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Feds: Red Light Camera Firm Paid For Chicago Official's Car, Condo
An anonymous reader writes "The former CEO of Redflex, a major red light camera vendor, and John Bills, former Managing Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Transportation, have been indicted on federal corruption charges stemming from a contract with the City of Chicago. According to the indictment, a friend of Bills was hired as a contractor and paid $2 million. Much of that money was then kicked back to Bills, who also got a Mercedes and a condominium via Redflex employees. The defendants are facing 23 counts including: mail fraud, wire fraud, and bribery. Each fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years."
What an odd name for a car.
What, you think that these cameras were set up after a careful consideration of how to balance the needs and rights of the citizenry against the desire to improve traffic conditions? No, it's based on lobbying by the camera sales staff, promising easy money in return for a right to prey on the citizenry. This being Chicago, some of the easy money was kicked-back to the local politicians, but the process isn't really that much different in regions where there is enough moral fiber for the state to keep all of the proceeds.
When you do this for a member of congress, it's called Lobbying, when it do it for lesser politicians, they call it a bribe. Guess these peeps are finding out the hard way.
Be seeing you...
The city has an endemic culture of corruption, officials should be treated with skepticism in all affairs.
I'm sure we can rule out posting offtopic as a possibility.
You think corruption is bad in Chicago, come to Atlanta or New Orleans sometime. Local officials there all but solicit bribes with TV ads. Good luck finding a public official who ISN'T running at least two side hustles, sending city contracts to their brother-in-law, and fucking three mistresses.
SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
And just like for for profit prisons, they have to generate more money each quarter. It's the way of business. Which is why neither should be done on a for profit mode
We've already had examples of shortening yellow light duration to make certain that more people are fined, more profits. This has already caused rear ending crashes to increase as people bitten once jam on the sprags once they see the yellow light. (not to excuse tailgating - it shouldn't be done.
And the amount of revenue generated has to be significant if they consider expensive cars and condos as a cost of doing business.
But after doing things like shortening yellow lights to increase profit, what's next? Hey who knows? Maybe hire a few graphic artists and do matching of redlight cam photos and photoshop license plates on 'em of owners of similar cars.
Technology is awesome! But the shareholders must be served.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Actually Mel Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, U.S. according to wikipedia.
He did attend acting school in Australia though so you can blame them for his acting skill.
This is the norm everywhere. If a person WANTS to be in public office, chances are good that they are a scumbag looking for bribes. It has always been this way that the scum of the earth always want to be in politics.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
True, but some cities are definitely worse than others. In most decent cities, the public officials at least have the decency to try to temper their corruption to a certain limit and at least keep it quiet.
SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
Trust me, Chicago is worse. The thing is, Chicago corruption is efficient. You pay this person X and you get Y. Very simple and strait forward. Things get done. It's an infection but it's not killing the host. What I've seen of New Orleans is corruption that doesn't work. Things don't get done.
This. I live in MA, and its no different here. Hell, they caught one of our state reps on camera actually stuffing an envelope of cash in her bra. A business my wife used to work at owned the building they were in, right in south boston. They applied for a permit to get a roof deck; and were asked straight out for a bribe to make it happen, when they refused.... so was their permit. This shit goes on everywhere.
"I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
What usually happens there is that you get a job with a lobbying firm or their clients when you leave. There is no direct tit for tat, it is just a generally understood thing. They lobby you, you do what they want. When you leave, they'll pay you very well to then go and continue lobbying the next guy. Extremely shady, but not outright illegal.
This sounds like a straight up bribe, which is illegal, money in exchange for a contract.
If it weren't for bribes, and all the other luxuries that come with being 'in office', I don't think anyone would apply (run for) for those positions. Anyone that works for the general public knows that it's not as nice as working for a private company. Working in the government is 'working for the general public' - on crack (no pun Canada).
It's quite common for those that work in the government to see the public as a bunch of losers that aren't willing to do anything, but want you to give them stuff, mostly money. They see how broken the system is, and are satisfied with taking what they can and getting out as soon as they can. Also, it's not that this happens more or less in any part of the country, but that in the south, it appears that they're more divided and against each other, resulting in more tattling.
Until lobbying is put to rest, how does anyone expect that this won't be a constant issue?
Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
Cincinnatus wants a word with you.
I dont think its nearly as simple as you make it. If all you want is money (which is what bribes are), public office is probably the wrong place to look. I think many people entering public office geniunely want to change things for the better, and to do it their way. That doesnt mean their methods will be kosher, but I dont think you would deal with the hassles of public office just for some money gained far more easily in the private sector.
Each fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years."
I wish that you saw more minimum sentences, the maximum sentence seems like something created for sensationalism media because saying "roughly 3 months of actual jail, 9 of house arrest and 2 years of probation" sounds too soft for most crimes, but more accurate than what is implied by the "20 year MAXIMUM!" which sounds appropriately punitive
It's also about fame and power. Being noticed, having people rely on you, and being able to directly affect the lives of so many... these are like a drug.
And even if it starts out unselfishly, I've seen a few politicians get a taste of the drug and change ways. It sucks when I voted for them and feel the need to apologize for my support.
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.