A news item this past week didn’t fit the narratives of the liberal press and ended up on one of the back pages. Ray Nagin, former Mayor of New Orleans and poster person for liberal political progress was convicted in federal court of 20 of 21 charges of bribery and conspiracy. He could receive a couple decades receiving free food, shelter and clothing in the Big House. Oliver Thomas, a former city council president commented that Mr. Nagin ‘has an opportunity for reflection.’
Mr. Thomas should know, having done three years for bribery a few years ago.
In 2002 when Nagin became Mayor of the City famous for its Mardi Gras, he promised reform. President George Bush got blamed for the problems related to Katrina, reported as the most destructive storm to ever strike the country. Several hundred city school buses were ruined and 1,600 people lost their lives in the 2005 disaster that cost more than $100 billion.
Bob Filner, Mayor of San Diego from December 2012 to August 2013 resigned amid widespread allegations of sexual misconduct. He was sentenced in 2013 to three months of home confinement and three years of probation for harassing women.
Kwame Kilpatrick, Detroit mayor from 2001 until his resignation in 2008 stood before a federal judge in October, 2013 receiving a 28 year sentence after convictions for racketeering and extortion. Eighteen other city officials were convicted of corruption during his tenure as mayor.
Marion Barry, Mayor of Washington, D.C. spent some time in jail for drug possession and perjury following his conviction in 1990. George Pabey, Mayor of East Chicago, Indiana was convicted in federal court in 2010 of conspiracy and theft of government funds. He will be released from a federal prison in Duluth, MN in 2015. Former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was found guilty of fraudulent misappropriation and sentenced to four years probation, donation of $45,000 to charity and 500 hours of community service. Larry Langford , former Mayor of Birmingham, AL was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a fine of $119,000 after being convicted of conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns.
The reason we don’t hear more about these inglorious government officials is because of an imperious liberal mainstream media that are peddlers of partiality. What we get in place of news is filtered facts to fit the biases of media moguls. The common thread among deviant officials is probably the seductive power of control (over people) and access to a stream of illicit assets and benefits. Politicians turned government officials can fall prey to these misguided ventures regardless of gender, party affiliation, age or race. Certainly all are sorry…….that they got caught.
In addition to bribery, conspiracy, perjury, blackmail, theft, extortion and fraud, there is the ‘malfeasance of turpitude.’ This describes the victims of Detroit and other mostly urban poverty centers where officials at all levels have trained people to fill out welfare claims instead of job applications. These officials, trolling for votes, have convinced their constituents that they don’t need to be self-reliant and self-supporting because the prosaic politicians will care of them through the tax extractions from others.
In this form of depravity, the constituents suffer the consequences of the conspiracy of government officials who expunge personal responsibility from their victims and replace it with a plethora of essential items for sustaining life. Urban populations in the US and throughout the world often suffer from the lack of opportunity. Frequently ignored by government leaders however is an underclass of men, women and families that have ‘gamed the system’ and squander their latent potential by permanently dwelling in the somber government safety net. These communities are ripe spawning grounds for criminal activity.
Our economy, our faith, our very existence is based on honesty. Reasonable people should hear but not swallow the promises of elected officials and watch closely to appraise their results. Remember the immortal words of Robert Half (1919-2001), “Politics is a wonderful career, unless you get caught.”
– Dick Baynton
