SHAKEDOWN
Wanna know the real lowdown on the Larry Craig mess?
First, the legal angle:
It's a shake down obviously. Jurisdictions all over the country are using the police to shake down citizens for revenue. The last few years have brought constitutional revenue raising, that is, taxes into ill favor. In fact, taxes are the biggest bugaboo politicians use against each other to deny funds for common good issues, such as health, environment, or infrastructure repair and to blast their opponents. Yet at the same time that taxes are being denied or selectively reduced, more money is needed just to keep the nation functioning. Combine this refusal to raise taxes with an increased demand for expensive public services and it's not surprising that new schemes for raising money are coming into use.
In my county, an all out effort has been launched to increase the number of citations for violations punishable by a fine. More egregiously, the state now adds additional fees, sometimes up to $3500, to standard fines for traffic violations. Even worse, a county in an adjoining state sent a bevy of policemen to an elementary school to write tickets to students for jaywalking. The children, of course, would have to take the tickets home to their parents, who then would have to pay them. Watch to see if this nefarious practice catches hold!!
This kind of shakedown, I suspect, is what happened to Larry Craig in the men's room at the Minneapolis Airport. Many lawyers say that no crime was committed by Craig in that men's room. Still, most people caught in such a situation would willing pay the $500 fine just to keep everything quiet. I suspect this is just what Senator Craig did, too. At $500 a pop, that men's room was probably a little gold mine for the city of Minneapolis or the Airport Authority.
Frankly, I hope he can beat the rap. This has been an improper use of police power and we need to keep alert to wherever it occurs. If a jurisdiction needs more money, let it seek to raise the money through constitutional means, which is taxes. This gives citizens a voice in whether they're willing to put up the money or prefer to do without some services.
The hypocritical angle:
Larry Craig has been a consistent and long time foe of gays and anybody whose sexual behavior does not agree with what he considers proper. He helped generate an atmosphere of hostility and hatred for those who commit just such acts as he did. Now that attitude has caught up with him and he has to face the consequences of his bigotry. Being hoisted on his own petard is, I think, thoroughly just and appropriate punishment.
My conclusion:
1. Larry Craig should have all the charges against him dropped and his guilty plea to a misdemeanor wiped from the record.
2. Because of his hipocracy and the use of his Senate position to launch unjust attacks on a fairly large segment of the American population, he should give up his seat in the U. S. Senate immediately.
First, the legal angle:
It's a shake down obviously. Jurisdictions all over the country are using the police to shake down citizens for revenue. The last few years have brought constitutional revenue raising, that is, taxes into ill favor. In fact, taxes are the biggest bugaboo politicians use against each other to deny funds for common good issues, such as health, environment, or infrastructure repair and to blast their opponents. Yet at the same time that taxes are being denied or selectively reduced, more money is needed just to keep the nation functioning. Combine this refusal to raise taxes with an increased demand for expensive public services and it's not surprising that new schemes for raising money are coming into use.
In my county, an all out effort has been launched to increase the number of citations for violations punishable by a fine. More egregiously, the state now adds additional fees, sometimes up to $3500, to standard fines for traffic violations. Even worse, a county in an adjoining state sent a bevy of policemen to an elementary school to write tickets to students for jaywalking. The children, of course, would have to take the tickets home to their parents, who then would have to pay them. Watch to see if this nefarious practice catches hold!!
This kind of shakedown, I suspect, is what happened to Larry Craig in the men's room at the Minneapolis Airport. Many lawyers say that no crime was committed by Craig in that men's room. Still, most people caught in such a situation would willing pay the $500 fine just to keep everything quiet. I suspect this is just what Senator Craig did, too. At $500 a pop, that men's room was probably a little gold mine for the city of Minneapolis or the Airport Authority.
Frankly, I hope he can beat the rap. This has been an improper use of police power and we need to keep alert to wherever it occurs. If a jurisdiction needs more money, let it seek to raise the money through constitutional means, which is taxes. This gives citizens a voice in whether they're willing to put up the money or prefer to do without some services.
The hypocritical angle:
Larry Craig has been a consistent and long time foe of gays and anybody whose sexual behavior does not agree with what he considers proper. He helped generate an atmosphere of hostility and hatred for those who commit just such acts as he did. Now that attitude has caught up with him and he has to face the consequences of his bigotry. Being hoisted on his own petard is, I think, thoroughly just and appropriate punishment.
My conclusion:
1. Larry Craig should have all the charges against him dropped and his guilty plea to a misdemeanor wiped from the record.
2. Because of his hipocracy and the use of his Senate position to launch unjust attacks on a fairly large segment of the American population, he should give up his seat in the U. S. Senate immediately.
posted by Jerry at 9:50 AM
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