how the former-governor expressed sorrow and regret prior to sentencing.
What's your opinion? Mine is that white-collar criminals should not be taking up space in the already over-crowded prison system.It was not enough for Zagel, who gave the 54-year-old a sentence close to the 15 to 20 years prosecutors had sought.
"The abuse of the office of governor is more damaging than the abuse of any other office, except the president's," he said.
"Whatever good things you did for people as governor, and you did some, I am more concerned with the occasions when you wanted to use your powers ... to do things that were only good for yourself," Zagel said.
Blagojevich slumped forward in his chair — momentarily frozen as the judge pronounced the sentence. Moments later, his wife, Patti, fell into his arms; when he pulled back from their embrace, he brushed tears from her cheek.
"When it is the governor who goes bad," Zagel said, "the fabric of Illinois is torn and disfigured and not easily repaired."
Please leave a comment.
A corrupt government official gets less than the death penalty? Yup, that's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteWhile Blagobitch may be a white collar criminal his policies were harmful to a LOT of people. Now, if they could apply the same reasoning to all of the people since Nixon who've screwed the public pooch, then we'd be getting somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThere is no proportion to the death penalty here, but it IS appropriate that Blago go to jail. And it is equally appropriate that other white collar criminals do so as well.
ReplyDeleteSorry, MikeB, I completely disagree with you on this one. I've done a lot of writing about ponzi scheming white collar crime; I don't think you appreciate the seriousness, the destructiveness of it. T?HAT is what makes white collar crime equally deserving of this penalty.
We have a stratified system of justice as it is, where money gets people unfair advantages in the justice system. There is no need to make that wrongful dichotomy even more pronounced and unfair than it already is.
Now I'm agreeing with Dog Gone. I need to check for lead in my water. . .
ReplyDeletePublic corruption is one of the worst possible crimes. You should understand that, living as you do in a country that was until recently run by Berlusconi. When citizens see their government as serving only the interests of those in power, revolution isn't far off. You've read the comments of people that your friends call gunloonz. Whether those people are reasonable in their assessments, you see what reaction they have to perceived corruption and abuse. Cracking down on potential revolutionaries works for a while, but isn't it better to clean up the system?
Regarding the Wall Street types and their Ponzi schemes, again, these are people who make vast sums of money on the claim that they're just playing by the rules. When we can show that they have violated the rules, we need to punish them in proportion to the wealth that they have appropriated.
I need to check for lead in my water.
ReplyDeleteNo, Greg, I think you have had an IQ south of normal for some time now.
No need to check for lead in your water.