Kwame Brown Expected to be Charged with Fraud

[Anonymous]

when is the rally for Kwame?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Jeff,

This is why people move to the fucking 'burbs. We can't even elect normal competent people to run our city government. Put aside party affiliation for a second, think about how stupid we look and how our legislature looks. And yet we love the closed primary, the old race based pols and the third world governance. I like Evans, Bowser and Catania but I think we're at a "Throw the Bums" out stage in DC.

Just look at DCUM's home page and you will see that there is no stronger believer in this than me. Frankly, none of the three you like has completely clean hands either. Of the remaining CMs, there is Graham who was offered a bribe and failed to either report it or fire the staffer who offered it to him, there is Michael Brown who can't seem to keep his personal finances in order and Evans uses his constituent services fund like a personal piggybank,

We get 17% or so voter participation in our elections. I will bet that a lot of the vocal complainers about DC politics are not in that 17%. Those folks have themselves to blame.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff,

This is why people move to the fucking 'burbs. We can't even elect normal competent people to run our city government. Put aside party affiliation for a second, think about how stupid we look and how our legislature looks. And yet we love the closed primary, the old race based pols and the third world governance. I like Evans, Bowser and Catania but I think we're at a "Throw the Bums" out stage in DC.

Just look at DCUM's home page and you will see that there is no stronger believer in this than me. Frankly, none of the three you like has completely clean hands either. Of the remaining CMs, there is Graham who was offered a bribe and failed to either report it or fire the staffer who offered it to him, there is Michael Brown who can't seem to keep his personal finances in order and Evans uses his constituent services fund like a personal piggybank,

We get 17% or so voter participation in our elections. I will bet that a lot of the vocal complainers about DC politics are not in that 17%. Those folks have themselves to blame.

But Tommy is awesome! Hope for the future.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:But Tommy is awesome! Hope for the future.

Wells is what passes for awesome with this crowd. I have high hopes for McDuffie also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeff,

This is why people move to the fucking 'burbs. We can't even elect normal competent people to run our city government. Put aside party affiliation for a second, think about how stupid we look and how our legislature looks. And yet we love the closed primary, the old race based pols and the third world governance. I like Evans, Bowser and Catania but I think we're at a "Throw the Bums" out stage in DC.

Using this rationale, the entire state of Illinois would be a barren wasteland as people flee to Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri. (No one in their right mind woudl move to Iowa.)

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Using this rationale, the entire state of Illinois would be a barren wasteland as people flee to Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri. (No one in their right mind woudl move to Iowa.)

It's not only Illinois. Two former Speakers of the Pennsylvania House -- one a Republican and one a Democrat -- are currently cellmates after both having been convicted of corruption:

http://www.politicspa.com/bill-deweese-and-john-perzel-cellmates/36309/

Corruption in DC feeds an existing narrative and coincides with a number prejudices. So, it gets more attention than the same thing elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff,

This is why people move to the fucking 'burbs. We can't even elect normal competent people to run our city government. Put aside party affiliation for a second, think about how stupid we look and how our legislature looks. And yet we love the closed primary, the old race based pols and the third world governance. I like Evans, Bowser and Catania but I think we're at a "Throw the Bums" out stage in DC.

Using this rationale, the entire state of Illinois would be a barren wasteland as people flee to Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri. (No one in their right mind woudl move to Iowa.)

Agree with this pp. (Except for preferring Indiana to Iowa. Huh?) Plus an open primary is not going to solve this problem. You still will have a handful of people choosing our candidates.

Also part of our problem is that we are not part of a larger state. An aspiring politician has few possibilities on the horizon. You cant run for governor or senator. You gotta wait till Norton retires before you can even think to run for that politically deformed delegate position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff,

This is why people move to the fucking 'burbs. We can't even elect normal competent people to run our city government. Put aside party affiliation for a second, think about how stupid we look and how our legislature looks. And yet we love the closed primary, the old race based pols and the third world governance. I like Evans, Bowser and Catania but I think we're at a "Throw the Bums" out stage in DC.

Using this rationale, the entire state of Illinois would be a barren wasteland as people flee to Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri. (No one in their right mind woudl move to Iowa.)

Agree with this pp. (Except for preferring Indiana to Iowa. Huh?) Plus an open primary is not going to solve this problem. You still will have a handful of people choosing our candidates.

Also part of our problem is that we are not part of a larger state. An aspiring politician has few possibilities on the horizon. You cant run for governor or senator. You gotta wait till Norton retires before you can even think to run for that politically deformed delegate position.

I agree but I think the field would open if the DC delegate position had any power, I'm not sure Eleanor would be able to keep the seat. There are plenty of people that think she should go but why bother running for a position that has zero power.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand banks - really you are going to loan out $500,000 and not even do an appraisal? That does not sound right.

[jsteele]

Kwame has now resigned. Mary Cheh is leading the Council until an interim chair is selected. That is currently planned for a week from today.

Edit to add: He is expected in court on Friday at 11 am.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Earlier, everyone was referring to the application as a credit card application. Now, it looks like it was a home equity loan application. Kwame overstated the value of his home in order to get a larger loan.

What is an appraiser for, if not to place a value on a property. Lots of people think their homes are worth more than what someone else would pay for it. I don't see how this is a big deal. I apply for a refinance loan. The application has a space asking what is the value of my home. You, say 500K. Then you are asked how much is outstanding on the home, and you mark 300K. Finally, you request a loan amount in the amount of 400k. If the appraisal comes back stating that the house is appraised at 340K because of changing market conditions, how is that a felony. A lot of people would be in jail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeff,

This is why people move to the fucking 'burbs. We can't even elect normal competent people to run our city government. Put aside party affiliation for a second, think about how stupid we look and how our legislature looks. And yet we love the closed primary, the old race based pols and the third world governance. I like Evans, Bowser and Catania but I think we're at a "Throw the Bums" out stage in DC.

Even worse, this is what leads members of Congress to vote against statehood (among other things). If the district cannot even elect ward councilmen who can stay out of trouble for their term, why should they be entitled to self-rule? Yes, I know the double standard since so many state elected officials from all over the country have this same problem, but their statehood will not be rescinded. Honestly, people tend to forget about the problem with state officials, but cannot get past this point for District self-rule.

[Anonymous]

Typical

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Typical

This has to be the most ignorant response on the entire political forum (well maybe second to the guy who obsesses about Obama's body odor). You could say "typical" anywhere. It's a sign of a weak mind. When I see "typical", I think "this person can't come up with a real thought, so they just blurt out whatever comes out of their mind before switching over to watch Hoarders.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Using this rationale, the entire state of Illinois would be a barren wasteland as people flee to Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri. (No one in their right mind woudl move to Iowa.)

It's not only Illinois. Two former Speakers of the Pennsylvania House -- one a Republican and one a Democrat -- are currently cellmates after both having been convicted of corruption:

http://www.politicspa.com/bill-deweese-and-john-perzel-cellmates/36309/

Corruption in DC feeds an existing narrative and coincides with a number prejudices. So, it gets more attention than the same thing elsewhere.

To build on this, it's fodder for the GOP in Congress that the citizens of the District of Columbia (overwhelmingly democrats/liberals, majority minority population) are either idiots or themselves corrupt. See, the Democratic party can't be trusted! Plus, they love having DC as their petrie dish to propose/impose all sorts of conservative local government actions (abortion, gun control, school vouchers) - they don't even care if they're successful, it's great campaign fodder back home.

And to all of you (in Congress and elsewhere) who have "concerns" about DC autonomy because of the recent incidents (I'm looking at you, Chaffetz and Issa, although Trey Gowdy at least said the right things), the American tradition of self-government does not depend and has never depended on exercising that right wisely. Acting as though it does is at odds with the principles your gun-toting, tea-loving constituents profess to hold so dear. Where's the outrage and cries of "Freedom!" a la Braveheart now? I guess when liberals and minorities have their freedom and right to self-government denied, it's fine. Hypocrites.