It’s the season of giving, and what better way to give than to donate gift cards for the needy. That’s what several Baltimore businesses tried to do, but apparently, their Mayor decided she needed help more than her city’s poor.
Today, Mayor Sheila Dixon was convicted of embezzlement for stealing $1000 in Target and Best Buy gift cards donated by the stores. She faces up to five years in prison, and may be removed from office (that is, if she doesn’t serve time). However, I don’t think that’s punishment enough.
Apparently, she was acquitted on two counts of felony theft and one count of misconduct in office, and I can’t seem to understand why. Either she stole $1000 that could have gone to her city’s needy or she didn’t., and if she did, she needs to be prosecuted accordingly. Obviously, since they haven’t removed the embezzlement charge, she’s guilty, so why were the other charges dropped?
Her stealing doesn’t bother me as much as it would under other circumstances. She was indicted in January, meaning she committed this crime during the holiday season in the worst of economic times, right after the financial collapse. True, many people were thinking of themselves more than others at the time, but that doesn’t justify stealing $1000 from people who have nothing and need help the most.
Mayor Dixon says she plans on continuing her term because it is her responsibility. Responsibility or not, however, it’s my opinion that if she’s not removed, she should resign. Prioritizing yourself over your less fortunate constituents is unacceptable, and she should recognize this and act accordingly. It seems common sense that any public figure that’s facing time in prison should bow out gracefully. But then again, it doesn’t seem that Mayor Dixon has any sense at all.
This is quite surprising actually. I'm interested in seeing how this pans out. Embezzlement - typical white collar crime?
ReplyDeleteShe'd be more easily forgiven if she had been caught having an affair than stealing from the poor...what a dumb move, not to mention heartless. Sometimes I just wonder how these kinds of people get elected to office....
ReplyDeleteHow unbelievable-and I'm sure she thought she would never get caught. As mayor she should be setting an example for the city, not stealing from those who need it the most. The CNN article says she "may" be removed from office. If i lived in Baltimore there is no way I would want her to represent or lead my city.
ReplyDeleteMayor Dixon said she plans on continuing her term because it's her responsibility? Ha. I felt she certainly forgot that responsibility to her constituents when she stole $1000 worth of gift cards from the needy. It's just so unbelievable that there are so many instances like this where politicians perform blatantly corrupt acts, and then refuse to step down under the guise of wanting to say loyal to their constituents. It's paradoxical. If you're basically stealing from the people you need to help, the people who need help the most, then you don't deserve to hold the office. Mayor Dixon should recieve jail time for what she did, any other person would and she shouldn't be treated any differently. And if by some accident of fate, she does avoid jail time, she should do the right thing for once and give up her position. People like her, who steal from the poor, shouldn't be held in positions of high honor.
ReplyDeleteWow this is the political equivalent of taking a lollipop from a little kid. A lot of major cities have their levels of corruption, and some politicians accept corruption as a means to getting things done, but this is just an in your face abuse of power. This is just already worse news for an already heavily struggling city like Baltimore.
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