Also: Health insurance changes take effect soon.
Former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo, whose high salary sparked the outrage that led to the investigations of the city, is arrested by police at his Huntington Beach, Calif. home on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010. His annual salary and benefits package was worth more than $1.5 million.From Los Angeles Times:
Eight current and former Bell city leaders were arrested Tuesday on charges of misappropriating more than $5.5 million from the small, working-class community as prosecutors accused them of treating the city's coffers as their personal piggy bank.
The charges follow months of nationwide outrage and renewed debate over public employee compensation since The Times reported in July that the city's leaders were among the nation's highest paid municipal officials.
Among those charged was former City Manager Robert Rizzo, who led the way with an annual salary and benefits package of more than $1.5 million. Prosecutors accused him of illegally writing his own employment contracts and steering nearly $1.9 million in unauthorized city loans to himself and others. He was booked into Los Angeles County jail and was being held on $3.2-million bail.
"This, needless to say, is corruption on steroids," said Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley in announcing the charges.
» Eight Bell leaders arrested on charges of misappropriating $5.5 million [Los Angeles Times]
In other news:
» Obama presidency 'hobbled by discord' according to book [The Guardian]
» Senate Republicans hold up Dream Act for children of immigrants [The Washington Post]
» Guide to key changes to health insurance that go into effect Thursday [CNN]