"Wrongfully jailed: Records detail more than 500 mistaken-identity arrests in Denver in seven years"
By Christopher N. Osher
The Denver Post
Posted: 01/08/2012 01:00:00 AM MST
Updated: 01/08/2012 09:11:36 PM MST
Link: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19697991?source=pop

"South Florida toilet paper scam to net prison time for three"

By David Ovalle
The Miami Herald
November 26, 2011
Link: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/26/2519664/south-florida-toilet-paper-scam.html

"The MF Global Collapse Explained (And Why It Is a Crime)"
By Fred N. Sauer
National Legal and Policy Center
December 21, 2011
Link: http://nlpc.org/stories/2011/12/21/mf-global-collapse-too-big-not-be-crime

“Wastebook 2011” 
Report highlights over $6.5 billion in examples of some of the most egregious ways your taxpayer dollars were wasted.
By U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK)
Link: http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=b69a6ebd-7ebe-41b7-bb03-c25a5e194365



Press Release: http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/6946d43b-bccf-4579-990e-15a763532b40.html



Excerpt from Press Release:

Examples of wasteful spending highlighted in “Wastebook 2011” include:

• $75,000 to promote awareness about the role Michigan plays in producing Christmas trees & poinsettias.

• $15.3 million for one of the infamous Bridges to Nowhere in Alaska.

• $113,227 for video game preservation center in New York.

• $550,000 for a documentary about how rock music contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

• $48,700 for 2nd annual Hawaii Chocolate Festival, to promote Hawaii’s chocolate industry.

• $350,000 to support an International Art Exhibition in Venice, Italy.

• $10 million for a remake of “Sesame Street” for Pakistan.

• $35 million allocated for political party conventions in 2012.

• $765,828 to subsidize “pancakes for yuppies” in the nation’s capital.

• $764,825 to study how college students use mobile devices for social networking.

"Law enforcement breakdowns allowed Will County fugitives to live free in Mexico"
By David Jackson and Gary Marx

Chicago Tribune reporters
November 23, 2011
Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/fugitives/ct-met-fugitives-fbi-memo-20111123,0,2959479.story

"Wyclef Jean's Haiti charity missing money"

By Tony Hicks
Contra Costa Times
November 28, 2011
Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_19427740?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

"Deaf Man Tackled At Gun Point, Caged 25 Days Without Being Charged, Over Noise Complaint"
By michaelsuede
Libertarian News
November 28, 2011
Link: http://www.libertariannews.org/2011/11/28/deaf-man-tackled-at-gun-point-caged-25-days-without-being-charged-over-noise-complaint/

"Government workers cough up $1.1 million in overdue fines, bills"

By Fran Spielman
Chicago Sun-Times
November 17, 2011
Link: http://www.suntimes.com/8907276-417/government-workers-cough-up-11-million-in-overdue-fines-bills.html


Commentary:

• Do government workers in your state, county, and/or city/town owe any fines or bills?
• Were penalties and/or interest assessed or waived on overdue amounts?
• Make a public records request to find out.

"L.A. Fire Department's Stone-Age Payroll System Allowed Captain Eric Vasquez to Collect an Extra $77K Last Year"

By Simone Wilson
LA Weekly
November 9, 2011
Link: http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/11/la_fire_department_pay_eric_vasquez.php

Excerpts (see news article cited directly above):

• For the first time ever, department officials entered their employees' timecards into a computer (magic!) -- then acted surprised to discover a little foul play. 
• L.A. Fire Captain Eric Vasquez, a 17-year veteran, had been chalking up some extra hours on his caveman's tablet.  $50,000 for 23 weeks of paid vacation last year, to be exact. On top of a $108,000 annual salary and about $27,000 more for bonuses and overtime. 
• Equally unsurprising: He was the same guy "in charge of timekeeping for the section and manually entered the information for vacation pay." 
• The Daily News reports that City Controller Wendy Greuel found around 50 more LAFD employees had made small mark-ups, as well. 
• L.A. Fire Captain Tina Haro tells the Weekly: "We're not confirming a name, but we do have a member who was placed on administrative leave with pay." 
• So it looks like Vasquez might be collecting cash on his rogue days off, once again -- though his LinkedIn profile begs to differ.

Commentary:

• The District Attorney needs to investigate the matter.
• Knowingly submitting false payroll records is a crime.

"Remains of war dead dumped in landfill"

By Craig Whitlock and Greg Jaffe
The Washington Post
November 9, 2011
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/remains-of-war-dead-dumped-in-landfill/2011/11/09/gIQAz7dM6M_story.html

"L.A. City Worker Allegedly Caught Drinking on The Job, Even Buying Alcohol Before Heading to Mayor Villaraigosa's House"

By Dennis Romero
LA Weekly
November 2, 2011
Link: http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/11/la_city_worker_drinking_on_the.php

"Investigations of Improper Activities by State Employees: Delay in Reassigning an Incompetent Psychiatrist, Misuse of State Resources, Failure to Protect the Security of Confidential Documents, Theft of Registration Fees, and Other Violations of State Law"
By California State Auditor
January 2011
Link: http://www.bsa.ca.gov/reports/summary/I2010-2

"Obama White House on press access: a Nixonian quality"

Chronicle Editorial
The San Francisco Chronicle
October 25, 2011
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/24/ED9E1LLJHG.DTL

Excerpt (see news article cited directly above):

• “The Obama White House's restrictions on media access to its fundraising events makes a mockery of its claim to be the most transparent administration in history.”

Commentary:

• The Obama White House may be the most hypocritical and incompetent administration in history.

"Atlantic Beach hires officer with history of misconduct" 
By Mason Snyder
SCNOW
October 12, 2011
Link: http://www2.scnow.com/news/grand-strand/2011/oct/12/atlantic-beach-hires-officer-history-misconduct-ar-2546456/