all credit goes to concreteloop.com for posting this GREAT story.
Garibaldi Live: Inspire from David Garibaldi on Vimeo.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
"Whats going on" part 2
ANGELA DODGE July 7, 2009 PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/TXS (713) 567-9388
WALLER COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE INDICTED FOR BRIBERY
(HOUSTON) – A sealed indictment charging Waller County Justice of the Peace Dewayne Charleston with violations of federal law arising from a bribery scheme has been unsealed following his arrest today by FBI agents, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today.
Dewayne Charleston, 46, of Hempstead, Waller County, Texas, was arrested this morning without incident at his residence. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy this afternoon and has been ordered released on a $100,000 bond.
The indictment naming Charleston was returned under seal on July 6, 2009, and accuses him of conspiring to solicit, demand and accept bribe money or kickbacks from a local demolition contractor in exchange for obtaining approved vendor status resulting in the awarding of City of Hempstead contracts. The City of Hempstead is located approximately 50 miles west of Houston in Waller County. According to allegations in the indictment, the local demolition contractor is a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) certified operator, which signifies the minority ownership of a business entity with its principal place of business in Texas.
“The public has a right to expect their public officials will objectively represent the interests of the communities they serve, not to sell their votes or support for personal gain,” said Johnson.
Charleston is accused of conspiring with former Mayor Pro-Tem and a City Alderman of the City of Hempstead, Larry Wilson, and former City Alderman Paris Kincade to extort bribe payments from a cooperating witness in exchange for city contracts. The conspiracy allegedly began on July 18, 2005, and continued until Jan. 30, 2008. Charleston organized and orchestrated a bribery scheme, according to the indictment, in which Wilson and Kincade would use their official positions with the City of Hempstead to commit Federal Programs Fraud. Charleston, Wilson and Kincade corruptly solicited, demanded, accepted and agreed to accept monies from a contractor intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with the eventual award of city contracts. Charleston is also charged with two additional counts of aiding and abetting his alleged co-conspirators, Wilson and Kincade, to commit Federal Programs Fraud.
Wilson and Kincade were previously convicted for their conduct and are not charged in this case.
A conviction for conspiring to commit Federal Programs Fraud carries a penalty of imprisonment of not more than five years and/or a fine not to exceed $250,000. A conviction for violating any of the remaining substantive counts of Federal Programs Fraud carries a penalty of imprisonment of not more than 10 years and/or a fine not to exceed $250,000.
The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by special agents of the Houston FBI Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Wright is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
WALLER COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE INDICTED FOR BRIBERY
(HOUSTON) – A sealed indictment charging Waller County Justice of the Peace Dewayne Charleston with violations of federal law arising from a bribery scheme has been unsealed following his arrest today by FBI agents, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today.
Dewayne Charleston, 46, of Hempstead, Waller County, Texas, was arrested this morning without incident at his residence. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy this afternoon and has been ordered released on a $100,000 bond.
The indictment naming Charleston was returned under seal on July 6, 2009, and accuses him of conspiring to solicit, demand and accept bribe money or kickbacks from a local demolition contractor in exchange for obtaining approved vendor status resulting in the awarding of City of Hempstead contracts. The City of Hempstead is located approximately 50 miles west of Houston in Waller County. According to allegations in the indictment, the local demolition contractor is a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) certified operator, which signifies the minority ownership of a business entity with its principal place of business in Texas.
“The public has a right to expect their public officials will objectively represent the interests of the communities they serve, not to sell their votes or support for personal gain,” said Johnson.
Charleston is accused of conspiring with former Mayor Pro-Tem and a City Alderman of the City of Hempstead, Larry Wilson, and former City Alderman Paris Kincade to extort bribe payments from a cooperating witness in exchange for city contracts. The conspiracy allegedly began on July 18, 2005, and continued until Jan. 30, 2008. Charleston organized and orchestrated a bribery scheme, according to the indictment, in which Wilson and Kincade would use their official positions with the City of Hempstead to commit Federal Programs Fraud. Charleston, Wilson and Kincade corruptly solicited, demanded, accepted and agreed to accept monies from a contractor intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with the eventual award of city contracts. Charleston is also charged with two additional counts of aiding and abetting his alleged co-conspirators, Wilson and Kincade, to commit Federal Programs Fraud.
Wilson and Kincade were previously convicted for their conduct and are not charged in this case.
A conviction for conspiring to commit Federal Programs Fraud carries a penalty of imprisonment of not more than five years and/or a fine not to exceed $250,000. A conviction for violating any of the remaining substantive counts of Federal Programs Fraud carries a penalty of imprisonment of not more than 10 years and/or a fine not to exceed $250,000.
The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by special agents of the Houston FBI Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Wright is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
nymag.com "whats going on"
The racism: On their website, the Republican Women of Clifton joked that Baskin Robbins had created a new ice-cream flavor named Barocky Road, which was half vanilla and half chocolate. But, this extended metaphor continues, the "vanilla portion of the mix is not openly advertised and usually denied as an ingredient," which doesn't even make any sense. Does "white woman from Kansas" ring any bells? It should. The apology: Laurie Hamilton, the site's webmaster, apologized after taking down the post. She noted, for the record, that Rocky Road is her favorite flavor. 
The racism: Kentucky Congressman Geoff Davis referred to 46-year-old adult man Barack Obama as "that boy" at a Lincoln Day dinner, as in, "That boy's finger does not need to be on the button."The apology: In a letter he personally delivered to Obama, Davis apologized for what he graciously deemed his "poor choice of words."The rise of President Obama as the first black president has ushered in an uncomfortable era for the nation's casual racists. While the urge to entertain friends and colleagues with historical stereotypes and hurtful prejudices has clearly become irresistible, what happens when that desire conflicts with one's duties as a GOP office-holder, strategist, or activist? When is it appropriate to compare President Obama to a monkey, or make a quip about his presumed love of watermelons, for example? The quandary is only heightened by our new age of social media, in which private jokes can easily become public. As they continue to navigate this moral gray area, most Republican Party members are erring on the side of ... erring — making or endorsing racially tinged or outright offensive jokes via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, and old-fashioned paper, then awkwardly apologizing once they've made an ass of themselves. The latest example involved Young Republican vice-chairman Audra Shays, who posted an approving comment after a friend's dubious joke on her Facebook page last week, but it's a cycle that's steadily repeated itself since Obama emerged in last year's campaign.
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