Gregory Luce wrote:
Jim Graham writes:
Apparently, neither existing zoning ordinances nor contracts for the
purchase of city property mean anything if you own a City Council
member.
This is yet another example of how it is nearly impossible to clean up corruption and make government responsive and responsible.[Gregory D. Luce]:
Allegations that an individual or organization 'owns' a council member, allegations that the FBI or US Attorney should look at a situation for criminal behavior, and allegations of suborning 'voter fraud and coercion' are, for sure, quite serious allegations. I would hope that Jim Graham would have more specific and factually supported information before making such serious allegations.
Without a free press that is highly motivated by civic responsibility and ethical concern for the future, getting enough factual information and enough public pressure to address these kinds of problems by law enforcement and political systems is next to impossible. Only wealthy individuals who are concerned can afford to hire a battalion of lawyers and private investigators to get documentable and provable facts.
Without men and women of the highest integrity, and of noble and exceptional character, serving in such law enforcement offices as the district attorney's office and the attorney general's office, situations like this one won't get investigated unless there is political or other advantage in doing so.
As long as we continue to tolerate poor ethics, conflicts of interest, greed, dishonesty and poor character anywhere in the political or government arenas, we will continue to get "public servants" who skirt or break the law, and the tremendous resulting harm done by the example and the ability of others to then likewise flout the laws and justice.
And we will continue to attempt to silence those who mention such crimes with criticism and threat of libel, slander or censorship, simply because as individuals who KNOW a crime is being committed but being the sole, less-powerful than the interests involved individuals that they are, do not have easy ways of obtaining satisfactory proof.
Does it occur to Mr. Luce and others, that if Mr. Graham had documented proof and the legal expertise to clearly state a crime was committed, that he would simply walk into the Attorney General's office, the DA's office, or the FBI's office, and have a whole bunch of people arrested and in jail? Of course he would -- assuming the aforementioned law enforcement offices themselves are not so corrupt already that they would listen to him.
It's a spiraling catch-22. The more we let unethical and criminal conduct slide in the public sector, the more it increases and the wider it reaches until the point where those charged with cleaning it up are unable to do so because they are so tainted themselves.
And we are on the slippery slope now. There is instance after instance where individuals know of crimes committed by public servants and their associates, but being only relatively powerless individuals, there is nothing they can do except to hope to organize with other such powerless individuals to vote some of the scoundrels out of office and hope that the newly elected are slightly more ethical and honest -- AND that those newly elected can have any effect on the entrenched, unelected public officials who are corrupt.
If I were the DA, there would be a dozen or so public officials we all know who would immediately be on the hot seat. I would guess the Mr. Graham could add his own dozen or two, if he were the DA. But it's impossible to prove this stuff as individuals, so the crooks continue to get away with it.
I know nothing about the situation that Mr. Graham outlined in his recent message about the Elroy block. I am only surmising that his situation with regards to knowledge about criminal activity or intent to breach contractual and legal obligations is such that he knows it is wrong, but cannot prove it either through lack of hard documentation or through lack of legal expertise. Perhaps he has both.
However, I do believe Mr. Graham would not bother writing such controversial accusations if he did not 100% believe them to be the case as stated, and did not 100% believe them to be detrimental to the city and the neighborhood if allowed to continue. I am convinced there is no malevolence or ulterior motive in his statements. He simply wants, as do I, the laws to be fairly and equally enforced, and wants government to serve the public in an honest and ethical fashion -- instead of playing games of favoritism based on whatever advantage, benefits, power or money might be involved for the individuals manipulating the system.
If you are opposed to that kind of ethical and honest government, then you certainly have an issue with Mr. Graham. Just stand up and say so.
As for those in the press: do your job. Let's see some defense of our democratic and ethical principles. Let's see some defense of the small guy. Let's see continuous "light" shone on the operation of government, so that all know there are no unscrupulous favors to be had or given. As the saying goes, one cannot fight city hall and the press at the same time.
I realize this is wishful thinking. Investigative journalism in defense our way of life, Constitutional principles and clean government simply does not exist among any of the established media outlets. Instead, they're all focused on delivering infotainment designed to sell more product, making themselves richer.
Chris Johnson, the Diogenes of Fulton
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