"All these situations exist because they can, not because they are of real benefit to America. They arise at the behest of those with money, and money buys power and privilege."

Rychtarik -- excellent letter! Your points seem valid, and all courtesy of the best Congress money can buy.

"Our current system punishes the working class with higher tax rates, just for working."

abostonboy -- a big cause for our Revolutionary War was taxation without representation. Seems we're back into that same situation again, and with a Congress back to operating on the Golden Rule -- whoever has the gold makes the rules.

"[The law] has placed the collective force in the service of those who wish to traffic, without risk, and without scruple, in the persons, the liberty, and the property of others; it has converted plunder into a right, that it may protect it, and lawful defense into a crime, that it may punish it." -- Frederic Bastiat, 1850 "The Law"

"Social media has emerged to be the first instance of communication about a crisis, trumping traditional first responders that included police, firefighters, EMT, and journalists," the FBI wrote in its request. "Social media is rivaling 911 services in crisis response and reporting."

Not sure really what's worse here -- this subtle reminder Big Brother is now our government's active anti-Fourth Amendment policy, or people's moronic need to be noticed.

"These few examples (there are more) make a case as to how ineffective US Government agencies are. . . All this makes me believe that in doing what is the "right thing to do" ends up in serious consequences and life endangerment."

star -- the point being those agencies exist specifically to monitor normal citizens going about their daily business looking for an excuse to prey on them. It's what I mean by government at every level being the apex predator, and it's actively on the hunt for every one of us. The budget ax needs to start chopping, and government has given us ample proof it won't do it.

"Is this 1984, or what?" -- the Honorable Alex Kozinski, now chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in the Unabomber case

"Thank you for bringing to our attention the fact that Congress in 1860 outlawed Polygamy as they felt it was an affront to Christian Values. The Supreme court didn't challenge the law so it was never declared unconstitutional."

janmara -- what? boftx didn't say anything close to all that. And it wasn't up to the court to challenge the Congressional act, only rule on it when brought within that court's jurisdiction. As to what boftx intended I can't speak, but as a descendant of Mormon polygamists, I can speculate he could very well have meant Missouri Governor Boggs' 1839 executive order to exterminate all Mormons within that state.

The U.S. Supreme's explained it in its first major decision on the issue in 1947's Everson v. Board of Education: "the Establishment Clause forbids not only practices that aid one religion or prefer one religion over another, but also those that aid all religions."

"What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; in many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient allies." -- James Madison, A Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, addressed to the Virginia General Assembly, June 20, 1785

"The only two presidents in the modern era with CEO experience were Herbert Hoover and George W. Bush..."

Kerns -- Herbert Hoover was never a CEO, his pre-politics background was as a mining engineer and humanitarian. The U.S. economy tanked during his term largely because of the famed Wall Street Crash of 1929. Anyone can check that out @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoo...

Otherwise I disagree with your premise -- it's career politicians and bureaucrats that got us into this mess and fight tooth and nail to preserve the status quo. For all practical purposes they're unaccountable. Try suing anyone in government to prove that.

CEOs by the nature of their jobs tend to be the reverse -- turning a profit is a prime consideration, and they can be fired.

Personally I'd like to see a small business person get the job. But they don't have the money to buy the office -- they're usually too busy just trying to survive the government parasites like the rest of us.

"...Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They [socialists] always run out of other people's money. It's quite a characteristic of them." -- Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in a TV interview for Thames TV "This Week" on Feb. 5, 1976

"I specifically avoided engaging my bride in the political aspects of the controversy because she has very little patience for anyone who thinks they are better able to decide what is best for her than she is. That includes the government and anyone else who would use the government to enforce their will on her and her body."

Greenspun -- right there is what the late Frank Zappa used to call "the crux of the biscuit." Her kind of attitude is sorely lacking among our elected. Can we get your bride to run for office?

"It is the fact that the far right has elevated religious concerns above fiscal concerns that alienates so many moderates from the Republican Party as it exists today."

boftx -- amen to that

"In Roe v. Wade, the Court held that the "right of privacy, * * * founded in the Fourteenth Amendment's concept of personal liberty and restrictions upon state action * * * is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy." ... Central among these protected liberties is an individual's "freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life." ... The decision in Roe was based firmly on this long-recognized and essential element of personal liberty." -- Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, 462 U.S. 416, 427 (1983)

SUN -- I see you mentioned nothing about that $62 million in water ratepayers' money the Supreme Court made the state give back to the local water authority. What happened to it, and how should it be factored in here?

"The time has long passed for California to accept responsibility for supplying its own water instead of raping Nevada and Arizona."

boftx -- we've been over this recently. There's an interstate pact about a century old covering how the Colorado is divvied up. Every time it goes to court it's basically a big can of worms.

"I heartily accept the motto, 'That government is best which governs least'; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically." -- Henry David Thoreau 1849 "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"

"Hold on now folks, I certainly hope these officers were required to pay for malpractice insurance so the taxpayer is not held accountable for their actions. Just like the ice cream lady..."

Bob_R -- show me one hint anywhere any individual officer's insurance or bond paid a claim. It's the public body that pays, like here. Meaning it ALWAYS comes down to what it always is when dealing with government -- the taxpayers end up paying.

"The first thing new DA Wolfson needs to do is fire this idiot."

desertfox -- and the first thing you need to know is your local government. The DA isn't empowered to fire anyone outside his office.

"...the Sun needs to go deeper. Why is Seekatz still employed? Why no criminal charges? Who is covering this up? Why?"

westvegas -- the answers are mostly in the article. When a city councilperson doesn't even know the job she is elected to, and won't even make any inquiry, and the mayor brushes it all off, nothing will change. Basically Henderson covered its butt and expects the rest of us to move on like the good sheep we're expected to be. It's ultimately up to that city's voters whether or not they like it.

The suggestion from boftx of an independent people's review is sounding better all the time, no? Who else is going to spank the cops for their abuses like this? Obviously no one.

"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -- Abraham Lincoln, first inaugural address, 1861

"Lastly, Mr. Monty, an expert in immigration and labor law, should know, "Show me your papers," isn't unconstitutional: It's actually federal law."

Gardner -- which, like far too much of the federal law (Patriot Act, for starters) ignorant posters like you just accept at face value. That's your tacit acceptance legislated acts replace the Bill of Rights. Exactly what part of "No person shall be ... compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself..." -- one's right to remain silent when confronted with any police -- do you need explained to you?

"Where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rulemaking or legislation which would abrogate them." -- Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 491 (1966)

"Let a jury decide ."

wedo -- which requires a lawsuit. Read the original article -- the settlement was to avoid years in court, in which the costs would eat up almost the entire final award. Instead, why can't Henderson reform their cops accordingly? Because the city council lacks the will to do it.

The proposal by boftx for a county-level citizens' review board for incidents like this has considerable merit.

Cops get away with it because they can. The good people of Henderson paid for the settlement, not the actual cops involved. Although there's considerable attention on Sgt. Seekatz, he's not the only one who piled on that poor, medically-incapacitated citizen. And not a peep anywhere he paid for any of this out of his paycheck or pension, even his rank.

"Indifference to personal liberty is but the precursor of the State's hostility to it." -- United States v. Penn, 647 F.2d 876 (9th Circuit, 1980), Judge Kennedy dissenting

"The attitude emanating from Henderson City Hall this week has been: Move along, nothing to see here. Police Chief Jutta Chambers has declined interviews."

Coolican -- another excellent piece! What you've exposed here is the same thing everywhere, government's job #1 is protecting the status quo at all costs. Even though, as you so deftly pointed out, those elected are largely clueless what else is in their job description. Like a city councilperson making an inquiry of the police.

"Say what?!?. . . . . It's really very simple, we need some form of independent oversight by a civilian review board or something similar."

boftx -- good points. I remind you again a citizens' review board does NOT require government permission to assemble and review. That's a protected freedom under both the federal Bill of Rights and our state's Declaration of Rights. Check it out @ http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Const/NVConst...

"A group of Jack booted thugs wearing badges converge to save the Country - Fascism is alive and well in Conservative America."

SunJon -- good points. Few know resisting an unlawful arrest is a protected freedom, part of one's inalienable right to self-defense. Unfortunately, like most other freedoms around here, they're nullified by our local "thugs wearing badges." And "thugs" is a much better term than my usual "bullies" -- check that out @ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/t...

"There are no exceptions to the golden rule of applying use of force. "The absolute minimum force necessary to end the situation."

BChap -- coming from you, a post worthy of great respect. Although I would like you to put more emphasis on cops' oaths, the actual nuts and bolts of training and certification are badly needed here.

"The Highway Patrol is also complicit in the head kicking incident."

longtimevegan -- funny how that keeps getting ignored

This incident tells me police brutality is pervasive in at least this valley's cop mentality. SunJon's "thug" label is the best description for them -- "1. a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer. 2. ... one of a former group of professional robbers and murderers..."

This valley has far too many different cop entities, and they're all actively on the hunt for new victims to feed into the machine our criminal "just us" system has become. School cops giving tickets on Blue Diamond highway while an elementary school principal has to direct traffic?? Constables -- justice court cops -- collecting bounties for vehicles registered out-of-state?? Metro using routine traffic stops for unwarranted searches?? Seems the only cops around here behaving themselves are the county court marshalls!

"If the exercise of constitutional rights will thwart the effectiveness of a system of law enforcement, then there is something very wrong with that system." -- Escobedo v. State of Illinois, 378 U.S. 478, 490 (1964)