Los Angeles County Assessor Rick Auerbach reminded homeowners to be on the lookout for scam mailers from private companies offering to file assessment reduction claims for a hefty fee. Decline-in-value reviews are done for free by the Assessor’s Department and they are usually without any request or appeal from the owner.

"As the tax collector mails out bills this month," Auerbach noted, "so, too, are private companies sending out their official-looking offers to implement a review procedure for fees of $150 or more. This pays the company to file a simple one-page form available at no cost on our website at http://assessor.lacounty.gov or by calling any of our offices. The website also provides information about decline-in-value reviews.

"Many property owners assume these letters come from the county," he added, "because the firms use names resembling government agencies and include parcel identification numbers. The envelopes look official and only in small fine print do the letters sometimes mention they are not from my department."

Because of real estate market conditions, Auerbach added, his department undertook a proactive decline-in-value survey this year, which resulted in lower assessments and tax savings on 334,000 homes and condominiums.

"These are legal, but sophisticated scams, often using inaccurate data to ‘estimate’ potential tax savings," Auerbach stated. "Some even violate laws requiring disclaimers that the letters are not from government agencies and the requested payment is not an official fee."

The Board of Supervisors adjourned Tuesday in memory of Stanley Wisniewski, former director of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, who died October 15 in a single-vehicle accident at the age of 59 near his home in Paso Robles.

Wisniewski, who retired in March 2008 after working for more than 40 years with the County, was driving on State Route 41 in San Luis Obispo County when his vehicle crossed the road, going up an embankment. Investigators believe he over-corrected, driving back across and off the road, down a steep hillside and into a deep gully.

Supervisors, in comments at Tuesday’s Board meeting, praised Wisniewski for his leadership, honesty, integrity and cheerful personality. Board Chairman Don Knabe said Wisniewski’s death was a tragedy, and Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Zev Yaroslavsky called him a good man. We loved him, said Supervisor Gloria Molina.

Wisniewski worked his entire career for the County of Los Angeles, other than for one summer when he was 16. He began working as a recurrent beach parking attendant while a student at North Torrance High School in 1967, and continued while attending USC. After graduating, he went to work for the Auditor-Controller’s Office and then transferred to the Department of Small Craft Harbors in 1975, which ultimately was merged with the Department of Beaches to become the Department of Beaches and Harbors.

Wisniewski was named director of the Department of Beaches and Harbors in 1993 and was instrumental in overseeing the commencement of second-generation development of Marina del Rey.

As a professional, Stan was grounded in his belief to always do the right thing for the benefit of the public he served, said Santos H. Kreimann, current director of the Beaches and Harbors Department. He was a man of strong conviction, and one of the most determined and dedicated public servants I’ve ever known.

Wisniewski is survived by his two children, Dana and Weston. Memorial services are pending.

The Los Angeles County Health Officer, Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, released the schedule for the first round of Public Health vaccine clinics, which will provide free H1N1 vaccine to residents who do not have health insurance or a regular source of health care, and are in a priority group.

H1N1 Vaccine Clinic Schedule:

By Date
By City

Increasing amounts of H1N1 vaccine are expected to arrive in Los Angeles County on a weekly basis. Public Health’s vaccine clinics will provide vaccine free of charge to residents in the H1N1 vaccine priority groups who do not have health insurance or a regular source of health care, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director and Health Officer.

For those with health insurance and a regular source of health care, all of the more than 3,000 healthcare providers in the county who ordered H1N1 vaccine should receive it. Starting at the end of this week, these residents may wish to contact their doctor to find out when the H1N1 vaccine will be available to them.

The priority groups for H1N1 vaccine are:

– Pregnant women

– People living with or caring for infants under six months of age

– Emergency medical services personnel and health care workers

– Children and young adults from six months through 24 years

– People aged 25 through 64 years with chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease, asthma, diabetes, or weakened immune systems

Public Health’s H1N1 vaccine clinics will begin on October 23, and will have H1N1 vaccine in many formulations, including injectable flu shots, FluMist nasal spray, and thimerasol-free vaccine. A list of dates and locations can be found on the Public Health website or by calling the LA County information line at 2-1-1 from any landline or cell phone. The vaccine clinic schedule will be released two weeks at a time. Residents are urged to check back often if they do not immediately find a clinic that is conveniently located near them. Vaccine clinics will be scheduled from late October through at least December.

Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, causes approximately 36,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States. While the average case of H1N1 is no worse than other types of seasonal flu, some individuals are at a higher risk for serious complications. Since the spring, there have been 57 deaths in Los Angeles County attributed to H1N1.

The best way to prevent the spread of flu is to wash your hands often; cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes; and get vaccinated, Dr. Fielding said. If you are sick, stay home until at least 24 hours after the fever has gone away without the use of anti-fever medications. The same recommendation applies to children who go to school, daycare, or after-school programs.

Talk to your doctor about H1N1 vaccine if you have any of the following:

– Severe allergy to chicken eggs

– Severe reaction to influenza vaccination in the past

– Guillain-Barr syndrome (GBS)

– Moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (wait until recovering before getting vaccine)

The viruses in the flu shot are inactive (killed) so you cannot get the flu from the flu shot. Some minor side effects could occur, usually lasting only one to two days.

These include:

– Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given

– Low-grade fever

– Aches or pain

The viruses in the vaccine nasal spray are weakened and cannot cause the flu. In children, side effects are usually mild and can include runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, muscle aches or fever. In adults, side effects can include runny nose, headache, sore throat or cough.

Most cases of H1N1 and seasonal flu can be treated by staying home, getting plenty of rest, drinking plenty of fluids and treating fever and aches and pains with over-the-counter medication, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen (but not aspirin).

Residents should see a doctor if they have any of the following symptoms along with flu-like symptoms such as fever, coughing,

tiredness, runny nose, etc:

For children:

– Fast breathing or trouble breathing

– Bluish skin color

– Not drinking enough fluids or stopping urinating

– Not waking up or not interacting

– Being so irritable that a child does not want to be held

– Flu-like symptoms that improve, but then return with fever and worse cough

– Fever with a rash

For adults:

– Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

– Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

– Sudden dizziness

– Confusion

– Severe or persistent vomiting

Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, issued the following statement today on Governor Schwarzenegger’s efforts to reach a deal on California’s water system:

"The time to talk is over and the time to act has arrived on a comprehensive investment in upgrading California’s water system. Plans have been discussed for years, but it is time to end our State’s ongoing water crisis once and for all by building a water system that balances the needs of our residents with ecological and environmental needs, and build a system that can withstand natural disasters."

"I encourage the Legislature to work with the Governor towards approving a water deal, but beyond that, it is my utmost hope that lawmakers focus on the critical needs of local government when the Senate reconvenes next week."

"State leaders only have one week left to maintain the commitment they made to local government when they promised to pass Senate Bill 67 before October 15. In order to weather the financial storms that lay ahead in Fiscal Year 2009-2010, hundreds of cities, counties, and local government agencies across California need to be able to securitize their Proposition 1A obligations, meet the deadlines to sell bonds in November, and ultimately keep their budgets afloat."

"Keeping California’s water system afloat for the future is critical, but our future looks far more bleak if we can’t keep our local governments afloat first."