Is Baltimore the Most Corrupt City in America?
I would say unequivocally, “No.” I believe Baltimore is in the top 5, yet places like Chicago, Detroit and D.C. (when congress is in session) would be the top 3. New Orleans and Philly would also be up there. It’s unfortunate that the urban centers of most states have become so entirely corrupt and guess which party runs the majority of these cities? You guessed it! The Democrats, but what’s new right? Most people can’t seem to put 2 + 2 together.
The court records read like a scene out of Goodfellas: From their prison cells and with the help of corrections staff, authorities say, members of a violent gang were feasting on salmon and shrimp, sipping Grey Goose vodka and puffing fine cigars – all while directing drug deals, extorting protection money from other inmates and arranging attacks on witnesses and rival gang members.
A seven-month investigation that included wiretaps on contraband prison cell phones led to the indictment on drug and weapons charges of 24 people – including four state prison officers – who authorities believe are leaders or associates of the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang, officials announced Thursday.
A search warrant outlines how gang members were able to obtain heroin, direct hits on enemies through so-called “Death Angels” and conduct cell phone conference calls to arrange business with inmates around the state.
“It’s not enough just to catch the bad guys and get them convicted and sent to prison,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “We need to make sure that while they’re in prison, they’re isolated and not able to carry on and continue their gang activities.
The state prison system has long struggled to keep out contraband. Last month, a Baltimore man accused of using a contraband cell phone in jail to order the killing of a witness was again caught with an illegal phone behind bars. Court records allege a host of sordid activities carried out with the help of corrections staff members, including drug smuggling and prostitution.
But I personally feel that the bigger problem exists within the political regimes of Baltimore, where many cover-ups take place, politicians and police both work with the local media like the Baltimore Sun (reporting this) to cover particular stories or spin them a certain way. Mayor Sheila Dixon was recently indicted on several counts of corruption, fraud and bribery. Former Mayor O’Malley, who is now the governor of Maryland, and turned the state surplus into a huge deficit, has made the state the 4th highest tax burdened in the nation so he could pay off his cronies when getting into office. There is also much speculation that O’Malley along with the police force covered up the murder statistics of Baltimore to give O’Malley the appearance of doing a decent job as an executive, since he was an up-and-comer of the DNC.
The Wire is a decent and accurate portrayal of the state of Baltimore. The show is written by a former Baltimore Sun reporter and a former Baltimore police officer.
Court documents allege that the Black Guerrilla Family “is attempting to take over the illegal drug trade” in Baltimore and has been working to expand its influence from inside the prison to the street.
On Monday, police discovered more than 100 members of the gang meeting in Druid Hill Park. Unrelated to this week’s indictment, Black Guerrilla Family members are on trial in Circuit Court in connection with two separate murder cases, and on Thursday a member was arrested, accused of threatening to kill a witness in the death of former City Councilman Kenneth N. Harris Sr.
Gangs and the Baltimore Mafia have long since been a problem in the community and these gangs are now infiltrating and becoming a massive problem for the youth of the inner city schools.
Corrections Officers Asia Burrus, Musheerah Habeebullah, Takevia Smith and Terry Robe played a key role in facilitating the gang’s illegal activities, documents say. New inmates who are not affiliated with the gang are required to pay money through prepaid credit cards referred to as “Green Dot” cards. The cards are often held by corrections officers assisting the gang or by members on the street. Those who refused to pay for the “protection” were targeted for violence.
At one point in the recorded conversations, according to the documents, Smith, who is alleged to have had sex with inmates for money, says she is not worried about losing her job. “I got the [corrections officers'] union behind me,” she said.
That should be very telling of unions…
What else should we expect from the city that Nancy Pelosi hailed from?
KIRSTEN POWERS: Women Are Not Delicate Little Flowers Despite What NARAL and Planned Parenthood Think
Click here to read the entire Op-Ed
The organization NARAL Pro Choice America blasted Virginia’s Governor Tim Kaine — the chairman of the Democratic National Committee — on Tuesday for signing a bill that, NARAL says, includes state funding for crisis pregnancy centers. Essentially, if someone buys a “Choose Life” license plate, some of the proceeds would go to crisis centers.
What are they so afraid of? Are their manipulative tactics and practices being threatened?
Women are not delicate little flowers who can’t handle information, despite what NARAL Pro Choice and Planned Parenthood tell us. They should have the option of having all the information presented to them before an abortion so they understand what they are doing.
And that is what everyone should be offerd. Information about all their options. Choices.
NARAL claims that crisis pregnancy centers — which exist to dissuade women from having an abortion — mislead woman. In New York, abortion rights groups lobbied Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to shut down such centers because they allegedly “scared” women.
And they should scare them a little bit. Abortion is taking the life of the most innocent and unprotected. This is not a form of birth control. Giving the woman a choice to have or provide a couple with an adoptive baby is much more worthy than terminating the life of the infant. What are they so scared of?
Women are not delicate little flowers who can’t handle information, despite what NARAL Pro Choice and Planned Parenthood tell us. They should have the option of having all the information presented to them before an abortion so they understand what they are doing.
How true is this? Women are a lot tougher, smarter, and able to make decisions about life than an angry pro-choice mob demanding abortion rights (which I, obviously, do not agree with). Women in this situation need to know all the facts so they can make an informed decision, not one based on radical ideology.
Abortion-rights activists sneer about anti-abortion advocates ignoring science. But the reality is that science is not on the side of NARAL or their ilk, and they know that. That’s why they don’t want women looking at ultrasounds or hearing that what they call a “little clump of cells” has a heartbeat at 3 weeks. (I learned that at the “Bodies” exhibit).
It was learning about that current science on fetal development that first shook my strong pro-choice beliefs. (I’m now where most Americans are: not advocating overturning Roe v. Wade, but in favor of limitations on abortion).
Exactly. I am not completely in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade, however, there needs to be some serious intervention and PREVENTION. There are situations, either medical or criminal, that merit this procedure, then I can agree. However, when it is simply for the convenience of the mother to be….well, I have a problem with that.
Another key focus was on how to help women get health insurance if they wanted to keep the baby and finding parents to adopt the child if they wanted that option.
But as a person who cares about women’s rights, I would be enormously pleased if the people who claim to be “pro-choice” would embrace a wider array of choices for women dealing with unwanted pregnancies, rather than trying to bully any organization offering abortion alternatives out of existence.
DNC Accusing Jindal of Using Rush Limbaugh as his Speech Writer
Even if this were true…and I’m not sure it is…I would rather have a speech writer and give the speech rather than require a teleprompter at every event.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Democratic National Committee fired back Wednesday at Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal for saying it is OK for Republicans to want President Obama to fail if they think the president is jeopardizing the country.
“We understand that Governor Jindal has had some problems with public speaking lately, but turning to Rush Limbaugh to be your new speechwriter doesn’t help,” DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement sent to the media. “What we know has failed is the reflexive partisan politics of the past that Rush Limbaugh and his Republican party continue to be mired in. Rather than rooting for failure, we urge the Republican party to play a constructive role in moving the country forward and offer a budget proposal.”
