Up To 185

Things keep getting worse and worse for former Speaker Sal DiMasi…

New federal corruption charges filed against former Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi roiled Beacon Hill lawmakers yesterday, as the shame of another indicted House leader mixed with concerns that other pols may be next.

“It’s kind of disappointing,” said Rep. James R. Miceli (D-Wilmington). “In the building they keep saying this investigation is going to involve more people.”

The new charges allege that DiMasi – with the help of an unnamed top staffer – secretly invested in Genesis Management Group, a real-estate company that managed the state Transportation Building. DiMasi’s friend Richard Vitale set up the company and prosecutors said DiMasi had a “hidden future interest” in the business.

The fresh indictment means the North End Democrat, 64, faces prison time that could total 185 years.

Can’t wait to see who gets nailed next… shall we start taking bets?

911 Audio Released in Gates Case

The audio of the 911 call reporting a possible break-in at Professor Gates’ house has been released. The headlines are commonly stating that the caller did not mention race.

So what?

I urge everyone to listen to the audio. I also challenge anyone to convince me that the police officers were wrong to ask for identification from Professor Gates.

The caller said multiples times that she did not know if the two gentlemen lived there or not, but it appeared that were breaking-in to the home. Can anyone honestly tell me that police officers arriving at the scene would have been ill-advised to ask for identification from the individuals in the house?

Go ahead and try, but your efforts will be futile.

My conclusion is quite simple…for a Harvard Professor, Henry Louis Gates is pretty stupid.

The Gates of Racism

Talk about making a mountain out of molehill.

You know the story by now…Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. gets upset when a cop comes to his house–after Gates appeared to be breaking into said house–and won’t do the simple task of proving beyond his word that it is in fact his house. Sorry, but if I was locked out of my own house and had to resort to breaking in, I would hope that a neighbor who saw would call it in; and when the cops showed up if they told me of the report of someone breaking in and wanted to me prove my residency, you can be damned sure I would present identification. Damned sure. I would also hope that if a real burglar was in my house, and a cop came in response to a similar phone call that the officer would not be satisfied with the burglar’s assurance that he belongs there.

This whole incident was completely avoidable–had Professor Gates had just explained that his story, showed his ID, and moved on. He thinks it’s because he’s black? The only racism going on here is being perpetrated by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., because of the immediate assumption of racism. In this day and age, racism too serious charge to use aimlessly, and you had damned well better understand the ramifications of the accusations. You can’t go around calling everything amiss with your life the fault of racism; you water down the severity of that charge if you say it too much (and with people like Rev. Al Sharpton getting face time on television, they’re doing a good job of that by themselves).

In a choice between wanting cops to do their jobs, or creating an environment that makes the cops hesitate to protect us (and those we care about) out of fear of potential charges of racism by the likes of Professor Gates, I want the cops to do their jobs. If it looks like someone is breaking and entering my house, or the house of someone I care about, I want the cops to have no hesitation in doing their jobs, no matter what the race of the person who appears to be breaking in. End of story.

The fallout of this event will more than likely hurtrace relations rather than help it. Now Gates wants the entire Cambridge police to go to sensitivity training? Ha! Perhaps you need some sensitivity training, Professor. You need to learn that it’s not racism if the sun shines brighter on your neighbors’ lawn instead of your own.

Professor Gates should be ashamed of himself.

Patrick Aims To “Reform” CORI

Just over halfway into his term, Governor Deval Patrick has filed legislation that will lead to “reforming” the CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information).

Gov. Deval Patrick is filing legislation to tighten access to criminal records, a step he says will help ex-offenders make a new start.

The bill would eliminate access to what Patrick describes as “stale records” of those released from prison who have shown that they aren’t likely to commit new crimes.

Patrick said the bill would make it easier for ex-offenders to apply for a job and find a place to live. They would also be alerted when someone is reviewing their records and have the right to contest the records’ accuracy.

Prisoner advocates say the steps will reform the state’s Criminal Offender Record Information system, known as CORI.

Business groups say it will make it harder for them to learn about prospective employees.

It makes you wonder whose side the Governor is on.

How To Handle To Panhandlers

Amidst budget crises, the City of Boston is trying to address the problem with bums–the panhandlers.

Desperate panhandlers scrambling in this tough economy are risking life and limb wading into busy intersections – prompting city councilors to call for a crackdown and even the mayor himself to report dangerous encounters.

The Herald has found several examples in recent weeks of street beggars blatantly violating a city law barring “aggressive solicitation,” including panhandling in traffic.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino “is concerned about pedestrian and driver safety, including people who step in between moving cars in traffic,” said Jim Greene, director of the city’s Emergency Shelter Commission.

“This is a concern. (The mayor) has called me himself when he sees a situation he thinks is unsafe,” Greene added.

The Herald found panhandlers in rush-hour traffic on major roadways, including the Massachusetts Turnpike offramp in Cambridge, Albany and Herald streets near the onramp to Interstate 93, the Jamaicaway, Cambridge Street near the Haymarket MBTA station and I-93 offramps in Dorchester.

The aggressive solicitation law prohibits panhandlers from “intentionally or recklessly blocking or interfering with” vehicles or people. The law also bars beggars from soliciting near banks and ATMs or “in an aggressive manner.” Violators can be fined $100.

Everyone feels the pinch. Now how come the charitable people out know to spend less and give less to the bums, but the bums in the State House (and Capitol Hill for that matter) can’t figure out that the solution is not spend and give away free money?

Atleast the panhandling bums are willing to work a little extra hard to earn their keep–the Beacon Hill bums just vote themselves a pay raise.

So what happens when you fine the panhandlers $100? They aren’t writing checks–that’s for sure. You’d be luck to get anything resembling a wide array of nickels and dimes and cigarette butts. What do you do when they don’t pay? How do you keep track of these bums and go after those who are delinquent in paying their fines? Are you really going to fine a bum $100?

Let’s be realistic; Boston cops are not going to waste their time issuing fines to bums, and quite honestly, they have more important things to worry about then writing fines that won’t be paid. Panhandlers who are creating unsafe traffic conditions or loiter in front of the ATMs need to be dealt with–but fining the people who have nothing is just silly. Can you come up with a better idea?