OpenCDA

January 29, 2013

(Another) Crooked Former Mayor to Prison

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 9:02 am

Cudahy Silva copy

Today’s Los Angeles Times is reporting that the former mayor of Cudahy, California, will be headed off to federal prison “…for his part in taking $17,000 in bribes from a man who wanted to open a medical marijuana dispensary in the city in southeast Los Angeles County.”

According to Southern California Public Radio, Silva got greedy and accepted “… a $5,000 bribe from the owner of a medical marijuana clinic…” and “…a $50,000 bribe from a developer who received city-owned land at a discounted price. He also accepted other bribes in exchange for his approval on a commercial development.”

Naturally, this kind of corruption could never happen here in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho…

January 28, 2013

Good News, Bad News and More Good…

Filed under: The City's Pulse — mary @ 10:45 am

Mary Souza’s Newsletter   -1

(OpenCdA.com Note:  Bill’s post, below, is looking for comments on this same meeting. Here’s my take on what happened:)

This past Saturday morning there was an open, public meeting between our area legislators and the citizens who got out of their houses on a Saturday morning to express their thoughts and concerns. This type of local Legislative Update happens about twice during the three months the legislature is in session between January and the end of March. Usually there are about 25 people who brave the morning cold to attend the meeting. This time there were more than 100. Quite a turnout. And these people had some things to say! (more…)

January 27, 2013

Were You There…?

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 5:01 pm

AmLegionLogoWere you at the American Legion Post 143 in Post Falls on Saturday to hear nearly all of our area legislators report on the early sessions?

If you were, what are your comments? How accurately and completely did this morning’s skewspaper article report what was said?

Odd Photo???

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 7:21 am

This photo appears in today’s online Idaho Statesman skewspaper story headlined Armed man’s Capitol intrusion unnerves Idaho lawmakers.  Mouse-click on the photo to enlarge it.

1kZl6A.AuSt.36The photo’s caption reads, “An unidentified man carrying a gun looked through legislators’ papers and also took photos of documents on the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives on Jan. 10.  SEE THE VIDEO AT IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM”  I am unable to locate the video at Idahostatesman.com, but the online photo seems very odd to me.

The photo appears to be a frame-grab from the state’s video recording of the incident.  It also appears to show the man’s left hand grasping something above the top of the desk.  If so, the man’s left hand is disproportionately large in comparison to his right hand.  It is also far more red that the other skin tones in the photo.  Finally, there appears to be a coat or jacket draped over the man’s left forearm.  If the “reddish left hand” is represented to be the man’s left hand holding a paper, the man’s lower forearm, wrist, and hand appear to be misaligned with and both longer and thicker than his upper left forearm.  The man is wearing a white or light colored shirt, but the left wrist area appears dark.

 

 

 

 

 

January 25, 2013

McEuen Plan Hurts Businesses

Filed under: The City's Pulse — mary @ 4:56 pm

Mary Souza’s Newsletter  -1

On January 10th, our City Council voted to take away the Front Street driveways of two businesses across from McEuen Park.  This decision will negatively impact the value of these properties. But, in a highly questionable move, the Council allowed another business, on the same section of the street, to keep its two driveways. Want to know why?  Me too.  Here are my observations:  (more…)

January 24, 2013

Summary of Feinstein’s Proposed Law

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 4:51 pm

Di-Fi with rifle copy[

Here is a link to a summary of California U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s proposed firearm control law introduced today in the Congress.

Feinstein is shown holding a rifle in the photo to the left.  Note she appears to have her finger on the trigger.

Breuer Would Do Well In Idaho

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 8:04 am

Eric Holder, Lanny Breuer, Sheila Bair, Mary SchapiroToday’s Washington Post is reporting that one of the Obama-Holder favor-doers, Lanny Breuer, will be resigning his position as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

Breuer was purportedly responsible for public corruption and financial crimes prosecutions involving the nation’s largest (i.e., “too big to prosecute”) banks.  Breuer performed his assigned duties well.  He successfully avoided sending crooked bankers to jail, settling instead for heavy fines.

Breuer would do well here in Idaho.  Idaho has plenty of crooked public officials whom he could avoid sending to jail.  Unfortunately, our county prosecutors and Idaho’s US Attorney are already doing that.  Take a number, get in line, Lanny.

January 19, 2013

(Another) Crooked Mayor Indicted

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 7:16 am

NaginAccording to NOLA.com | The Times Picayune, former New Orleans, LA, mayor Ray Nagin has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 21 counts of corruption for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes during his mayoral tenure.

Here is a copy of the 25-page indictment alleging bribery, corruption, cronyism, and political patronage.  By reading both the online newspaper article and the indictment, readers will better understand the many deceptions that corrupt officials often adopt in an effort to make unlawful actions appear lawful.

Nagin was Mayor of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.  He ran for office, in part, on a promise to rid New Orleans of corruption.  As noted in the Washington Times online article reporting the indictment, the news media bought into Nagin’s deception, choosing to promote Nagin’s rock star image rather than investigate and report.

But none of this could ever happen in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

January 14, 2013

Open Session, Snowy Monday

Filed under: Open Session — mary @ 2:15 pm

deepsnow Do you remember the winter of 2008?  We had much more snow than we do now.  This is a photo of now Councilman Dan Gookin, on his newly cleared sidewalk back in ’08.

Any thoughts about the snow, the city council or anything else on your mind?

January 9, 2013

Another Action Alert?

Filed under: The City's Pulse — mary @ 1:36 pm

Mary Souza’s Newsletter  -1

—Yes, this is the public meeting we’ve been wanting; this is the public, televised meeting between the City Council and the School Board to cut through the obstacles and find an agreement on Person Field. Please join the fun in the lower level of the Library downtown, if you can, tomorrow, Thursday, at 5:00pm, or watch on Channel 19.

The School Board has been painted by many as being uncaring and money hungry in this process, which I think is wholly unfair.   Let me tell you why:

1.  The School Board is trying to be cautious with public money.  They are trying to fill budget shortfalls by reducing spending and selling unneeded assets.  Person Field will not be used for a school or any other district purpose, so it should not continue in the district’s possession.  But the School Board has ALWAYS said it should stay a park.  (more…)

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