The primary reason for the multi-fold cost overrun is that the Russian political road of life is paved with bribery, kickbacks, and other cost inflating crimes and shenanigans. On the surface and from our heritage, we would usually scoff at how backwards and inefficient a corrupt country like Russia is. Our perception is that this type of corruption and criminal activity would never happen in the U.S.
But when you really think about it, as we did yesterday, Obama’s America today is really not much different than Putin’s Russia is. Despite lofty promises and goals:
- The Obama administration gave out tens of billions of dollars to political financial backers and cronies who just happened to own and be invested in alternative energy companies, almost all of which have gone bankrupt, taking that taxpayer money with them but providing no societal return.
- The Obama administration failed to rein in Federal budget earmarks that usually end up being paid out to political backers, using taxpayer money, for nothing more than the financial supporter those backers gave to the political class in the past.
- The Obama administration promised to operate the most transparent administration of all time, a situation that if it had come true, would certainly help stamp out political corruption, secret payments, slush funds, and other corruption. But, alas, this administration has turned out to be the least transparent administration of all time, leaving one to wonder what kind of Putin/Russian-like kickbacks and bribery schemes are actually going on.
- And the main discussion point yesterday, was to point out the reality that the majority of people Obama has submitted for approval to become U.S. foreign ambassadors are nothing more than political backers and “bundlers” who had to have raised at least half a million dollars in support of President Obama;s previous political campaigns in exchange for a plum and cushy ambassadorship.
Nagin had been a long time political figure in New Orleans, serving as mayor for a long time including during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Thus, he had plenty of time and opportunity to do what American politicians do, a mirror image of what Russian politicians do, make himself rich at taxpayer and citizen expense. Consider what he was convicted for:
Count 1: Bribery - Guilty
The charge: Creating, through a variety of bribes and kickbacks, "a scheme and artifice to defraud" the residents of New Orleans of his honest services as a public official. Many of the individual elements of this scheme make up the other 20 crimes with which Nagin was charged. Maximum prison term: 5 years
The charge: Creating, through a variety of bribes and kickbacks, "a scheme and artifice to defraud" the residents of New Orleans of his honest services as a public official. Many of the individual elements of this scheme make up the other 20 crimes with which Nagin was charged. Maximum prison term: 5 years
Count 2: Bribery - Guilty
The charge: Accepting $60,000 from the three principals of Three Fold Consulting, an engineering firm, in exchange for special treatment. Maximum prison term: 10 years
The charge: Accepting $60,000 from the three principals of Three Fold Consulting, an engineering firm, in exchange for special treatment. Maximum prison term: 10 years
Count 3: Bribery - Guilty
The charge: Accepting a $2,500 bribe from Rodney Williams, a principal in Three Fold Consulting, in exchange for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 10 years
The charge: Accepting a $2,500 bribe from Rodney Williams, a principal in Three Fold Consulting, in exchange for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 10 years
Count 4: Bribery - Guilty
The charge: Accepting a shipment of granite from Frank Fradella's company, Home Solutions, in exchange for favorable treatment.
The charge: Accepting a shipment of granite from Frank Fradella's company, Home Solutions, in exchange for favorable treatment.
Maximum prison term: 10 years
Count 5: Bribery - Guilty
The charge: Accepting a $50,000 bribe from Frank Fradella's company, Home Solutions, in exchange for favorable treatment.
The charge: Accepting a $50,000 bribe from Frank Fradella's company, Home Solutions, in exchange for favorable treatment.
Maximum prison term: 10 years
Count 6: Bribery - Guilty
The charge: Accepting a second shipment of granite from Frank Fradella's company, Home Solutions, in exchange for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 10 years
Count 7: Bribery - Not Guilty
The charge: Accepting a $10,000 bribe arranged by Rodney Williams, a principal in Three Fold Consultants. Maximum prison term: 10 years
The charge: Accepting a $10,000 bribe arranged by Rodney Williams, a principal in Three Fold Consultants. Maximum prison term: 10 years
Count 8: Wire Fraud - Guilty
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 9: Wire Fraud - Guilty
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 10: Wire Fraud - Guilty
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 11: Wire Fraud - Guilty
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 12: Wire Fraud - Gulity
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 13: Wire Fraud - Guilty
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 14: Wire Fraud - Guilty
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 15: Wire Fraud - Guilty
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 16: Wire Fraud - Guilty
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
The charge: Accepting, via interstate wire transfer, a $12,500 check from a company associated with Frank Fradella, ostensibly for consulting services after Nagin left office, but really a reward for favorable treatment. Maximum prison term: 20 years
Count 17: Money Laundering Conspiracy -Guilty
The charge: Conspiring with others to accept money derived from illegal activity, i.e. bribes, and transferring those proceeds through the financial system. Maximum prison term: 10 years
The charge: Conspiring with others to accept money derived from illegal activity, i.e. bribes, and transferring those proceeds through the financial system. Maximum prison term: 10 years
Count 18: Filing a false tax return - Guilty
The charge: Misstating income on his 2005 tax return. Maximum prison term: 3 years
The charge: Misstating income on his 2005 tax return. Maximum prison term: 3 years
Count 19: Filing a false tax return - Guilty
The charge: Misstating income on his 2006 tax return. Maximum prison term: 3 years
The charge: Misstating income on his 2006 tax return. Maximum prison term: 3 years
Count 20: Filing a false tax return - Guilty
The charge: Misstating income on his 2007 tax return. Maximum prison term: 3 years
The charge: Misstating income on his 2007 tax return. Maximum prison term: 3 years
Count 21: Filing a false tax return - Guilty
The charge: Misstating income on his 2008 tax return. Maximum prison term: 3 years
The charge: Misstating income on his 2008 tax return. Maximum prison term: 3 years
Look at the words that are used to describe the transgressions: bribes, kickbacks, money laundering, fraud, special treatment, favorable treatment. If you replace some of the players’ names above, e.g. Ray, Frank, and Rodney, with Igor, Ivan, and Vladimir, you have the Russian Sochi Olympic Games, a mirror image of American political corruption.
Thus, whether it is the mayor of New Orleans, the financial backers of the bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra in California, the thousands of earmark recipients around the country, or the ambassadorships for sale in the Obama administration, it really is no different than the political thugs and financial parasites in Russia, only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.
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