New Orleans' Mayor C Ray Nagin is on the road again but this time he's not racking up any International Flyer Miles. C Ray is attending the US Conference of Mayors this week in Washington DC where he will present his recommendations for changes in the Stafford Act to President Obama and key Cabinet officials. The Stafford Act covers financial and physical assistance to areas designated as disasters by Presidential order. One of the areas Nagin hopes to improve is the alacrity of reimbursement by FEMA for recovery projects which have been completed and paid for with non-recovery funds.
One wonders if Nagin is aware of the definition of 'completed". In the three and a half years since Katrina, Nagin has been tinkering around with plans and placing his cronies in key positions of recovery projects which never seem to come anywhere near completion. FOX8/The Lens recently ran an interesting story on Nagins' machinations which can be read here.
Nagin has reduced the Claiborne Corridor funding from 4.5 million dollars to 2.5 million citing that the money is needed for "shovel ready" projects, however councilwoman Stacey Head states that those projects in her district are indeed "shovel ready" but have been delayed by the Nagin Administration.
Interestingly, the Claiborne Corridor money has found it's way into the coffers of the Lake Forest redevelopment projects of Cesar Bugos, A close, personal buddy of, you guessed it… C Ray Nagin! Nagin says political alliances had nothing to do with the funding increase. Still, the Lake Forest project has gone from 4.5 million dollars to 9 million. Curious, no?
Nagin has also drained the Recovery School District coffers of 10 million dollars leaving its block grant account at zero stopping projects dead in their tracks. At risk are the Federal City military academy, the downtown international business school and renovations to the CAC. (So you see, the Mayor does have certain powers over education in the city.)
Add to this Nagins' recent funding of Sean Cummings' "Reinventing Sean Cummings" plan, his appointing of cronies Irvin Mayfield and alleged coke dealer and soft-core porn photographer Bernard Wade to head the Municipal Auditorium recovery and his continued attempts to buy the Chevron Building for a City Hall he'll never even sit in and you have one severely disconnected son-of-a-bitch.
I urge the City Council to do whatever it takes to strip C Ray Nagin of all powers and duties for the next four months. It becomes clearer each day that Nagin exists only for the profit of himself and his allies and I shudder at what more damage he may do to this city if allowed to continue his rape of the our financial coffers.
Showing posts with label Corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corruption. Show all posts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
What To Do With Dollar Bill
For the last several hours, (and I'm certain for the next several as well,) Talk Radio has been abuzz with that very question. What sentence should be given to Former Louisiana State Senator/Former Louisiana Congressman/Convicted Felon William Jennings Jefferson? (Check out his Wiki page. They've already added "convicted felon" to it.) The 'Man-In-The-Street' has suggested everything from complete exoneration to the death penalty. I have the answer.
One year in jail for every year he pretended to be working for the people of Louisiana. While he was first elected to public office in 1979 he has only been a federal politician for eighteen years, from 1990 to 2008. The crimes in question come directly from his time spent as a member of the US House of Representatives and that's where my reasoning comes from. Eighteen years. Does he deserve more? Probably, but I think eighteen years is appropriate. He would be 80 at the time of his release.
If he lives that long.
No parole, no time off for good behaviour. Face it, the 'good behaviour' deal is actually geared toward violent offenders. It's a gift if they can manage to act like a human being. Jefferson is not a violent criminal and I don't expect him to start shivving prison guards ten minutes after he is placed in custody. Parole is derived from the French term for "(spoken) word." It became linked to prisoner release as the inmate in question gave their "word of honor" that they would not return to a life of crime. Bill Jefferson? Word of honor? Thank you for applying, next inmate, please.
The airwaves are filled with people who think that anything more than fifteen years would be excessive. Former US Attorney Harry Rosenberg posits that Jefferson will eventually receive between 10-15 years.
Comparisons have been drawn to Edwin Edwards who received ten years in prison for his roles in bribery schemes to award riverboat casino licenses in Louisiana. While the crimes may appear similar, at least Edwards was actually bringing businesses into the state and jobs to his constituents. Jefferson was buying himself and his family into foreign based businesses with no benefit whatsoever to the people he represented.
Comparisons have also been drawn to Bernie Madoff whose Ponzi Scheme siphoned over ten-billion dollars from unsuspecting investors. Madoff received a sentence of 150 years for his shenanigans which some people think is far worse than Jefferson's crimes. They claim that Jefferson never harmed or killed anyone by accepting bribes. I think they're wrong.
While Jefferson never actually pulled a trigger or slit a throat, money that he and his family collected through Federal Government grants intended for the numerous "non-profit" organizations they own ended up lining their own pockets. Money which could have been the difference between a child picking up a pen, brush or math book instead of a gun or a crack pipe. Can you honestly tell me, with a straight face, that Bill Jefferson's actions caused harm to no-one?
For those of you thinking that eighteen years is too light a sentence, remember there's the forfeiture. The thinking here is that Jefferson will end up having to forfeit at least a half a million dollars which he and his family members profited through his shady dealings. I think that's abysmally low. Let's set a precedent and force him to pay back the Federal Government every cent he made from his salary as a congressman. Let's make that the rule of law for any public official convicted of corruption. Jefferson's forfeiture hearing is set for today.
Jefferson's actions have cast doubt on his entire career of "public service" and for that, he should pay dearly and lose his entire paycheck from his "service" on Capitol Hill. That would add just over 2.7 million dollars to his forfeiture, and for Bill Jefferson, a man who worships the all-mighty dollar, that would hurt him more than any prison term.
UPDATE: Jefferson's forfeiture hearing ran its course today, and as expected he will have to cough up over $470 million, plus millions of shares of (now worthless) stock in a (now defunct) Nigerian telecom company. Next up is his sentencing, scheduled for October 30th.
One year in jail for every year he pretended to be working for the people of Louisiana. While he was first elected to public office in 1979 he has only been a federal politician for eighteen years, from 1990 to 2008. The crimes in question come directly from his time spent as a member of the US House of Representatives and that's where my reasoning comes from. Eighteen years. Does he deserve more? Probably, but I think eighteen years is appropriate. He would be 80 at the time of his release.
If he lives that long.
No parole, no time off for good behaviour. Face it, the 'good behaviour' deal is actually geared toward violent offenders. It's a gift if they can manage to act like a human being. Jefferson is not a violent criminal and I don't expect him to start shivving prison guards ten minutes after he is placed in custody. Parole is derived from the French term for "(spoken) word." It became linked to prisoner release as the inmate in question gave their "word of honor" that they would not return to a life of crime. Bill Jefferson? Word of honor? Thank you for applying, next inmate, please.
The airwaves are filled with people who think that anything more than fifteen years would be excessive. Former US Attorney Harry Rosenberg posits that Jefferson will eventually receive between 10-15 years.
Comparisons have been drawn to Edwin Edwards who received ten years in prison for his roles in bribery schemes to award riverboat casino licenses in Louisiana. While the crimes may appear similar, at least Edwards was actually bringing businesses into the state and jobs to his constituents. Jefferson was buying himself and his family into foreign based businesses with no benefit whatsoever to the people he represented.
Comparisons have also been drawn to Bernie Madoff whose Ponzi Scheme siphoned over ten-billion dollars from unsuspecting investors. Madoff received a sentence of 150 years for his shenanigans which some people think is far worse than Jefferson's crimes. They claim that Jefferson never harmed or killed anyone by accepting bribes. I think they're wrong.
While Jefferson never actually pulled a trigger or slit a throat, money that he and his family collected through Federal Government grants intended for the numerous "non-profit" organizations they own ended up lining their own pockets. Money which could have been the difference between a child picking up a pen, brush or math book instead of a gun or a crack pipe. Can you honestly tell me, with a straight face, that Bill Jefferson's actions caused harm to no-one?
For those of you thinking that eighteen years is too light a sentence, remember there's the forfeiture. The thinking here is that Jefferson will end up having to forfeit at least a half a million dollars which he and his family members profited through his shady dealings. I think that's abysmally low. Let's set a precedent and force him to pay back the Federal Government every cent he made from his salary as a congressman. Let's make that the rule of law for any public official convicted of corruption. Jefferson's forfeiture hearing is set for today.
Jefferson's actions have cast doubt on his entire career of "public service" and for that, he should pay dearly and lose his entire paycheck from his "service" on Capitol Hill. That would add just over 2.7 million dollars to his forfeiture, and for Bill Jefferson, a man who worships the all-mighty dollar, that would hurt him more than any prison term.
UPDATE: Jefferson's forfeiture hearing ran its course today, and as expected he will have to cough up over $470 million, plus millions of shares of (now worthless) stock in a (now defunct) Nigerian telecom company. Next up is his sentencing, scheduled for October 30th.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Jindal For Veep!
I'm serious.
Fuck recall, let's just let the useless bastard go to Washington and attend parties. It's appears that's all he's good for. Earlier this week, Governor Bobby Jindal allowed a record 90th bill to become law without his signature. That's basically one bill every two days he's spent in office. The average is higher if you don't count weekends. Whether he's emulating Ray Nagin's "hands-off" approach or the late OK Allen's "yass-mistah-Huey" rubber stamp style, Bobby Jindal is clearly a mistake made by the collective electorate of Louisiana, of which I'm sad to say, I am a part of.
And speaking of pay raises... (nice segue, huh?)
Our Louisiana legislators found time at the end of this session to craft a bill giving fire fighters a minor pay increase. Guess who's threatened to veto it? Yep, Bobby J himself. While he ignores the pleas, cries and screams of thousands of his constituents to veto SB 672 which grants an unprecedented and undeserved 200% pay raise to our legislators, he wants to screw some of our first responders. What a guy!
Now before you start thinking that the legislature is finally doing something right by raising firefighter pay, get this: The raise doesn't go into effect until next year! That's right kids, the greedy hogs in Baton Rouge get instant gratification while our friends and neighbors who put their lives on the line have to do without for another year!
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't we elect Bobby to "govern" our state? Doesn't that include signing or vetoing bills as needed? Hell, I can watch the bills float past, and I'd do the job for half of what BJ is paid. So why not let him run off to Washington with his new girlfriend John McCain? It's not like we'd miss him and he'd fit in perfectly with the rest of the lazy liars in our nation's capitol.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
You Have 19 Days...
Nineteen days to call, write, e-mail and telegram Governor Bobby Jindal regarding SB 672. That's how long he has to veto this bill. Why should he? Because he promised us he would when he ran for election. Thanks to the diligent efforts of CB Forgotston, one of Jindal's campaign brochures has been unearthed and the words read clearly:
MAKE THE LEGISLATURE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CITIZENS THEY REPRESENT:
Prohibit Legislators from giving themselves pay raises that take effect before the subsequent elections.
Any increase in salary approved by the Legislature should take effect after the next election so the public can decide who deserves that compensation.
You can see the whole brochure here.
You can send your message to Governor Jindal here.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Apologies & Nudges
My apologies to State Senator Ann Duplessis, the Mercedes driving public servant whose Second District contains the still-devastated Lower Ninth Ward. Somewhere in a previous post I may have mentioned that she was the driving force behind SB 672, the little bill with the big payoff. It seems I may have blogged too soon.
As the cockroaches in Baton Rouge scurry from the light of day, one big bold mother-fucker has decided to remain in the spotlight no mater how big a shoe hangs above his head. That would be Republican Jim Tucker from District 86 on the Westbank.
The tubby Tucker has been moving and shaking behind the scenes for quite some time since this bill was introduced and his influence has not gone unnoticed. Of course, he hasn't been trying to stay below the radar, either. Before most of the public caught scent of SB 672, Wild Man Tucker was threatening Governor Bobby Jindal with congressional roadblocks if any pay raises were vetoed. In fact, the words "dead on arrival" were used regarding a number of legislations that Jindal wants passed.
During the House vote, Tucker could be seen huffing and puffing across the floor trying to assess the stance of his cohorts and finding that he was quickly losing support, he did a little subtraction from the overall raise and rushed the bill through before he lost any more votes. Now that's hustle!
On the day of the vote, Tucker took the podium and in a fit of Bushian "with-us-or-agin-us-ism" lambasted any and all who thought of voting against SB 672. He verbally lacerated bloggers for posting pictures of Annie's Mercedes online. Hey, it's the vehicle of a public servant. I pay for it and I'll post it wherever the hell I want Jimmy!
So again, my apologies to Annie. I realize now that she's simply the tool which Jimmy used to make our public servants richer. When you think about it, it's almost as if the Old South is still alive with Miss Annie working hard for whip-craking, slave-driver Jim on the old plantation, although Annie's more of a sharecropper here. And Massah Bobby has too much to gain in Cotton-Picking Politics-As-Usual here in Louisiana to do anything to stop it, even though he knows he's the only one who can.
So the upshot here is that instead of six-million dollars, we will only have to pay these douchebags 4.5-million dollars, (unless the feds approve themselves another raise,) for a part-time job. The raise will not fix our streets, enhance our schools, equip our first responders, or protect our lives and homes. It will make those kind souls across the world who have given so much to help us recover from Katrina think twice before they send us any more aid. It will make our state look so incompetent and inept that we will once again be known as the Haven of Corruption we once were. It will not "attract a better type of person" to public office as has been inanely stated by so many of the apparently poor performers we now have. It will simply attract a greedier class of thief.
It's up to you now Governor Bobby Jindal. You shouldn't need a nudge from me, but here it is: You can do the job we elected you to do or you can hide behind rhetorical prose and send this state further into disarray.
As the cockroaches in Baton Rouge scurry from the light of day, one big bold mother-fucker has decided to remain in the spotlight no mater how big a shoe hangs above his head. That would be Republican Jim Tucker from District 86 on the Westbank.
The tubby Tucker has been moving and shaking behind the scenes for quite some time since this bill was introduced and his influence has not gone unnoticed. Of course, he hasn't been trying to stay below the radar, either. Before most of the public caught scent of SB 672, Wild Man Tucker was threatening Governor Bobby Jindal with congressional roadblocks if any pay raises were vetoed. In fact, the words "dead on arrival" were used regarding a number of legislations that Jindal wants passed.
During the House vote, Tucker could be seen huffing and puffing across the floor trying to assess the stance of his cohorts and finding that he was quickly losing support, he did a little subtraction from the overall raise and rushed the bill through before he lost any more votes. Now that's hustle!
On the day of the vote, Tucker took the podium and in a fit of Bushian "with-us-or-agin-us-ism" lambasted any and all who thought of voting against SB 672. He verbally lacerated bloggers for posting pictures of Annie's Mercedes online. Hey, it's the vehicle of a public servant. I pay for it and I'll post it wherever the hell I want Jimmy!
So again, my apologies to Annie. I realize now that she's simply the tool which Jimmy used to make our public servants richer. When you think about it, it's almost as if the Old South is still alive with Miss Annie working hard for whip-craking, slave-driver Jim on the old plantation, although Annie's more of a sharecropper here. And Massah Bobby has too much to gain in Cotton-Picking Politics-As-Usual here in Louisiana to do anything to stop it, even though he knows he's the only one who can.
So the upshot here is that instead of six-million dollars, we will only have to pay these douchebags 4.5-million dollars, (unless the feds approve themselves another raise,) for a part-time job. The raise will not fix our streets, enhance our schools, equip our first responders, or protect our lives and homes. It will make those kind souls across the world who have given so much to help us recover from Katrina think twice before they send us any more aid. It will make our state look so incompetent and inept that we will once again be known as the Haven of Corruption we once were. It will not "attract a better type of person" to public office as has been inanely stated by so many of the apparently poor performers we now have. It will simply attract a greedier class of thief.
It's up to you now Governor Bobby Jindal. You shouldn't need a nudge from me, but here it is: You can do the job we elected you to do or you can hide behind rhetorical prose and send this state further into disarray.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
-Edmund Burke
With great power there must also come great responsibility.
-Spider-Man
You're out!
-Any umpire after a poor performance by a ballplayer
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Charges, Jail Time and the Saints Win THe Superbowl!
I am now an official correspondent for Humid City! In order to save byte space on the interweb I have linked this entry to the original post. To read about the Jeffersons new woes and how the Saints will win the Superbowl, mosey on over here.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The Days Are Just Packed
Breaking News:
Betty and Mose Jefferson and Betty's daughter Angela Coleman have just been slapped with 31 federal charges and if convicted, each faces at least 250 years in jail. Most of the charges concern the incredibly slick ways that the Jeffersons 'allegedly' funneled state and federal monies through various non-profit organizations controlled by them into their personal accounts. Betty and Mose also face 4 and 3 charges, respectively, for income tax evasion.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jim Letten on WDSU just moments ago. More as it becomes available.
Betty and Mose Jefferson and Betty's daughter Angela Coleman have just been slapped with 31 federal charges and if convicted, each faces at least 250 years in jail. Most of the charges concern the incredibly slick ways that the Jeffersons 'allegedly' funneled state and federal monies through various non-profit organizations controlled by them into their personal accounts. Betty and Mose also face 4 and 3 charges, respectively, for income tax evasion.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jim Letten on WDSU just moments ago. More as it becomes available.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Et Tu, Una?
Golly! I am shocked! Did you know that people on the Orleans Parish School Board might be putting profit ahead of our children! Una Anderson is the latest victim to have the misfortune of stepping in front of the 'Pampy' Express, a one way bus to Club Fed driven by Stan Barré, and driven hard. Barré faces a 10 year prison term for being involved in more than a few shady dealings during the Marc Morial administration which is one reason not to believe everything he says. On the other hand, Anderson is on the OPSB, so she has that working against her.
Barré claims to have delivered bribes to Anderson's hubby, Dave, from two trash companies, one of which eventually got the Orleans Schools trash hauling contracts. Aparently, three officers of Richards Disposal and Metro Disposal contributed five $1000 checks to Anderson some seven years ago at a dinner party given by Barré at his 7th Ward restaurant. Soon after Anderson's successful election to the school board, Metro was given the school contract worth some $525,000 per year. When questioned by the Feds as to why he was with his wife that evening, Dave Anderson replied shockingly, "it's normal for me to accompany my wife to dinner."
The Feds have been all up in Una's junk before, however it's usually for confirmation of other school board member shenanigans, like Ellenese Brooks-Simms who is also a hit and run victim of the 'Pampy' Express due to her acceptance of bribes in return for purchasing some crappy algebra program for the kiddies. Anderson has been one of the most outspoken board members on the subject of corruption and it's difficult to picture her accepting bribes, but then Oliver Thomas, (another Barré Express casualty,) pretty much fucked up everyone's optimism, didn't he? (In fact, Anderson claims she always suspected Barré of being corrupt. Oh, well I guess it makes perfect sense that you'd accept HIS invitation to dinner at HIS restaurant to meet with HIS buddies for "contributions." Yeah, that doesn't look suspicious.)
On the surface Barrés allegation looks questionable considering that Anderson is now in a run-off for her a State House seat. But add in that no other school board members received money from trash haulers that year. Also add in that Brooks-Simms, (already confessed to accepting bribes,) ran the meeting and motioned for Metro's approval and Anderson seconded the motion. Add in that there were only 8-10 people at that dinner party which neither Anderson admits to remembering too much about even though the other people there were representatives of two of the three or four companies competing for the trash contract. Add in the $5000 Anderson was given that night by those same representatives, (and she still doesn't recall the evening clearly?) and it starts to look a little strange.
True, on the surface, there's nothing wrong with accepting campaign contributions, but when those same contributors start picking up the hefty gubbamint cheese, well, things start to smell funny. They start to smell like garbage. Who do we have to bribe to get some honest politicians in this town?
Barré claims to have delivered bribes to Anderson's hubby, Dave, from two trash companies, one of which eventually got the Orleans Schools trash hauling contracts. Aparently, three officers of Richards Disposal and Metro Disposal contributed five $1000 checks to Anderson some seven years ago at a dinner party given by Barré at his 7th Ward restaurant. Soon after Anderson's successful election to the school board, Metro was given the school contract worth some $525,000 per year. When questioned by the Feds as to why he was with his wife that evening, Dave Anderson replied shockingly, "it's normal for me to accompany my wife to dinner."
The Feds have been all up in Una's junk before, however it's usually for confirmation of other school board member shenanigans, like Ellenese Brooks-Simms who is also a hit and run victim of the 'Pampy' Express due to her acceptance of bribes in return for purchasing some crappy algebra program for the kiddies. Anderson has been one of the most outspoken board members on the subject of corruption and it's difficult to picture her accepting bribes, but then Oliver Thomas, (another Barré Express casualty,) pretty much fucked up everyone's optimism, didn't he? (In fact, Anderson claims she always suspected Barré of being corrupt. Oh, well I guess it makes perfect sense that you'd accept HIS invitation to dinner at HIS restaurant to meet with HIS buddies for "contributions." Yeah, that doesn't look suspicious.)
On the surface Barrés allegation looks questionable considering that Anderson is now in a run-off for her a State House seat. But add in that no other school board members received money from trash haulers that year. Also add in that Brooks-Simms, (already confessed to accepting bribes,) ran the meeting and motioned for Metro's approval and Anderson seconded the motion. Add in that there were only 8-10 people at that dinner party which neither Anderson admits to remembering too much about even though the other people there were representatives of two of the three or four companies competing for the trash contract. Add in the $5000 Anderson was given that night by those same representatives, (and she still doesn't recall the evening clearly?) and it starts to look a little strange.
True, on the surface, there's nothing wrong with accepting campaign contributions, but when those same contributors start picking up the hefty gubbamint cheese, well, things start to smell funny. They start to smell like garbage. Who do we have to bribe to get some honest politicians in this town?
Thursday, August 16, 2007
I'm Back!
And apparently, you folks have been letting things slide. As I collapsed on the bed after my second trip to the 'Burgh in three weeks, I popped on the tube to catch up on the news. What did I see? One of the last honest (I thought...) politicians left in the Big Easy resigning in shame over a corruption deal tied to (of all things) the Morial Administration.
Well fuck me.
I'm not even going to go into detail here, but apparently city councilman Oliver Thomas is just as worthless as Vitter, Jefferson, Broussard and most of the other scumbags he has derided in the past. He has admitted taking bribes to ensure certain individuals received lucrative parking contracts. Now I admit that upon first hearing this news, straight from Thomas himself, my mind did a doubletake and said, "No. Ya gotta be kidding. He's the honest one." It wasn't like the Jefferson incident when my mind just said, "Wow, someone finally noticed his shenanigans," then farted qiute loudly in disgust. I watched Thomas' interview with Norman Robinson and actually felt a little sorry for the guy. He gave in to temptation and unfortunately got caught. But then Robinson asked the $64,000 question...
"Were you approached by them or did they approach you?"
What followed next was the most unbecoming twenty seconds of awkward silence I have ever seen a politician go through. Now OT is not a stupid man. The fact that this question stopped him cold like this was very telling. Of course he answered that they came to him, what else would he say? But for a bright guy like him to have to fumble for such an easily answered question... well, let's just say that he buried the needle on my Bullshit-O-Meter.
My advice for Ollie? Follow your current path. You've already done the hard part in confessing and resigning and for that I retain a modicum of respect for you. Now play nice with the Feds and answer all the questions they have honestly and help send some other local scumbags to prison. It's the least you can do for the city you claim to love.
One small side note here: Last night on WDSU, the reporter covering the Sal & Mabel Mangano case was discussing the witness list for the trial and how it included local meteorologists, news directors and politicians. (I think it was Richard Angelico, but I was laughing too hard to be sure.) He had no trouble saying the words "witness list" until he came to the name of Governor Kathleen Blanco who he said was on the "witless list." Freudian slip? Truth stranger than fiction? Who knows, but he certainly nailed that one on its flat head!
Well fuck me.
I'm not even going to go into detail here, but apparently city councilman Oliver Thomas is just as worthless as Vitter, Jefferson, Broussard and most of the other scumbags he has derided in the past. He has admitted taking bribes to ensure certain individuals received lucrative parking contracts. Now I admit that upon first hearing this news, straight from Thomas himself, my mind did a doubletake and said, "No. Ya gotta be kidding. He's the honest one." It wasn't like the Jefferson incident when my mind just said, "Wow, someone finally noticed his shenanigans," then farted qiute loudly in disgust. I watched Thomas' interview with Norman Robinson and actually felt a little sorry for the guy. He gave in to temptation and unfortunately got caught. But then Robinson asked the $64,000 question...
"Were you approached by them or did they approach you?"
What followed next was the most unbecoming twenty seconds of awkward silence I have ever seen a politician go through. Now OT is not a stupid man. The fact that this question stopped him cold like this was very telling. Of course he answered that they came to him, what else would he say? But for a bright guy like him to have to fumble for such an easily answered question... well, let's just say that he buried the needle on my Bullshit-O-Meter.
My advice for Ollie? Follow your current path. You've already done the hard part in confessing and resigning and for that I retain a modicum of respect for you. Now play nice with the Feds and answer all the questions they have honestly and help send some other local scumbags to prison. It's the least you can do for the city you claim to love.
One small side note here: Last night on WDSU, the reporter covering the Sal & Mabel Mangano case was discussing the witness list for the trial and how it included local meteorologists, news directors and politicians. (I think it was Richard Angelico, but I was laughing too hard to be sure.) He had no trouble saying the words "witness list" until he came to the name of Governor Kathleen Blanco who he said was on the "witless list." Freudian slip? Truth stranger than fiction? Who knows, but he certainly nailed that one on its flat head!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The Jeffersons
Oh we movin' on up, to the east side...
Certainly one bad apple don't spoil the whole damn bunch, but in the case of the Jefferson family, the bunch may have been spoiled to begin with. I really hate to call negative attention to New Orleans, (yet again,) but my calling is quite clear. After doing a little digging through the Times-Picayune, I collected a few tidbits which I'd now like to share, but get the Alka-Selzer out, what follows is not for the weak of stomach.
US Representative William Jefferson is currently under indictment for 16 counts of bribery, racketeering, fraud and obstruction of justice in a case which has already seen two of his cronies plead guilty. This would be the iGate deal in which Jefferson allegedly used his official clout to broker deals in Africa. Despite the fact that Jefferson was caught on tape soliciting a bribe and was found with $90,000 of that money squirrelled away in his freezer, (which he has yet to "rationally explain" as he promised,) an amazing number of his constituents refuse to believe he is guilty, instead opting for all manner of explanations from "political witch-hunts" to racism. Indeed, his constituents are so enamored of him, he easily coasted to a recent re-election victory over opponent Karen Carter even though her funds outweighed his at a ratio of 4.5 to 1. (Jefferson had slightly over 50% of the vote. Of course, only about 20% of the registered voters bothered to go to the polls.)
According to documents, Bill Jefferson made sure that not only he profited from his office, but his family as well. The indictment lists "Family Members 1-5" as beneficiaries of his supposed shady dealings, one of which is thought to be Andrea Jefferson, Bill's wife and manager of ANJ Group LLC which reportedly received money from the iGate deal. Andrea made headlines back in 1994 when she was paid $50,000 by Grambling State University to teach a class which had a grand total of one student. She also sued Southern University in 2003 for firing her from a top position. Part of the settlement was a job as a fundraiser which paid $72,000/year and it is rumoured that hubby Bill used his local clout to arrange the settlement.
The indictment also indicates that his brother Mose (referred to as "Family Member 2") was also part of the scheme. Mose Jefferson has recently been linked to a bribery scheme involving Ellenese Brooks-Sims, former New Orleans School Superintendant, who entered a guilty plea concerning $140,000 dollars in bribe money she received from Mose, a former cog in Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's political outfit. (And we all know what a shining example of political incorruptability that outfit was.)
But like Bill, Mose knows how to take care of the family too. Mose is the head of BEP Consulting which owns an eight unit building in Central City. This building houses the "unofficial" HQ of Bill's political group, the Progressive Democrats, the office of former city council-whore Renee Gill Pratt and some of the Jefferson families other "non-profit" organizations. Ownership of the building has been shuffled between many of the Jefferson's through the years, each time being sold for just $10,000. Care Unlimited, one of the Jefferson's pet projects housed in the building, has received millions of dollars in state grants thanks to Gill-Pratt who is also a former (or possibly current) girlfriend of Mose and former aide to Bill. One of the units in the building is rented out for 21,000 taxpayer dollars per year, (twice the cost the building was purchased for by BEP,) to current state rep Jalila Jefferson-Bullock, daughter of Bill.
But wait... there's more!
Yet another sister, Betty, was helped to the tax assessors office by Bill and his political groups. Soon after winning the job in 1998, she slashed the taxes on a 27 unit apartment building owned by brother Bill to almost nothing. Betty and Mose also garnered criticism in trying to profit from a deal involving school uniforms in 1989 when she sat on the New Orleans School Board but no wrongdoing was found.
Not related by blood, but by marriage, (and possibly by deed,) Bill's brother-in-law, former state judge Alan Green, is currently serving a four-year sentence for accepting bribes from a bail bonds company in Jefferson Parish.
And some time back, Bill inked a deal with Daimler-Chrysler to donate 16 automobiles to the city for help in recoving from Hurricane Katrina. Although the vehicles were signed over to the New Orleans City Council, most were then handed back to "non-profit" organizations run by Jefferson family members or associated with the Jefferson political machine. In fact, at least four of the autos were donated by then current councilwoman Renee Gill-Pratt. (Remember her?) She sent two of the autos to Care Unlimited, one of which she had been using as her personal vehicle until she was caught. Soon after her defeat in the last election she was hired by, (take a guess,) Care Unlimited, where she has resumed use of her shiny new auto. Luckily, the money still rolls into Care Unlimited thanks to generous help from Jalila Jefferson Bullock who now sits in the legislative seat once held by Gill-Pratt.
The FBI is currently investigating organizations for- and non-profit connected to the Jefferson camp, including the Central City Adult Education Agency, N.O. Drug Education Intervention, Care Unlimited Inc., and Orleans Metropolitan Housing and Community Development Incorporated. One has to wonder how many worms you have to uncover in a basket of apples before you realize that they're all rotten. Why has no-one ever put all this together before? Surely New Orleans District Attorney Eddie Jordan is smart enough to connect the dots. Oh, but then Eddie is a close and personal friend of Bill. In fact, Bill was instrumental in furthering Jordan's career. Jordan, likewise, is a staunch supporter of Jefferson. Fucking Scumbags.
From the cotton fields of Lake Providence, (where Bill and his siblings were born and raised,) to REMCO, (a rent-to-own company owned by the family which faced continual tax problems,) to the slumlord years of the 80's, (Bill's housing units were some of the most distressed in the city and were plagued by tax problems,) and to Harvard and law firms, (yes, more tax woes,) political organizations and Capitol Hill, life has been a strange road for the Jefferson family. The family farm on Jefferson Road, (yes, named after the family,) in Lake providence no longer stands, destroyed ages ago by a tornado. The cemetery where his parents are buried lies along the road amid the cotton fields they once worked, but at the end of Jefferson Road there's a very foreboding structure. Surrounded by fences and razorwire stands the Lake Providence Jail. Now that's irony for you.
Certainly one bad apple don't spoil the whole damn bunch, but in the case of the Jefferson family, the bunch may have been spoiled to begin with. I really hate to call negative attention to New Orleans, (yet again,) but my calling is quite clear. After doing a little digging through the Times-Picayune, I collected a few tidbits which I'd now like to share, but get the Alka-Selzer out, what follows is not for the weak of stomach.
US Representative William Jefferson is currently under indictment for 16 counts of bribery, racketeering, fraud and obstruction of justice in a case which has already seen two of his cronies plead guilty. This would be the iGate deal in which Jefferson allegedly used his official clout to broker deals in Africa. Despite the fact that Jefferson was caught on tape soliciting a bribe and was found with $90,000 of that money squirrelled away in his freezer, (which he has yet to "rationally explain" as he promised,) an amazing number of his constituents refuse to believe he is guilty, instead opting for all manner of explanations from "political witch-hunts" to racism. Indeed, his constituents are so enamored of him, he easily coasted to a recent re-election victory over opponent Karen Carter even though her funds outweighed his at a ratio of 4.5 to 1. (Jefferson had slightly over 50% of the vote. Of course, only about 20% of the registered voters bothered to go to the polls.)
According to documents, Bill Jefferson made sure that not only he profited from his office, but his family as well. The indictment lists "Family Members 1-5" as beneficiaries of his supposed shady dealings, one of which is thought to be Andrea Jefferson, Bill's wife and manager of ANJ Group LLC which reportedly received money from the iGate deal. Andrea made headlines back in 1994 when she was paid $50,000 by Grambling State University to teach a class which had a grand total of one student. She also sued Southern University in 2003 for firing her from a top position. Part of the settlement was a job as a fundraiser which paid $72,000/year and it is rumoured that hubby Bill used his local clout to arrange the settlement.
The indictment also indicates that his brother Mose (referred to as "Family Member 2") was also part of the scheme. Mose Jefferson has recently been linked to a bribery scheme involving Ellenese Brooks-Sims, former New Orleans School Superintendant, who entered a guilty plea concerning $140,000 dollars in bribe money she received from Mose, a former cog in Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's political outfit. (And we all know what a shining example of political incorruptability that outfit was.)
But like Bill, Mose knows how to take care of the family too. Mose is the head of BEP Consulting which owns an eight unit building in Central City. This building houses the "unofficial" HQ of Bill's political group, the Progressive Democrats, the office of former city council-whore Renee Gill Pratt and some of the Jefferson families other "non-profit" organizations. Ownership of the building has been shuffled between many of the Jefferson's through the years, each time being sold for just $10,000. Care Unlimited, one of the Jefferson's pet projects housed in the building, has received millions of dollars in state grants thanks to Gill-Pratt who is also a former (or possibly current) girlfriend of Mose and former aide to Bill. One of the units in the building is rented out for 21,000 taxpayer dollars per year, (twice the cost the building was purchased for by BEP,) to current state rep Jalila Jefferson-Bullock, daughter of Bill.
But wait... there's more!
Yet another sister, Betty, was helped to the tax assessors office by Bill and his political groups. Soon after winning the job in 1998, she slashed the taxes on a 27 unit apartment building owned by brother Bill to almost nothing. Betty and Mose also garnered criticism in trying to profit from a deal involving school uniforms in 1989 when she sat on the New Orleans School Board but no wrongdoing was found.
Not related by blood, but by marriage, (and possibly by deed,) Bill's brother-in-law, former state judge Alan Green, is currently serving a four-year sentence for accepting bribes from a bail bonds company in Jefferson Parish.
And some time back, Bill inked a deal with Daimler-Chrysler to donate 16 automobiles to the city for help in recoving from Hurricane Katrina. Although the vehicles were signed over to the New Orleans City Council, most were then handed back to "non-profit" organizations run by Jefferson family members or associated with the Jefferson political machine. In fact, at least four of the autos were donated by then current councilwoman Renee Gill-Pratt. (Remember her?) She sent two of the autos to Care Unlimited, one of which she had been using as her personal vehicle until she was caught. Soon after her defeat in the last election she was hired by, (take a guess,) Care Unlimited, where she has resumed use of her shiny new auto. Luckily, the money still rolls into Care Unlimited thanks to generous help from Jalila Jefferson Bullock who now sits in the legislative seat once held by Gill-Pratt.
The FBI is currently investigating organizations for- and non-profit connected to the Jefferson camp, including the Central City Adult Education Agency, N.O. Drug Education Intervention, Care Unlimited Inc., and Orleans Metropolitan Housing and Community Development Incorporated. One has to wonder how many worms you have to uncover in a basket of apples before you realize that they're all rotten. Why has no-one ever put all this together before? Surely New Orleans District Attorney Eddie Jordan is smart enough to connect the dots. Oh, but then Eddie is a close and personal friend of Bill. In fact, Bill was instrumental in furthering Jordan's career. Jordan, likewise, is a staunch supporter of Jefferson. Fucking Scumbags.
From the cotton fields of Lake Providence, (where Bill and his siblings were born and raised,) to REMCO, (a rent-to-own company owned by the family which faced continual tax problems,) to the slumlord years of the 80's, (Bill's housing units were some of the most distressed in the city and were plagued by tax problems,) and to Harvard and law firms, (yes, more tax woes,) political organizations and Capitol Hill, life has been a strange road for the Jefferson family. The family farm on Jefferson Road, (yes, named after the family,) in Lake providence no longer stands, destroyed ages ago by a tornado. The cemetery where his parents are buried lies along the road amid the cotton fields they once worked, but at the end of Jefferson Road there's a very foreboding structure. Surrounded by fences and razorwire stands the Lake Providence Jail. Now that's irony for you.
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