Chicago, long one of the most corrupt cities in America, has seen three of its government bureaucrats commit suicide in recent memory, the latest being the president of its school board.
The body of Michael Scott, president of the Chicago Board of Education, was found early Monday morning near the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago with a gunshot wound to the head and a gun lying nearby. The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide, but police say they are still investigating the case.
Scott, 60, seemed to have been a lifelong government bureaucrat and Chicago political insider. Scott came under scrutiny this year for real estate deals related to the city’s failed 2016 Olympic bid. While it was found that he would not profit personally from the deals, he should have informed the Olympic committee.
And in August, Scott was subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury regarding whether students had been inappropriately admitted to the city’s top public schools. Scott would not comment publicly on whether he was aware of any wrongdoing in that case, though he denied having done it himself.
“People should have confidence in the system,” after all, he had told theChicago Sun-Times. Even if the system is thoroughly corrupt, undermines the public good, or even harms or kills people.
Christopher Kelly, former aide to disgraced Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, took a fatal overdose of pain medication in September, just days after having plead guilty on federal corruption charges.
And in 2007, Orlando Jones, former aide to Cook County president John Stroger, shot himself in the head just two days after the FBI tried to interview him. Jones had been under investigation for fraudulent real estate deals, but might also have been a suspect in a scheme to rip off the state’s pension fund.
But never you mind all that. Just remember that the government is here to help you. There are only a few bad apples in the system.
And if you believe that, I’ve got a Chicago Skyway to sell you.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Continually increasing the debt is one of the logical outcomes of Keynesianism, since more government spending is always their answer. It is claimed that government must not stop spending when the economy is so fragile. Government must act. Yet, when times are good, government also increases in size and scope, because we can afford it, it is claimed. There is never a good time to rein in government spending according to Keynesian economists and the proponents of big government.
Jersey Shore? Fuhgeddaboudit. Jersey City is the gem of reality TV. Shore is MTV. Jersey City is FBI. Like, how real is that? Killer videos of pols talking trash and passing cash have been unspooling in federal court in Newark at the trial of Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini. Beldini was busted last summer in an FBI sweep that corralled dozens of Jersey pols. It was one of the largest corruption roundups in Jersey's thick history of roundups.
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Bob
Nov 17, 2009
I think there should be some research done on this subject. Find out what would cause a corrupt politician to take such drastic and final action.
If it’s something simple, maybe we could get them all to do it. Save a lot of expensive court time and prison costs.
Jeff Hoyt
Nov 17, 2009
Brilliant, inspired, and oh so appealing.
Marcus
Nov 17, 2009
Apparently the thought of jail isn’t that appetizing for politicians.
Highlander
Nov 18, 2009
The statement was:
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“People should have confidence in the system,” after all, he had told the Chicago Sun-Times. Even if the system is thoroughly corrupt, undermines the public good, or even harms or kills people.
—–
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But that’s just the problem, isn’t it? The people having confidence?
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This whole thing referred to as ‘government’ is nothing other than a confidence game.
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Children should be raised to question EVERYTHING about government, but they aren’t.
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Instead, it’s just the opposite: Embrace the lies and get a government check.
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Appropriate quote:
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“Can the real Constitution be restored? Probably not.
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“Too many Americans depend on government money under programs the Constitution doesn’t authorize, and money talks with an eloquence Shakespeare could only envy.
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“Ignorant people don’t understand The Federalist Papers, but they understand government checks with their names on them.”
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~ Joseph Sobran ~
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Pat McCotter
Nov 20, 2009
If they would just ban handguns in Chicago, two of those folks would still be alive.
Highlander
Nov 20, 2009
The remark was:
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6. Pat McCotter
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If they would just ban handguns in Chicago, two of those folks would still be alive.
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News for you: Handguns ~ARE~ outlawed in Chicago.
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Now what?
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Maybe they should just ban tall buildings, bridges, buses, razor blades, knives, tableware, food, water, and just everything else which is employed in suicide?
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The law didn’t stop anything from happening, and in fact NO man-made law has =EVER= stopped anything from happening.
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You act as if some law will ‘just stop’ something in its tracks. It hasn’t happened yet, and it never will!
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Corollary:
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Here, check this out: Those places where firearms are outlawed or severely restricted happen to be the places with the HIGHEST violent crime rates.
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YET, just out side those areas, the violent crime rate is far lower.
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So much for the law, right?
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Pat McCotter
Nov 20, 2009
Here’s another, better, solution. We can suggest to Chicago’s aldermen to outlaw suicide.
But we really need to get rid of the temptation people have to commit suicide. This would mean laws, like you said, banning all objects and materials used for suicide.
Highlander
Nov 20, 2009
Well, Pat, for ~your~ scheme to have any degree of success, then it’s people’ who you need to outlaw, as without people there can be no suicide.
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Do you wanna go first?
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:-))
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Pat McCotter
Nov 20, 2009
NOW you’re getting into the spirit of this, Highlander. Your scheme would satisfy PETA as well.
;{)