Source: 8 current, former Bell, California officials arrested

[Kadie]

Source: 8 current, former Bell, California officials arrested
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 21, 2010 1:57 p.m. EDT

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Eight current and former Bell, California, city officials were arrested Tuesday in connection with a probe conducted by the Los Angeles County district attorney, a source close to the investigation told CNN.

High salaries paid to city officials sparked local outrage and national attention when they came to light in July. Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo, Police Chief Randy Adams and Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia resigned after media reports they were making several hundred thousand dollars a year each.

District Attorney Steve Cooley planned to speak to reporters about Bell Tuesday afternoon.

Last week, California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown sued eight current and former officials "to recover the excess salaries" that Bell officials were being paid. He also was pursuing a reduction of their pension benefits.

"This is a very serious matter when public officials breach their duty to the public and enrich themselves with enormous obscene salaries which then trigger pensions of similar magnitude," Brown said.

more...
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/21/california.bell.arrests/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[kestrel91316]

1. Yayyyyyy!!!!! F-in' thieves.

[Warpy]

2. Let's hope this is just a good start

and grifters in government start biting the legal dust all over the place.

[Dr. Strange]

3. Good. n/t

[KansDem]

4. I'd like to know how they were able to receive such huge salaries...

I mean, doesn't a board or some other governing body have to approve such salaries and raises?

Isn't such a process transparent? :shrug:

[seattleblue]

9. The city council voted for the salary and pension benefits.

The council members were making $96,000 a year for a part time position compared to the $4,800 made by council members in similar sized towns.

[KansDem]

13. Yeow! Get me on the Bell city council!

I want to retire before I'm 55...and I'm 57 now!

[Lochloosa]

10. Bell is some sort of wierd township. Not quite a Town and not quite a city.

The salaries were "backroom" deals.

[Lochloosa]

11. Found this about how it happened

What is interesting is how they got their pay raises. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Bell City Council exempted themselves from state salary limits when they placed “Measure A” on the ballot in 2005 to change the city to “charter status” in a special election that only attracted 400 voters. Since passage, salaries for council members, who serve part-time, shot up by 50 percent to at least $96,996 a year.

The reason for the sudden switch was a state law passed in 2005 that limited the salaries of council members in “general law” cities. A law that itself was prompted by outrage over the pay of officials in South Gate, California.

Even more interesting is that Measure A didn’t bypass salary limits for serving on city councils. Instead, it gets around the salary limit imposed on boards and commissions. The City Council members receive $150 a month for council service, and $7,873.25 a month for serving on the Planning Commission, Surplus Property Authority, and the Solid Waste Recyling Authority.

http://neighborhoodeffects.mercatus.org/2010/07/23/how-bell-californias-city-council-got-their-pay-raises/

[KansDem]

12. Thanks!

:hi:

[Hangingon]

15. Where were the citizens?

Did no one ever attend a council meeting? Where was the press? These crooks were allowed in this by acomplacent citizenship. They abetted in this crime.

[KansDem]

16. That's what I was wondering...

I've attended city council meetings before. They're not too terribly exciting, but I would think someone would have picked up on these folks giving themselves six-digit salaries long before now...

[The Northerner]

5. Fantastic!

[Oceansaway]

6. wooooohoooooo !!...nt

[Frustratedlady]

7. I see at least two of them are Democrats. I'm glad they got caught.

If this is true, they should be punished. Good on Brown for going after them, Dem or not.

Maybe we'll eventually get some of this political garbage cleaned up. I'm sick of it. Dem or Repug.

[BellaLuna]

8. good news

I have zero sympathy for those idiots.

[Initech]

14. Yes!!! Justice is served!!!

[Vinca]

17. The best story I've read in ages. At long last . . . justice.