Thursday, January 13, 2011

Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, January 13, 2011


No newsbites theme song today...

No diet notes...

I just don't feel like "thriving" right now.

2 comments:

William R. Barker said...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0111/Obama_speech_undercuts_federal_charge_for_judges_murder.html

[A] passage in President Barack Obama's speech to a memorial service in Tucson Wednesday night could undercut a criminal charge federal prosecutors have leveled at suspect Jared Loughner for the death of U.S. District Court Judge John Roll in a shooting rampage Saturday.

"Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain 20 years ago, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, and rose to become Arizona's chief federal judge," Obama told the crowd at the University of Arizona. Roll's "colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit. He was on his way back from attending mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say, 'Hi,' to his representative."

* HERE'S THE PROBLEM THOUGH...

In the complaint supporting Loughner's arrest, federal prosecutors argue that Roll wasn't simply seeking to pay a social call on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) when he showed up at the community outreach event where the shooting spree took place Saturday. Prosecutors and the FBI insist that Roll "was engaged in official duties" because he wanted to talk to Giffords and her staffers about problems with a surging caseload in federal courts in Arizona, particularly along the Mexican border.

(*SIGH*)

Loughner's alleged killing of Roll may only be a crime under federal law if Roll was on business and not merely stopping by to say hi to a friend.

(*HEADACHE*)

William R. Barker said...

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/12/is-treasurer-maria-pappas-wasting-your-tax-dollars/

She has a driver who makes $94,000 a year and a cleaning lady making $57,000 a year.

* HER NAME...

Maria Pappas

* HER JOB...

Cook County [Illinois] Treasurer

* HER PARTY..

* DEMOCRAT

(*SHRUG*)

[Pappas'] driver is hidden in the budget as a “Project Leader.” The official job summary description includes; consulting with county officials “in the design, development and implementation of varied and highly sophisticated computer software applications to enhance business operations.”

Last year [Pappas' driver] Emanuel Hatzisavas made $94,078 as a "Project Leader," which is just $11,000 less than the Treasurer makes.

(*SMIRK*)

Pappas confirmed that Hatzisavas also alternates with two other staffers to drive her on weekends. For that work, she says they are reimbursed with comp time.

* WEEKENDS...?!?! PAID FOR WITH STATE FUNDS...?!?!

Pappas also says she only trusts one woman, Teresa Kawa, to clean her offices in the County Building.

(*RAISING AN EYEBROW*)

Kawa, Pappas confirmed, cleans her home twice a week and showed us personal checks documenting that she has paid Kawa from $4,000 to $4,500 in a lump sum at the end of each year to clean her condo for the last four years.

* O.K. FAIR ENOUGH. HER MONEY... (WAIT FOR IT... WAIT FOR IT...)

About nine years ago some “briefcase computers” were stolen from Pappas’ county offices and after the incident hired Kawa to clean all 20,000 square feet of office space the Treasurer occupies on the first and second floors of the county building. Pappas produced records that she says show Kawa cleans the offices every night from about 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

(*ROLLING MY EYES*) (WAIT FOR IT... WAIT FOR IT...)

But Kawa is listed on the county payroll as a $57,347 a year, “Administrative Analyst.” The job duties described for this position include the following language; “Performs detailed investigation and analysis of operational systems and procedures, program and organization structures and polices to ascertain fiscal, technical, administrative or other problems which need further attention.”

* READ THE FULL ARTICLE. SEEMS LIKE THE ILLINOIS DEMS ARE RALLYING AROUND THIS PAPPAS SLEAZEBALL AND SHE'S GONNA GET AWAY WITH IT. DISGUSTING. ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. AND THIS IS THE MUCK THAT GAVE RISE TO OBAMA.

(*SHRUG*)

* AND WE THOUGHT CLINTON'S ARKANSAS WAS CORRUPT!