Bell, California

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100922/ap_on_re_us/us_bell_salaries

Wow. The more I read about this city, the more I think it was Mafia-controlled.

Reminds me of the movie about adultery that scared men into monogamy for a long time. A lot of city governments are going to be much more closely watched after this.

The stuff the audit is uncovering (as described in that article) goes way beyond the ridiculous salaries, though. It is suggesting organized crime.

It reminds me of a period of time during the 50's, when the vice probes in Jefferson County, two-thirds of the "Golden Triangle" area where I grew up, got so serious they were televised for several weeks. Beaumont and Port Arthur were the cities involved. My home town of Orange was in Orange County, and my Uncle Feagin was our district attorney at the time. He was already becoming known for his integrity.

There was a story that went around for a long time after about an English professor at Lamar University in Beaumont, that started during the televised probes. it started after a series of "madames" were called to the stand. Some of them had a hard time remembering how to say the whole sentence: I refuse to answer on the grounds that I might incriminate myself. It was a bit over their heads.

Anyway, back to the professor. He was still around the school ten years later, when I started attending. The story had become a legend. It seems he had developed the habit of entertaining his classes with comments on the hearings, especially about those madames and their "girls." Some of the female students were offended by the comments, and this being a long time before anybody ever heard the term, "sexual harassment," were at a loss as to what to do. they decided to stage a walk-out the next time something offensive was said. They say the professor got word, and was prepared. At any rate, he walked into a classroom a few days later saying that all of the prostitutes in Jefferson County were going to be put on a bus and driven out of town. the young ladies all looked at each other, stood up, and walked for the door. the professor is supposed to have smiled at them an said, "No rush, Ladies. the bus won't be leaving until tomorrow."

Ann

Please forgive my typos. I've been working all day for several days on a project that has to be finished and submitted before the end of this month. My poor fingers are rebelling.

Ann

Relax, Ann, I might not meet the end of the month target myself. In fact, I have yet to put pen to paper (finger to keyboard?). Everything is looking good, though.