The man woke up with nothing to do, except put in work. And not work, as in going to a 9-5 job, but work as in, selling drugs and going hunting. And not hunting as in going to the forest looking to shoot a deer, but hunting as in looking for other guys to beat-up or kill, except they were from other groups of guys that were putting in “work”. Getting dressed, he grabbed the necessary tools of the trade, a phone, car keys, and a gun – the bigger the better. Even though he had been to prison many times, the idea of getting caught didn’t scare him, since he was committed to the life and it was accepted that spending time in prison was part of the job. In fact, it gave him time to eat healthy food, have a roof over his head, lift weights and network with other like-minded individuals, possibly in the hope of finding more lucrative payouts. Now, if this lifestyle sounds strange, that is because you are not part of the group of people whose lives revolve around crime. Which seemingly is a good thing. However, new government programs aims to legitimize that lifestyle. That’s right. Various cities across America are now paying career criminals to NOT commit a crime.
A recent story in the Washington Post shed light on this new program when they wrote — “ But when (the man) was released from prison last year, city officials in California offered something unusual to try to keep him alive: money. They began paying (the man) as much as $1,000 a month not to commit another gun crime.” That’s right. The man is receiving money, every month, to not commit a crime. Crazy, right? Apparently it seems as if the traditional carrot stick approach is now skewing towards the carrot, rather than the stick.
The WP article goes on to note that this brand new idea for job creation isn’t just happening in California. In fact, the article points out that — “Cities across the country, beginning with the District of Columbia, are moving to copy the controversial approach because early indications show it has helped reduce homicide rates.” So, there we have it. The Hope and Change that Obama had promised. Although of course, the hope in this case is probably more along the lines of –“I hope that this career criminal doesn’t kill anyone again” and the change is the fact that the government is paying people to not commit a crime. Minor details aside, the program gets even better.
Further on in the article, the author notes that — “In Richmond, the city has hired ex-convicts to mentor dozens of its most violent offenders and allows them to take unconventional steps if it means preventing the next homicide. For example, the mentors have coaxed inebriated teenagers threatening violence into city cars, not for a ride to jail but home to sleep it off — sometimes with loaded firearms still in their waistbands.” So, the take-away from this is easy. If you don’t qualify for the heavy hitter program, you too can still get a piece of the pie, simply by being part of the “mentor” program. What’s more, this program has essentially created an untouchable VIP taxi service for criminals who have partied too hard, and just want to go home. But the program gets even better!
In fact, the article goes on to note that — “The mentors have funded trips to South Africa, London and Mexico City for rival gang members in the hope that shared experiences and time away from the city streets would ease tensions and forge new connections.” Later it notes that — “He sets aside $10,000 per fellow for trips that are often the first time participants have left the state or the country. But fellows must agree to partner with someone they have either tried to kill or who attempted to kill them.” So, if you too have always wanted to travel the world, well, here is your chance.
Speaking of amazing chances that career criminals have, that regular folk do not, The Hill has reported that (only after a year) “Hillary Clinton and her top aides might be questioned by FBI officials about her private email server within the next few days. That’s right. Hillary Clinton, the person whose middle name should be scandal, and has fought off numerous criminal investigations in the past, is maybe going to get her day in court. Well, not court yet, because as George Orwell once wrote in Animal Farm — “… all animals are equal… but some are more equal than others”, but as the article noted — “…the FBI has concluded its examination of Clinton's email server and is in a “critical stage” of its investigation into concerns that the former secretary of State or her top aides mishandled classified information. The FBI is reportedly seeking to interview her along with her former chief of staff, Cheryl Mills, and ex-spokesman Philippe Reines.” Putting this another way, the police still have to interview her and the rest of her gang to see what really went down.
So, while polls have noted that Clinton is up and more likely going to be the next Democratic presidential candidate, she is also facing the reality that she might go to jail. Of course, more than likely, she won’t go to jail, and more than likely, she will end up in the White House. Crazy, right? Just what are the American people and, specifically, the Democrats thinking? Apparently, crime does pay, these days.
While official statistics from the White House proclaim that unemployment in the US is at record lows, other people have come forward saying it is really near 40%. And with more and more companies laying people off, like the 8000 that Reuters is reporting that Boeing is going to fire in the coming days, maybe it is time to rethink the potential jobs that a person could have, such as being a career politician, or maybe become a criminal, which is basically the same thing these days. You won’t have to worry about paying rent, can hang out with like-minded individuals, and possibly even travel the world, all on the taxpayers’ dime.
So, what do you think dear listeners, “What are the differences between politicians and criminals?”
