Only In Arizona/Faces Of Deceit #ONE: Wherein, my own personal demons, as exemplified by the corruption in Arizona's public service network, align somewhat with my own personal idols. 

     For the entirety of my time as a patient at The Arizona State Hospital (ASH), I ran approximately 6-9 hours per week. There is a quarter or so mile long swath of concrete known as the "patient mall" in ASH' civil section, where I was mis-treated between early January, 2011, and late February, 2012, and I would run back and forth along its entire length, with occasional forays into the terrascaped areas of dirt and brush lying between the patient unit buildings, as a matter of doing what I could to distract myself from the stomach turning staff misconduct that I witnessed and was personally subjected to on a near daily basis. 
     Running was, at times, the only means I had to remind myself of life's potential quality, and as I once told Dr. Pervaiz Akhter (to his face, and in front of at least 6-7 other members of my clinical treatment team), "I run to escape you and your kind. I run to escape your decadence and lack of ethos. I run to escape all of you. I have never run like this before."

     Running, for myself, is all about honesty. One step at a time, I am reminded of where I am, of who I am, and most importantly, of everything that I feel I know; and this is what inspired the acuity of my statements to Dr. Prevaiz Akhter on that day. As with every other intense physical activity that I have ever embraced in my life, including but not limited to bicycle road racing, and alpine and nordic ski racing, I endeavor in my running as intensely as I comfortably can, for in such intensity I find solace from the shortcomings of my own human nature, and that of my species, in general. You cannot hide when you run. There is no way to get around running, once you start. And you cannot misrepresent yourself when you run. But at ASH, I found myself so fraught with turmoil about staff wrongdoing and substandard care practices that I witnessed and was subjected to on a daily basis, that my running became a means of escape, with no actual solace in sight. Indeed, I had never had to run like that before, and hopefully, will never again.  

"It's alright, as long as you get away with it." 
    (David Walsh, LA Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong [2006])

Those exhibiting psychopathic behavior. "At the core of the psychopath is always a profoundly malignant narcissism," says Brian Russell, a clinical psychologist and attorney from Lawrence, Kansas. "They focus on what they need, and feel an entitlement to get what they need at the cost of anything to anyone else." 

SEE THESE FACES? THESE ARE TWO FACES OF DECEIT THAT HAVE BEEN LYING TO THE PUBLIC IN SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENTLY EVENTS IN THE WORLD OF LATE.  IN MY OPINION, ANY FACE OF CORRUPTION AND UNTRUTH IS A HELL OF LOT MORE CLEAR TO THE OBSERVER THAN IT IS TO THE CRIMINAL'S SELF AWARENESS OF SUCH.     

MT. GRAHAM HILL CLIMB RECORDS    
Rio Grande Racing Team/12.97 mph/1:32:30/1985 

      I spent about 7 years dedicating myself to bicycle road and racing in the 1980s, and throughout much of this time, I had the distinct privilege of being able to train and race with some of the sports strongest riders. Admittedly, I was never nearly so fast as those riders, but I was just fast enough to compete on their level, was granted the opportunity to race with such riders as a teammate based in New Mexico and Colorado, and consequently, I did get to share the roads and countless hours riding in their company, and even won a big race or two. Today, as I continue to engage in near daily rides in and around my current region of residence (I've even done a couple of mt. bike races this sumer), I also keep my eyes honed in on the current racing scene in the United States, as well as on the foreign front, where epic sagas continue to be spelled out every season. As such, cycling in general and bike racing in particular are close to my heart. 

        There was a bicycle race on, the Tour de Pays Basque, and the riders were stopping that night in San Sebastian. In the [hotel] dining room, at one side, there was a long table of bicycle riders, eating with their trainers and managers. They were all French and Belgian, and paid close attention to their meal, but they were having a good time…
     The next morning at five o’clock the race resumed with the last lap, San Sebastian-Bilbao. The bicycle riders drank much wine, and were burned and browned by the sun. They did not take the racing seriously except among themselves. They had raced among themselves so often that it did not make much difference who won. Especially in a foreign country. The money could be arranged. 

                                                   (from: "The Sun Also Rises", Ernest Hemingway 1926)    

    On May 03, 2010, I gave the 1988 Trek 500 road racing bike that I had been using to commute around Tucson for the prior three years to a man I had never met before; we encountered one another in the alley that ran directly behind an apartment I lived in at the time, not far from the campus of the University of Arizona, and as per my invitation, we began drinking beer together in my yard at about 1 p.m. or so. He was a graduate student, in the neighborhood in order to look for places that he could rent before summer classes at UA began, and the apartment that I lived in with my friend and roommate Mike R. for the prior 4 months was already available, in effect. So the guy called the landlord and made an appointment to meet with him the following week. 

         "Well, then, I have nothing else to do today. Sure, I'll take one 
           of those beers." 

     I was feeling a little blue, and appreciated the opportunity to spend a bit of time in conversation with somebody interesting. I had already determined at that point in time, that I would be re-upping on my desire to die on my own terms within the next day or two, and as me and the fellow talked, he mentioned wanting to get a bicycle before long in order to commute to and from school. So I gave him mine. It wasn't a top of the line race bike or anything, but he was shocked; I simply told him that I was about to move and that I didn't intend to take the bike with me. The day before, I had taken my full collection of bike tools, accumulated by me over a period of over 25 years, to a community bicycle organization, telling them the same story. Our conversation that day was very pleasant; I was feeling mellow (as well as a bit blue), and the other guy had some great stories about his background as a digital technology artist and teacher. I regret that I have forgotten his name, but hope that he is well. He had no idea who he was talking to that day, this with respect for my plan; but in hindsight, I doubt I could easily have found anyone more friendly to spend my last afternoon with. Strange days, indeed.
     On May 04, 2010, I walked out of that apartment for the last time and made my way to the west side of the city, where I purchased some beer and a bottle of Ibuprofen. I then hiked up into the cactus and rock covered Tucson Mountains, and selected an off the trail and scenic setting for my next, and last, action. It was a beautiful early summer evening, and I greatly enjoyed my time there in that spot. But Ibuprofen, I later learned, will not kill you, even when taken in excess and in the accompaniment of alcohol. 
     Live and learn, right?      

  Sadly, and as most Americans with a reasonable awareness of national affairs (sic) probably know, our nation's most heralded competitor, on a par with the likes of Michael Jordan and Bruce Jenner (etc.), Lance Armstrong is most likely on the verge of being exposed as a textbook cheater, liar, perpetrator of scandal, and flat out low life, as new revelations about highly illegal drugging and administrative criminality emerge with respect for the highest levels of professional cyclings' representative officials. (NOTE: I began working on this article about 3 weeks ago, and in that time, Armstrong has in fact been exposed as such, and his seven Tour de France titles have been taken away from him, along with every other like award that he "athletically" acquired between 1996 and now, August, 2012.). 

     It is sad for me personally, today, because the obligation of riders like Lance Armstrong to the public good (and not to mention to his sponsors, etc.) is not too far removed from the public trust afforded to state appointed or elected officials who are obligated to the citizens of our state (and nation) in terms of overseeing public resources and caring for the public in very real terms. This is particularly true when you take into account a public hospital like The Arizona State Hospital, which is nothing more than an extension of the governor's office. But somewhere in the mix, the public gets left out; at ASH, the public is represented most clearly by the patients, for they are the only reason the Hospital even exists, and as such, they are the clients and constituents; and yet, the Hospital (the facility and its employees, not the patients) is protected by the state's largest law firm, The Office of Attorney General, an entity that I feel is obligated to the citizens of the state with no more or less consideration for any one population than any other. I have argued already in one court proceeding about the clear conflict of interest inherent to this arrangement, and I have also filed one direct ethics complaint to the Arizona Bar Association about the matter, but it is going to take federal intervention to meaningfully rectify the problem as it stand today.   

Only In Arizona, continued:
     
     Here in Arizona, meanwhile, the ongoing presence of clearly unethical state administrators directly belies the existence of a substandard public health care facility such as The Arizona State Hospital. It is that simple. From our current governor on down (as though you can get any lower….), patterns of administrative corruption and deceit glare out over the Sonoran desert like a vast array of gigantic spotlights; and even a cursory review of such patterns in the longer recent history our state, including but not limited to the activities of former governor Evan Mecham (impeached in 1988 [the same year Brewer was arrested and then let off for aggravated DUI] for fiscal fraud and obstruction of justice), to the murder of Don Bolles (blown up in his car in 1976 after initiating a news investigation into administrative state corruption with direct ties to the mafia), gives credence to my concerns about the depths of administrative misconduct that have, to date, allowed ASH and its administrators blatantly get away with the gross violations of The Americans With Disabilities Act, the Hospital Information Portability and Privacy Act, and just about every reasonable standard of mental-medical health care you can imagine.     
      Here are a couple more reminders of the kind of people I am having to deal with as I work to expose the graphic wrongdoing and substandard conditions at ASH in defense of the rights and well being of the patient community at ASH. By "kind of people", I am referring directly to the chain of command that does in fact oversee the entire infrastructure of Arizona's public system, including the behavioral health care system, wherein highly vulnerable and underrepresented seriously mentally ill persons (like myself) are continually mired down in a corrupt and morally degenerate network of administrators and clinicians who so regularly abuse the rights of patients at ASH that it falls nothing short of standard practice. And as shown in the following news stories, corruption of this sort runs deep in the overall system of state government in Arizona: 

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT: Was Arizona Governor Jan Brewer involved in an alcohol-related crash, and was she at fault?

ANALYSIS: On May 4, 1988, a car driven by Brewer rear-ended a van on Interstate 17.

The van's driver, William Holland, was not injured in the crash. Brewer also emerged unscathed, though there was significant damage to her car. 

DPS officers at the scene believed Brewer was intoxicated. Unsteady on her feet, her breath smelling of alcohol, Brewer failed a series of field sobriety tests. 

Brewer was placed in handcuffs and taken to a DPS station, where she was supposed to undergo a test to determine her blood-alcohol level. But no test was ever performed. After a discussion with a DPS lieutenant, two officers drove Brewer home. At the scene, Brewer told officers she had "one scotch." Later, at the station, she said she had had two. At the time, she denied being drunk.

TRUTH: And the case never went to a judge or jury. Brewer told different stories about what led to the crash. She told officers on the scene that a car had rear-ended her, pushing her car into Holland's, and then driven away. But officers found no damage to the back of Brewer's car, and they noted that a layer of dust on the bumper was undisturbed. The next day, Brewer told the Phoenix Gazette that a white truck had swerved in front of Holland, suggesting that he had suddenly braked.

(Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles 10/27/2010)

Feds probed role of Gov. Brewer in son's Social Security benefits

The case involves an examination of Social Security benefits paid on behalf of Brewer's oldest son, Ronald. He first received benefits as a minor after his father's death and continued to receive them as an adult because of a disability from mental illness.

     In 1989, Ronald was charged with sexual assault and kidnapping. The next year, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to the Arizona State Hospital. A court commissioner ordered Jan Brewer, as Ronald's "representative payee," to direct her son's monthly Social Security benefits toward the cost of his hospitalization. The Arizona Department of Health Services, which runs the hospital, declined to release records to The Republic regarding such payments, saying the records either were protected by privacy laws or did not exist.

(Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/12/07/2011)

Ties to Gov. Jan Brewer cloud medical board

by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez on Jul. 28, 2012, under Arizona Republic News.
The man who appears to be lined up to inherit the $105,000-a-year state job as interim executive director of the Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board has strong ties to the governor’s husband, and there is a recent history of formal complaints against him. Republican Gov. Jan Brewer appointed Robert Gear to the board, which regulates about 700 licensed naturopaths who combine traditional medicine and natural medical approaches to treat patients. John Brewer, the governor’s husband, was executive director of the naturopathic board until 2001, when the board fired him amid allegations that he shredded public documents and misrepresented his credentials. Gear and John Brewer are known within the naturopathic community as longtime professional and political allies. Governor’s spokesman Matthew Benson said Brewer’s appointments are made at her discretion and that she receives input from “a variety of places.” He said John Brewer “had no connection” to the recent nominations to the naturopathic board. At a July 12 meeting, Gear recused himself from the board table while members contemplated his possible appointment as interim director. But he sat in the audience and berated members for their hesitation and vowed to use his relationship with the governor and her husband to get his way. According to e-mails, board minutes and other records obtained through public records requests, Gear has a history of accusations of rule breaking in his practice. Governor Brewer appointed Gear to the naturopathic board at a time when he was actually being investigated by the board for allegations of misbehavior; at a later date, the board determined there was sufficient evidence to find that Gear failed to adequately examine his patients, failed to maintain proper patient records, and used false and misleading advertising.

       "It's alright, as long as you get away with it." 

     On that note, enter the ongoing debacle of the most powerful law firm in the state of Arizona. 

TOM HORNE IS JOEL "the mortician" RUDD'S BOSS. JOEL RUDD, IN TURN, IS THE LEAD COUNSEL FOR THE ARIZONA STATE HOSPITAL. GO FIGURE. ONE THUG TO ANOTHER, IN EFFECT. ONLY IN ARIZONA. 

FBI investigating Tom Horne for campaign violations

By Jeremy Duda - jeremy.duda@azcapitoltimes.com 

Published: April 2, 2012 at 12:07 pm

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne (Photo by Evan Wyloge/Arizona Capitol Times)

Federal authorities are investigating allegations that Attorney General Tom Horne illegally collaborated with an independent expenditure committee that spent more than a half-million dollars on negative ads against his Democratic opponent in 2010, the Arizona Capitol Times has learned.

Tom Horne Sues to Overthrow Voting Rights Act: What's Next, the De-Abolition of Slavery?Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne is suing the federal government, seeking to overturn the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the law that essentially enfranchised America's minorities and prevents states from coming up with ways to keep them from the ballot box.

     Growing up in the 1960s, I had the opportunity to meet, and temporarily live with, international representatives of United Nations; this came about as a direct consequence of my father's status as a Full Commander in the United States Navy, and my mother's role as an assigned US emissary in Naples, Italy, and Bermuda, UK (where I spent the first year of my life), and New York, NY. I clearly recall, as such, hearing the well balanced and highly intelligent orations of men and women who were responsible for the needs of foreign nations that only came to speak to our nation's internal administrative benefactors (such as my mom) because they were desperate to bring friendship and dignity to the citizens of their given nations. I recall ambassadors from Kenya, Sudan, and Hungary sharing meals with me and my family, food and drink served over an enormous marble dining table that my parents acquired in Greece sometime well before my birth. Therein, I learned something about kindness and humanistic diplomacy flowing from men and women who, as a rule, had little or nothing to lose, at least not in terms of talking to a boy less than 10 years old.    
      How, exactly, this connects to my concerns about the criminal nature of the administrators and clinicians at The Arizona State Hospital, I am still not sure. But my deep respect for the well intentioned staff members- far and few as they may have been- definitely extends to those who came to America from Africa and the Caribbean, for indeed, some of the kindest and most capable staff that I came to know at ASH- nursing staff in particular, but security staff, as well, and so on- were of these cultural traditions and identities.

IN CLOSING:  Those exhibiting psychopathic behavior. "At the core of the psychopath is always a profoundly malignant narcissism," says Brian Russell, a clinical psychologist and attorney from Lawrence, Kansas. "They focus on what they need, and feel an entitlement to get what they need at the cost of anything to anyone else." No one statement more accurately illustrates my interpretations of the abuses of power and directly related patient abuse at Arizona State Hospital. I even had a therapist for a time in Flagstaff who immediately referred to Dr. Pervaiz Akhter's behavior towards me as being psychopathic. "Socially sanctioned psychopathy is prevalent in many facets of American culture, and manifests in a number of ways, some of which are more problematic to society in general than others. It is all about power and selfishness, and in some circumstances, these characteristics serve well. In places like The Arizona State Hospital, however, you have doctors who hold the very lives of their patients in their hands, and in this sense, their given authority extends far beyond the normal parameters of doctor-patient relationships; deformation of the power dynamic in such settings is common, for the doctors have no more training in overseeing the very lives of their patients than you or I do; and they may, in fact, be any patients' worst nightmare, because public hospitals are known for attracting less than the best- as in 'well'- psychiatric professionals, to such an extent that many of the 'health care professionals' in state mental hospitals are essentially sicker than many of the patients."    

     Arizona is a very, very unhealthy place for a mentally ill person to reside. I attest to this with all my heart. America, in itself, and as with the world, has much work to do in terms of recognizing the basic humanity of its mentally ill citizens (persons just like me); but we all, as Americans, also have the distinct privilege of residing and existing in a relatively well established democracy, and we also have some of the highest quality health care in the world today. This is common knowledge. There is no excuse for the substandard conditions and graphic patient abuse that I witnessed and was subjected to first hand during my thirteen long months of time at The Arizona State Hospital. Please visit my April 30, 2012 "Resource Ideas" article, and determine what you can do in defense of the patients at ASH today. Patient abuse is inhumane and criminal, and the ones at ASH most responsible for caring for the overall operation there need to be aligned with the interests and concerns of the greater public. Any less is simply unacceptable. 

paoloreed@gmail.com