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City Of Bell Scandal
The Bell scandal involved the misappropriation of public funds in Bell, California, United States, over a period of several years in the late 2000s. In July 2010, the ''Los Angeles Times'' published an investigative article on possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of Maywood, revealing that the city officials of Bell received salaries that were reported as the highest in the nation. Subsequent investigations found atypically high property tax rates, allegations of voter fraud in municipal elections and other irregularities which heightened the ensuing scandal. These and other reports led to widespread criticism and a demand for city officials to resign. On August 10, 2010, Standard & Poor's lowered Bell's general obligation and pension bond ratings to BB, two notches below investment grade, and placed the ratings on a watchlist for potential further downgrade. S&P credit analyst Michael Taylor said, "We believe that the recent resignation of the city manager and finance ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bell, California
Bell is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County, California, near the center of the former San Antonio Township (abolished after 1960). Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is a suburb of the city of Los Angeles. At , Bell is the thirteenth-smallest city in the United States with a population of at least 25,000. In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Bell's land area at 1245 out of 1257 cities (defined as incorporated areas) and two unincorporated areas that had a population of at least 25,000 in year 2000. Ten cities in the list of 1267 cities had no land area data (e.g., Goleta, California). City residents voted to become a charter city in a special municipal election on November 29, 2005. Fewer than 400 voters turned out for that special election. More than half of those votes were dubiously obtained absentee votes. Being a charter city meant that city officials w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and its director is appointed by the President of the United States. The Census Bureau's primary mission is conducting the U.S. census every ten years, which allocates the seats of the U.S. House of Representatives to the states based on their population. The bureau's various censuses and surveys help allocate over $675 billion in federal funds every year and it assists states, local communities, and businesses make informed decisions. The information provided by the census informs decisions on where to build and maintain schools, hospitals, transportation infrastructure, and police and fire departments. In addition to the decennial census, the Census Bureau continually conducts over 130 surveys and programs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, California, Sacramento. Due to a combination of the state's large population and a legislature that has not been expanded since the ratification of the California Constitution, 1879 Constitution, the State Senate has the largest population per state senator ratio of any state legislative house. In the United States House of Representatives, California is apportioned 53 U.S. representatives, each representing approximately 704,566 people, while in the California State Senate, each of the 40 state senators represents approximately 931,349 people. This means that California state senators each represent more people than California's members of the List of United States representatives from California, House of Representatives. In the current le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Attorney General Of California
The attorney general of California is the state attorney general of the Government of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" (Constitution of California, Article V, Section 13). The California attorney general carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice. The department employs over 1,100 attorneys and 3,700 non-attorney employees. The California attorney general is elected to a four-year term, with a maximum of two terms. The election is held at the same statewide election as the Governor of California, governor, California Lieutenant Governor, lieutenant governor, California State Controller, controller, California Secretary of State, secretary of state, California State Treasurer, treasurer, California Superintendent of Public Instruction, superintendent of public instruction, and California Insurance Commissioner, insurance commissioner. A few individual atto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CalPERS
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is an agency in the California executive branch that "manages pension and health benefits for more than 1.5 million California public employees, retirees, and their families".CalPERSFacts at a glance: general. January 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2008. In fiscal year 2020–21, CalPERS paid over $27.4 billion in retirement benefits,CalPERSFacts at a Glance - Public Employees' Retirement Fund (PERF), 2020-21CalPERS. 2021. Retrieved October 09, 2021. and over $9.74 billion in health benefits.CalPERSFacts at a Glance - Health Benefits, 2019-20CalPERS. 2021. Retrieved October 09, 2021. CalPERS manages the largest public pension fund in the United States, with more than $469 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021. CalPERS is known for its shareholder activism; stocks placed on its "Focus List" may perform better than other stocks, which has given rise to the term "CalPERS effect".Sidel, Robin. "Ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Chiang (California Politician)
John Chiang (born July 31, 1962) is an American politician who served as the 33rd Treasurer of California from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 31st Controller of California from 2007 to 2015 and on the California State Board of Equalization from 1997 to 2007. On May 17, 2016, Chiang announced his campaign for Governor of California in the 2018 election. He did not qualify for the general election, placing fifth in the non-partisan primary. Early life and education Chiang was born to Taiwanese parents who immigrated to the United States. Chiang's father, Chiang Mu-dong (江牧東), a Pingtung County native of Hakka descent from Neipu, relocated to the United States in 1950 to pursue graduate studies at Cleveland State University, after graduating with a degree in chemical engineering from National Taiwan University. Chiang's mother, Shen Yin-hsiang (沈吟香), was a Tainan native, who studied abroad in Japan before immigrating to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
State Controller
A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executive who acts as the head of accounting, and oversees the preparation of financial reports, such as balance sheets and income statements. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, the auditor general, comptroller general, auditor general, or comptroller and auditor general is the external auditor of the budget execution of the government and of government-owned corporation, government-owned companies. Typically, the independent institution headed by the comptroller general is a member of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions. In American government, the comptroller is effectively the chief financial officer of a public body. In business management, the comptroller is closer to a chief audit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fraud
In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. Internal fraud, also known as "insider fraud", is fraud committed or attempted by someone within an organisation such as an employee. A hoax is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a vi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kimi Yoshino
Kimi Yoshino is an American journalist and the editor-in-chief of the ''Baltimore Banner'', a nonprofit publication funded by Baltimore-area hotel magnate Stewart Bainum Jr. Biography Yoshino worked at the ''Stockton Record'' and the ''Fresno Bee'' before joining the ''Los Angeles Times'' in 2000. She helped develop the publication's most popular blog, ''L.A. Now.'' Yoshino reported on unethical practices at a fertility clinic in the University of California Irvine, and on dangerous rides at Disneyland. Yoshino was the guiding editor of an investigative story about the Bell corruption scandal that won a Pulitzer Gold Medal in 2011 for Public Service. She met her husband, a translator, while working in Iraq. She became the chief editor of Business and Finance for the ''L.A. Times'' in 2014. In 2015 and 2016, Yoshino received awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for general excellence. In January 2018, Yoshino was unexpectedly approached by chief edi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of State of California in 1970; Brown later served as Mayor of Oakland from 1999 to 2007 and Attorney General of California from 2007 to 2011. He was both the oldest and sixth-youngest governor of California due to the 28-year gap between his second and third terms. Upon completing his fourth term in office, Brown became the fourth longest-serving governor in U.S. history, serving 16 years and 5 days in office. Born in San Francisco, he is the son of Bernice Layne Brown and Pat Brown, who was the 32nd Governor of California (1959–1967). After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley and Yale University, he practiced law and began his political career as a member of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lies to its west across the Mediterranean Sea; its location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has contributed to its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious diversity. It is part of the Levant region of the Middle East. Lebanon is home to roughly six million people and covers an area of , making it the second smallest country in continental Asia. The official language of the state is Arabic, while French is also formally recognized; the Lebanese dialect of Arabic is used alongside Modern Standard Arabic throughout the country. The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back over 7000 years, predating recorded history. Modern-day Lebanon was home to the Phoenicians, a m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polling Place
A polling place is where voters cast their ballots in elections. The phrase polling station is also used in American English and British English, although polling place is the buildingHandbook for polling station staff Accessed 14 September 2014 and polling station is the specific room (or part of a room) where voters cast their votes. A polling place can contain one or more polling stations. Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are usually located in facilities used for other purposes, such as s, [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
