Kwame and Krew on CNBC American Greed tonight

[Gannon]

Although I never caught the follow up to this. Bummer, too, because I was planning on attending the premiere. In my tuxedo with toe shoes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1341464.html

[Gannon]

I graduated from FAMU. Took me five years. I seem to have turned out okay though...

Yeah, pics or it didn't happen.

[TKshreve]

With all due respect, Detroit was on it's way to insolvency without Kwame's help.

With all due respect, Detroit would be in a much better place today had Kwame "sucked it up" and done the right things. You know, like the oaths our elected leaders take upon being sworn in.

I will agree that Detroit had it coming, but that storm would be past us now, and the aftermath would not have been nearly as political or bloody.

[Gannon]

Actually, the turn-around mechanics, including Dan Gilbert...Pete Karmanos...Roger Penske...and surely the mysterious Jim Nicholson [[the main four who 'loaned' Kwhyme all that damn money at the end of his reign), would most certainly have done what they've accomplished throughout the lame rule of Mayor Bong, five or eight years earlier. Hell, Gilbert most certainly had his plans drawn up...why else would he have made such an investment in the Kwamster's exit?! Only town he was a player in at that time was Cleveland, he was still sore from his star player leaving for Miami, and not being able to make good on that bold-ass promise to win a title without him. heh

There is a HUGE probability that we would not have enjoyed Snydely's meddling installation of the DictatOrr and the bankruptcy. Millions of city cash was diverted. Much of the troubles were terribly exacerbated and hidden by the Kwhyme regime.

I say that it is imperative that we keep this memory of that monster alive in this town, so people do not EVER forget this history. I am not interested in repeating it. Don't think anyone is.


Sincerely,
John

[Cincinnati_Kid]

With all due respect, Detroit would be in a much better place today had Kwame "sucked it up" and done the right things. You know, like the oaths our elected leaders take upon being sworn in.

I will agree that Detroit had it coming, but that storm would be past us now, and the aftermath would not have been nearly as political or bloody.

I agree. I was responding to a poster that said Detroit's demise was ALL Kwame's fault. He had a hand in expediting the process for sure, but the outcome was inevitable.

[TKshreve]

Actually, the turn-around mechanics, including Dan Gilbert...Pete Karmanos...Roger Penske...and surely the mysterious Jim Nicholson [[the main four who 'loaned' Kwhyme all that damn money at the end of his reign), would most certainly have done what they've accomplished throughout the lame rule of Mayor Bong, five or eight years earlier. Hell, Gilbert most certainly had his plans drawn up...why else would he have made such an investment in the Kwamster's exit?!

Interesting point Gannon. I'm sure this has been proposed in one form or another - somewhere on this board...... [[in fact it might be naïve to not accept it as fact) but I'm gonna go ahead and ask it anyway.

We know that a lot of Detroit's powerhouse business-titans have had a field day cleaning up on scraps left behind in Detroit economical collapse. Property at pennies on the dollar. Assets exchanging hands like a hot potato. Should we assume that people like Gilbert, Illitch, Soave, etc. had a vested interest in seeing the city collapse financially so as to be in position A when the bills came due and the estate sale commenced?

And more so..... did they prop up a puppet mayor with one hand and scapegoat him with the other?

[Gannon]

Interesting point Gannon. I'm sure this has been proposed in one form or another - somewhere on this board...... [[in fact it might be naïve to not accept it as fact) but I'm gonna go ahead and ask it anyway.

We know that a lot of Detroit's powerhouse business-titans have had a field day cleaning up on scraps left behind in Detroit economical collapse. Property at pennies on the dollar. Assets exchanging hands like a hot potato. Should we assume that people like Gilbert, Illitch, Soave, etc. had a vested interest in seeing the city collapse financially so as to be in position A when the bills came due and the estate sale commenced?

And more so..... did they prop up a puppet mayor with one hand and scapegoat him with the other?

Damn, do you know what you just DID within this Conspiracy-Tracking noggin of mine?! LOL...but yeah, and those property holders who waited until the market went up to profit off their slumlordship...like Kefalonis and even Illitch [[the two battling for the title of Biggest Slumlord, I'd pegged Dennis for that until a search to get his name spelled right).

I think they wanted to keep him in place, but were happy enough when Bing-Bong-Bung slept-walked into office. He kept too many of the baddies in position, something I always felt was related to the Federal 'research' into the depths and reach of the Kwhyme Friends&Family juggernaut...but since there was so little follow-up, and the curious admission that they don't know where all the money went, I'm past that hope.

I was seriously against Duggan for most of his campaign, but have now chosen to be open that perhaps he and his people might be able to dig back through the property transfers which most certainly occurred during the Kwhymetime and find how and where they grabbed holdings which wouldn't have happened with proper oversight.

I'd heard that even George Jackson was under imminent threat of prosecution, but that was YEARS ago, and nothing except his brooming under Duggan's rule. I cannot imagine that he is clean in all of this, unless HE went the "state's witness" route, too.

More data is needed...damnit, I'd have fun with Lexis/Nexis access...

Cheers!

[SDCC]

The American Greed episode was interesting; looking beyond the name calling and cursing, the episode laid out the players, and their complicity in the conspiracy.
After watching the program I would suggest Ferguson was the Godfather, and Luca Brasi as well.

[Gannon]

Ha! Nah, it was Bernard at the helm. He was the mentor of the whole syndicate!

He was trained by McNamara, and chose to use that knowledge to finally get his.

[Gannon]

I tried to watch it, but they make no allowance for those who watch OTA High-def without any major 'provider'...as far as I can tell. Damnit.

All I got were those damn minute snippets...ugh.

[SDCC]

Bernard Kilpatrick was literally the maestro of the enterprise; which was also coincidentally the name of his consulting firm Maestro Associates.

A person couldn't make this stuff up

[Honky Tonk]

I graduated from FAMU. Took me five years. I seem to have turned out okay though...

Congrats, man, seriously....

[SDCC]

I tried to watch it, but they make no allowance for those who watch OTA High-def without any major 'provider'...as far as I can tell. Damnit.

All I got were those damn minute snippets...ugh.

Give it some time - Hulu carries complete episodes. I know they had the Tran organization - another American Greed episode.
It'll show up in its complete version.

[Lowell]

Hopefully the message that everyone will be left with is that the voting public and media needs to vet candidates running for office with a far more critical eye....Likeability and qualifications are two completely different considerations when delving out the power, unfortunately carisma usually rules the day in an election!

I don't know how vetting would work here. He came from a well-known political family, had all the credentials for success and greatness. See SDCC's post #9 above. There was nothing there to suggest otherwise. How can we vet foolishness and vanity?

It was such a waste. He has all the tools, gifts, brains and connections to lead Detroit upward. He would have established a reputation that he could have brokered into far more millions in the private sector than he could ever have stolen whenever he decided to retire.

Instead he sits in a cell, broke and disgraced bringing down his parents and family with him. American greed at its pinnacle.

[Bobl]

Sigh.......

[erikd]

I don't know how vetting would work here. He came from a well-known political family, had all the credentials for success and greatness. See SDCC's post #9 above. There was nothing there to suggest otherwise. How can we vet foolishness and vanity?

I agree with Lowell.

Kilpatrick was elected minority floor leader for the Michigan Democratic party, serving in that position 1998 to 2000, and subsequently house minority leader in 2001, the first African American to hold that position.

Kwame Kilpatrick established a good reputation during his time in the state house. He was widely supported and considered to be a rising star in the Democratic Party, and also gained a reputation for working across the isle and forging good working relationships with Republicans in Lansing.

By all measures, Kwame seemed to be the breath of fresh air that Detroit needed, and there was no hint or accusations of scandal or corruption from his time in Lansing before he was elected mayor of Detroit.

[innercitydoc]

Yeah, pics or it didn't happen.

What, pics of my undergrad degree or my medical school diploma? Or perhaps my residency and fellowship diploma? Which would you like?

[Motor City Sam]

I'm sure that others will disagree, but I've never agreed with the opinion that KK was some shining star with unlimited potential brought down only by greed and hubris.

People thought he was smart, but he's proven to be lacking in common sense. He was often taken off guard by impromptu questions, and his off the cuff remarks indicated someone without the ability to think on his feet.

He was a decent speaker, but not some great orator. He looked better in that area in comparison to people like Monica Conyers, and others in the public eye who were just terrible public speakers.

In any case, his greed and criminal nature were part of his make up. He never showed any willingness or inclination to be better than what he was. Look at his choice of friends: He became buddies with Bobby Ferguson, another wannabe gangster. One way or the other, it is my opinion that he was always going to end up just where he is now.

[Motor City Sam]

I agree with Lowell.

Kilpatrick was elected minority floor leader for the Michigan Democratic party, serving in that position 1998 to 2000, and subsequently house minority leader in 2001, the first African American to hold that position.

Kwame Kilpatrick established a good reputation during his time in the state house. He was widely supported and considered to be a rising star in the Democratic Party, and also gained a reputation for working across the isle and forging good working relationships with Republicans in Lansing.

By all measures, Kwame seemed to be the breath of fresh air that Detroit needed, and there was no hint or accusations of scandal or corruption from his time in Lansing before he was elected mayor of Detroit.

Respectfully, there were signs and indications in KK's first mayoral run that he was not what he tried to project. Mildred Gaddis, like her or not, spoke out often about it. I don't remember the details, but there was a situation where KK was found to have be claiming two "official" addresses, apparently trying to find the most advantageous tax situation. I think he had two separate, valid driver licenses showing two different "home" addresses. If anyone can fill in the details on that, I would appreciate it.

Also, while it was not illegal, KK showed all of us his willingness to say whatever he thought would help him at the time by criticizing Gil Hill for accepting the endorsement of Fieger, just a couple of days before Fieger released the recording of a voice mail message in which KK was soliciting a campaign donation. His offensive comment about Mother Theresa in the aftermath of that situation said a lot about his character, also.

While I think most people were eventually surprised at the depth of the criminality of the KK Enterprise, there were signs that he was not on the up and up early on if we were willing to look for it. It's why my vote for him when he ran against Hill was a reluctant one.

Of course, it might not have made a difference. KK had proven his his true nature by the time he was running against Hendrix and still garnered a large percentage of that vote.

[Gannon]

What, pics of my undergrad degree or my medical school diploma? Or perhaps my residency and fellowship diploma? Which would you like?

Ha! Just spittin' an old meme...I believe ya. Plus, if you do work in the inner city, you're on a list of heroes. I'm sure we'll all be seein' pictures of you...


Cheers