San Diego Police Union Begins Airing Controversial Commercial

The San Diego Police Officers Association has recently began airing a commercial which has drawn much criticism. This is just another sign of the mounting frustration within the police rank and file due to Chief William Lansdowne's failed leadership. Lansdowne will continue to blame the city budget, however, that is just a small portion of what the San Diego Police Officers have been tolerating.

San Diego Lawyer Sues After Man Denied a Mother's Day Bag

From time to time, I will write about what I consider to be abusive or ridiculous lawsuits. In one recent article, I wrote about a lawyer who sued the internet dating site eHarmony because they would not let him register until his divorce was final. I've also written articles about attorneys file predatory lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But one of my personal favorites is a lawsuit filed by a man who didn't a gift bag at baseball game on Mother's Day last year.

According to a story on Channel 10 News, San Diego attorney Alfred Rava filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for sex and age discrimination. Rava's client was apparently upset when he was denied a tote bag on Mother's Day at an Angels game in 2005. The suit was brought under a California law called The Unruh Act which prevents businesses engaging in arbitrary discrimination.

Attorney Rava has an interesting history of filing other ridiculous lawsuits. He has previously sued a number of local bars that sponsor a "ladies night", alleging that the practice constitutes unlawful sex discrimination. He has also apparently sued the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers over gift promotions. My hope is that someday, the California State Bar will catch up with Mr. Rava in the same way it has done with other lawyers who have a history of filing abusive or ridiculous lawsuits in California.

About the Author: Carl H. Starrett II has been a licensed attorney since 1993 and is a member in good standing with the California State Bar and the San Diego County Bar Association. Mr. Starrett practices in the areas of bankruptcy, business litigation, construction, corporate planning and debt collection.

5 Deadly Mistakes When Starting a Business

By Jessica Seid, CNNMoney.com staff writer
May 8, 2006: 1:14 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - For many people, starting their own business is a dream come true. But too many entrepreneurs see their dreams fall apart - their firms fail because of common pitfalls that could have been avoided.

One-third of small businesses fail in the first two years, according to the Small Business Administration, and a little more than half fail within the first five years.

1. Too little cash. "The biggest issue that most entrepreneurs have is money - they're not properly capitalized," says Douglas Long, owner of a management consulting firm that advises entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. He recommends his clients have approximately three times what they think they'll need starting out, largely to protect them from any downturns.

Steve Hockett learned that lesson the hard way when he set out to open his own business.

"A few years ago, I was working at a bank and it wasn't a good fit, I was bored and I wanted to become an entrepreneur," says Hockett. Without a business idea of his own, Hockett decided to become a franchisee. Although he picked a very successful franchise, Hockett admits, "I was undercapitalized, it took too long for the business to build and my cash ran out." Forced to abandon the business after only a little more than two years, Hockett says he was "devastated."

"The real thing I missed was anticipating my cash needs and being able to weather the first year," says Hockett, who has since become a successful franchise consultant. "One of the hardest things I've ever done was to make the decision to pull the plug on a dream."

2. Thinking small. You may be competing for customers against larger companies with more resources. But you don't have to show it.

Harprit Singh founded Intellicomm Inc., a communications services firm, in 1994 when he was a second-year MBA student with just $100 in startup capital.

"A few years ago, my colleague and I drove hundreds of miles to give a presentation on our service to one of the leading global insurers," said Singh, president and CEO of the Philadelphia-based company. "I could clearly see the excitement in our service quickly dwindle in the packed conference room when we mentioned that we are a small business with limited resources. From that day on, I vowed never to let our size hold us back."

Singh began to focus on the advantages he could offer as a small firm in the telecom industry, such as greater expertise and speed of execution. Intellicom now has more than 4,500 customers in 45 countries.

Remember, you're not small, you are boutique. You're not tiny, you are personalized.

3. Skimping on tech. Sure, buying gadgets costs money. But giving your employees laptops, Treos, BlackBerries and wireless access allows them to do more with less. In addition, the latest technology will help you and your employees respond promptly to customers, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Ironically, it's often easier for a small company to adopt and deploy new technologies, vs. big companies that may be wedded to legacy systems and cumbersome, outdated technology. Your small size can be a plus, letting you be nimble and swift.

4. Underestimating the importance of sales. For small-business owners starting out, most of the attention should go to sales and revenues, Singh says. If sales grow, expenses will take care of themselves.

And no matter how small, every company needs a dedicated sales pro to make sure business is constantly rolling in the door.

If you are your own salesperson, Long suggests practicing on friends and family to hone your skills. "You could have the best idea in the world, but if you can't sell it, you won't be successful."

5. Losing focus. Every business should have a vision of what they will be when they grow up. And the more focused the vision, the greater the chances that the business will realize its goal. Further, the vision should to be translated into specific execution tasks to achieve desired results.

Before embarking on your business, Hockett suggests carefully laying out all the attributes of your company and what you'll need do to make each aspect of the business succeed.

Had he created a detailed plan for his franchise, "I would have waited longer until I was in a better cash position to start," Hockett said. "But I was impatient. I made a decision based on emotion rather than fact."

Patently-O: Patent Law Blog: Blogger Defamation Litigation

Warren Kremer Paino v. Dunston

(D. Maine)

There is an interesting controversy brewing about a blogger (Dunston) who has been sued for defamation and copyright violation by Maine’s tourism advertising firm (Warren Kremer). Dunston reposted (and derided) one of Warren Kremer’s recent ads that mistakenly included the number to a phone-sex hotline. The defamation claim is partially based on Dunston’s accusation that the ad firm is “pissing away” Maine’s tourism dollars.

Blogger Ron Coleman is one of the attorneys representing Dunston.

Links:

• Dunston’s website with the details
• Evan Brown’s defamation analysis
• The complaint
• EFF’s FAQ on Internet Defamation Law

Author Stands Up to Police Corruption and Inspires Others

(Syndicated News) When faced with workplace corruption, many people look the other way for fear of retribution, especially when the problems are in the police department. Now readers can learn first hand the exciting story of how one police officer stood up to corruption and inspired others.

"Since I was a young child I had a dream of being a police officer,"” says Kevin LaChapelle, author of "“Please God, Don't Let My Badge Tarnish"” (iUniverse, 2006). "“When I took the oath to be a police officer I was serious about protecting and serving the citizens."”

LaChapelle goes from loving his job to finding shocking discoveries of corruption at the El Cajon Police Department, in El Cajon, Calif., where he worked. He shares his struggle to keep his badge untarnished while resisting the status quo and callousness others succumb to. He also shares his experiences of helping others.

"“While exposing the culture of corruption within the police department,"” explains LaChapelle, “"I began to mentor young people out of gangs. I'’ve helped many people turn their lives around and become successful adults."

In addition, he ran for a board member position for one of the largest local school districts, which had a reputation of financial corruption. He not only won the election in a landslide victory, he was also instrumental in exposing the financial corruption, which led to a total overhaul of the top level district management.

Standing up to these problems gave LaChapelle the idea to focus on empowering communities to expose fraud and corruption. In 1999 he started the Special Investigations Agency (SIA), which is made up of volunteer law enforcement officers, attorneys, and other professionals. The agency has a proven track record of successfully exposing corruption across the country.

"I believe that God has a plan for each of us,"” adds LaChapelle. "The next step in my plan is to inspire others to do the right thing. That'’s why I wrote this book, to give people the strength to stand up for what they believe in."