Alejandro
Gordon James
Finkelman's Revenge?
                             

09/02/02  Hardly Exoneration, more like Absolution

Old Al Lipscomb gets another break, but that does not make him innocent. 

Webster's New World Dictionary defines 
"exonerate" as "to prove to be not guilty; declare to be innocent" and
"absolution" as "a freeing from guilt or from punishment for sin." 

U.S. Atty. Jane Boyle made it quite clear her decision not to prosecute Old Al was based on time served and cost of a new trial - not on a lack of evidence and certainly not on Old Al's innocence.

Lipscomb 'free and clear' Bribery retrial wouldn't serve justice, U.S. attorney says 08/31/2002 By TODD BENSMAN / The Dallas Morning News

U.S. Attorney Jane Boyle announced Friday that she would not retry former Dallas City Council member Al Lipscomb on bribery charges, in spite of what she called overwhelming evidence of corruption. . . .  Mr. Lipscomb's record is now clean: he can vote and run for public office again, his attorney said. . . .  She [U.S. Atty. Boyle] also said her decision to dismiss the charges .  .  .   should not be viewed as exoneration.  .  .  .   Mr. Lipscomb's attorney, Shirley Baccus-Lobel, said the decision was the best possible outcome for her client but she disagreed with Ms. Boyle's characterization of Mr. Lipscomb as corrupt.   "That is her perspective, and she is certainly within her rights to convey that perspective," Ms. Baccus-Lobel said. "That is not my perspective. . . .

How does Old Al have the audacity to declare himself exonerated?  Well, he's Old Al, after all.  He's the same Old Al who took $7,700 from Nick Rizos and made a certain "high ranking police officer" (can you spell B-O-L-T-O-N?) order police officers out of the NW Substation to "lay off" enforcement in the sex clubs on NW Highway.  He sold us out for so little, but the cost to my community was huge.  Ask Roxan and Randy Staff if what Old Al did to us was insignificant.  Drive down NW Highway and look at the remnants of Old Al's wrongdoing.  Caligula Rizos old club burned down, but not to worry.  A confessed council briber has another sex club -- The Lodge -- on NW Hwy., as well as Stratos on NW Hwy.  Nobody EXONERATED Old Al or Caligula Rizos.  They just didn't prosecute Old Al for that bribe, and Caligula Rizos got a walk for testifying about it.

Old Al is claiming EXONERATION, but for Bachman-NW Hwy., it's NO JUSTICE. 

Todd Bensman is one of the few "reporters" left at The Dallas Managed News.  He knows the players.  The people he quotes are telling:

Lipscomb 'free and clear' Bribery retrial wouldn't serve justice, U.S. attorney says 08/31/2002 By TODD BENSMAN / The Dallas Morning News

Former Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Danny Defenbaugh, who oversaw the Lipscomb investigation, said, "He's not worth commenting on." . . .   One former city council member who served with Mr. Lipscomb said the U.S. Attorney's decision as a way to dodge a politically damaging racial backlash from the black community. Ms. Boyle was sworn in as the department of justice's top North Texas prosecutor this year.   "It was done more in the interest of spinelessness than in the interest of justice," said Donna Blumer. "I think she absolutely caved on this. This was her first real test and, in my opinion, she's failed it. She should not let these charges be dropped." . . .   City council member Veletta Forsythe Lill said . . . "I think this will be an unsatisfying end for many, many folks, including the defendant," Ms. Lill said. "I'm a little surprised that she chose not to retry. I just thought she might feel the need for some kind of closure."    Mr. Hill said he never believed that Mr. Lipscomb was guilty of bribery. . . .  "But I genuinely believe that he did not possess the criminal intent to be convicted."   Mr. Lipscomb remains the "pre-eminent leader in our community" and will be sought out for his "wisdom and knowledge," he said.

What does Old Al say?

Lipscomb 'free and clear' Bribery retrial wouldn't serve justice, U.S. attorney says 08/31/2002 By TODD BENSMAN / The Dallas Morning News

"Exoneration, exoneration, exoneration," Mr. Lipscomb said, .  .  .   Mr. Lipscomb said he has no plans to run for political office again, .  .  .   He has accepted a job with the counseling organization Mothers (and Fathers) for the Advancement of Social Systems. . . .     Mr. Lipscomb also said he will campaign for Democratic candidates Ron Kirk for U.S. Senate and Tony Sanchez for governor. Friday, he wore a Kirk sticker and a Sanchez button on his T-shirt.  .  .  .

That's the new political ticket.  Bribe takers and graft takers must stick together.  Regarding the arrangement between Ron and Matrice Kirk and Tom Hicks, somebody should be going to trial, but that's not the case.  Too much publicity.  Too much money.  Too much political positioning at stake.  How come all you Democrats who were so appalled when this came out about the Kirk/Hicks stock options are supporting Ron Kirk?  Where are your principles and sense of justice?

Elections - AP Senate Democrats Covet Texas Senate Seat Sun Sep 1, 2002 By RON FOURNIER, Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Democrats could embarrass President Bush ( news - web sites) with a Texas-sized victory in his home state this fall, but only if Senate candidate Ron Kirk avoids more scenes like this: Five angry cops, one cagey rival and a bank of TV cameras watching Kirk grovel.   "I apologize," Kirk said, nervously twisting the knot in his tie.   Leaders of a state police organization .  .  .  .   He wanted their endorsement. They wanted to know why he had criticized his opponent for insisting on the death penalty for a convicted cop killer.  "I think that may have offended some of you," Kirk said. "It was more political than thoughtful."    Kirk .  .  . is boundlessly affable, a man with a deep laugh and an unquenchable thirst to shake hands, trade jokes and make friends ? even among foes.   Cornyn . . .  impressed the police by moving comfortably from issue to issue, layering his talk with specifics.   Smooth as Cornyn was bland, Kirk danced away from details or commitments on police matters.  .  .  .  the Democrat tried to sidestep questions about Bush's tax cuts ? "It is confusing. I don't like to be hemmed into a box" .  .  .  .

Does that just make you sick?   It is confusing. I don't like to be hemmed into a box.   Ron Kirk does not like having to tell the truth or play straight or deal with common folks. 

As mayor, when did you ever see Ron Kirk in an open shirt sans tie, much less at a union rally?.   Ron Kirk opposed collective bargaining for Police and firefighters.   They are forbidden to strike under Federal law, but he would not even talk with their union leaders.

We know what a jerk Kirk is.  We know Kirk sold us out on the arena deal for his wife's stock options.  Why aren't Mr. & Mrs. Kirk being prosecuted?  Why are Democrats who fought that Bad Deal now supporting Ron Kirk?

Then there's Lounge Lizard Rojas getting more of our money, when he's the bad guy.   It's understandable that we could have won that lawsuit and spent a lot more money in legal fees getting a moral victory.  We certainly could not have made Rojas pay us for our costs because he has no money.  But, it doesn't feel right to be giving that Lounge Lizard $135,000.   Dr. Lois Parrott was fulfilling her fiduciary duties as a DISD Trustee when she questioned his use of DISD issued credit cards, but that was not his only issue against Dr. Parrott.  

DISD settles with Rojas for $135,000 Agreement resolves ex-superintendent's defamation lawsuit 08/31/2002  By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News

. . .  The Dallas school board agreed Friday to give the former superintendent $135,000 to drop his defamation lawsuit against two trustees. Dr. Rojas also will receive $90,000 in severance pay that has been held up in escrow.  .  .  .  District officials say paying their former leader was cheaper than battling him in court.  .  .  .   Jeff Tillotson, Dr. Rojas' attorney, said  .  .  . .  "He's happy to have this part of his life over," he said. "He was profoundly disappointed in the way things turned out. He wishes the board of trustees and Dr. Moses well." .  .  .    Dr. Rojas also alleged that trustees Hollis Brashear and Lois Parrott had defamed him by publicly accusing him of misusing a district-issued credit card for alcohol, personal trips and other wrongdoing.  .  .  .   "He believes that he's been tarnished because anytime he applies for or seeks a position in the education field people say, 'Yeah, you're the guy who went through the stuff in Dallas.' "

Lounge Lizard Rojas can't get a job because he left behind chaos and deficits in several school districts where he was hired to bring order and stability.  Compared to the things in print in San Francisco (search for "Rojas" to get links to those stories), anything Brashear or Parrott may have said about Rojas would be considered complimentary.  

Here's my problem with all this.  We are selling out justice for cost efficiency.  In the DISD/Rojas situation, that East Coast bum loaded up the administration with his gang from California at incredibly high salaries.  He pushed the Edison Project through, and that has turned out to be a mistake.  He did charge alcohol on his DISD card.  It doesn't matter if the Lounge Lizard reimbursed us for it or not.  He knew the rules.  He could have used his own credit card to buy his drinks.  He's a Ph.D.  He ought to be able to read the name on a credit card.

The Trustees did the right thing by settling with Lounge Lizard, but it doesn't feel right.  

It just doesn't feel as wrong as letting Old Al get away with taking bribes from at least two different bribers -- and getting away with it.  

It was bad enough a bribe taker was serving his term at home in front of a big screen TV in new room added to his house by his friends.  What makes it impossible to accept is his absolute lack of shame.  Having an elected official make a statement that he never believed Lipscomb was guilty of bribery when even Old Al admitted that he did, is impossible to accept.  What kind of a message is Councilman Don Hill (an attorney no less) sending to African-American youth?  For that matter, what kind of a message is the U.S. Atty. sending to all young people. 

If you follow U.S. Atty. Jane Boyle's logic, unless a case can be tried quickly with no publicity, no trial.  That means no elected official will ever be tried for anything -- well, maybe murder.  That's not O.K.

Sometimes, you have to take a stand for justice, but you need a real prosecutor to get that done.  We apparently don't have one in our new U.S. Attorney.