Cops Have Nothing On California Black Friday Shopper

It should be no surprise after so many television viewings, and online parodies, of police pepper spraying Occupy protestors.

A woman used pepper spray to get to the head of several lines at a San Fernando Wal-Mart.

And as one person commented on YouTube it should be even less a surprise that cities that had banned tents being set up by Occupiers allowed plenty of them in front of big box so they could be first into stores for Black Friday. And why the big deal. Fox News says pepper spray is  just food.

The Los Angeles Times said 20 people were injured. The woman, who has not been identified, fled before authorities arrived late Thursday.

"People started screaming, pulling and pushing each other, and then the whole area filled up with pepper spray," said Alejandra Seminario said. With X Boxes and other game consoles one of the main targets of shoppers next year there could be a Black Friday game.

No serious injuries were reported, but victims said they were painful.

"She was competitive shopping," said Los Angeles Fire Capt. James Carson.

The injured, including children, were hurt in the 10:10 p.m. incident. Shoppers complained of minor skin and eye irritation and sore throats, he said.

Joseph Poulose, one of those hit with the spray at the DVD and video games display, said Target had allowed to many people in the building to keep it under control. "Every aisle was full."

Police said store surveillance photos will be available soon and likely will go right on the Internet. Plus if the woman used a credit card she could be caught even faster.

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Can California End The Nation's Gridlock

   Los Angeles may have invented gridlock in one sense, but partisan politics has created a much more dangerous version. Now the Golden State may be ready to cry "Eureka" again.
   Not gold this time. But more the Archimedes version. A solution. He stepped into a bath full of water and saw the level rise. In the California and American case, the answer would be that there is no free lunch. Bills must be paid.
   On Monday a group of billionaires, celebrities and others are releasing a plan to use their money and brains to get the state out of debt that is destroying it.
   "As Washington is in gridlock, maybe California can lead the way again by showing that we know how to fix things," former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg told the Sacramento Bee.
    He is a member of "The Think Long Committee for California." The group is going to try to get an initiative on the ballot that would raise $10 billion to get the state back on the yellow brick road.
   At first glance it seems another pie in the sky scheme. First, it costs millions to get an initiative on the ballot. Second, it costs even more for TV and other political expenses to get it passed.
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   It is hoped to get it on the ballot next year.