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By Neil Rubenstein Observer columnist With the economy in such a sick condition you just might be looking for a career change. Perhaps you’re considering Business Management or some other related business career. With UCLA just a short hop, skip and jump up the road, why not look into their Extension Program? Visit uclaextension.edu/FMP or call (310) 206-1654. While driving through the city of big bucks I noticed long lines in front of several financial institutions. Wondering what was going o...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist On April 26 the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will finally honor Betty White with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 42nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. The ceremony will take place at the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank. She won her first Emmy in 1952, and she has been going strong ever since. I was relieved (and I bet you were, too) when we heard on television that crime in the City of Los Angeles is going down. Then I saw the Los...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist The monthly General Meeting of the Culver City Democratic Club will be on April 8 at 7 p.m. in the Rotunda Room of Veterans Auditorium. Mayor Sahli-Wells will be speaking on the State of the City. I am hopeful the Mayor will discuss police and their use of body cameras, the use of devices either portable or in fixed positions to monitor automobile license plates, and what the policy is on choke holds and shoot to kill vs. shoot to wound. Do you have a lead...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Recently I had the pleasure of discussing the 30-year career and retirement of my good friend, Chief Christopher Sellers. From January 1984 until June 2014, the former Fire Chief worked as a Firefighter/Paramedic, Engineer, Fire Captain, CMS Coordinator, Battalion Chief and Assistant Fire Chief, being promoted to Fire Chief in December 2009. Along the way he acquired various professional affiliations and received numerous certificates from the California...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Why not check with Sacramento and see if the State Controller’s Office is holding your money in an unclaimed property account? Call (800) 992-4647 or go to www.searchthevault.com. In analyzing the credit files of seven million Americans, the Urban Institute found over 25% of the country had debt in collection. The average debt was $5,000 from credit card bills, child support, medical bills, utility bills and parking tickets. Here in California the orange g...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Theodorsia and I are looking forward to Saturday, March 14 when from 6 p.m. to 7:30 Dr. Jeffery Clements, author and publisher of APHELION, will review, discuss, and sign his powerful science fiction thriller. This event will be held at the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum, 4130 Overland Avenue, Culver City, endorsed by Congresswoman Karen Bass and hosted by Dr. T. R. Porter, Los Angeles Unified School District Charter School Coordinator. This event will...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist It is always a delight being in the Steam-Refrigeration-Air Conditioning & Pipe Fitters Union Hall in Gardena. On Saturday, February 7 over 400 government elected officials, organized labor leaders and VIPs met for breakfast and to honor Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her steadfast support of working families. I first met her a dozen or so years ago and all this time she has been a strong voice for the issues we all believe in. I am still hearing persistent...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist My dad had many witticisms and when he wanted to make a point he would utter one that just fit perfectly for the situation under discussion. Two of his favorites were “There are no bones in ice cream” and “People in glass houses should wear underwear.” Papa passed away before he told me what he meant. The information listed below was submitted to the California Controller’s Office and is entitled “All 2013 salaries for Culver City.” The figures are a...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist As my brothers, sister and I were growing up in the southwest part of Los Angeles, Papa, like most parents, gave us good advice and taught his kids strong family values. I remember one of dad’s favorite sayings: “If you take the high road nobody can spit in your face.” Unfortunately, not everybody heard the word. Case in point. For Seat No. 1 for Los Angeles Community College Trustees, Francesca Vega falsely claims she was endorsed by the Los Angeles Count...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Can it be true? The pensions for generals and admirals will be trimmed to ensure they make no more in retirement than they earned while in uniform. I guess the straw that broke the camel’s back was a retired four star officer with 43 years’ experience was getting a pension of $272,892 per year. We’ve talked numerous times over these many years, going back to when I was a county commissioner and Herb Wesson was chief of staff for Supervisor Burke. Yes, yes,...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist I must admit that prior to the Culver City Democratic Club endorsement meeting held on January 14 in the Veterans Auditorium Complex for Community College Board of Trustees, I was stumped. However, after listening to the candidates for Seat 7, I feel Joyce Burrell Garcia has the best qualifications, professional experience, formal training, platform and personal attributes of any of the candidates for this position. (As in past and future commentaries, my...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist On March 3 we are electing candidates to the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. I have talked to Andra Hoffman and reviewed her background and experience. My following comments and opinions are strictly personal and not to be construed as a statement on behalf of this publication. I feel she would be a dynamic addition to the board. She has my vote. For the past 17 years she had taught at Glendale City College and is presently a...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist During the holiday season with large crowds scampering from store to store, my memory recalls the only establishments required by law to have defibrillators are fitness centers. Perhaps you also remember the ruling of the California Supreme Court that was based on the death of a customer in a Target store because, in part, it took 16 minutes for the paramedics to get to the victim. Some from the business community felt they cannot be responsible for every...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist The Mayor and the Police Chief should be on the Culver City television station talking about procedures with choke holds, tasers, shoot-to-kill policy, etc., etc., etc. Because of all the police allegedly murdering Afro-Americans we need cop cams to protect good cops and help get rid of the bad guys. Los Angeles and New York City are starting pilot programs. How many of us remember the Rodney King fiasco when all those law enforcement people beat the...
I’m not a computer whiz kid as many of us know, but I have been reading about this new malware and I am very concerned. It seems this advanced malware was used to spy on private companies, governments, research institutes and individuals in 10 countries. Symantec, the maker of Norton anti-virus software, said its research showed a “nation-state” was the likely developer. Because Russia and Saudi Arabia have been hit the most, the bad guy just might be North Korea, Iran or China. Do you reali...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Do you sometimes have a feeling you are being followed? I don’t mean by the bad guys but by the law enforcement protectors. Well, friends, your suspicions would be correct. Can we examine the facts? L. A. County Sheriff has 84 vehicles outfitted with mobile license plate readers and 47 more cameras in fixed locations. LAPD has 240 car-mounted and 30 fixed location cameras. To top it off, Vigilante Solutions of Livermore, CA has over 3,500 law enforcement c...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist What are you doing on Dec. 10, 2014 at 7 p.m.? My friend, your friend, our friend, the very Honorable Judge Hal Cherness will speak to the Culver City Democratic Club in the Rotunda Room of the Veterans Memorial Building. Judge Cherness helped start the club in the early 1950s as a supporter of Adlai Stevenson when he ran against Dwight D. Eisenhower for president. Everyone is invited to attend. My dad used to tell me, when traveling throughout our great cou...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Maria, AKA the wild gypsy lady and I were talking quietly in our usual coffee house. You know the one; it’s by the railroad tracks near the on ramp. She was telling me the reasons I should give up coffee for tea: 1. Tea is good for your heart, especially green or black tea, giving you a reduced risk of stroke. 2. A study done in 50 countries showed black tea was associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. 3. A larger study done in 2013 showed that tea d...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist As you all know, I have for the longest time been advocating that the Culver City Board of Education phase out Japanese and instead teach Chinese. Another fact we can all chew on – China’s GDP will top $10 trillion this year and is growing fast. If the district doesn’t want to teach the language of the future maybe the parents could join forces and hire a tutor for an hour a day and divide the costs. It shouldn’t be that much and the kids partici...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist The Chinese recently bought the Waldorf-Astoria for $1.95 billion, or about $1.3 million per room. They also purchased AMC, Smithfield (the world’s largest pork producer) and the May Co. - Robinson store on Wilshire Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. In the economic horse race of life the Chinese will eventually finish first, the Japanese maybe fifth. If I was the Culver City Unified School District Superintendent I would gradually drop the J...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist It was just three years ago on the Davis campus of the University of California that campus police pepper-sprayed a peaceful student protest. The State Supreme Court recently ruled that the names of those officers who participated must be revealed. No longer must their identities be protected. Governor Brown recently signed Senate Bill 1038, which provides for the automatic sealing of juvenile records and cases where youths successfully complete all...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Since we’ve returned to Culver City from our vacation to Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, many have spoken to us regarding police departments and various law enforcement agencies obtaining military vehicles and weapons from the federal government. In a recent conversation I had with Captain Azran of the Culver City Police Department, I was told our city never applied nor received any of this stuff. At this time I am working my way through three huge p...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Interesting facts: More than 40,000 Canadians fought for the North in the Civil War and 34 were awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in battle. And from our city hall, the message they don’t want you to hear: More than 30,000 current and retired Detroit city employees voted July 21 to approve pension cuts that would reduce the city’s debt by $7 billion, nearly three weeks before the start of the trial on the Motor City’s plan to exit bankruptcy. Chine...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist Theo and I just returned from a great and interesting vacation to Georgia, South Carolina and Florida lasting almost four months. In Nahunta, Georgia we were invited to a high school ROTC flight program where we addressed three classes for an hour each from my perspective as an Army NCO in an Armored Cavalry Regiment. We also spoke at a city commendation award presentation to Angela Lee for spearheading a group to beautify Waycross, Georgia. Theo and I...
By Neil Rubenstein Observer Columnist It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles; the temperature was four degrees below 80 with low humidity and a slight breeze as 100 of the faithful came together June 8, 2014 at the Proud Bird restaurant to honor Jackie Dupont Walker, Jackie Hawthorne and the Weissmans, David and Ruth. At the 54th Assembly District Democratic Club Annual Awards luncheon, some Culver City residents honored in the past included Rick Tuttle, Honorable Megan Sahli-Wells (mayor),...
