Monterey Bay Forum

Did a Vietnamese-American Texas attorney commit fraud when she signed up 1,000 Vietnamese fishermen in return for 60% contingency fees? Smells like fraud.

Roughly half of the 40,000 fishermen in the Gulf are Vietnamese refugees. Recently, one Vietnamese-American female attorney from a Texas law firm signed up over 1,000 of the refugees in exchange for 60% contingency fees. What explanation of the intricacies of the American legal system was individually given by that attorney to those 1,000 persons? What do you think that Vietnamese female attorney said? Probably something like, get a little now rather than wait a long time like in the Valdez spill? (more…)

BlogBabel Tags: economic, fishermen, fraud, gulf, livlihood, oil, vietnamese

How to solve illegal immigration?

Work to change the conditions that draw people here illegally. Too easily people can get fake identification papers. The Border Patrol too frequently turns a blind eye to people entering illegally. There is no fence along the southern border — though money was allocated for one. The federal government for too many years has done too little.

Hence Arizona’s sensible response. More needs to be done, however.

So let’s make sensible changes:

** Built rapport with law abiding groups across the Border. Have a foreign workers program and all workers carry tamper proof identification cards. Make a fence that is not easily penetrated and well maintained. Provide foreign aid to families and children that encourages families to stay and or return to Mexico and other Latin American countries. (more…)

BlogBabel Tags: arizona law, border patrol, federal government, fence, illegal aliens, illegal immigration

Let’s see. The Christmas Day bomber. He got Miranda rights. And the Times Square fellow who almost blew up the Square. He initially got Miranda rights. With a hem and a haw. And the Ford Hood psychiatrist that shot a bunch of fellow soldiers. As he was in the military I suppose he will — if able to stand trail – get a military trial. And there was a student who shot a couple of recruiters. Who else have I left out? All this in President Obama’s first year.

Do I feel safer now that Obama is President? Do you feel safer? Who should feel safer? Jihadists probably do feel safer!! With Miranda rights given to persons who commit domestic terrorism it will be many a year before their legal rights are exhausted.

BlogBabel Tags: domestic terrorism, jihadists, Obama, safety

If you see someone walking towards you on the street holding out a $100 bill and asking if you want it, most people will avoid the person, say something like “I don’t come that cheap!” or “No, I do not have change…” We all know those people are wacky.

But if in any kind of minimum relationship and someone bends over and picks up a $100 bill and asks if it is yours…. what do YOU do? Do you take it? Then you can be bribed.

The article below is why to buy IMPORTED tomatoes and not buy from Safeway. And it is about BRIBES and TAINTED tomatoes. (more…)

BlogBabel Tags: bribes, fraud, Kraft Foods, Safeway, tomatoes

Certainly a young man of 20 can remember what happened 10 years ago. But, why wait until someone who harmed you is in charge of a hospital to come forward? One does not have to be in charge of the joint to continue to do bad things.

Do you think Foulk has the “look” of a molester? Someone who works at the Santa Cruz County jail told me that she thought Foulk “looks” like a molester. I disagree. There is no “look”… (more…)

My cellphone lives in my purse, travels with me in my car, goes to work. Where my cellphone is is a private matter. The government has no business tracking cellphones. The Obama government disagrees. Americans have no expectation of privacy regarding their cell phone? (more…)

BlogBabel Tags: 4th amendment, cellphone, privacy

Pork is pork. Show it for what it is. Debate it. The Appropriations Committee is the Senate’s “favor factory”. It parcels out earmarks. Scott Brown wants to be on the Appropriations Committee precisely to improve transparency about earmarks. The last committee meeting held on Transparency in Government was held behind closed doors. written by Cameron Jackson DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

BlogBabel Tags: ear marks, pork in government, Scott Brown, transparency

New Jersey has laws that require physicians to register those they diagnose with autism. Why such a high rate in the state of New Jersey? When there are dramatically different rates then the enviornment has to be implicated in addition to genetics. See the following article:

” A FLURRY of legislation was signed during former Gov. Jon Corzine’s last days in office, including two important autism bills: anti-discrimination legislation for people with autism and the opening of the autism registry to adults.

New Jersey has the highest autism rate in the country — 1 in 94 — and in the past three years, six other laws relating to autism were enacted. One, requiring that state-regulated health insurers cover medically necessary treatments, starts on Feb. 10.

Eight laws in three years is commendable. We urge the new governor and reorganized Legislature to continue that important work.

Autism is not one but a range of developmental disorders that are usually diagnosed around age 3. The cause is not fully understood, although scientists think complex genetic factors play a key role, as well as environmental factors. The disorder can range from mild to severe and from one symptom to many.

The autism registry started in 2007 and requires doctors who diagnose a child with autism to report it. Expanding the autism registry to include adults, who will voluntarily report themselves, will help the state develop better adult programs and provide a clearer picture of the range and scope of the disorder.

Advocates say the federal Americans with Disabilities Act has weakened over the last decade, and people with autism have not always been thoroughly protected. The new legislation expands the state’s anti-discrimination law to specifically include people with autism spectrum disorders. That means, for example, people with autism cannot be turned away from movie theaters or swimming pools.

Families of children with autism go through difficult years of grappling with the diagnosis, understanding their children’s needs and putting together the best education plan for them. It is an expensive, lonely and uncertain period for parents, especially since they’re dealing with a disorder we don’t fully understand. Then there’s the future. Parents worry about their kids growing up and government-mandated help running out.

Assemblywoman Joan Voss, D-Fort Lee, and Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic, reintroduced a bill this month to create a state autism Web site. It would include information about the disorder and how to contact the Early Intervention Program. It’s a good start.

BlogBabel Tags: Americans with Disabilities Act, autistic sspectrum, register

Paul Krugman in Baucus and the threshold (Santa Cruz Sentinel 9-20-09) writes that the Baucus plan doesn’t create “real competition in the insurance market. The right way to create competition is to offer a public option, a government run insurance plan individuals can buy into as an alternative to private insurance…”

That boggles the mind. Paul, we already have a public option – it is called Medicare. Everyone age 65 is forced to use the public option plan. Whether they like it or not. Medicare is a single payer, government run plan. And it runs hugely in the red. Reform Medicare instead of creating another government run bureaucracy.

How reform health care? Here’s how:

One, let the over 65 population opt out of Medicare in favor of privately run insurance plans of their choice. Create an Exchange that allows private insurance plans to compete with Medicare Over 65 people who are healthy and only want catastrophic care can get what they want. People over 65 may not want to and should not have to to pay for cosmetic surgery, abortions or AIDS care. Let the over 65 choose the level and kind of care they want. This is a way to create real competition with the existing single payer system – Medicare.What was that cry in the wilderness — Let my people go! Today let the people go out of Medicare if they choose.

Two, get serious about tort reform. Cap the amount of money people can get for non-economic losses at $400,000. Get rid of joint and several liability. That is serious tort reform. One state has already made these reforms. Make tort reform applicable in all states.

Use the carrot instead of a stick. Give incentives for people to either buy health care or set aside money in an account to pay for their cost. Don’t use penalties for not buying insurance

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