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By Neil Rubenstein
Observer columnist 

Sad About Norm's Closing

 


Just remember, “Our Gasoline Tanks” should not be Sacramento’s piggy bank.

Perhaps you’ve heard, but I haven’t; what is happening with the prison at Guantanamo?

When you are, hungry and want good food, large portions and reasonably priced – most people in the know thought of Norm’s on Pico near Westwood Blvd. Well as things happen, these days Norm’s is in the process of being torn down and I have no idea what is coming next. What a Shame.

“Unprecedented, misguided, counter-productive, a potentially extremely harmful”, cried the association of National Advertisers in 2016. Barack Obama’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had just prohibited internet service providers (ISPs) from selling your browsing history, but the association needn’t have to worry. On April 3, President Trump signed a repeal of FCC privacy rules passed under Obama. $138,000 was the average amount House Republicans who voted to repeal the rules received from the telecom industry as a possible campaign contribution.

If you are a postman be darn sure you stay alert. Last year the number of United States Postal Service workers who were attacked by dogs were 6,755 or 200 more than in 2015.

The Ojai Festival will be the place to be June 8-11, 2017. For a full schedule, including six free performances visit http://www.ojaifestival.org.

As Theo and I travel more and more frequently and stay longer we seem to visit South Carolina’s beauty and charm. I didn’t realize since 2010 the state has paid $40 million in claims for vehicle damage caused by road problems. In some paces if the pot holes don’t getcha the fox holes will. South Carolina’s Department of Transportation says it will need almost $1 billion a year to get all state roads back to good condition and expand and build new highways to keep up with population growth. Their gas tax remains one of the lowest rates -unchanged for almost three decades.

Florida’s wrongful conviction compensation statute states that exonerees with no prior felony convictions are entitled to $50,000 per year with a maximum of $2 million. Even doubling those amounts would not be worth it to me.

Talking about getting big bucks. UCLA a while back inked a deal with Royal Pharma for royalty rights to the drug known as Xtradi. The university will get $60 million a year until 2027 when patents will expire. The drug prevents testosterone from latching on to prostate cancer cells. With less fuel the cancer cells can’t grow as well. In 2015, worldwide sales were $1.9 billion.

Down in Orange County a few years ago the United Food and Commercial Workers International Local 324 signed a collective bargaining agreement covering the 20 employees of South Coast Safe. Access Company. Safe Access is Orange County’s first licensed medical marijuana dispensary and their workers will be paid at least $13.50 an hour, receive employer paid medical and a retirement pension.

Over 18 million people are registered to vote in California. Forty-five percent are Democrats, 23 percent are nonpartisan and 27 percent are Republican.

A group calling for California to secede from the United States has submitted a new petition asking voters to start the process. Yes, California Independence Campaign hopes to put a question on the November 2018 ballot authorizing an independence vote in 2019.

The Denver Sheriff’s Department has paid a $10,000 fine and changed its practice after the Justice Department found it broke the law by excluding job candidates were not U.S. Citizens.

New Hampshire will soon celebrate 214th birthday of Franklin Pierce. Pierce was the only person elected President of the United States from New Hampshire.

So, you own property in Culver City and are thinking about selling after realizing a jumbo profit. Here are some real estate items that just put smile on your face. In Beverly hills a vacant lot on North Hillcrest Road for $32 million or the mansion in the 1200 block of Laurel Way, Beverly Hills reduced by $5 million to $33 million – for a quick sale.

Barry Bonds who use to play baseball for the San Francisco Giants and whose godfather is Willie Mays sold his home in Beverly Hills about four years ago for $2.2 million it was recently sold for a Twenty percent profit or $26.5 million.

How many times have I suggested in this commentary a group of 75 put up $75,000 each and buy a property and sell it in five years or so with a super-duper profit?

Having one of two drinks a day is associated with a lower risk of stroke; but drinking more than that increases the risk by about eight percent so says Professor Larsson of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

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

 

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