RAPISTS CONFINED BY ANKLE GPS BRACELETS IN MASSACHUSETTS DON’T WORK-----GOSH, I WONDER WHY----February 22, 2010---Fred Kelly Grant

 

The state of Massachusetts is once again in the news for its curious manner of releasing violent criminals.  Their practices once did in a presidential candidate because of pardon of a murderer; their judges have been vilified for being lenient on sex offenders against minors; their judges have been vilified for being sarcastic and crude to victims of rapes and sex assaults.

 

Now, once again, their prison system and courts have released a rapist to rape again.

 

In 2001, William French was convicted of the brutal rape of a single mother.  He was sentenced to 9 years in prison. The conviction was for aggravated rape.  He raped a young mother in the presence of her young daughter, armed with a gun, and after threatening to kill her and the daughter if she didn’t give in to him.

 

So, the Massachusetts legislature rated rape charges and as brutal as rape is in and of itself, the legislators created an “aggravated” category.  French’s brutality earned him an “aggravated rape” conviction.  After serving 8 years of his sentence he was released on parole.

 

One of the first questions I am asking Jon to do is try to find out why the sentence was only 9 years.  Even if this guy was a first offender, when one starts with a crime right next to murder, and in some minds like mine, equal to murder, 9 years is a walk in the park----the kind of sentence some of my clients used to say they could “serve standing on my head.”  (Once again I point out that I refused to defend people charged with rape or sexual or physical abuse of children).  Some of the rape cases I prosecuted left emotional scars that might not be repaired even today, decades after the crime.  And, this was an “aggravated” rape.

 

Nevertheless, the parole system let William out early, and I hope Jon can delve into this and find out their reasons.  They ought to have to explain their reasons to the court now considering French’s new case, to the legislature and to the people.  They ought to be required to visit the victim of the newest rape and apologize to her and listen to her story.  Think it might do some good the next time they consider early parole for an aggravated rapist.

 

But William French was set free.  Since his release he has been staying with his grandmother, then his mother and father.  He was living a scant 100 yards from a high school in Framingham, Massachusetts.

 

Apparently William did not like rules, so he decided to smoke marijuana after his parole.  Probably soothed the nerves of the guy who previously let off steam by brutally raping a young mother.   He was violated by his parole officer when he tested positive for marijuana, and was hauled into court.

 

Now, here sits judge Howard Whitehead of the Superior Court for Middlesex, no doubt paying good, strict attention to the cases before him, and considers the French case:   a man who did 8 years in prison for brutal rape of a mother in the presence of her daughter, a crime with out of this world recidivism rates, who was let out on parole early with instructions to follow all laws, who couldn’t wait to break the rules and smoke marijuana.  Oh, and lets remember also that before being sentenced for aggravated rape, French, who is only 29 years old, had arrests for burglary, assaults, larceny and threats of violence.

 

Let’s see, how many red flags were there for the good judge?  But, he may have had his mind on his long docket that day, or on how soon he could finish the morning for lunch, or whether he could make a late afternoon cocktail party, or round of golf----I have seen all these used as excuses for breezing through parole violations.    And, on the other hand, he may be one of those judges who think that rape is not all that bad a crime---that women ask for it the way they dress and act----I have seen that kind of judge function too.

 

At any rate, in his infinite wisdom, Judge Howard Whitehead refused to send French back to prison to serve out his sentence, or to have him charged with the offense of possession of marijuana.  Instead, he treated French harshly by ordering him to wear a gps bracelet to trace his location.

 

Last Thursday, just after 11:25 pm probation officials learned that French had cut away his gps bracelet, and they secured a warrant for his arrest.

 

But, before that could be accomplished, in fact, in less than four hours he had raped another victim.   The prosecuting attorney said “this is a terribly disturbing case”.  Duhhhh.  Question is what will DA Gerard Leone do about it.  Will he question the credentials of Judge Whitehead to hear another criminal case; will he seek malfeasance charges against the parole department; will he look to see how hard his deputy worked to get French back into prison on a marijuana charge?

 

The answer to all those questions is probably “no”.  What the DA knows is that the public outrage will only last a few days, and the general population will move on in their thoughts.  The rape victim, and French’s prior rape victim and her daughter will not move on so quickly---the events will live with them forever.  But not to Whitehead who will suffer no repercussions, not to Leone who will move on to the next “terribly disturbing case.”   And, not to the parole board which will continue letting rapists out early with no repercussions.

 

Whose fault is that?   It is the fault of the people.  Years ago mothers who were mad that the court system continued to let drunk drivers get away with murder for slaps on the wrists formed a group called MADD.  All over the country they had impact; they went to court sessions for sentencings of drunk drivers, and I witnessed sentences go up.  They went to legislatures and saw to it that sentences were increased.  Where in the world is the outrage that should lead to a group that would work as hard to reform the attitudes toward rape and child abuse in the court and prosecution system?  Is it a fact that people in this country do indeed care more about drunk driving than about rape and sex and physical abuse of children----crimes that scar lives and psyches forever?

 

Well, back to brother French.  His father says that “I guess he blew off the handle when they decided to put one of those leg bands on him and he couldn’t handle it anymore.”   Ahhhhh, that’s too bad that big, evil society required William to wear a leg band so he could be located. 

 

Well, Judge Whitehead, maybe you will get a chance at arraignment on the rape charge to ask William if he was offended by the placement of the leg band.  Maybe you could just send him back to prison for his two parole violations now, to sit in the prison and wait for his rape trial, instead of in a county jail that is a cake walk for him.  As he sits in the county jail, a big shot among the other inmates because he has done time “in the big house”, I wonder what his excuse will be for the new rape.  Maybe “The Judge made me do it when he made me wear that bracelet.”

 

When do you suppose Americans will get so tired up over being raped, robbed, assaulted, burglarized and murdered by early parolees, that they will demand action; that they will demand that parole board members be held accountable for their actions, that judges be held accountable for their actions.   If Judge Whitehead did not have the protection of the robe, if he held an important job in a private business and made as big a mistake as this, he would be GONE---PINK SLIPPED RIGHT OUT THE DOOR.  But, the tragedy of the American justice (my ass) system is that he is immune from any discipline, and will go on doing the same thing over and over and over.  Justice?  My Ass.

 

This will not be the last we write about William French, I am asking Jon to keep up with it, dig into it, so that we can report more about the culprits in this case that might just as well have been accomplices to French in his rape.

-----------------------------------------------

After reading my assignment from dad I found the sentencing guidlines for crimes in Massachusetts on the Massachusetts court system website you do the math!

 

Sentencing Guidelines Grid

Sentencing Guidelines Grid
Level	Illustrative Offenses	Sentence Range
9	Murder	Life	Life	Life	Life	Life
8	Manslaughter (Voluntary) Rape of a Child with Force Aggravated Rape Armed Burglary	96-144 Mos.	108-162 Mos.	120-180 Mos.	144-216 Mos.	204-306 Mos.
7	Armed Robbery Rape Mayhem	60-90 Mos.	68-102 Mos.	84-126 Mos.	108-162 Mos.	160-240 Mos.
6	Manslaughter (Involuntary) Armed Robbery (No gun) A&B DW (Significant Injury)	40-60 Mos.	45-67 Mos.	50-75 Mos.	60-90 Mos.	80-120 Mos.
5	Unarmed Robbery Stalking in Violation of Order Unarmed Burglary Larceny ($50,000 and over)	12-36 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II	24-36 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II	36-54 Mos.	48-72 Mos.	60-90 Mos.
4	Larceny From a Person A&B DW (Moderate Injury) B&E (Dwelling) Larceny ($10,000 to $50,000)	0-24 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II	3-30 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II	6-30 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II	20-30 Mos.	24-36 Mos.
3	A&B DW (No or minor injury) B&E (Not dwelling) Larceny ($250 to $10,000)	0-12 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-15 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-18 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-24 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II	6-24 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II
2	Assault Larceny Under $250	IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-6 Mos. IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-6 Mos. IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-9 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-12 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II IS-I
1	Operating Aft. Suspended Lic. Disorderly Conduct Vandalism	IS-II IS-I	IS-III IS-II IS-I	IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-3 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II IS-I	0-6 Mos. IS-IV IS-III IS-II IS-I
Criminal History Scale		A No/Minor Record	B Moderate Record	C Serious Record	D Violent or Repetitive	E Serious Violent

Also on the Boston Law Office of Stephen Neyman website I found this:

If you are convicted of rape in Massachusetts, you face imprisonment in the state prison for up to 20 years. If you are convicted of this offense for a second or subsequent time, you face imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years. Rape committed with a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine-gun or assault weapon carries a mandatory minimum ten-year state prison sentence.

ONE WHALE OF A HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL GAME REDEEMS THE SEASON

        

February 14, 2010---by Fred Kelly Grant

 

 As our regular readers know, I am a basketball fanatic.  Literally, my late wife, Lodice, expected that I had stopped to watch a sidewalk pick-up game played by ants when I was late from law school in Chicago.  There was always a neighborhood pick-up game to watch, played on broken sidewalks with a ram shackle hoop nailed to a tree; or a game of dribble keep away in the cobbled side street, no hoop to be seen. 

 

When the San Francisco 49ers were in town to play the Bears, they practiced at Amos Alonzo Stagg field, on the campus, right on my route home.  Staff was the famous coach of football at the University of Chicago when it was a powerhouse, before football went the way of academics at the highest level.  The 49ers ended their practice with a 6 on 6 game under the bleachers, where Enrico Firmi split the atom.  R.C. Owens, basketball great who played at the College of Idaho when I was there, led the spirited game.  R.C. chose pro football over basketball which was heavily segregated at the ime, and played split wide receiver for the 49ers (some of you are old enough to remember the “alley oop” that originated with Y.A. Tittle to Owens---Tittle would just throw the ball in the air and Owens would out-jump how ever many defenders chose to guard him.)  That pick-up game, and the time spent talking to R.C. afterward really made me late.

 

Okay, so it’s a given that I love basketball.  Friday night last, I saw one of the best and most enjoyable basketball games I have watched in 50 years of watching.  I went to the Boise High School women’s game against Centennial. It was the championship game of the Women’s district tournament.  Quite frankly, I went to see Boise play, and particularly young Ms. Luna whose sister is a very close friend of my adopted grand son.  I had heard about her play all year, and I had heard about the fine undefeated season that Boise had developed.  That takes fine coaching and good solid disciplined basketball to run the table, at any level of basketball.

 

I paid for my reduced rate senior citizen ticket, bought a bag of freshly popped corn, and settled into a full gym for the game, expecting to see Boise finish off an unbeaten season.  I couldn’t find my extended family members in the crowd, so settled in right next to the Boise band.

 

The first half of the game was interesting.  Centennial’s coaches were beginning to work with a full court press some of the time, and it seemed to give Boise’s guards trouble.  At the beginning of the game Centennial built up a fairly quick 8  point lead, but Boise’s players were not rattled in the least.  I could sense that they had been here before, and they patiently built themselves back into the game, to take a tie into the halftime break.

 

I thought Centennial’s coaches had done a creditable job, and figured that Boise would come back with an up the court approach that would take this home a victory.  In that first half, Luna had made some remarkable shots and had one fine clean block.  I was pleased with my decision to drive to the far east side of Boise to see her play.

 

That’s not to say that the other girls did not play well.  They did.  Boise’s numbers 21 and 15 in particular had a good half.  Centennial had played a game well balanced between its five starters, but number 21 had begun to impress me by half time.

 

A couple of Boise fathers sitting behind me remarked “well, we’ve been here before, we’ll just have to play our game this half.” That seemed to be the feeling throughout the large Boise crowd.  I don’t know what Centennial’s record was, but Boise was entering a second half not having been beaten in over 32 games this year.

 

In the second half I saw the most disciplined combination of full court press, trapping the point guard and double to triple teaming of the main scorer that I have ever seen.  Centennial’s coaches had built a game plan designed to put it all on the line on defense.  Many times Boise’s in bound pass ran right into a two player trap that was difficult for them to handle.  Most times they had trouble getting the ball across the time line---and it didn’t help that the trap meant that there was always someone open.  The trap was so sound that the ball handler had no arm room to get up and over with a good pass.  This was not just a “run at you” trap; it was face in face, arms out, press that takes real discipline to pull off without fouling.

 

And, at the other end of the court, Luna was double teamed, a player stationed within half an arm’s length behind her and one the same distance in front of her.  For her to get a pass, she would have to reach over the player in front of her and foul her, or run over the player behind her and foul her.  Twice, when she did get the ball, a third player sagged in on her and she had 3/5 of the Patriots guarding her closely.

 

I was sitting by myself watching the game.  Had I been with someone, I would have remarked that the guarding of Luna reminded me of that wonderful scene in Hoosiers where Gene Hackman tells his player that he wants him to guard the opponent so closely that “I want to know what flavor gum he’s chewing.”  I’m sure those Patriot players assigned to Luna could have told Coach Emery Roy the flavor of gum if she indeed was chewing.

 

I felt for the Boise point guard.  You could just sense that she had not met this kind of spirited defense and trapping in her young career.  I was sitting close enough to the court, as one does in high school, to see the worry in her eyes as she tried to decide how she could get her arms up and over for a clean pass.  The guards were set so well with their legs and arms that she couldn’t pass through or around them.  It was absolutely classic setting of the trap guards.

 

Throughout this entire half of deliberate, disciplined defense, Centennial avoided the fouls that normally come with a full court press from a young team.  In fact, eventually Boise went to the 10 foul double shot penalty at a time when Centennial had only 4 team fouls.  And, for the most part Centennial made the free throws, particularly at the end of the overtime.

 

The regulation game came down to about the two minute mark, Centennial had the ball, and all of a sudden I thought I was back in the days of the great Dean Smith, the dean of college coaches at North Carolina, back before the shot clock was created.  Centennial went into a weave of the ball, outside the arc, back and forth, back and forth.  Boise hesitant to come out and run the risk of a back door easy lay up, stayed back, showing real discipline themselves.  No panic on the part of the Centennial ball handlers as the clock ticked away, the crowd getting restless.   Just that constant Dean Smith-like weave, good solid ball handling, careful but strong dribbling, heads up, watching the defense for any chink that developed.  And, head coach Emery Roy sitting, looking as calm as if he was at home watching television---watching with sharp eyes but calmly.

 

Finally with under 15 seconds left, the Patriots broke to the basket for a shot that rolled the rim and away.  Boise had a chance to win it.  Coach called time, and when play resumed Boise had about 8 seconds, plenty of time to get the ball down the court.  They got the shot off but it rolled away and the teams went to overtime.  The Boise dads behind me commented that it was a good game, and that Boise had to step it up in the 4 minute extra period.

 

But, it didn’t happen.  The pressure got more severe, the trap got tighter and I’m sure Luna knew the flavor of two players’ chewing gum.  Centennial won the game, getting the lead and then hitting free throws down the stretch, one after the other.

 

I don’t know the names of any of the players on either team but one.  So, I can’t single out players but I began to watch number 21 for Centennial during the last four minutes of regulation and then throughout the overtime.  Some college coach should be looking carefully at her.  She played with unmatched discipline, guarding with all our heart, but not fouling.  She handled the ball with precision, but almost challengingly open with her dribble as she helped with the weave.

 

And, what more can I say about young Ms. Luna.  She is an exceptional player; she has size, poise, a soft shot, a good eye, and a good swift hand check and block.  She will be an excellent college player.

 

But this night belonged to the Centennial Patriots and their coaching staff.  I have not seen a better coached and executed defense in a long, long time.  Maybe not since I watched an under-rated Wisconsin-Green Bay team turn back Jason Kidd and the California Bears in the NCAA March Madness tournament in Ogden or Salt Lake years and years ago.  And before that?  Maybe back to the Dean Smith days when he and the Tarheels tormented the Maryland Terps in the old Cole Fieldhouse in College Park.

 

I told my son about the game and it turns out that he knows the assistant coach of the Pats and knows of the head coach who is one of the all time great women’s basketball coaches in Idaho.  In fact, I looked him up on the “net” and found that he has nearly six hundred wins through a long career, several state titles and was coach of the year in March, 2009.  Well, he and the team did themselves proud Friday night.  The game plan was flawless; the execution showed some very talented players, and the discipline showed the high level of training and coaching---that kind of discipline does not just happen, and doesn’t come from player ability, it comes from deep down, serious coaching.

 

After a season of college basketball less than entertaining---including the absolute worst half of college basketball I ever have seen in half a century of watching, this was the highlight of my basketball season. I was disappointed for my friend’s sister; and disappointed for a Boise team and coaching staff that has to be top notch to go undefeated in an entire regular season.  They had nothing to be shamed about, they played hard, with heart, but just ran into an impenetrable, disciplined defense that is almost unbeatable, especially in high school basketball.

 

The fact that Boise was undefeated into the 30s meant that they had defeated Centennial this year; if they meet again in the state tournament, watch out!!!  It will be a game not to miss.

 

The bad taste left in my mouth from the lack luster half of basketball played by the Boise State men’s team against Idaho just a week before had pretty much soured me on local basketball.  Let me tell you those Bronco  men should have come to watch Centennial and Boise high play---they might have learned something about how to play with heart and soul, not to mention precision---how to leave it all on the floor.

 

Too bad that I will be out of town during the women’s state tournament; I would like to watch the Patriots and the Braves make their way through---and if you have a chance to see a rematch, move heaven and earth to get there.  You won’t be disappointed.

PALIN APPEARS FOR AND SUPPORTS RICK PERRY OF TEXAS---THOUGHT SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CONSERVATIVE---AS THOUGH EITHER OF THEM WOULD KNOW WHAT THE WORD MEANT.

           February 9, 2010----by Fred Kelly Grant

 

Having appeared for $100,000 as a key speaker at the “Tea Party” Convention in Nashville just days before, Sara Palin was welcomed with open arms by Texas Governor Rick Perry on Sunday for a bash in Houston.  Strange bedfellows---and all that?

 

Rick Perry was signed up to be a vice presidential running mate for former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani in the last presidential race.  Giuliani was far from being a conservative, yet Perry is now championed by the newly crowned queen of those people who masquerade as conservatives under a title supposed to bring back thoughts of our revolution.  Not only did Perry’s ambition bely his conservatism, it also showed his poor judgment in tying his star to a man who never had a chance out of the starting gate (as I recall, he didn’t even choose to leave the starting gate until other candidates had several primaries under their belt, choosing to make his start in that stalwart of conservative states: Florida).

 

But now, Perry is supposedly a conservative deserving of the support of those who believe that federal and state governments have grown too big, too bureaucratic, too autocratic, too far removed from the desires of “the people”.

 

It is all such political malarkey that it makes one want to question the entire concept of voting by the people.  Many of our revolutionary leaders, now championed by the tea party crowds, feared popular elections, many opted for allowing only the landed gentry to vote.  If this past week’s developments are the wave of the future, I now join in the concept that even Thomas Jefferson courted---that the mass population should not be given the power to vote.

 

Perry is not a conservative.  Perry is the king of bureaucrats who ignored the will of the vast majority of Texans and tried to cram the Trans Texas Corridor right down their throats. 

 

For months prior to the withdrawal of the Corridor concept, hundreds of thousands of Texans went to public meetings and shouted out their opposition to construction of quarter mile wide highways, to be owned by a foreign corporation.  They opposed the TransTexas Corridors TTC-35 and 69, which were designed to be toll roads for the use of which job holding and tax paying Texans would have to pay a premium.   

 

The Spanish corporation Cintra was to “own” the highways, in that it would collect all the tolls forever, it would have the exclusive right to sell or lease or own all businesses developed along the new highways (motels, service stations, stores, every business), and it would have the power to sell to utilities in small towns of Texas the right to use utility rights of way along the new highways.

 

Perry put his political power on the line for construction of the corridors in spite of the people.

 

Then along came the mayors of small east central Texas towns and, together with their related school districts and citizens, stopped the corridor process in its tracks.  In the face of the Federal Highway Administration telling Perry’s Department of Transportation to back away from a fight it could not win, Perry pulled the plug on the corridor and announced that the concept was dead.  Not because he suddenly saw the conservative light, but because he faced sure defeat in litigation which would have been brought by those Texas and American heroes in the towns of Holland, Bartlett, Rogers, Little River-Academy and Buckholtz,  and because finally the Texas legislature had heard the will of the people and deserted Perry in his tracks.

 

But Perry, never the statesman, has not given up.  His head man at the Transportation Department said just last week that if the state changed its mind, the Corridor was still a possibility.  In other words, if the King is re-elected, there will be another go at the TTC Corridor as the precursor and most important leg of the NAFTA SuperHighway.  That is the highway, my friends, that the one world government people want to connect Mexico to Canada through a compliant United States which would waive its sovereign rights as to all transport of goods along that master connector.

 

That is the highway that the elitists within the DC beltway refuse to admit is even a reality.  During the time that the East Central Texas Sub-Regional Planning Commission (those small town mayors and school districts) was fighting for the life of its citizens and land owners, the venerable Heritage Foundation called the NAFTA superhighway a “red herring”, a myth.  As the Foundation made its statement, Texas bureaucrats were on a high speed path to commitment of the Federal Government to building the first and critical leg of the superhighway.

 

Ah now, to Sunday.  The governor who insisted on developing the superhighway that one world government liberals and elitists supported is now the darling of the queen of so-called conservatives. Did anyone think to ask Palin if she favored Perry’s Trans Texas Corridors?  Even if they did, would she have been able to answer since she likely would not have known to make advance crib notes in the palm of her hand.  (Well viewed videos of her question and answer period in Nashville now show the notes she had made in the palm of her left hand---to remind her of such convoluted and complex principles as “lift American Spirits”)

 

Now, my friends Kay Bailey Hutchinson is far from being conservative.  But, at least she is a smart enough politician to oppose the TransTexas Corridor which would have taken thousands of acres of privately owned farm land for construction of a superhighway that would have made human habitability impossible for up to a mile from each of its boundaries.  The University of Texas conducted a study that showed that the noise from operation of the superhighway would have made life unbearable for humans within that mile from each side of the highway corridor.

 

But, then one wonders, how “smart” is it to oppose the corridor.  Is it possible that the republicans of Texas will vote to return Perry to continue his authoritarian rule?  The most recent news polls say that forty three percent of republicans in the state support Perry.  If that is the case, then maybe that many of the state’s republicans favor the toll road superhighways that are the dream of ultra-left wing one world government supporters.  Maybe they will be impressed that the palm reader Palin came to support Perry.  One wonders why she did not come to support the third place candidate who appears to be the true conservative in the face, Debra Medina.  Well, likely because Medina probably can’t afford the likes of Palin and her $100,000 fees.  But, Perry had little trouble in “prompting” her to come. 

 

Query, did he have to pay her the same $100,000 that was coughed up by the tea party conventioneers for her?  Can you imagine, in a time when we are in economic peril, that people would pay nearly $600 to attend a convention that was designed to promote Sara Palin?  And these people chose “tea party” in order to align themselves with our great founders who sacrificed lives and liberty for freedom?  Have we gone mad?  Or are we living in a world that was designed by the Mad Hatter’s creator, Charles Ludwidge Dodgson (writing as Lewis Carroll)---will we awaken from a dream in which people searching for liberty paid a massive amount for a speech by a woman who wrote palm notes to remind her that she should mention “lift American spirits”, and in which she then went to Texas to support a republican who fought for one of the most cherished dreams of one world government supporters who strive to eliminate United States sovereignty?

 

“Say it ain’t so, Joe.”

   MY CHICAGO COMICS END FOR NOW

 

Unfortunately for me, and for most of the followers of the Chicago Tribune, the candidate for Lt. Governor on the democrat ticket has withdrawn from the race.

 

Scott Lee Cohen, the pawnbroker who won the democrat primary last week to run in November for the office of Lt. Governor, yesterday announced that he has withdrawn from the race.

 

After winning, Cohen admitted having been charged with abuse in 2005 involving his girl friend who was a prostitute.  He denied knowing she was a prostitute, insisting that he thought she was truly a “massage therapist”  Well, in fact, she probably was since that is the title for prostitutes on the near North Side of Chicago where they abound.  He also denied putting a knife to the girl’s neck, but that was what the police reports said.

 

Also it came to light that he owed his ex wife over %50,000 in back child support at the same time he put over $2 million in his campaign.  And, he admitted that he had injected steroids, and that he was a defendant in scads of suits involving unpaid taxes.

 

What the heck?  Who better for Lt. Governor of Illinois---when the governor gets impeached or convicted, or both, the Lt. Governor would be a natural for succession----to both the office and impeachment.  And, the hits would keep on coming.

 

But, the mighty Mike Madigan, chief of democrat politics, “spoke in confidence” to Cohen and urged him to step down for the good of the “people of Illinois”.  Right, Mike----what you really mean is that you threatened Cohen with his physical and mental well being for the “good of the ticket”.

 

At any rate, yesterday in high Chicago drama, Cohen announced his withdrawal at the Hop Haus, a popular Chicago tavern where scores of fans were cheering on the Saints during the Super Bowl.  Cohen and his family met in a private dining room in the bar and announced his withdrawal during half time----in a move destined to get top Chicago tv coverage as a “breaking news” break in on half-time.  As he made his announcement, his fiancé, his two sons and her son all hugged and sobbed, according to this morning’s Tribune.

 

Ahhhh.  Chicago.  As the classic feature of a long election run withdraws, the republicans don’t even know who will be their candidate as the re-count, and the threats of lawsuits continue.

 

Only in Illinois.  With the democrats self-destructing it would seem, the republicans cannot even come together to take advantage-----because they don’t know even who their candidate will be.

 

So, for my morning comics, I now will have to rely on the race for United States Senator in Illinois where the democrat is a banker with a long history of making loans to a syndicate boss.  Tomorrow I will turn to that, with reluctance.  Cohen, the pawnbroker, was so promising.

TODAY’S BLOG ALMOST DID NOT HAPPEN!!!!!  AND FOR TOMORROW, WHO KNOWS?

                           February 7, 2010---by Fred Kelly Grant

 

Yesterday, Saturday, February 6, 2010, I wrote an important post about a new, important program designed to promote the continuation of the ranching tradition in the west.  For two decades I have worked as hard as I know how to protect individual ranchers, particularly in Owyhee County, Idaho, from the determination of the federal government to end grazing on the publicly owned grazing range lands.

 

There are anti-grazing organizations that spend enormous amounts of money to end grazing on the “public lands”.  They gain support from many so-called “conservation groups” that have no idea how badly “conserved” the publicly owned range lands would be without ranchers working the land.  They gain support from folks in the east who have no idea how valueless these vast expanses of arid range lands would be without the caretaking of ranchers.

 

Their efforts to rid the range lands of ranchers play right into the hands of one world government advocates who want to remove people and all their activities from the rural areas of our land and relocate them to urban areas.  Their goal is to gain land and water control for the government.  Whenever one of the anti-grazing organizations buys land, one can count on the land going to weeds and away from production, and then eventually to the government through outright sale or sale of an easement which ties up use of the land and regains the price the organization paid for the land.

 

Patrick Dorinson, one of our regular contributors, has announced an exciting new series of television shows that will tell the real and true story of ranching and the important role it plays in keeping America strong.  I wrote about it yesterday, but the piece could not be posted because my computer’s margins are, to be polite, screwed up, and the three people who run a business that helps people save their land, their livelihoods and their businesses don’t know how to fix the margins.

 

I sat last night thinking as to why I should take the time to write for the blog when we can’t even figure out how to fix margins on a computer or how to find someone we can call to come and fix them.  My thought was to leave the writing, and the persuasion and the reasoning to someone who either can fix the machine on which he creates, or who can manage to figure out how to find a computer repair man or woman capable of fixing the computer.  I still am not convinced that the best route is not to retire the blog, or simply re-run items written by someone else on computers with correctly fixed margins.

 

Frankly, my overriding thought is “if you can’t fix the margins or find someone to fix them, how the devil can you count on getting a legal brief, report or response done in the way that it will be accepted for filing by a court, agency or organization.?”  As of this morning I have no answer for that.  And, no answer for the margins.  It is a classic case of very good minds being rendered mush by abysmal lack of electronic talent.”

 

Well,  one last time I am going to waste two hours of time, and repeat by re-typing yesterday’s blog.  It is too important a message not to run, but I cannot conceive of any message being important enough after today of being re-typed because none  of us know how to fix the margins on a computer.

 

Here is yesterday’s blog:

 

THE BEGINNING OF A LONG OVERDUE CAMPAIGN TO EXPLAIN THE VALUE OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING TO RURAL AMERICA

                                 February 6, 2010---by Fred Kelly Grant

 

You all know Patrick Dorinson whose postings have been featured here for the past year.  Patrick has announced the beginning of a series of professionally filmed and produced programs that will feature the true environmentalists of the west:  THE RANCHERS WHO CARE FOR THE PUBLIC RANGE LANDS, DEVELOP WATER FOR THEIR STOCK AS WELL THE FLOCKS OF WILDLIFE WHO RELY ON THAT WATER IN THESE ARID LANDS, AND RAISE THE BEEF AND MEAT THAT ALLOWS US TO MAINTAIN AN INDEPENDENT FOOD SUPPLY FOR OUR NATION.

 

The campaign will feature 13 segments directed and produced by the industry, not Hollywood.  The true story of the ranching industry will be  portrayed, and the production will be highly professional.  The sample link at the bottom of this blog will demonstrate the admirable videophotography and narration.

 

Working with the National Cattle Beef Association and investers within the industry, Patrick will be the featured star of each segment, telling the story of  courageous ranchers who risk the perils of nature, the market price and the strangling costs of litigation caused by anti-grazing organizations.

 

The link below is a preview of what Eco-Cowboys will be like---a professionally produced story of how ranchers preserve the range and all its qualities, of how the ranchers are the only line of defense against disastrous, costly wild fires that destroy the land and all the wildlife that thrives there.

 

The series will use a viewer identification process by which viewers can identify themselves so that they can be called on for assistance when grass roots voices are needed for legislative support.  In New Jersey, a similar identification process resulted in 400,000 persons contacting legislators to oppose a bill-----obviously the great outpouring of grass roots opposition to the bill killed it.   Such method for gaining support for favorable legislation and opposition to anti ranching, anti property rights legislation has been sorely needed for decades.  Now, we may be close to recognizing success in getting huge grass roots support in play for ranching.

 

How many times Patrick’s concept has been discussed and re-discussed and re-discussed through the years----and now  it is here and ready to be launched.  Watch for it, support it, tell your neighbors to watch for “Eco-Cowboys” Here is the preview.

http://www.ecocowboys.com/

THE BEGINNING OF A LONG OVERDUE CAMPAIGN TO EXPLAIN THE VALUE OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING TO RURAL AMERICA

                February 6, 2010    by Fred Kelly Grant

          You all know Patrick Dorinson whose postings have been featured here for the past year.  The good news is that Patrick’s postings will continue even while he moves into a huge undertaking to nationally portray the value of livestock grazing on the federally owned grazing lands.

          Patrick has announced the beginning of a series of professionally filmed and produced programs that will feature the true environmentalists of the west: the ranchers who care for the land, develop water for their cattle as well as the flocks of wildlife who rely on that water, and raise the beef that allows us to maintain an independent food supply for our nation.

          The campaign will feature 13 segments to be carried on a major television network, segments directed and produced by livestock supporters within the industry, not by Hollywood.  So the true story, the factual story of livestock grazing, and the importance of that grazing to the maintenance of quality of our grazing lands and of our food supply.

          Working with the National Cattle Beef Association and investors within the industry, Patrick will be featured in each of the 13 segments, telling the story of various ranchers who have successfully survived the bitter and costly attacks launched by such as the Center for Biological Diversity and Jon Marvel’s Western Watersheds Council.

          For years people and organizations have talked about the need to “tell the grazing story”.  Now, it will finally be done.  As others talked about the necessity of telling the true story of the importance of livestock grazing, the anti-grazers have had a field day in attacking ranching, costing individual ranchers millions of dollars in legal fees. 

Jon Marvel, a transplanted eastern architect, has committed himself to driving cattle off the federal grazing lands by filing lawsuits and driving the ranchers out of business through legal costs.  He and his Western Watersheds Council lawyers found the willing conspirator in B. Lynn Winmill, a Harvard trained federal district judge who looks for every opportunity to rule against the Bureau of Land Management and the ranchers---and then award huge attorney fees to Marvel’s lawyers.  Recently, Winmill was backed into a corner from which he had to issue a decision partly favorable to ranchers, and the angst it caused him was evident from his language.

The Center for Biological Diversity has resorted to spurious science in its campaign to put Arizona ranchers out of business.

Today, we run a preview of what the series “The Eco Cowboys” will encompass.  Ranchers and their successes in caring properly for the land will be the stars of the shows. Patrick will guide the shows to tell the stories of real, true life heroes of the west who fight off the weather, market fluctuations, arbitrary government regulations, and the viciousness of the anti-grazing organizations.  

During the shows, the corrupting nature of the anti-grazing powers will be demonstrated.  For example, Marvel doesn’t just dislike cows; he dislikes wild horses, recreational users of all kinds, Native Americans, ranchers and anyone who uses the federal grazing lands for anything other than allowing them to burn.  

Twice within the last decade, Marvel’s minions have led Winmill down his blind path to rangeland destruction---both times he stopped grazing on lands where the government was prepared to allow increased grazing because of the abundance of forage far exceeding what had been expected.  Both times, disastrous range fires destroyed forage, livestock, buildings and corrals, and wildlife which Winmill professes to protect. 

Sage Grouse, for example, championed by the Marvel-Winmill duo for protection against the “evils” of cattle grazing, cannot and do not survive range fires of the type Winmill allowed.  All segments of nature: plants and animals, are destroyed by wild range fires.  The last of the fires, dubbed quietly by Fire fighters as the “Winmill Fire” destroyed thousands of acres of forage, natural sage and bitter brush, water supplies and habitat for wildlife.  It became the primary fire for the national Inter agency fire bureau because it threatened the Air Force training range at Mountain Home Air Base where our pilots last train before leaving for Iraq and Afghanistan.

          The Eco-Cowboy Series will utilize a viewer identification process that will give real political clout to the industry.  Working with public relations people who have hard-nosed experience in garnering support for an industry, Patrick expects that the Series viewers will be able to be mobilized quickly to influence legislative actions.

T         The public relations people put together such a program for another industry several years ago that was highly successful politically.  When the industry was threatened with a destructive bill in New Jersey, over 400,000 New Jersey citizens made demands on legislators within hours, and the bill was defeated.  The goal of the planned series is to accomplish the same for the national livestock industry, so that millions of viewers can be mobilized quickly to effectively represent the views of the cattlemen and women with the Congress.

          How many times has this concept been discussed and re-discussed during the past two decades---and now it is here and ready to be launched.  Watch for it; support it; tell your neighbors about it---the series is “Eco Cowboys”.  Here is the preview.

        

 

           SECOND DAY LOOK AT CHICAGO

                     February 6, 2010    by Fred Kelly Grant

            True to my self commitment, I started the morning reading the Chicago Tribune for the comics, i.e., the political news.   The current governor, Pat Quinn, barely won a primary race; the successful lieutenant governor candidate is a little known Chicago pawn broker, Scott Lee Cohen.

          In Illinois, the governor and lt. governor on each ticket have to run as a team.  So, Quinn, already plagued by being a loyal member of the impeached and indicted Rod Blodojaveschi administration, now finds his running mate was arrested for holding a knife to the neck of a prostitute in 2005 and pushing her head back against a wall, was charged in his recent divorce with not paying child support and was further charged with treating his ex-wife and children violently because he was under the influence of unlawfully obtained steroids.

          Governor Quinn calls for the pawn broker, Cohen, to step aside, but Cohen refuses.  He says that he will be an asset to the people because he can show the state how to use creative financing.  In my whole career I have never met a pawn broker who didn’t understand “creative financing”, so he probably has a point.  Whether the prosecutors in Illinois will stand by and allow such creative financing to seep into the state house is another matter.

          The republicans cannot take real advantage of any of these failings yet because they can’t even decide who the nominee for governor will be.  But, the national republican party has already weighed in against the democrat nominee to hold the Barack Obama senate seat.  He runs an independent bank in Chicago which has made loans of millions of dollars to a mob boss who has been indicted and convicted of mob related offenses.

          Meantime, the democrat president of the Cook County Board lost his bid for re-election after firing his cousin from a plush county job because she posted bail for another employee----a former steakhouse busboy hired by the president for a plush, high paying county job without checking his criminal record.

         Chicago politics----its hilarious, and its just three days after the primary elections.  Honestly, if you want to start the day with a good laugh, check out the Chicago Tribune on line between now and November.  The great thing about it is that Chicagoans don’t take their politicians seriously----they know what most Americans don’t want to realize:  Most politicians are scalawags and imposters.  And, what Chicagoans know is that the city will continue to run and the people will continue to get those city services that they want and need no matter how bad the politicians are.  Chicagoans don’t waste time whimpering and whining about who gets elected; they just go about their business and let the prosecutors and courts take care of the politicians.

         Seriously, treat yourself to morning fun with a quick daily glance at the Tribune.

 

BACK IN THE SADDLE---

                                         February 5, 2010----by Fred Kelly Grant

 

Its been a long time since I contributed to the Blog.  Jon has reminded me of that from time to time, like every day.  But, the load of helping landowners hang on to what they own, and keep the government away from title to their land has been pretty heavy.

 

Last night I decided it was time.  But what does one do to get back in the swim?  Immediately it came to me, look to my old state and its always interesting politics.  Sure enough, Illinois did not let me down.  Controversy swirls over the primary elections just held there, and gaffs among the democrats once again give the republicans a fighting chance for the governorship.

 

The winner in the democrat primary election for lieutenant governor this week has  now been exposed as having a domestic abuse charge filed against him by an ex-wife.  First, why would anyone care about who is the candidate for either party for lt, governor?  Well, remember this is Illinois, and governors have a tendency to leave office before their terms are up, some to go directly to prison without passing “Go” but with having collected far more than the $200 that goes with “GO”.  So, the lieutenant governor is just a pair of handcuffs or an ethics hearing away from the governor’s chair.

 

The antics start with the winner of the democratic primary by Scott Lee Cohen who is known as the “Pawnbroker”.  The Chicago Tribune’s John Kass wrote an hilarious column yesterday called “A pawnbroker and a hooker story make Illinois elections into a political tearjerker.”

 

It seems that the “Pawnbroker” was arrested for domestic battery in 2005; his then girl-friend accused him of holding a knife to her neck.  The girl friend was a prostitute.  Cohen, the “pawnbroker” says he didn’t know she was a prostitute, she told him she was a “massage therapist”---that’s the way hookers advertise themselves on the near North Side of Chicago.  But, would one expect a  politician with the nickname the “Pawnbroker” to know that a “massage therapist” was a hooker?  Nooooooo, of course not.  Not in Chicago.

 

In the wake of the hooker flap, the winner of the democratic primary for governor took a distant back seat:  Patrick Quinn, the current governor who replaced Blagojevich who tried to sell the empty Barack Obama senate seat, managed to beat out the state comptroller Dan Hynes in a close race.  A race made questionable because of the fine, clean shaving Hynes suffered in the southwest Chicago wards governed by the Madigan machine politics.

 

But, since Quinn, with support of the same folks who once supported other governors now in prison or headed there, may not finish a term even if elected, the lieutenant governor’s race will become exciting.  And, as Tribune columnist Kass pointed out, the Republican party in DC is right now beginning a search for a prostitute-massage therapist that will dwarf the search for talent for America’s Idol or America’s Got Talent.  Who knows, the lady might become Illinois’ First Lady.

 

As usual the comments to the column carry the spirited response of colorful Chicagoans who love their politics and politicians. As one  “Durango 99” said: “With Cohen the Pimp on the ticket, Blago the Clown’s trial in full swing.  Quinn out there preaching for a 50% tax increase, only brain dead democrats would vote for their ticket.”

 

And, commenter “JR708” said:   “JimBob3 has a great suggestion – sell the spot to Urkle Stroger [a member of the Cook County governing Board who thrives outside the sunlight of direct and honest dealings].  God knows he’s going to end up on some government payroll – he has no skills or abilities.  Might as well make him Lt.Gov, since the office has no purpose.  How many idiot cousins can Urkel take with him, though?”  Stroger is himself quite a story as he moves relatives and wives and friends of relatives into one high paying job after another in county government.  But “JR708” is wrong on one point---the office of Lt. Gov. in Illinois does have a purpose---it is the office in waiting where the successor to law-breaking governors waits and practices.

 

Meanwhile, one would think this gave the republicans a cake-walk.  But the two republican candidates for governor are in a neck in neck recount race, and in the words of the Tribune “have lawyered up.”  So, from now through November, for morning laughs join me in turning to the Tribune and Sun Times on the internet first thing every morning.

 

The Tribune’s Kaff could not resist throwing in another recount of the tearful hug-along that occurred during the democrat convention in Denver where Obama was nominated.  He pointed out that the democrats are in desperate need of “a unity gathering…that could rival their tearful unity breakfast a couple of years ago when U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr started crying and hugging everybody in the room.”

 

The democrats went into that convention in war mode.  Mike Madigan, speaker of the house, was at war with Blagojavetch and the whole state party was at odds.  According to Kass:

 

           “Mayor Richard Daley got so emotional that he jumped up and hugged

Jackson, then held his hand as Jackson wept happy tears.

           Jackson then got Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan to hug his enemy, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.  Politicians started weeping, and clapped and cheered.

          It was like watching “The Godfather” when Don Corleone hugged Tattaglia at the urging of Barzini, and all were relieved that the war between the families was over.

           Except, that Barzini wasn’t squirting tears and being handed fresh tissue every couple of seconds by the mayor of Chicago.  If they ever make a movie, Cuba Gooding, Jr. should play Jackson.  He’s got the emotional range.

          Despite all the hugs at that meeting in Denver, as Barack Obama was nominated for the presidency, there was war in Illinois politics.  You need one every five years or so to get rid of the bad blood.”

 

Kass suggests that national republicans are now lusting for an Illinois hooker hunt to turn up the abused domestic partner of the newly nominated Lt. Governor.  And, that could result again, Kass says, in Jackson being called on by Rahm Emanuel for his magic in getting the democrats together to weep and hug.

 

Kass imagines the scenario like this:  Rahm, the president’s chief of staff, would call Jackson and tell him “I want you to use all your powers and all your skills.  I don’t want Barack to see the ticket like this.”  Jackson, in the scenario would  reply “Yes Rahmfather.”

 

And, Kass says that as long as Jackson is at it, he should get the president to come to Chicago and hug his good friend State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias who won the democrat nomination for U.S. Senator.  According to Kass:

 

                 “National republicans are already airing an attack video depicting

Giannoulias as a guy who’d make ‘Tony Soprano proud’.  The devastating spot highlights Giannoulias’ Broadway Bank loans to convicted Outfit figure Michael ‘Jaws’ Giorango and other loans for convicted political influence peddler Tony Rezko, Obama’s personal real estate fairy.”

 

Once again, Chicago and Illinois politics will  brighten my days ahead, and yours too if you don’t take politics too seriously.  As the heat turns up in Chicagoland, Kass says “So lets hug it out dudes.  Oh and find that hooker.”

 

With the joy of Chicago politics to lift my wings, I’m back.