Saturday, September 06, 2008

plenty to blog about... now

Just a two days after I blurbed about a desire for blog-spiration I found it in several places. First was the plea bargain in Kwame Kilpatrick's trial. Then John McCain gave his acceptance speech. Then Evan and Aaron spontaneous helped me accomplish some long over yard work. All great stories, but we've got to start somewhere... so let's catch-up on Kwame, shall we?

He plead guilty. finally. in open court. in front of the television cameras and the city of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick plead guilty to two obstruction of justice felony charges. He also plead no contest to assault charges in a separate case.

The conditions of his plea are as follows:
  • Resign within 14 days
  • Serve 120 days in jail
  • Serve 5 years probation
  • Pay $1,000,000 in restitution
  • Surrender his pension
  • Give up his law license
  • Not seek office for 5 years
Immediately following the hearing I admit that I felt a sense of relief. I even felt a bit sorry for the man for all that he and his family had gone through.
Then he gave a televised statement later that evening and it all sympathy disappeared. He did accept responsibility for his actions... about 8 months after he got caught... at the last minute... when his only choices were 120 days in jail or 20 months in jail [there is no way he could have won that trial]. I understand that he would want to leave Detroiters with hope for the future of the city, that he would want to remind everyone that plenty of good things happened during his tenure; however, I felt that he was just so full of himself. I don't think he sees why the mistakes he made should keep him out of the mayor's office (the lies or the affair or the cover up and millions he cost the city).

I'm glad it's done. But unfortunately i don't think this is the last we'll be hearing the Kwame. I'm betting he's going to come up with a law suit of his own or spill some information (truthful or not) about someone else in office.

1 comment:

Jim said...

I find it interesting that time and time again Detroit has elected corrupt politicians and now they have established themselves as the poorest large city in ALL of America. Again if social programs were the answer Detroit would be doing the best of any place. For years these mayors have stolen from the people and yet they continue to elect them thinking that (in this case black mayors) care about them when they really just talk a good game and then use the do as I say not as I do. I see this very same thing going on with the enviroment movement which is really driven by (rich white guys). They say do as I say but not as I do. How many of these people live in great big houses, big great big cars and fly in private planes. These guys are just looking out for themselves. One last thing I found really interesting is that Michigan was in a free fall back in 2006 and they again elected the same governor and her best answer was to raise taxes. How do you take more money from people when they don't have enough to live on now. In my business when less money is coming in because less people are buiulding homes I have to lay off people when it's the government they just raise taxes. Tell me how that is the answer?