A Different Legal System for the Rich: Imagine Getting Off Easy for Hit-and-Run Because You Run a Hedge Fund

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 11/26/2010 - 15:36.

The following AlterNet article - A Different Legal System for the Rich: Imagine Getting Off Easy for Hit-and-Run Because You Run a Hedge Fund... It's not just the recession that's killing the middle class -- it's how the legal system is being used to establish a two-tiered society - illustrates shocking developments in our legal system in America. 52-year-old Martin Joel Erzinger, a Morgan Stanley Smith Barney money manager who oversees more than a billion in assets for “ultra high net worth individuals, their families and foundations", hit a surgeon riding his bicycle in Colorado - and ran like a dirty dog - and "District Attorney Mark Hurlbert was apparently concerned with Erzinger’s future -- SEC rules would have required him to disclose the felony within 30 days of being convicted, which might have cost him his job -- and decided to accept a misdemeanor plea, over the objections of Milo and his attorneys. “Felony convictions have some pretty serious job implications for someone in Mr. Erzinger's profession,” Hurlbert said, “and that entered into [the decision].”

As the author of A Different Legal System for the Rich points out, "There’s nothing new about high flyers getting off the hook for traffic accidents with a wink and a nod from friendly prosecutors"...

... but what makes the story noteworthy is that Hurlbert, who ran as a Republican in an unsuccessful bid for the state senate last year, felt comfortable acknowledging his reasoning to reporters. That he’d freely admit to considering an accused felon’s social status in charging Erzinger suggests a cultural shift in the works.

Economically, the birth-story of America’s new Gilded Age is fairly straightforward. In 1928, on the eve of the Great Depression, those in the top 10 percent of the economic pile grabbed about half of the nation’s income. With the emergence of the New Deal, a powerful labor movement and World War II -- and the GI Bill that followed the troops home -- a large middle class developed, and by 1953, that slice had been cut to less than a third. But by 2006, the middle class’ gains had been entirely reversed, and the top 10 percent were again taking around half of the nation’s income.

A similar case occured here in 2009 - Decision Rendered in Deadly Hit & Run Crash - where a suburban fund manager received light treatment for vehicular homocide, bringing into question the historic fairness of our legal system in Northeast Ohio.

Cleveland.com featured extensive coverage of the long-time total incompetency and criminal behavior of lawyers in the office of County Prosecutor Bill Mason, which should never have been allowed by the legal community here. And this is just the tip of the injustice that evil man has caused this community, with the full support of 100% of the community's 17,000 lawyers (I've never heard one complaint from one).

When you add to this concerns the judicial system in Northeast Ohio appears politically compromised, incompetent and corrupt... and that has coddled and enabled the incompetent and/or corrupt prosecutors... all enabled by 17,000 incompetent and/or corrupt lawyers in Northeast Ohio, you must wonder where is a poor American slob to turn for protection from the rich?!?!

God bless America, land of the rich. May they run the other 99% of us all down as quickly as possible... if they haven't already put us in jail.

AlterNet article - A Different Legal System for the Rich: Imagine Getting Off Easy for Hit-and-Run Because You Run a Hedge Fund... It's not just the recession that's killing the middle class -- it's how the legal system is being used to establish a two-tiered society

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Feds go back LOOK at $50,000 given Rokakis in 2004...

Submitted by lmcshane on Fri, 11/26/2010 - 21:02.

The same mentality behind this case is being used to CAMOUFLAGE the behavior of Jim Rokakis and the investors behind Plymouth Park. Two standards of justice.

Jim Rokakis changed state laws to benefit Plymouth Park. 

Wall Street Is the New Tax Collector? Governments Relinquish Taxation Powers to Big Banks

Wall Street titans have found a new way to screw over the poor and middle class -- as surrogate tax collectors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis lobbied the Ohio legislature to pass a law that would allow County Treasurers to sell delinquent property tax liens to third parties. This legislation (H.B. 371) passed in 1998.

Since 1999, Jim Rokakis has given Plymouth Park Tax Services and GLS Capital exclusive and no bid contracts to purchase delinquent property tax liens located in Cuyahoga County.  link

Plymouth Park Tax Services, located in New Jersey, is under federal investigation for anti-trust violations and collusion.  link

Cuyahoga County filed 2,000 tax-foreclosure cases in 2009 – a 400 percent increase from five years ago. Tax foreclosures in the county accounted for 13 percent of all foreclosures.

This year, the county expects to file some 2,400 cases.   link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Cleveland, officials are beginning to express concern about the consequences of trusting the new tax collectors. Cuyahoga County canceled this year’s tax sale (10/2010) amid alarm that previous ones had contributed to an upsurge in home foreclosures and further decay in already marginal neighborhoods. "With the economy the way it is now, we won't have a tax sale for at least one year,” said Robin Thomas, Cuyahoga County's chief deputy treasurer. Her aim: To buy homeowners in Cleveland “a little more time" to get caught up with their property taxes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SEE also:

County Treasurer submitted grant award from Plymouth Park Tax

Submitted by Lily Miller on October 2, 2010 - 10:22am.

 

COMMISSIONERS

Jimmy Dimora Peter Lawson Jones Tim McCormack

AGENDA ACTIONS October 12, 2004

 

7. County Treasurer, submitting a grant award in the amount of $50,000.00 from Plymouth Park dba XSPAND for local tax policy research.

 

Considered and adopted by unanimous vote.

 

link to PDF file ***
bocc.cuyahogacounty.us/ViewFile.aspx?Type=File&File=1600

 

AND....how is this*** ETHICAL? 

Treasurer's office essentially accepted $50,000 from XSpand aka Plymouth Park to tell them which properties they should foreclose on....?! 

What criteria justified the choice of properties to foreclose???!

 

Rokakis is just executing the Cleveland Plan

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 11/27/2010 - 00:47.

Rokakis is just executing the Cleveland Plan.

Not Rokakis' plan - it's the Cleveland Foundation Plan - the Cleveland Plain Dealer Plan - the Cleveland Illuminati plan.

Rokakis is just a troll off to jail, like DimAura, Russo... who knows who else... they have outlived their usefulness to the powers that be and will be destroyed now.

Blaming Rokakis for the genocide here is like blaming Sargent Schultz for the Holocaust

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Cleveland's Final Solution

Submitted by lmcshane on Sat, 11/27/2010 - 08:53.

If this is a "PLAN" as you say, Norm--who executed it? 

 Are you privy to insider information?  

I am especially intrigued to know who knew the "plan" for East Cleveland aka Greater University Circle.  Brad Whitehead?? It seems that this was the most evil element of the plan along with the scorched earth policy used in Slavic Village aka the Opportunity Corridor.

Yes--Rokakis is just the GCP's Himmler for the PLAN--I have no doubt of that--but all of these people should be held before a jury and judged for the crimes they have committed and for their sick justification of ethnic cleansing in NEO.

I learned about the plan for EC from an environmental expert

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 11/27/2010 - 11:00.

I learned about the plan for EC from an environmental expert who spends his life monitoring and cleaning up pollution, who told me about the secret MCCO coal plant in University Circle - unfortunately after my family was fucked into buying and investing in East Cleveland. I dug for the information on the new coal plant they planned, as I unsurfaced that East Cleveland mayor Brewer was literally a whore, and the new Mayor Norton distributes stollen pornography - and I learned more as I fought the motherfuckers and others came forward with related information.

I learned from Sy Murray at Cleveland State that there were no plans to actually help the people of East Cleveland, but only to screw them. Sy left to fuck up New Orleans.

I learned from David Reed, who resigned from Kent State - I assume bacause he couldn't stand working with them any more - that the planners here don't give a fuck about the people.

I learned from Intergenerational School founder Peter Whitehouse, Peter Holmes and Jones Day lawyers in general that the rich and powerful here are evil fuckheads who will kill children for money.

And on an on - I'm the most insider person in Cleveland - my family is rich and so has socialized with the rich my whole life... my dad psychoanalyzed half the CEOs in town... I went to the insiders school... I still know who all the zombies in town are.

I'm killing them with hatred... one by one... if MATT CARROLL'S CANCER doesn't get them first.

If my enemies are lucky they will just die quickly and quietly of Matt Carroll's cancer.

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I should have learned this from Matt Fucking Carroll

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 11/27/2010 - 11:35.

I should have learned this from Matt Fucking Carroll - he's in charge of fucking pollution here - I was on HIS Fucking Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council - he has harmed Clevelanders more than any man alive here, because it is his job to protect us from pollution, lead poisoning and the other dangers in our environment here, and he instead covers all that up for personal political gain... and it works great for the Carrolls.

He doesn't do it alone... list to follow.

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Alarm over Matt Carroll fucking citizens, from the Sierra Club

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 11/27/2010 - 13:59.

When I learned how much harm pollution here causes citizens, I contacted Sherrod Brown, his staff, Matt Carroll and everyone responsible for protecting citizens, and the Sierra Club and I were alarmed by Matt's inept and destructive response... his stupidity and evil galvanized the opposition against pollution from MCCO, that he has hidden from citizens forever... read and weep:

 

Carroll had a job to do for taxpayers and he has failed miserably... I personally think he should be fired from his current job as Cleveland Health Director and tar and feathered in Public Square - then executed.

Sherrod Brown should be next in line for tarring, feathering... and his little dog too... they are the kingpins of all this.

 

After reading your message, I'm concerned about the human impacts of pollution in northeast Ohio.

Daily Air Quality Forecast for Cleveland-Akron-Lorain

Reitman, Mattie <mattie [dot] reitman [at] sierraclub [dot] org> Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 12:13 PM
To: "Carroll, Matthew" <MCarroll [at] city [dot] cleveland [dot] oh [dot] us>
Cc: Norm Roulet <norm [dot] roulet [at] gmail [dot] com>, "Ryan, John (Brown)" <John_Ryan [at] brown [dot] senate [dot] gov>, "pamszoo [at] sbcglobal [dot] net" <pamszoo [at] sbcglobal [dot] net>, "sgreenberg [at] ehw [dot] org" <sgreenberg [at] ehw [dot] org>

 
Matt, thanks for the update on this issue.  After reading your message, I'm concerned about the human impacts of pollution in northeast Ohio.
 
First and quite simply, I think that it's inadequate to expect networked monitors in a region as large as northeast Ohio to be able to compensate for each other's outages, and that it's a matter of opinion whether high particulate levels are unhealthy only if they persist for a 24-hour period.  I'd say it's downright insensitive to claim otherwise, particularly for those who live in a relatively less polluted area.
Second and more core to my concerns, I think all of this points to inadequate attention and resources given to the environmental health and welfare of Ohioans.  At a certain point, the profit made from polluting just isn't worth it anymore, and we have to look seriously at major pollution sources.  For the compassionate, there are sick kids missing school; for the pragmatic, there are astronomical health bills.  Also, I haven't heard of these kinds of ongoing technical problems in other places - does northeast Ohio just not getting the funding it needs, or have the state or federal programs not done their part?
 
In the interest of a sustainable economy and health communities, we need public officials to see these things and take action today to protect people and the environment tomorrow.
 
-best, m!-
-- 
Matthew/Mattie Reitman
Beyond Coal Field Organizer, Ohio
Sierra Club, 131 N High St #605, Columbus OH 43215
mattie [dot] reitman [at] sierraclub [dot] org
614.461.0734 x316 (o)  /  315.450.6628 (c)

 

On Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 11:47 AM, Carroll, Matthew <MCarroll [at] city [dot] cleveland [dot] oh [dot] us> wrote:

Norm,

The Air Quality staff have prepared this response to the questions you have raised, including a brief update since your June 22nd email regarding inaccuracies and lack of monitoring data. We were able to obtain use of a replacement monitor through USEPA which is a newer continuous dichotomous ambient monitor. We also had to make that monitor the index (main data collection) monitor when our continuous PM monitor was malfunctioning due to environmental factors. The switch was made on June 24th.

 

Because of the switch in monitors, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has the responsibility, assets and the software to make available raw data to the various agencies such as NOACA. Any changes in instrument designation, such as making an instrument the index (main data collection) must be made by and through them. Switching instruments to the index monitor must be done with care and consideration. 

 

We looked at what you forwarded from Air Now which appears to be a forecast for July 29th.  You are correct that there was no information showing on the NOACA website for the monitoring site because the USEPA replacement instrument which we have chosen to use as the index (main collection) data monitor which has been providing data since the switch occurred on June 24th until it started malfunctioning and was placed in maintenance mode on July 28th. Our technician responded immediately and has been working diligently along with conferring with technicians from USEPA to troubleshoot the instrument and make any repairs necessary to get it back up and running. On July 28th the AQI’s was in the moderate range.  

 

In your email you also mentioned the air was unhealthy as you drove through the Flats. The categories for healthy or unhealthy are based on a 24 hour average. A one hour average of 40µg/m3 does not mean it is unhealthy, only when the average persists for 24 hours.  For the most part the air quality in Northeast Ohio is considered the same with usually only minor differences in the results from the various monitors. If one or two monitors are not operating correctly within the network, they still have good representation from the other instruments to determine the AQI.

 

The continuous PM monitors allow us the opportunity to collect data in “real time” of possible events that can be used to get information to that segment of the population that may have health problems that may benefit from an early warning. 

 

We continue to review possible solutions to maintain as consistent and reliable “real time” data stream.  We are currently reviewing newer instruments on the market with higher reliability, less down time and can function better under less than ideal conditions.  Our technicians will continue to maintain and operate the instruments in our inventory until such time as newer or additional assets become available.\

 

Please let us know if you would like to discuss further or if you need more information.

 

Thank you for your concern.

 
Matt Carroll, Director
Cleveland Department of Public Health
75 Erieview Plaza, 2d Floor |Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(office) 216-664-6790 | (fax) 216-664-2197|(mobile) 216-857-5099

mcarroll [at] city [dot] cleveland [dot] oh [dot] us| www.clevelandhealth.org

Cleveland Conserves - Do Your Part to Save Energy

 

 

From: Norm Roulet [mailto:norm [dot] roulet [at] gmail [dot] com]
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 12:43 PM
To: Carroll, Matthew; Ryan, John (Brown); pamszoo [at] sbcglobal [dot] net; mattie [dot] reitman [at] sierraclub [dot] org; sgreenberg [at] ehw [dot] org
Subject: Fwd: Daily Air Quality Forecast for Cleveland-Akron-Lorain
Matt and Company.

This is already so far off today it may be regarded only as a sick, evil, stupid joke. We were in moderate at best at 12AM, even with the rain, wind, temperature and BP changes - I just drove through the Flats and the conditions South, East and West are clearly unhealthy.

And, even with all the monitoring data broken, we see our air is unheathy now via the incomplete data available via the EPA

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: EnviroFlash <enviroflash [at] sonomatech [dot] com>
Date: Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 4:51 PM
Subject: Daily Air Quality Forecast for Cleveland-Akron-Lorain
To: norm [dot] roulet [at] gmail [dot] com

 



 

Forecast for Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, OH Tomorrow's Forecast

Thursday, Jul 29:   Good Particle Pollution (2.5 microns)
 

 

For additional information concerning the air quality forecast, contact one of the following agencies, or visit http://airohio.epa.state.ohs .

For Cleveland: Bureau of Eng. Services, Dept. of Public Health & Welfare, 216-441-4879,
For Akron: Akron Regional Air Quality Agency, 330-375-2480,
For Lorain: Ohio EPA, Northeast District Office, Division of Air Pollution Control, 800-686-6330.

 

Do not reply directly to this email. If you want more information on the air quality forecast, or other aspects of the local air quality program, please contact your local air quality agency using the information above. For more information on the U.S. EPA's AIRNow Program, visit http://www.airnow.gov.

To unsubscribe or edit your EnviroFlash account

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--
Norm Roulet
ICEarth - realNEO - real coop
norm [at] realneo [dot] us
216-688-5221

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