Tag Archives: suicide

Huffington Post: James White, Detroit Man, Alleges He Faced HIV-Related Job Discrimination At Dental Office

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Editor’s Note:  Certain things upset me greatly.  More often than not these days, those things are things that remind me of the last three years I spent working for TAD.  When I received the petition on this story from Change.org, it caught my eye because it so totally reminded me of the harassment I, along with a number of our readers, have suffered at the hands of co-workers and county management for having various disabilities.  I know I was taunted by several co-workers and Human Resources refused to do anything about it.  Several other county employees I know were as well and at least one committed suicide.  The county, of course, has no problem with such workplace harassment because it is not their money that goes to settle lawsuits.  County Counsel has unlimited funds to spend on attorneys and court cases in expectation that they can out spend and wait out any employee who fights back. 

If you read all of the story below, you will see an employer out of control.  San Bernardino County is no different.  Exactly what happened below could, and probably has, happened in San Bernardino County many times over.  It is California’s Most Corrupt County.

Local attorneys in Detroit are preparing to sue the national, privately-owned Great Expressions Dental Centers for what they say is the worst case of alleged HIV-related job discrimination they have ever handled. Continue reading →

iePolitics: Blood Stains On Their Hands–Originally posted January 19, 2010

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That’s the night that they hung an innocent man
Don’t trust your soul with no back woods southern lawyer
Cause the judge in the town’s got blood stains on his hands

 

Not long after Thanksgiving I was at a friend’s house and we were discussing my situation at the time.  This friend is a very strong Christian and he and his wife have helped me in many ways with their only request being that I not identify them.  We were talking about the fact that most of those who have helped me out were non-Christians and how the so-called “Christians” had really let me down.  The conversation naturally gravitated to Jim Erwin and Mark Kirk, two of my most high-profile friends.  I commented about how Jim, someone who I don’t believe has ever had a personal relationship with Christ, has been a Godsend to me and helped me over and over when I’ve needed it most.  Mark, who I know to be a strong Christian, has let me down every time, never keeping his word to me.

Last Friday when I heard the news of the findings in the Hostile Work Environment investigation against District Attorney Mike Ramos, my heart sank.  I immediately called Cheryl Ristow and the pain in her voice was heartbreaking.  I could relate because, I too, had been let down by our leaders who have in their power the ability to do the right thing with integrity and instead choose to make decisions in their own best interests and not care about how many others they hurt.  We are all nothing but collateral damage to them, unimportant and unworthy of their concern or help. Continue reading →

iePolitics: RIP

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Yet another individual associated with one of San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos’ political witch hunts has taken his own life.   The deputy public defender representing Steven Cox has passed away.  Although we are not suggesting his untimely death was related to the case, we have been sitting on a story of wrongdoing by both Doreen Boxer and Lauri Ferguson as well as Mike Ramos in this situation for several months.  Boxer/Ferguson have put up one roadblock after another to keep the story out of the press.   Now maybe the story will get told.  And perhaps our Board of Supervisors will realize the consequences of their indecision.

Our condolences to the family.

iePolitics: One of those posts some of you hate

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Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

I came across the above quote on a friend’s Facebook page a few moments ago.  If ever there is a sentence that sums up the relationship aspect of depression, that is it.  I know I’ve destroyed more relationships than I can count for that exact reason.

You know the other person isn’t going to live up to expectations; you know you’re the one that is going to be hurt; you know you’re setting yourself up for failure; and you can’t stop yourself.  Head and shoulders above everything else that is depression, this is the most frustrating aspect.  And I think it is the part that most leads to suicide.

Continue reading →

iePolitics: A Happy Day and a Sad Day

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The happy news for me today was the seizure of Arrowhead Credit Unit (ACU).  Probably about five years ago, for the first and only time in my life, I was told by one of their call center representatives that if I used any more foul language, she would hang up on me.  It had to do with a $5,000 cash deposit I had made days earlier in the Victorville branch.  Little did I know they had placed a 10-business-day hold on the money, so I had written checks, lots of checks.   I did not discover the hold until the checks started to bounce.  When I called to find out what had happened I was told that since I normally did not keep that much money in my account, they placed a hold on it.  The little twit then proceeded to tell me I shouldn’t be writing checks if the money has not been posted and started to explain to me how to balance a checkbook.  I promised her then, they would pay for this. Continue reading →

iePolitics: The Blog and Suicide

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Before my oldtimers think to themselves, “Here we go again,” I am NOT suicidal.  I am extremely depressed but not suicidal.

I am not sure the blog will continue.  What you see here may or may not be the end of the blog.  My former landlord stole almost all of my computer equipment and the Sheriff’s Office won’t do a thing about it.   I will not be able to get to a hotspot to use my laptop so I don’t expect for there to be anything new on the blog for a while after this post.

Continue reading →

iePolitics: The Mental Health Field

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Before anyone starts calling the cops on me, I’m fine.  I’m not going to hurt myself.  I have a good support group around me now.  I’m only writing about this because there are so many who don’t.  Suicide is on the rise, especially in the military.  I’m finding that getting help, unless one is eligible for Medi-Cal, is impossible.

Before my battle with depression started a few years ago, I thought counseling was a lot of hooey.  I’d practically force clients into it, the whole time thinking I was wasting my time and theirs.  Once the depression hit and I was “forced” into counseling my mind changed a bit, but not completely.  If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that counselors are more screwed up than patients.

I’m very frustrated.  My attorney says the county will not budge on my treatment, which basically means I get none and no medications.   It’s now been nine days without meds.  And there doesn’t seem to be a thing I can do about it until we go to trial.  My attorney has promised he is requesting an expedited trial but that is still 1.5 to 2 months away.

Today one of my counselors called me because I have missed my last two groups.  I had no way of getting there.  The gas gauge was on empty and Hartford is as screwed up as ever.  Since the truck doesn’t run on air and water, I couldn’t go.  I explained to her that I am very close to meltdown and really want to start the group over next week as I should have a check by then.  Her response was, “Sorry, I’m terminating you.”  I really wanted to respond, “I will be sure someone sends you a copy of my obituary,” but I had good sense enough not to. Continue reading →

iePolitics: Blood Stains Revisited

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In less than 24 hours since I posted the original piece, I have received no less than three phone calls from those who are also having thoughts of suicide over some aspect of what some one on the Fifth Floor has done to affect their life.  All have sought counseling and I’ve put others in touch with a couple of them just to be sure they know there is a support system out there.  There is comfort in knowing that you are not alone but a great deal of anger knowing there are so many of us and that it all goes back to those who are charged with running this county with integrity shirking their responsibility in lieu of their own self interests.

Politicians are a selfish lot but I do believe here in San Bernardino County we are blessed with the worst of the worse.  I do believe we have the most shameful elected leaders in the state, if not the country.

iePolitics: The Little Things In Life

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I know we still have a lot of former San Bernardino County Jobs and Employment Services Department Employment Services Specialists reading the blog. How many of you remember the days before TAD decimated our department when we went through programs to help make us better employees rather than destroy our ability to get our job done?   Anyone remember the poverty training we had to go through?  Somewhere I still have the book describing the survival skills necessary to be living in a lower-class situation, a middle-class situation, and an upper-class situation.

Do remember the questions we had to answer?

  • Do you know how to get the executive membership at the country club?
  • Do you know how to keep your laundry from being stolen at the laundromat?
  • Do you know how to pick a daycare center?
  • Do you know the time of day stores deposit their expired food in the dumpster?
  • Do you know how to get your child into the most exclusive private schools?
  • Do you know where the food banks are located and when they give out food?
  • Do you know how to hire a maid?
  • Can you tell the difference between silk, linen and cotton and how to care for each?
  • Do you know how to get your children to fall asleep when they are still hungry?

And many more. Continue reading →