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 daylights out of poor, poor Rodney and caused a riot? Well, as I recall, one of those uniformed people sometime later was hired by – yes, you guessed it – Culver City.

Remember a while back when Starbucks just sold coffee? Then they added tea and coming soon (and already in some California locations) will be beer and wine.

China is lending two pandas to the zoo in Haifa, Israel.

Real estate has been kind to Culver City as the price of condos in 90230 has gone up 12.5% since October 2013. In 90232 the one condo that sold was 62% higher during that 14-month period. My, my, my . . . houses in 90230 went up on average to $790,000 and in 90232 to $815,000.

Well, it has been just over 100 years ago that Babe Ruth started his career as a pitcher for Boston. History was made when Boston traded Babe to the Yankees.

Do you suppose New York City is trying to balance its out of sight budget deficit by increasing the traffic fines? Their new speed limit is 25 miles per hour and the NYPD issued radar guns, so if you get caught doing 30 be prepared to fork over a $148 fine.

I just bet some of you own a smart TV. Well, buckaroo, you need to create a password now that hackers can access anyone’s images and share them with the world. Because manufacturers don’t require passwords when a consumer sets up a device, a hacker can see a person undressing in their bedroom or anything else.

Ever hear of Truvada? It was approved almost two years ago by the FDA because it seems to prevent people from getting HIV even from unsafe sex. Truvada has been enthusiastically embraced by everyone from the United Nations to New York’s Governor Cuomo to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The medicine doesn’t come cheap as the daily dose costs approximately $12,000 per year.

So, Darren Wilson quit the Ferguson Police Dept. soon after shooting Michael Brown. Mayor James Knowles said Wilson “did not receive any severance package,” but I never heard a word about him not getting a disability/stress pension check in the mail every month. The system stinks and needs some serious changes.

You have to love Ellen DeGeneres, she is one smart cookie. Last winter Ellen bought, for almost $40 million, a beautiful trophy home on the Westside and just sold it for $55 million. My, oh, my, if we could only get 150 people together to take advantage of this real estate market.

Okay, so perhaps $40 million is out of our price range – so, let us do what Gabriel Brener did. He paid $8.45 million for a $35,000 sq. ft. mansion about 10 years ago and just sold it for a mere $74 million.

Libraries all over our nation are responding to the hunger crisis by having their patrons donate one non-perishable canned food item and in turn receive $1 off their outstanding overdue fines.

For those who need a class to improve creative writing skills, the Westlake Village Library and award-winning author Sandra Hunter will offer a class on Jan. 21, 2015. Call 818-865-9230.

The whale watching season is here. From now until April 14, 2015 boats leave from Ventura and several packages are available. Call 805-642-1393 for a complete schedule and prices.

Don’t wake up the Border Patrol because for years they haven’t followed federal guidelines in their hiring policy. It’s so bad they recently had a 10- day recruitment drive to increase the number of women in their ranks. The most recent figures show 21,000 agents with only 5% ladies. Disgraceful, but better than the Culver City Fire Department.

And then there is Burlington, Iowa Officer Dale Wyatt “retired” after he was recorded slapping away a cell phone at a domestic disturbance.

Oh, my. It just doesn’t seem possible but according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch 4% of their state employees are paid below the federal poverty level of $23,850 for a family of four.

Darn if it isn’t so – Berkeley, beginning on Jan. 1, 2015, started levying one cent per ounce on sugary beverages. So the price of a typical can of soda went up 12cents and a two liter bottle by 68 cents. All it really means is the people will go across the city limits and buy in the next city. I know many of you were snickering when I brought it up about a year ago. So here is another tax Washington/Sacramento is considering – tax the number of spoonfuls of sugar used in soda products.

Fannie and Freddie are considering for first time homeowners a 3% down payment. Can’t really give an opinion until the government tells us all the requirements but on the surface it seems OK – and puts people in homes.

Glendale, California – you know, that’s the city that paced a statue in front of their library. The bronze statue was erected on July 20, 2013 and commemorates the 200,000 women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II.

For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com by placing Rubenstein in that website’s search box.