderly person, then separating them from their support network, isolating them from other people. Then they are able to exert tremendous influence on the elderly person."

That influence can extend all the way to bank teller windows. Elder financial thieves can have such hypnotic power over their victims that they transport the elderly person to the bank and stand nearby while he or she withdraws thousands of dollars in cash — and then hands the money over.

Most cases aren't reported
In fact, a report by MetLife Mature Market published in 2009 found that bank teller training is among the more effective ways to spot and stop elder abuse. In a test, tellers correctly identified suspicious transactions 7 out of 10 times, the report said.

"All by themselves, alert and well-trained bank tellers could have significant impact on financial abuse, especially if their numbers were to grow," the report found. By extrapolating from newspaper accounts of elder abuse, the report's writers estimated that $2.6 billion is stolen from older Americans every year and that only 1 in 14 cases are reported.

There is no national accounting of abuse cases, said Merriman-Nai, and that has blunted efforts to draw attention to the problem. But a paper published by AARP in 2008 (PDF) found that Adult Protective Services agents around the country report an "explosion of financial exploitation cases," particularly those involving power of attorney abuse.

The AARP report concludes that there are three main reasons that power of attorney abuse is so rampant: Receivers of the power, sometimes called the "attorney in fact," have exceeding broad powers. There is a nearly complete lack of monitoring of the attorney in fact. And there are unclear standards for dealing with those who abuse the power.

But perhaps most discouraging is this conclusion from the report:

Power of attorney "abuse may not be detectable until the principal has died."

One bright spot for those concerned about elder abuse: Tucked into the omnibus health care bill Congress passed earlier this year was the Elder Justice Act, which set aside nearly $800 million to expand efforts to investigate elder financial theft during the next four years. Advocates had been attempting to get the funding from Congress in the form of the Elder Justice Act for years.

Still, the fast-growing elderly population has Merriman-Nai concerned about the future.

"The problem is probably going to get worse before it gets better, the way the population is aging," she said. "But one hope we have is that the Baby Boomers are a generation of activists, and they will not go quietly. If we have an opportunity to put this issue on the map, it's now. The resources this generation can bring to resolve these problems can have quite an impact."

IF YOU SUSPECT ABUSE
As financial abuse can take many forms, it can leave many hints. The clearest: If an elderly friend or family member is not getting the medical treatment you think he or she should be able to afford.

Withdrawal or depression are also warning signs, Merriman-Nai said. If the older person is suddenly reluctant to talk about finances, that could also be a sign. But even a gradual withdrawal from normal conversations might be a hint that something is wrong — or that someone is trying to isolate the person from people who might spot the crime.

Unexpected dramatic financial transactions, such as a surprising sale of property or a large cash transaction, should also raise red flags.

HOW TO PREVENT ABUSE
One key to prevention is to stay involved in the elderly person's life well before there is a need to invoke a power of attorney. Maintaining a good relationship — including frank discussions of financial matters — will create a bond of trust that could be all the difference later in life when questions arise about finances.

Also, it's critical to make plans early on, when the elderly person is capable of being fully involved in the decision-making process.

"It's when you aren't taking the bull by the horns that things get out of control," Wasik said.

In many cases, the seeds for abuse are sown when an older person — trying to do the right thing, and preparing for the inevitable — signs what's called a "springing" power of attorney. Such a document takes force only when some trigger is reached, such as confirmation from a doctor that the individual is incapable of making his or her own financial decisions. The power of attorney might not spring into force for five or 10 years. Circumstances, as well as trust levels, can change a lot during that stretch of time.

While it makes sense to give a family member that kind of power over your finances, many older adults trust their accountants or lawyers more than their children. But in either case, Walker recommends not giving too much power to one person.

"You can split power of attorney up among two or three people, so they have to agree on decisions," he said. "That can provide some checks and balances. Of course, they might disagree, and you have to have a method for resolving deadlocks."

Wasik recommends something similar — give one family member the power of attorney, but require that person to provide regular reports to a council of other family members where financial decisions must be justified.

Walker strongly recommends against picking an attorney or accountant to receive the power of attorney.

"They are the ones that know how to play the game and work the rules," he said.

Ultimately, Walker said he wished that attorneys and accountants who exercised power of attorney were responsible to some higher authority, such as a social agency, in order to provide checks and balances.

"If you are an attorney, you are not accountable to anyone," he said. "The only way I can see it working is if you have to prepare an accounting and justify it to someone."

A court-appointed conservatorship is a more expensive option, but it does provide a facility for court review and other safeguards.

Finally, if you suspect elder financial abuse but aren't sure, or you are reluctant to involve law enforcement, Merriman-Nai recommends contacting an elder law attorney. The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys is one place to look for such a specialist.

Source=>>

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Taking Other Peoples Money Is Theft



-----------------
We are not in the habit of making political statements, neither is it our intention do do so, but this trailer is very apropo with all that's going on today!

‘The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.’

"I Don't understand...."

" I don't understand however is how good people can just continue to stand by and do nothing while these acts continue on a regular basis."
Sherrie Moser

7 Habits of Highly Frugal People

The book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold over 15 million copies since it was first published in 1989, teaching people all over the world how to live a happier, more successful and more satisfying life. One of the prevailing themes of the book is the fact that to change your life you need to change your attitude because no one else is responsible for what happens to you but you, so you can either complain about the things you don’t like in your life or you can set about changing them. Not surprisingly, this directly relates to the state of your finances.

If you are tired of living week to week, of having your phone regularly cut off or having to make excuses to skip dinners with your friends if the money has run out before the end of the month then you can use the seven habits of highly effective people to take control of your money situation and live a more frugal lifestyle, and a happier one.

Read it all here=>>MoneyNing.Com

We need your support

Janet Claire Phelan and I were on the air (American Freedom Radio) at 2:00 Pacific Time on Thursday (August 19, 2010) to discuss our project to start depositions of judges, under Rule 27 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Judges have absolute or nearly absolute immunity from suit for their judicial decision-making, now matter how bad or objectionable it is on many levels. But do Judges have the right to keep secret their economic transactional history which could lead to violations of or infringements upon the intangible right of the people to honest services from public officials.

If you connect to the link below, you will need to fast forward to the second hour of the link to hear us (Janet Claire Phelan and Charles Edward Lincoln) summarizing our thoughts in a one hour segment. We are now doing serious fundraising for this project. You can go to Janet Phelan’s website, www.janetphelan.com, to donate via pay pal. They money you donate will cover the costs of preparing and filing Rule 27 Petitions, attending hearings in Southern California, and then either conducting the depositions (with court reporters and videographers) or appealing the denial of our Petitions for Depositions “to perpetuate testimony” to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

http://www.americanfreedomradio.com/archive/Intel-Hub-32k-081910.mp3
We need your support to accomplish this. Thanks so much,

Janet Phelan



ref=>>here

Friday, August 20, 2010

State Denies Melodie Scott Fiduciary License

By Janet C. Phelan

The California Department of Consumer Affairs has issued a final determination on the issue of embattled conservator Melodie Scott’s application for a professional fiduciary license. In a decision tendered last week, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) denied Melodie Scott’s appeal.

According to Russ Heimerich, press officer with the Department of Consumer Affairs, Melodie Scott has already filed a writ in Sacramento Superior Court to overturn the decision by the DCA
Scott first caught the public eye back in 2005 when she was featured in the Los Angeles Times series, "Guardians for Profit--When a Family Matter Becomes a Business." Due to the public outcry engendered by the Times’ series, the California Legislature passed the Omnibus Conservatorship Reform Act of 2006.

The Act called for the establishment of the Professional Fiduciary Bureau, among other stipulations intended to protect the elderly and disabled from unscrupulous fiduciaries. Lodged within the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Professional Fiduciary Bureau (PFB) was mandated with licensing and oversight of the previously unlicensed fiduciaries and conservators.

Scott first applied for a license in 2008, when the newly formed PFB started accepting applications for licensing. Her application was initially denied on grounds that she had made false statements on the application. Later, two other charges were added – a drunk driving arrest and the further violation of continuing to act as a fiduciary without a license.

Scott appealed the decision and the matter went into an administrative hearing in Oakland. Administrative Law Judge Melissa Crowell opined that Scott should be granted a probationary license. Brian Stiger, executive director of the DCA, who has final say on these matters, declined to issue the license to Scott. She then appealed his decision. After two months of re
consideration, the DCA issued its final determination on August 12.

A conservator is defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as a "protector or guardian." Conservatorships, which generally impact the elderly and disabled, are generally established through court proceedings, when there are allegations that a person may be incapable of handling his or her affairs. There are two kinds of conservatorships in the state of California--conservatorship of person and conservatorship of estate.

Upon the initiation of the former and the appointment of a conservator of person, the alleged incapacitated person’s rights to make personal decisions are all transferred to the conservator. These decisions include where she may live, whether she may marry and even whether family or friends may visit. Upon the initiation of a conservatorship of estate, the alleged incapacitated person’s financial assets are all transferred to the care and protection of the professional conservator.

A number of national grassroots organizations have formed in the last several years, due to growing concern that the conservators are abusing their clients and self dealing from the estates of their wards.

Melodie Scott’s current website advertises her as a "Professional Fiduciary." Gary Duke, legal counsel for the Department of Consumer Affairs, has affirmed that offering herself as professional fiduciary without a license is a misdemeanor.

An incident report concerning this latest issue was filed with the Red lands Police this week by a local woman. The party filing the complaint reports that the responding officer, Eric Strobough, declined to take a full fledged misdemeanor report, stating that criminal activity by fiduciaries needs to be investigated by the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau. The bureau was requested last month to contact law enforcement on the issue of Scott offering services without a proper license. Gary Duke declined to answer follow up queries as to whether or not the DCA had contacted law enforcement, citing Government Code 6254 as exempting him from responding to this query.

Officer Strobough had also responded to the "dead body " call which came in to the Redlands PD when Melodie Scott conservatee Frank Bellue passed away at the condo of Scott’s ex-husband last year. Bellue had apparently been living in the condo with Melodie Scott’s brother, Graham Zinck. Strobough declined to comment on the curious circumstances surrounding Bellue’s death. In response to a request for public records, the city of Redlands released the police and paramedics’ reports but blacked out every indication as to cause of death and whether Bellue was alive when emergency services arrived on the scene.

Adding further confusion to the matter, Angela Bigelow, an analyst with the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau has stated that criminal activity by fiduciaries should be reported to law enforcement.

According to the Redlands Police, no report was filed by the DCA.

Other allegations lodged against Scott include theft, embezzlement, breach of fiduciary duty, using power of health care to withhold necessary medical care from her clients, resulting in death, and undue influence upon judges.

A police report concerning a death threat made by Scott to a Sentinel reporter caught on audio tape was referred to the district attorney, who declined to prosecute her. Recently, Scott’s application for guardianship of a minor child was dismissed in San Bernardino Court. The Sentinel has learned that Child Protective Services became involved.

Melodie Scott did not respond to requests for comment.

Source=>>The San Bernardino CountySentinel

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

100 Ways To Make Your Home More Therapeutic

Your home should be a relaxing place– a sanctuary away from the stress of work and the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Yet often we let our homes become stressful places, filled with clutter, reminders of things we have to do, and simply not the relaxing retreats they're meant to be. If you feel like your home isn't nursing you back to health each night, then consider some of these tips to help make it more therapeutic and comfortable for you.

Read it all here=>>Nursing Schools.Net

Saturday, August 14, 2010

"Don't Steal My Social Security."

My father's middle name was Franklin. He was named after Franklin Roosevelt. And today, we celebrate the anniversary of Franklin Roosevelt's greatest accomplishment - Social Security.

We call it Social Security. In other countries, the call it a public pension. But Roosevelt chose the term Social Security because the word "security" went right to the heart of what he was trying to accomplish for Middle Class America. It was one of Roosevelt's famous Four Freedoms: "Freedom From Want."

Without Social Security, seniors would be forced to work into their seventies, eighties and nineties. When they would become too sick or frail to work, they would have to beg. And then they would die.

That's the way it was in America when my father was growing up. Before Franklin Roosevelt's Social Security. No wonder my grandparents named him Franklin.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of Social Security. Without it, many of our seniors would be so poor that they'd have to eat cat food just to survive.

That's why many are calling the Deficit Commission, run by extremist right-winger Alan Simpson, the "Catfood Commission." It's the culmination of decades of plotting by right-wingers to destroy Social Security.

As you read this email, the Catfood Commission is plotting behind closed doors to find a way to force Social Security cuts on the American people. In a few months, when they come out with their cruel "recommendations," you're going to hear all over the media that we have to destroy Social Security in order to save it.

Where have I heard that before?

We've got to stop them. If enough of us speak out against Social Security cuts now, then people like me, fighting to protect Social Security, can show the media where We, The People stand on this.

That's why I've started a petition telling Congress and the President, "Don't Steal My Social Security." It tells every Federal official with a say on this that if they vote to cut Social Security, then they're going to have to find another line of work. You know that extension in unemployment benefits that we just passed? That will be for them.

Sign the petition now, and pass it along to your friends.

Together, we can send a message that if you try to steal my Social Security, then your security is gone, forever.

Truth,

Alan Grayson

Sunday, August 8, 2010

RE:Press Release re Woodhull vs. Guardianship of Louise A. Falvo

I am sorry about the disappearance of the horrific story of Angela Woodhull and the scrubbing of the internet from all the information regarding Angelina horrific experience with the legal system.


Angela was ordered to scrub the internet of any information mentioning her name and involvement in this case and being long time friends with Angelina and not wishing her any harm to come to I obliged in scrubbing the internet of any reference to this abuse.


Editor

ElderAbuseHelp.Org

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Edina woman gets control of life, may lose home

By JAMES ELI SHIFFER, Star Tribune

Isabelle Jessich got rid of her court-appointed guardian, but her house could be sold to pay legal fees.
Isabelle Jessich went to court Friday with two goals: to regain her liberty from a court-appointed guardian and to prevent him from selling her Edina home to pay $100,000 in fees for himself and seven lawyers.

Jessich succeeded in getting control of everything but her money, but she now faces the prospect of being sent back to a nursing home while her 17-year-old daughter could be placed in foster care.

Jessich, 57, has been battling for 20 months to take control of her life from Joseph Vogel, a professional guardian and conservator appointed by a Hennepin County judge in December 2008 to make decisions for her. Last year, Jessich made major strides to overcome the eating disorder, neurological problems and alcoholism that had made her a ward of the court. But Vogel would not let her leave a Robbinsdale nursing home and rejoin her daughter Allison, who was left to fend for herself.

After the Star Tribune reported on Jessich's situation in August 2009, state inspectors investigated and cited Robbinsdale Rehab and Care Center for failing to release Jessich. She moved back home in December. Since then, Jessich testified Friday, she has continued with physical therapy and other recovery activities. She said she is leading a "normal life."
But her struggle with Vogel over her finances could bring chaos back into her life. Vogel said he's owed almost $25,000, and lawyers in the case -- whose fees must be paid by Jessich -- have racked up more than $80,000 in bills. Vogel can't get access to Jessich's sizable inheritance in Belgium, worth at least $200,000, because Belgian officials don't recognize his authority, Vogel said.

In Hennepin County District Court on Friday, Vogel asked Judge Jay Quam for permission to sell Jessich's Edina home because it would be in her "best interest." He described the deal as a "last resort."
If the house were sold, the judge asked Vogel, what would happen to Jessich? Vogel said she would go back to the nursing home. Then Quam asked where Jessich's daughter would live. She could go into foster care, the guardian said, or perhaps be emancipated. Vogel said he didn't know how old she was.

Vogel blamed Jessich for the money crisis. "Had we had cooperation from Ms. Jessich, the bills would have been one-tenth of what they are, the estate would have been settled last June and Ms. Jessich would be in a far better financial position," he testified. "I think that's truly sad."
Jessich said her guardian turned her into a "prisoner." She said he kept her passport, preventing her from traveling to Belgium and dealing with the estate. "He's not helped me at all," she said.
Quam dismissed the guardianship, which means Jessich can make her own decisions about living arrangements. But for now, Vogel will continue to act as her conservator and handle Jessich's money on behalf of the court. Quam indicated he would rule on whether to end the conservatorship or allow Vogel to sell Jessich's house within a month.

That house was nearly lost at a foreclosure auction, but Jessich arranged for someone to pay the back mortgage payments. Jessich refused to identify her "guardian angel," and the judge warned that failing to answer the question would hurt her position.

When Jessich's daughter was asked how her mother manages the household finances, she said she keeps out of those decisions.

"I don't like how money affects people," Allison Jessich testified. "It makes monsters out of people

Gay elder gets $650k for forced separation from partner

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Clay Greene and the estate of Harold Scull, Greene’s deceased partner of 20 years, reached a $650,000 settlement July 22 resolving their lawsuit against the County of Sonoma and other defendants for the damages the couple suffered due to municipal employees’ discriminatory and unlawful conduct.

Greene and Scull lived together for 20 years and had executed both mutual powers of attorney for medical and financial decisions and wills naming each other as beneficiaries. In April 2008, County employees in the Public Guardians Office separated the couple after Scull fell outside their shared home. In the next three months, County officials ignored the couple’s legal documentation, unlawfully auctioned their possessions, terminated their lease and forced Greene into an assisted living facility against his will.

The County did not consult Greene in Scull’s medical care and prevented the two from seeing one another. In August 2008, before the partners could be reunited, Scull passed away after completing a photo album of the couple’s life for Greene.

In August 2009, Greene and the representative of Scull’s estate, the couple’s longtime friend Jannette Biggerstaff, filed a lawsuit alleging elder abuse, elder financial abuse, breach of fiduciary duty, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and other claims.

Biggerstaff stated, “There is no possible justification for what happened to my friends Harold and Clay, and I still feel outraged and heartbroken that they suffered such a terrible tragedy, which was made worse by the County spreading such terrible lies about Clay. But I am pleased that their rights have been vindicated, and I’m hopeful that their story will help to prevent this from happening to other vulnerable people.”

“What Clay and Harold lost can never be replaced, but this settlement brings a measure of justice to their story,” said Amy Todd-Gher, Senior Staff Attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights and one of Greene’s representatives. “This victory sends an unmistakable message that all elders must be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their sexual orientation, and that those who mistreat elders must be held accountable.”

In addition to agreeing to pay to settle the lawsuit, the County has changed or modified a number of important policies in its Public Guardian’s Office, including requiring County employees to follow protocols before seizing private property, preventing County employees from relocating elders or others against their will and prohibiting County employees from backdating information in their guardianship database.

“This settlement will allow Mr. Greene to finally have the quiet retirement he deserves,” said Anne N. Dennis, another of Greene’s attorneys. “Although nothing can undo the harm to these gentlemen, we believe the changes made because of the lawsuit will improve services to elders and other individuals who need the assistance of the Sonoma County Public Guardian’s Office.”

Source=>>here

Friday, August 6, 2010

Man Pleads: "Don't Taze my Granny!"


By Sarah FosterNewsWithViews.com

EL RENO, Oklahoma – Police officers involved in the tasing of an elderly bedridden grandmother into unconsciousness at her apartment last Dec. 22 are being sued in federal court by the woman and her grandson for violations of their civil rights.

“It seems to me using some sort of high voltage on an 86-year-old woman seems inappropriate,” said attorney Brian Dell, after filing the Complaint June 21 in Oklahoma City on behalf of his clients, Lona Varner and her grandson, Lonnie Tinsley, 47. “The whole purpose of this lawsuit is they used the force on an elderly woman.”

The Complaint is more specific, stating Varner was “cruelly injured with a Taser and imprisoned for several days without probable cause,” while both she and her grandson were “wrongfully seized, assaulted [and] battered.”

The action has been brought pursuant to Title 42, U.S. Code, Sections 1983 and 1989, and the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Police officers -- Thomas Duran, Frank Tinga, Joseph Sandberg and other unknown police officers – are not the only defendants. The city of El Reno is also named for having a policy of “deliberate indifference” towards training and disciplining its police officers “concerning the rights of citizens” and for failing to sanction and discipline officers who violate those constitutional rights.


“DELIBERATE INDIFFERENCE”

It was this “deliberate indifference” on the part of city officials that led police to engage in the “unlawful conduct” described in the lawsuit – conduct that has been likened by online commenters to Reno 911, the television series that recalls the old Keystone Kops comedies. Indeed, the scenario is so bizarre that some thought it couldn’t be true but must have been a spoof piece created by the staff at the The Onion.

It involved a dozen or so cops storming Varner’s apartment against her wishes, deploying a Tazer to “subdue” her in response to a few verbal threats she may or may not have made, handcuffing her while she was unconscious, cutting her arm, and after a few hours at Parkview Emergency Room, hauling her 20 miles east to a psychiatric hospital in Oklahoma City where she was kept through Christmas and several days following.

The incident began when Tinsley, at the request of his father, drove to his grandmother’s apartment which is less than two miles from his own. Because Varner has had several strokes, she takes various medications – just what or how many she’d taken that afternoon Tinsley did not know and she could not or would not, tell him. He was concerned that she might have overdosed deliberately. He couldn’t be sure.

So he did what we’re supposed to do in such emergencies – he called 911, requesting paramedics to come and check on Varner and make sure she was alright.
"She says … her life is over. She wants to end it. … She's taken some medicine. I don't know what she's taken," Tinsley said in the 911 call. "I can't get her to tell me what she took. … She's kind of upset and everything else."

That was at about 6:30 in the evening.

The dispatcher said an ambulance was started, but instead of an emergency medical team, an armed police officer, Thomas Duran, showed up. Tinsley met him outside and warned him that Varner would not want him to enter her home.

Varner’s small apartment is on the ground floor, and she has her hospital-style bed set up in the living room. That way she can watch the front door, and she has her phone, table, television, and the oxygen concentrator upon which she depends for easier breathing.
When attorney Roger Everett, co-counsel, was approached to take the case he could hardly believe that the police had actually used a tazer on Varner, in part because of her age, but also because of the potential danger of using such a device in a room where there’s an oxygen concentrator.

“On the front door there’s a piece of paper that says there’s oxygen in use here, that’s so we don’t have people bringing in any kind of flammable stuff or smoking,” he said. “You’d think if you saw that on the door you’d figure it might not be a good idea to shoot this gizmo that zaps electricity. You’d think that the police would think twice about shooting somebody 86 years old – that would be enough to give somebody a heart attack.”

Duran, the lead officer, apparently never saw the notice. In his narrative report he writes: As I started to enter the residence I heard a voice say, ‘Get out of here. I don’t want your help.’ I looked around the corner and observed Varner lying on a bed in the living room.”
Duran continues: “I observed Varner pull a kitchen knife from under the pillow and grasp it in a fashion commonly used to stab or slash. Varner looked at me and said, ‘I want to die, I did not call you so get the (expletive) out of my house.’”


HOW BIG A KNIFE?

The knife figures in this story, but Duran does not report how big it was, only that it was a “kitchen knife” – which could mean anything from a small paring knife to an 8” or larger chef’s chopping knife. The first is most likely, according to Varner’s attorneys.
“The reason she had a knife – she likes to eat fruit, particularly oranges,” explained Everett. “She had a piece of fruit she was going to use the knife on. That’s why she had it. I haven’t seen the knife, but it was the kind you’d use to peel an orange. That size.”

In other words: probably about three or four inches.
Duran called the dispatch for backup saying he had a “subject with a knife and needed more units.”

Meanwhile, Tinsley was trying to reach his grandmother and Duran was ordering him “numerous times” to back away and not come near her.
As he tells it: Duran tried to “calm her down, but nothing would work. Varner told me she was in control of her life and I could not do anything to stop her. Varner looked me in the eyes and said, ‘If you try and get the knife I will stab you and kill you.’ Varner said, “I killed four japs in World War II and I would not bat an eye killing you.’”

Duran writes that he was “in fear for the safety of Lonnie, Varner and myself.”
Both Dell and Everett have told NewsWithViews that Varner and Tinsley deny any threats were made. But even if Varner had made threats, what is the likelihood she would have been able to follow through? She’s in marginal health, blind in one eye from her strokes, unable to walk without assistance (she uses an electric chair to get around her apartment), and dependant on oxygen.

In any case, help was on the way – Officers Frank Tinga and Joseph Sandberg arrived to help “calm the situation.” Duran neglects to say that some 10 additional officers – over a third of the city’s police force -- swarmed into the tiny apartment, which must have terrified the woman. However, she held her own, or tried to.

“When Varner saw Officer Tinga and Officer Sandberg enter, she took a more aggressive posture on the bed, raised the knife above her head, and said ‘If you come any closer your [sic] getting the knife.’”


AGGRESSIVE OR DEFENSIVE?

Aggressive posture? What Duran calls an “aggressive posture” could just as well be described as “defensive.”

His backup having arrived, Duran decided it was time to deploy his tazer against the “aggressive” senior. Here’s how he tells it (emphasis added):

“I told Varner if she did not drop the knife she’d force us to use our Taser’s [sic]. Varner continued to be aggressive and furthered my fear of injury to other’s [sic] and myself. I deployed my department issued Taser (208930) using cartridge number T08-2070595. One of the Taser prongs made contact with Varner’s upper chest but the other imbedded into a blanket Varner had around her abdomen. The Taser did not make the contact and did not affect Varner. Varner stared at me and continued to hold the knife up in an aggressive manner. I told officer Sandburg who was next to me that my Taser was not working. Officer Sandburg deployed his Tazer with both prongs making contact. The Taser rendered Varner incapable of any further aggressive action and officers were able to remove the knife from Varner’s hand and secure it safely. When the Taser was being used Lonnie became very upset and tried to interfere with officers. Officer Tinga and Officer Gore detained Lonnie. Lonnie calmed down and understood officers had to use force.

“While controlling Varner’s arm and removing the knife, she received a laceration from her elbow to her wrist. Parkview staff later told me it was a very common occurrence for elderly subjects to receive bad lacerations with the slightest of contact with objects due to the thin nature of their skin.

DON’T TAZE MY GRANNY

That’s not how Tinsley recalls the scene. According to the Complaint:
“Lonnie Tinsley told them, ‘Don’t taze my Granny.’ To which they responded they would tazer him; instead they took him down to the floor, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol car.”

With Tinsley out of the way, the police proceeded to “deploy” their tazer – but first one or several of the officers stepped on her oxygen hose, “until she began to suffer oxygen deprivation.” When the first tazing didn’t work, they fired a second, “striking her to the right and left of the midline of her upper chest and applied high voltage, causing burns to her chest, extreme pain and to pass out.

"The police then grabbed Ms. Varner by her forearms and jerked hands together, causing her soft flesh to tear and bleed on her bed; they then handcuffed her."
The Emergency Medical Team had by then arrived, and was allowed in to take Varner to the hospital to have the prongs removed and her burns and laceration treated. Tinsley was un-handcuffed and allowed to accompany his grandmother in the ambulance.
Several hours later, after midnight, she was taken to Oklahoma where was committed to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation.
Dell told NewsWithViews: “After keeping her for six days they figured they didn’t have any reason to keep her so they cut her loose.”
A city attorney, Roger Rinehart, said the city had no comment. Assistant Police Chief Kevin Wilkerson said, "With the federal lawsuit, we can't make any comment on it right now."

WHERE WAS THE MEDIA?

Not surprisingly the story has created a storm on the Internet – but this did not happen until the case was filed in U.S. District Court, six months after it happened. A short piece appeared in the El Reno Tribune in early January, but there was no follow up by the paper, even though the police had been castigated a year earlier for tazing a man whom they thought was a drunk driver, but instead was having a diabetic seizure.

Dell told NWV that in the Varner case, a local reporter picked it up because he covers federal court and he saw a copy of the petition and called Dell, who then talked to him.
“Then I started getting calls and found out it had been picked up on www.courthousenews.com,” Dell recalled. “I’ve been getting phone calls and emails and everything else from everybody all over. In fact, if you Google “Taser granny” – I got 416,000 hits (June 25). There’s been the Daily Mail, an Irish newspaper, a Nigerian newspaper, the India Times.” (By June 29 it was 668,000)

CIRCLING THEIR WAGONS

The 65-year-old NewsWithViews.com editor Paul Walter was shocked when he learned of the events described here, and said it hit him especially hard since he was born in a communist country and did not come to the United States until he was 15. So he’s seen this kind of behavior by police before.

“The only difference between what I saw there and cases like this one is that the cops in Yugoslavia didn’t have tasers,” he said.
"I wonder if those cops would like that done to their mothers? Or, to themselves for that matter when they reach old age? Didn't Jesus teach us to treat others the same way we would like to be treated ourselves?

“The real problem is not the wicked cops. The real problem is the management: the police chief, city manager, the mayor and perhaps the city council for condoning such behavior and not setting down proper rules of conduct.

"I guarantee you as sure as I'm writing this, that the city management will circle their wagons to protect their mean-spirited and out-of-control cops."

Source=>>US Obserber

Monday, August 2, 2010

Letters to Editor "Cruelty Unchecked"


This paralles the cruelty on my 94 years old sister I sat with her last moments in San Antonio hospital while her kidnapper, a bar association director, was vacationing in Hawaii. I can never forget the way she put in a body bag.

There is no use we just keeps on complaing. Only if FBI will investigate as bold as FBI bold web statements on U.S. Code Title 18-242 Deprivation of rights under color law.

Hauling a few elder kidnappers to court, convicted and throwing the key away would other perpectuators be warned. As long as FBI called such cruel kidnapping "it is a civil matter," nothing can and will be done.

Right now I am fighting to free my wife of 61 years of marriage to spend our last moments together without court says what we can and must do or face contempt charges. I wish we had never came to the United States with such cruelty unchecked.

No political candidate care to put elder abuse using probate courts on their campaign literature. Every time I see a judge in black robe reminds me wolf wearing sheep's head.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

What a Nightmare! Even in Death they Plague Us!‏

Update from Barbara Morris:

It is amazing how these monsters will not leave families alone, even, in death! The assisted living owner, William Singh, who helped perpetrate lies, against me, showed up at my father's funeral. One of my brothers called him, the evening before, to make it clear that this was a family time. They, i.e. caseworker, etc., tried to limit my mother to, only, the service. I had to, first, get the help of the funeral director to get rid of the assisted living owner, then, I had to insist mother was going to the gravesite/ceremony and luncheon, afterwards, with relatives, at the church.

NOW, one of my uncles passed away, this week. Since two of my brothers were in town for awhile, with Dad, they can not come back to help me take Mom to her brother's funeral. The Howard County Office on Aging case worker, Marcia Soergel, will not let me take my own mother, by myself! That's just one of her stipulations! (I should mention that Marcia Soergel was assigned to my parents in mid June, after my posting on the neglect and abuse of my parents, William and Ada Morris, started showing up on web searches, by the name of the caseworker, of four years, Ofelia Ross. Guess they were trying to take the heat off of Ofelia Ross. Guess again!)

Marcia Soergel, also, wants to know diet plans, meals plans, itinerary, where we are staying, etc; more stipulations. Now, what's really interesting is the diet my parents had at, both, Bryant Woods Inn Assisted Living Facility and Pfefferkorn Assisted Living Facility. Where was the concern of the Howard County Office on Aging, while my parents were being fed meals, extremely, high in sugar, sodium and cholesterol in assisted living and under public "guardianship"? And it continues, still, for my mother. Where was Marcia Soergel, when my father was moved to hospice and they served his meal tray with regular water and lemonade, not thickened, as he needed, to prevent aspiration? It was not the caseworker, Marcia Soergel, it was knowledgeable daughter, Barbara Morris, that showed up the next day and saw the wrong meal and the beverages that could have choked Dad! I was the one that corrected the situation, not caseworker, Marcia Soergel. And, that's just for starters! And, she wants ME to be accountable for making "diet" plans? How absurd.

And, of course, Marcia Soergel wants me to take someone that my mother knows, with us. Well isn't that a contradiction? Because of Alzheimer's, my mother is surrounded with strangers at Pfefferkorn Assisted Living Facility and, previously, at Bryant Woods Inn ALF! Plus, one resident died, another moved, and, now, there are, even more, new faces. During 18 months, at Bryant Woods Inn ALF, my mother never remembered the location of the bathroom or, even, her bedroom. Certainly, even with 2 years at Pfefferkorn, she does not remember William and Elmira Singh, the owners. Why isn't Marcia Soergel applying the same standard of my mother needing to be with familiar people, especially family members, to her place of residence?

Another, incredible, contradiction was evident, at my father's funeral. This was Monday, July 19th and, yes, it was a hot summer day. I was told, through the funeral director and from Pfefferkorn ALF owner, William Singh, that the Office on Aging, i.e. Marcia Soergel, had considered not letting my mother attend my father's funeral because of the heat! Well, well, well, this gets more interesting! After we returned to the church, I was changing my mother's diaper. Incredibly, I realized that my mother was wearing a sleeved cotton t-shirt underneath her polyester dress. Now, if caseworker, Marcia Soergel, was concerned that my mother might get overheated, WHY, for God's sake, was my mother dressed in a polyester dress and, even worse, WHY had the assisted living owners put a cotton t-shirt on, under my mother's dress? Were they TRYING to cause my mother to have a heat stroke and, then, blame it on me? AND, I HAVE PROOF! I had a camera! I took pictures! AND, one of my brothers witnessed the t-shirt under my mother's dress. Believe me, I, quickly, removed it! When the assisted living owner, William Singh, returned at 4PM, to pick up my mother, my brother told him the t-shirt was, potentially, harmful to my mother, due to the heat. This, inexperienced, assisted living owner, actually, ARGUED with my brother, stating that it was cotton and, therefore, could not cause a problem!!! And, with all this neglectful "care" that I have, repeatedly, addressed and spoken out, about, the caseworker wants to put me into question?! Has she lost her mind?! Or, is it, just, more bullying tactics?

My uncle's funeral is on Tuesday, in Denbigh, Virginia, where my mother grew up. The nature of our family is that funeral's serve, also, as "family reunions". Right now, it looks like Marcia Soergel and the Howard County Office on Aging will, yet again, prevent my mother from having quality time with family members, some who she may never see again, as some of them are coming from a great distance!

For the record, on Sunday, August 1, 2010!

Barbara Morris
Daughter of William & Ada Morris