Tag: bribery

The cash-strapped city is offering an income tax amnesty program that runs through mid-February, Mayor Dave Bing announced Wednesday.

Starting Tuesday, those who owe income taxes to Detroit can pay them back without penalty. Anyone who hasn't filed an income tax return for 2011 and prior years may to participate.

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Typical Progressive logic.  Those who abide by the law pay consequence for those that don't, and the Progressives excuse the law breakers from their illegal behavior.

From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

State Rep. Alberta Tinsley-Talabi took a Caribbean trip, campaign cash and a donation from a businessman while supporting his $10 million city pension fund deal, The Detroit News has learned.

Federal court records chronicle the trip and payments from indicted Georgia businessman Roy Dixon in 2007, when Tinsley-Talabi was a city councilwoman and trustee on the Detroit Police & Fire pension board.

The Detroit Democrat has not been charged in the widening, years-long federal probe of City Hall corruption and the city's pension funds that has resulted in two dozen convictions, including Tinsley-Talabi's former colleague, ex-City Council President Monica Conyers.

Tinsley-Talabi did not return multiple phone messages, but one former colleague said he's disappointed by the disclosure.

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Wasn't the Hathaway Family disappointed when caught, too?  Feh.  Whatever.  I asked before, and I'll state it clearly this time... Michigan's Socialist do not care as long as their agenda incrementally moves - Forward!

The Ivory Tower reports this morning that Sam Riddle, a Detroit Democrat and well known political consultant is coming clean about additional dirty deeds, some directly involving Congressman John Conyers (D-Detroit):

Riddle said Conyers even helped draft a letter sent by her husband, Congressman John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., to help a man with whom she had financial ties...

In that deal, Riddle said, Monica Conyers arranged for Riddle to get a $20,000 contract with Greektown entrepreneur Dimitrios (Jim) Papas in about 2007. Riddle said Papas hired him for crisis consulting and political advising -- but he was never asked to do any work. She then demanded $10,000 of that money as a "finder's fee," Riddle said.

At some point after Papas paid him, Riddle said, John Conyers sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of a controversial hazardous waste injection well in Romulus that one of Papas' companies was seeking to operate.

Papas, you'll remember, is the same "gentleman" who paid Senator Debbie Stabenow's (D-Michigan) husband Tom Athens to work illegally as a lobbyist backing the same toxic waste dumping project.  The sort of dumping project that Stabenow had explicitly campaigned against, before realizing it represented an opportunity for her family to make serious illegal bank.

Not a bad collection Papas had there.  A United States Senator, a United States Congressman and the top dog on the Detroit City Council, all either directly on the payroll or accepting cash through one paper-thin degree of separation.  

Meanwhile, Senator Stabenow and Congressman Conyers refuse to answer questions about the lifestyle they've enjoyed thanks to Papas generous "giving" or the Congressional favors that cash has purchased.

But while Stabenow has managed to skate thus far on the dirty dealings that happened under her roof, Conyers may not be quite as lucky.  The Ivory Tower reminds readers:

Ethics rules prohibit House members from contacting federal agencies on matters in which they have a personal financial interest. It is unclear whether John Conyers knew of any financial connection between his wife and Papas.

Point A... arguing that a 21 term Congressman could somehow not know about the "professional relationship" between his wife and the specific company for which he went to bat is inane.  The man would almost literally have to be senile.  Point B... if you're going to make that argument then we've got a whole separate set of issues to deal with.

Either way, ethics rules are ethics rules and John Conyers clearly violated them.  

Another Detroit Democrat embroiled in a federal ethics probe?  That's JUST what the Motor City needed.  Maybe Monica isn't the only Conyers who should be considering resignation this morning.