Sportsman's Double (Humor)

This gentleman writes"I met an older woman at a bar last night. She looked pretty good for a 60-year-old. In fact, she wasn't too bad at all, and I found myself thinking she probably had a really hot daughter.

We drank a couple of beers, and she asked if I'd ever had a Sportsman's Double?

'What's that? I asked.


'It's a mother and daughter threesome,' she said. As my mind began to embrace the idea, and I wondered what her daughter might look like, I said, 'No, I haven't.' We drank a bit more, then she said with a wink, 'tonight's your lucky night'.

We went back to her place. We walked in. She put on the hall light and shouted upstairs: 'Mom...you still awake?'"

News Roundup & Commentary (01/27/2016)

All Is Well That Ends Well
Texas father found not guilty of theft after he took his daughter's cell phone away- Daily Mail Online


Been There. Done That
In the 60's I remember when Allentown's Park & Shop got the bright idea to melt snow in their lot near 10th & Walnut. All went well until all the runoff water refroze on Maple & Walnut Streets turning them into a mess of slippery glass. Wonder if things will turn out differently for the Melting trucks in Washington DC- Daily Mail Online


Michael Moore for the first time since 2009 appeared on Fox News with Megyn Kelly. Now you might have thought things might have gotten ugly however here's what happened instead ...


I have a whole drawer full of AA batteries. Maybe there's a better alternative.
Researchers reveal how cardboard, tape and a pencil can produce electricity - Daily Mail Online


Call It A Mother's Love
A dog risks her own life to dive under flooded house and rescue her puppies near Tel Aviv, Israel


So Wrong, Yet So Very Compelling
18 year old risks 3 years imprisonment for photos and a video of him on Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza- Daily Mail Online



Say what you will but Walmart, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestlé Are Offering 176 Truckloads Of Clean Water To Flint School kids . Unlike the Flint's government who is threatening to shutoff and take homes from citizens unwilling to pay for poisoned water. They're also threatening to take their kids away if they don’t pay their poisoned water bills because of no water in the home. On top of that they have made it illegal for people to sell their homes because of the fact that they are known to carry contaminated water.

Blizzard- How It's Going Around Here

Last night as usual the daughter brought her twins over to sleep from her house.

 

 

 

Here she is headed off to work @ the hospital this morning
It looks like she'll be pulling three 12 hour shifts till Sunday night

Here are the twins out back shortly after noon today (Saturday).

They aren't exactly snow bunnies that's for sure.

It took about 30 minutes to suit them up.

They only lasted about 10 minutes before they had enough!

 

 

So it looks like this is where they intend to spend the rest of the day...

 

The best I can do is start shoveling or dragging out the snow thrower sometime around Wednesday. That's the earliest I can figure it into my lazy ass retirement schedule Till then I'll have a few smokes and beers. Unless the power goes out and I need to fire up the generator that's how I intend to deal with this blizzard. :-)

How are you coping?

Trapped At Sea, Oh The Horror!

Philly.com (Saturday, 01/21/2016): Major snowstorm delays cruise ship's return to Baltimore-- "The port won't be ready for the Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas until Monday. The ship was to return Sunday from an eight-day trip to the Bahamas,"

As for me if I was getting an extra 9th day free I'd be fine with it. But alas like everything else there are winners and losers. The losers being the ones thinking they were going to begin their cruise on Sunday. Not to mention the scramble both cruise's passengers will face regarding transportation.



However if it's going to happen this sure beats getting trapped in an airport or at a bus station. Which pretty much is what's going to happen anyway for many of them when they get back on Monday I suppose. Anyways, till then eat drink and make merry. Worse things could happen... they could be trapped at work!!

This is the same ship we took to the Caribbean in 2002



Cruise 2002-Photo Slide Show

City Snow Season.. Let The Games Begin!

Well it won't be long now before city streets will once again look like this..

This is an annual tradition in every northern city. Inevitably someone will get punched out or shot for violating the sacred rights of a shoveler who stakes out his/her parking spot.

It's also inevitable the city will threaten removal of them and fines.

Be it far from me to suggest...
Everyone has worthless stuff laying around their house they don't want. You know, things they'd like to get rid of. Things the trash truck wouldn't ordinarily pick up. You know, things like a TV, computer, old tire, car parts, air conditioner, rusting broken down motorcycle, worthless good for nothing in-law, etc.

I almost pity those in suburbia who have driveways, garages and will never enjoy the same close neighborhood comradeship that only city living can provide this time of year. Oh well. I suppose that's their loss and they'll have to live with it.

Common Sense Quiz

Just when I thought kids no longer had common sense along comes this ace...

They're Former Officials Damn It!

* No Mike Huckabee is not a governor. He hasn't been one since 2007
* Neither is Sarah Palin who quit 7 years ago serving less then 3 years in office.
* Oliver North is not a Colonel. He resigned 25 years ago following his indictment in 1990.
* Newt Gingrich is not 'Mr Speaker'. He hasn't been speaker for the past 16 years since Jan. 1999.
* So called Mayor Rudy Giuliani hasn't been one for 15 years. It grates me how news readers introduce countless guests tending to give them more stature then they deserve. When these desk jockeys do they demonstrate they have a agenda in trying to promote and make their guests appear more creditable then they really are. It's misleading in-so-much as it places their has-been guests at the same level as present officials long after they left their positions.

I can't tell you how many times it annoys me when some ex CIA official or former military member turns up on the news speaking like they are privy to some sort of special information. Not after they haven't been in the loop nor briefed in years. They don't have any more insight what's going on then any of us who read this stuff somewhere.

The minute any newsreader begins to say we sat down and spoke with "blah, blah. blah" I switch channels. Let's not talk about the news REPORT THE DAMN NEWS INSTEAD!

Many of today's journalists are too damn lazy or their organizations too cheap to investigate things for themselves. Instead of spending the time trying to get a current official (someone actually actively in office) to speak they'd rather chew the fat with some has been to fill up a column or air-time till the next advertisement for cars or boner pills.

I'll bring up one more gripe concerning local TV news coverage. In any city you name the format's the same. In a 30 minute period we will visit the weather 3 times. Sports for five minutes at the end of the newscast (with one last 4th check on the weather) . Fluff pieces involving traffic conditions, two or three minutes about what's coming up, social agency, consumer and health check information segments. A bit of banter, 10 minutes of advertisements and maybe if you're lucky 7-8 minutes of actual news tops. Check it out for yourself. I did.

No wonder millennials elect to get their information on their smartphones. If you want to get an extra hour or two out of the day, I recommend skipping the TV news electing instead to subscribe to whatever online news source tickles your fancy. By doing so you'll cut through all the unnecessary bullshit that TV news has become both locally and nationally

No Engines Cannot Run On Sewage

'The New York Daily News' reports, "Criminals in Australia tried to siphon petrol from the gas tank of a bus — but accidentally tapped into the sewage tank instead... Cops say that the unidentified gang got a mouthful of human waste when they tried to siphon fuel from the tank."

I just love reading about crimnals too dumb to realize how stupid they are!

We Have A Immigration Problem

No I'm not talking about foreign refuges or asylum seekers coming into this country

I'm talking about those like reported on January 15, 2016 by WFMZ-- "Police apprehend suspect in killing of man in Allentown-- Ulric McKenzie arrested early Friday in the Bronx-- McKenzie will remain in custody in New York, pending an extradition hearing."



Good Lord how long have I been reading about this kind of stuff. It's as though Allentown has become the sixth borough of New York City. No wonder Allentown is called 'The Little Apple'.

Forget about foreign terrorists or Syrian refugees posing major criminal threats to this area. It isn't those coming by boat or plane, but rather these who are shuttling back and forth via Interstate 78 (hopefully not in stolen cars).

The crimes I'm reading about aren't being committed by those who have lived here in this city and around this neck of the woods for years. I can't think of a time a Schmidt, Gehringer or someone from Blue Ball or Intercourse Pennsylvania was picked up for a crime committed around here by New York City police.

We Have A Immigration Problem
That's the long and short of it. People move in and out of this area (Allentown especially) like it were some sort of stay in a motel. Essentially Allentown facilitates and encourages this kind of behavior by allowing even more rentals to become readily available. Instead of using intelligent zoning ordinances encouraging ownership we continue to entice people allowing them to easily drift in and out of the city.

I'm trying really hard to be nice in the way I'm saying this, but if I were to put it more bluntly... What kind of asshole policy is it that encourages even more people to blow in and out of this city without having to invest some sort of long term skin in the game?

What the hell kind of sense does it make to have 5 or 10 renters move into a block over that of 1 or 2 who actually own and have a vested interest in it?

Much the same applies to the NIZ. Why should a business give a hoot if they can simply pack up and move without having a stake in the building they occupy over the long term. Why should they give a shit anymore then any other renter what local government does if they can simply pack up and move somewhere else?

It's all about assuming ownership and the long term stake each has in both the success for the city and for themselves. Without these elements no one nor the city will ever achieve the kind of bullshit being spewed by those who'd have us believe otherwise.

Phony Bundy's On Government Dole

All the while the Bundy's and these other militia members are hooting, hollering and railing against the federal government they are suckling on it's very teats.

According to 'U.S, Uncut' nearly every part of the Bundy family’s business is on the dole funded by government welfare programs. Some of those are loans from the Small Business Administration, taxpayers subsidies as well as up to a 93% discount from the government allowing for their cattle to graze on public land which even that they refuse to pay for.

About that. Whether it's government or privately held land doesn't matter. Either way they don't hold deed to it. In any other world other then theirs it's called stealing. Whether a farmer wants to raise carrots or cattle you can't simply go next door on land you don't own and do whatever the hell you want.

Oh and by the way they're not against public begging. They are asking people to send supplies. It isn't exactly like these are homeless people.

During their occupation at the wildlife refuge in Oregon they cut a neighboring cattleman's private fencing. Problem is he didn't want it cut. Now will it not only cost him to repair it, but he has to try and round up his cattle which wandered off.

Then there's the one militia family complaining about the government taking away their four foster children. Before you feel too sorry for them you should be made aware "Catholic Charities paid the family $115,343 to foster children in 2009 (between $22.31 and $37.49 per child). Critics were quick to point out it was like them getting farmhands for free in 2009. In essence the family was getting paid to use free farm labor if that be the case.

Big Surprise
Like everything else this has little to do with freedom from government and everything to do with the almighty dollar.

According to this 'Mother Jones' article... "Compared with 40 years ago, nearly a third less of every dollar you spend on beef goes into the pocket of the rancher who raised the cow."



I can understand they like all the rest of us common folk are getting the squeeze put on them by the rich and powerful.. but let's not pretend for one second this is not about taking money from wherever they can get it even if they're mooching off the government they claim to hate.

It starts with the elections and the way ranchers market their beef.
(1) How about they go about a way of setting up their own market supply chain instead?
(2) March on Washington in a big way to garner public attention and support?
(3) Elect their own political leaders.
(4) Stop acting like hot headed gun toting jerks and actually do something that doesn't piss off or threaten the people who actually live in Oregon.

IN CONCLUSION
These are nothing more then thugs forcibly looking for handouts from both the government and other people. They're not patriots. Real patriots work hard to strengthen and fix what's wrong with the inequalities in this country. They don't take up arms against it. There's a right way and wrong way to go about making changes and this ain't it!

These American Muslim Workers Need A Wakeup Call

Wisconsin's Ariens manufacturing plant takes away Muslim worship breaks
By Alexandra Klausner For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

"Now Muslims are only permitted to pray during their scheduled lunch break or else they will be fired... Dozens of Muslims are outraged after a Wisconsin power plant threatened to fire them if they took two five minute breaks daily in order to pray."

My Comments About The Article AboveAllow me to relate this to place I worked. Each of our production lines usually produced 200-300 bottles of product per minute. Shutting down 4 lines for at least ten minutes would represent an average loss in production of 10,000 bottles for each of two shifts (1st & 2nd).

There were about six workers assigned to each line. Assuming one or two Muslims would leave the line the other four or five would end up standing around with their thumbs up their asses. So in reality 6 employees doing nothing x's 10 minutes actually works out to a loss of 8 hours of labor over the four lines in the span two shifts each and every day. Throw in lunch and the regular breaks on top of that we're looking at a serious chunk of change having to pay for 8 hours labor and getting somewhat less then 7 hours work from each of those 24.

It's no wonder industry is taking every means to automate every operation possible. So would I. Manufacturing already had it's hands full with sick days, vacations, family leave, pensions, matching FICA, disability claims and all kinds of other benefit crapola people seem to come up these days. None of which these robot like machines require. All manufacturers want to do is run their productions lines efficiently. Manufacturing doesn't exist for workers but rather the other way around.

I like to consider myself a somewhat liberal and a reasonable person. On the other hand I ain't no sucker either. Not either for big businesses that exploit workers nor those who intend to suck the life blood from American industry either.

If someone needs to take time out for religious reasons a couple times a day seek another line of work that isn't production intensive. A few I can think of is in construction, farming or sales to name a few where 5 or 10 minutes isn't critical forcing other workers to stand around idle. If these workers cannot accept that, then production manufacturing isn't for them. Let's get real. If someone's religion was against alcohol or meat are bars and butchers suppose to accommodate those workers too!

If these Muslim workers are from other countries...
If I decided to live in another country it would be incumbent on me to learn the language and customs and adapt to them. There's absolutely no reason I can think of why anyone should adapt for me (kiss my ass). It would not only be rude but selfish of me to expect that. Furthermore if I wanted to live like a German, Frenchman or some other culture I should become like one. I sincerely feel if I wasn't willing, then I should just stay the hell where I'm at.

I expect no more nor any less of someone else then that which I expect of myself. That's not too much to ask. Someone coming to this country who cannot fathom this needs to be repatriated quickly by any means possible.

If in this case these Muslim workers are home grown Americans...
Then good luck in your next job. However if Ariens manufacturing gets boned in court I wouldn't blame them for one second if they shut the whole damn operation down and move it to China. As a consumer I don't want to unwillingly pay five or ten percent more contributing to your prayer needs. Keep screwing around with this over-the-top PC nonsense and that's what's going to happen when workers and the law makes these kind of unreasonable demands.

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, all employees are entitled to accommodations necessary to observe their religious duties

Why Not Eliminate Local Government Altogether?

After reading Atlantic City is considering privatizing it's fire department and profiting off it's water department it got me to thinking. Why not eliminate the middleman (local government)?

What I'm about to say is said in half jest. The other half... maybe not no much.

Here in Allentown, like most other cities, we have a very large expensive city hall building which was needed to house a large number of city office workers who once carried out city functions. Yeah let's have a look at that. The city (unlike in the beginning) now contracts out...* Tax Billings & Collections.
* Bundles out to private venders the auctioning of nonpayment seized properties.
* Trash & recycling collections (non city owned trash trucks).
* Assigned to "authorities & commissions" the responsibilities for parking, water, redevelopment (RACA), human relations, commercial & development (AEDC), the NIZ (ANIZDA), Allentown Housing (AHA).It kind of makes you wonder with so little now being done in that building why we may even need it. Hell even Allentown's city solicitor still works part time for the law firm she's with.

Here's A Radical Idea
Why not eliminate the middle man (city government) all together while we're at it. It doesn't seem they're doing that much now anyway. How about instead we empower Lehigh County commissioners to hire a professional management firm to replace mayor and council. Sounds crazy at first, but seriously think about it for a minute.

Management firms only employ professionally trained specialists who can make the best choices when it comes to outsourcing. What we have now are a bunch of windbags who happened to get elected who may have little if any talent or experience when it comes to awarding specialty contracts. Indeed on some occasions have paid for studies and other outside help to even make a decision in the first place. Many of this expertise is already under a creditable management firm's employ. There should be a cost saving right there.

In the case of Allentown some contracts have been awarded because venders paid off contributed to their campaigns or are buddies. Employing a management firm to run city government has a couple of advantages.

(1) For one taxpayers don't have to hope and wait for a FBI investigation if something rotten is going on. The way terms of a contract may be written out could provide county almost complete oversight. Yes a firm could still hire acquaintances but they'd have a hell of a lot harder time trying to explain questionable contracts then the city has up to this point. No firm would want to cut into their profits nor reputation by pulling shady deals that would cost them future business or incurred litigation costs for doing so. Especially if they want to renew their contract every year or two.


(2) Other then fire, police, streets, parks and inspections most of the city services have already been contracted out. Other then police every other city service could be contracted out more efficiently and separate from the nepotism and cronyism that has become common within our current city government. Face it there are plenty of qualified workers in the private sector who can do inspections, perform medical emergency services and all the other services the city is presently engaged in.

(3) Any service not performing up to snuff can be let go at contract renewal time. Unlike our present system where it takes countless court appeals to try and let just one government worker go.

(4) Other then police, deeds and a few essential services we'd no longer have to house and maintain a huge central city hall building.

What About Citizen Input At Council Meetings?
I could be snarky and ask how's that working out for ya? Yes council is required to listen but they don't have to respond or do a damn thing about anything said. So in essence nothing more then a 'dog & pony show'. That could change under the system I'm speaking of.

County would then assume responsibility of these citizens meetings (whether by commissioners themselves or some form of oversight committee appointed or publicly elected officials). But wait you say isn't that what we already have?

Sort of but here's the differences. (1) The management firm could be required 100% of the time to be in attendance and respond (something neither our Allentown mayor nor council is required to do). (2) As part of the management firm's contract they could be required to post pending contracts 30 days in advance for public discussion before being allowed to award them (currently not required).

IN CONCLUSION
All this boils down a few things:
* Do we trust locally elected officials (qualified or not) to carry out and award public services?
* Can the private sector do things cheaper and more efficiently?
* Should we reduce layers of government entrusting county officials to greater power?
* How well has city government responded to public's concerns?
* Under which system would there be greater accountability ?

Is there a better way or should we 'stay the course'?

Circus Cutting Pachyderms A Break

Ringling circus elephants to retire in May
By TAMARA LUSH | Associated Press

"The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is ending its elephant acts a year and a half early, and will retire all of its touring elephants in May.... All of the iconic elephants will be permanently retired to the company's 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation, located between Orlando and Tampa... 29 of the animals are on the property now."

Hell that's better then some of the retirees I've worked with have it :-)

I'm certain with all the political craziness in this country some will try a spin this as some sort of message Barnum & Bailey Circus is trying to send towards the upcoming elections.

Trust me if they wanted to send that kind of message it would have been politically far more appropriate to retire the clowns and send them to Washington instead.

Why We Can't Raise Pay Of Fast Food Workers

Heaven forbid charging one buck more enabling workers to receive just compensation!

Federal Program For Homeless Native American Veterans

Federal program to house homeless Native American veterans
by Azure Gilman | aljazeera

"Native Americans make up a greater number of the U.S. armed services proportionally than any other ethnic group, according to the Department of Defense...

This week U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro took a step to change that, announcing a $5.9 million program to provide housing to homeless Native American veterans. The funding will be divided among 26 tribal communities in 12 states...

Native American reservations don’t necessarily qualify for subsidized housing available in other parts of the U.S...

The program is intended to provide subsidized housing for a couple of years, not permanently free housing."

Powerball Jackpot Hits $900 Million

Powerball Jackpot Hits $900 Million
Scott McFetridge | AP

"But if no one matches all the numbers, the next drawing is expected to soar to $1.3 billion.."

My Comments About The Article AboveWhy would I ever want to risk playing for that amount of money. I have no idea how I could spend that much or even give it away. I can't even begin to imagine the hell of it all. First off my family & I would be exposed to all kinds of crazy kooks. Not to even mention all the phonies I wouldn't be able to separate from real friends. Which by the way currently number about two. In short, winning this much I would consider to be a curse. I'd be very content for one or two million dollars. This would be more then I'd ever need.

For this very reason I wouldn't risk even $2 in the unlikely event I'd be unfortunate enough to win. File this one under,..

In Fact I'd Be Willing To Spend Two Buck$ Just To Leave Me Out Of It!

Shula's Steak House Closes Without Notice

Apparently not to either it's customers nor employees either

According to 'Lehigh Valley Live.com', the owner stated "Unfortunately, the $75 customers we need on a constant basis to support our fine dining were harder to find here than we thought."

Shula's is a wonderful example of how NOT to build a business model

All a restaurant owner has to do is take a look around and see what works. Henry's Salt Of The Sea, Wertz, Zandy's and countless of diners both in and surrounding Allentown have done very well for decades. This isn't rocket science.



Part of my growing up was on South 10th Street just off of Hamilton. During those years around noon PPL workers and tons of others would pour out by the 100's for lunch. They'd be headed to the five and ten lunch counters, Hess's Patio Restaurant, Elliott's diner on 10th, another at 9th & Linden, the Brass Rail at 11th & Hamilton and other places like them.

Good foods in sufficient quantities at great prices. That's all it takes. Any jackass who can't understand this deserves to go the way of the dodo bird.

By the way none of these were created on the backs of taxpayers. Demand is how a free market is supposed to operate. The golden rule of investing is, demand always has to come before supply. What's going on downtown these days is the opposite Using taxpayer dollars creating a supply in the hopes there will be a demand sometime in the future is highly speculative and nearly always results in failure.

No big surprise here. Please allow me to make this simple and sum this up in just one word...

Lehigh Valley's Modern Light Rail Service

That is to say it was considered 'modern' in it's time

Tom Coughlin's Final Press Conference With Giants

Irregardless of how one feels about the Giants football team, Tom Coughlin may be the last of the old school coaches who's values far exceed those of today's coaches like the Eagle's Chip Kelly who couldn't be bothered to give a farewell press conference. Tom was not only entertaining to watch on the side lines but also exhibited the same passions about life and family off the field. His presence will be greatly missed.

Quick Thought On Guns

More guns make us safer.. are you kidding me!

There are now more guns than people in the United States
With there being 112.6 guns per 100 persons in the U.S. as of 2014 (making us #1 in the world) you'd think we'd be the safest nation to live in the world. Yet there are 60 other nations who have fewer firearm related deaths per 100,000 then ours.

This Is So Not PC !

Happy New Year From Allentown, PA. (January 1st 2016)

New Years Eve Center Square (7th & Hamilton Streets)

Video Courtesy: Jim Smith (From Bensalem)

82 Fatalities Every Day Shouldn't Legislators Act?

Back in 1973 there were over 54,000 car fatalities that year. The government since then enacted regulations requiring car makers to make cars safer coupled with requiring highway improvements. As a result by 2013 there were only 32,719.This means 58 less people lost their lives each day then forty years prior.

By comparison 5,281 soldiers lives have been lost in Iraq & Afghanistan. Another 47,424 military members lost their lives in the Vietnam war. Since that year in 1973 we now are able to save over 1,200 more lives each year on our nation's highways then both those wars combined thanks to government's efforts.

Here's a couple more facts that might surprise you. "More than 30,000 people are killed by firearms each year in this country". About 82 a day. Forbes backs up those numbers reporting in August More Young Americans Now Die From Guns Than Cars

Further more acccording To 'Politifact'...

BOTTOM LINE IS...
It's a statistically proven fact Americans are more likely to die from guns then either in a car wreck, at the hands of terrorists or those who participated militarily in those two wars combined.

Nobody's proposing to take guns away any more then ending all wars or banning automobiles. Common sense regulations like those on the food we eat, the cars we drive and many others that we take for granted have all been initiated to keep us healthier and safer.

Did you know the consumer product safety commission is forbidden from recalling defective guns? Why should guns receive special exemption? How is that better for even the advocates who own them. It defies logic on so many levels.

I'm 100% certain there will be lots of outrage over Obama's plan to push for tighter gun rules in the days ahead. No doubt way too many will go over the top getting their panties in a knot at someone even mentioning guns on either side of the issue.

No Guns Do Not Make Us Safer
We've all heard he expression what stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Well that all depends who squeezes off the first round doesn't it?

What's needed are cool heads and common sense solutions from our legislators. Yeah sure but If history is any indicator it looks like we're pretty much screw'd doesn't it?

Talent Either U'R Born With It Or Not

A string of videos posted by '826aska' has come to my attention. Not only is it amazing how synthesizers have evolved but so too the talent which seems to be getting younger every year. Indeed practice makes perfect. However no amount of training nor practice can produce these amazing sounds without someone being born with their brains wired in just the right way. One thing is for sure. Anyone trying to get in the business will face great challenges with wiz kids like these around.
SIMPLY ASTOUNDING !

"Star Wars"



826aska is not a one hit wonder. Two years ago she posted this...
"Back To The Future"



Even more amazing. Four years ago on January 25, 2011 she posted this when she was even younger.
"Pirates Of The Caribbean"

Did you notice there's no sheet music in front of her?

Grand Juries- Unjust Tool Used By Prosecutors

One Explanation



Another Stronger Explanation



WARNING
A Profanity Laced Tirade By Former Manhattan Prosecutor Ikiesha Al-Shabazz Whittaker


As far as I'm concerned grand juries are the worse part of our justice system and should be done away with. They are unfair to both those accused and to people who are forced to serve on them. Not only are several hundreds of hours required of those forced to serve locally but so too often forced to travel 100's of miles round trip especially on federal empanelment's.

Take for example my wife living here in Allentown
Although not chosen she would have been required (regardless of her employment situation) to travel 62 miles into Philadelphia and back several times a month for over a year. Bus service is nearly non existent thus she'd be forced to drive herself down the 'sure-kill' expressway In addition she watches our two grandkids while their mother works three days a week for 13 hours each day. Heaven forbid any of these high salaried prosecutors should drag there asses up to where these two dozen or so members of the pool live where they were subpoenaed from. We wouldn't want to inconvenience them would we.

Face it, any prosecutor who can't build a case w/o a grand jury is on a fishing expedition.

On the other hand lets also remember a prosecutor is an elected official. If they want to get off the hook for not charging someone because it's political outcome may prove unfavorable to them a grand jury is a swell way to go. Panelists, entirely at a prosecutors discretion, are presented with only what they want them to hear. In essence throw a case either way under the veil of secrecy behind closed doors.

Grand juries allow too much power going into the hands of politically elected prosecutorial officials. It's for these reasons grand juries shouldn't have a place in a truly just society. They should be abolished.