Northwest Indiana Discussion

The point is that LAKE COUNTY CORRUPTION is DEMOCRAT.

Oh, that goes without saying. You just have to hear Mr. Kusiak say it, like a child trying to deflect blame by trying to drag another kid down with him....then to see Mr. Reardon (the Republican who has to kow-tow to LC Democrats) nodding his head in prim disapproval and agreement.

You can almost hear the LC Democrat chorus: "why, that's the way we've always done it."

LAKE COUNTY CORRUPTION IS DEMOCRAT!!

In the November 2, 2010 election, there were 51 Democrats and 43 Republicans elected to public office in Lake County. Since then 2 Cedar Lake elected officials have flipped from Democrat to GOP, making it 49 to 45.

In the past 25 years, 53 Democrat Lake County elected officials have been convicted and gone to prison.

In the past 50 years, there has not been a single GOP Lake County elected official even indicted.

Elected Republicans like Sue Landske, Larry Blanchard, Jim Forsythe, Mark Schweitzer, Jim Conlon, Eldon Strong, Lou Fererro, Red Witten, Glen Corbin. etc have been above reproach.

Pabey is the 53rd DEMOCRAT to go to prison!!

Here is the list. Who will be next?

Dozier Allen, Wanda Joshua, Ann Marie Karras, Albert Young Jr., Lawrence Meeks, Jewell Harris Sr., Bob Cantrell, Frank Kollintzas, Joe De La Cruz, Ewardo Maldonado, Adrian Santos, Jose Valdez Jr., Pedro Porras, Gerry Nannenga, Kevin Pastrick, Peter Manous, Carl Paul Ihle Jr., Peter Benjamin, Troy Montgomery, Joel Markovich, Katie Hall, Junifer Hall, Robert J. Velligan, Marilyn and Gregory J. Gill, Dimitrios Sazalis, Edward Samuels, Miguel "Mike" Arredondo, Kimberly Lyles, Jan Allison, Gregory Cvitkovich, James H. Fife III, Karen Krahn-Fife, Randall Artis, Terrance Artis, Robert White, Morris Carter,
Deborah Riga, Paul Hernandez, Ken Castaldi, Jojuana Meeks, Charmaine Pratchett, Derrick Earls, Johnnie Wright, Greg Hill, Will Smith Jr., Roosevelt Powell, Willie Harris, Nancy Fromm, Otho Lyles, George Pabey, Jose Camacho.

These names should be emblazoned on a WALL OF SHAME in the Lake County Courthouse.

They should be in every civics textbook to teach Lake County school kids that CORRUPT DEMOCRATS go to prison.

Cure the problem in 2011!!

VOTE REPUBLICAN!!

Seaton to have bench trial in fall for car registration

A bench trial is set for October in the case of former Democratic candidate for Lake County Assessor Carol Ann Seaton.

Earlier this year, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter announced Seaton had been offered a deferral program on a misdemeanor charge stemming from the out-of-state registration of vehicles. Carter described the program as a one-year deferral with the charge against Seaton being dismissed upon successful completion.

A call into Carter wasn’t immediately returned Thursday, and it wasn’t clear where that program stood.

Seaton faces a misdemeanor charge in Lake County on three vehicles she registered in Michigan when Indiana law requires registration in state.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for Sept. 15 with the bench trial scheduled on Oct. 12.

Crown Point Mayor David Uran set up the Crown Point Community Development Corp. to handle the millions of dollars going to the new Uran Sportsplex and the Bo Jackson Stadium.

The Indiana Public Access Counselor, Heather Willis Neale, ruled on December 13, 2007 that such corporations are subject to the same public information access as the city of Crown Point itself.

However, Uran is delinquent on responding to a request for any financial information regarding the Crown Point Community Development Corp.

Is this simply a method for the Uran administration to steal public funds?

Public information requests have been made to Mayor Uran, City Attorney Nicholls, President of the Crown Point Community Development Corp (CPCDC) Keith Stevens and the CP Clerk-Treasurer's office.

Responses from City Attorney Nicholls on City of Crown Point Attorney's Office stationery state that none of the above have any information regarding the CPCDC.

The public information requests asked for copies of the CPCDC Certificate of Incorporation, all bylaws, all minutes, all bank statements with copies of the front and back of all checks, all cash receipts and disbursements records, all contracts between the CPCDC and another party.

The Indiana Public Access Counselor ruled on December 13, 2007 that corporations like the CPCDC must disclose all records just like the City Of Crown Point from which the CPCDC receives its money.

Is the CPCDC a route for the Uran administration to steal public funds?

Keith Stevens, president of the new Crown Point Community Development, Inc - which handles money for the sportsplex and other Uran projects - was quoted in the Times by Sue Erler on Nov. 16, 2010 as saying "We want to make sure this is a transparent organization."

However, Stevens has refused to release any financial figures whatsoever despite public access requests.

This is an example of the Uran administration lying and corruption.

It must end!!!

If that was so, then why is Attorney General Greg Zoeller having a difficult time accessing EC Corp Second Century who handles all casino money for the "redevelopment" of East Chicago? Is there a difference?

As Joe Van Bokkelen said "Political corruption is the fastest growing industry in Northwest Indiana."

The cancerous stem cells of political corruption reside in East Chicago.

Under the Uran Administration, the cancer has spread rapidly and vigorously to Crown Point.

so far the Uran administration has refused to release any financial information concerning the Crown Point Community Development, Inc.

Why?

Many threads critical of Uran have been moved to the "Crown Point" site on www.northwestindiana.com.

Apparently, they hit a raw nerve and were too close to the truth.

They tell it like it is.

Commissioners unhire special assistant

By Bill Dolan bill.dolan@nwi.com, (219) 662-5328 | Posted: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 4:30 pm

CROWN POINT | Lake County commissioners were scrambling Wednesday to reopen job applications for a $59,312 special assistant position they erroneously gave last month to a politically connected Gary man.

Commissioner Fran DuPey, D-Hammond, said Wednesday she is livid over the way her fellow commissioners hired Tramel Raggs, a son of Gary City Clerk Suzette Raggs, at a Dec. 21 meeting, with minimum notice, for a supervisory position she thinks gives too much power to an unelected appointee.

However, County Attorney John Dull said commissioners are now rescinding that hiring and instead have posted the position as being open to any county government employee who meets the job specifications.

This comes one day after the County Council narrowly approved the job's salary, over the objections of Councilwoman Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, who said the county's policy of posting job openings had been circumvented.

Dull advised the council Tuesday the salary was between $54,000 and $56,000, but corrected that amount Wednesday to include supplemental pay that bumps the pay up to $59,312.

DuPey remains unhappy. "For them to put this phony posting up is ludicrous. Of course it's too late, because this guy already has this job," she said.

"I've met the young man and he seems very nice, but they want this person to supervise the county government mail room, the purchasing department, the public works department, the bookkeeping department, veterans' affairs, housekeeping and my (Hammond-satellite) courthouse.

"I was elected to do that job. If there is a problem in public works, then a commissioner should be brought in who has the authority -- not somebody who was picked out of the air and appointed," DuPey said.

Former Gary official pleads guilty to mortgage scheme

BY Teresa Auch Schultz tauch@post-trib.com January 13, 2012 3:52PM



Jacquelyn Drago-Hunter. | File Photo~Sun-Times Media

Updated: January 14, 2012 2:02AM


The former director of community development for the city of Gary admitted Friday morning in federal court to working with a local businessman in a mortgage fraud scheme that took in almost $200,000.

Jacquelyn Drago-Hunter pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Speaking softly throughout the hearing and wearing a black outfit with a white scarf, Drago-Hunter admitted under questioning by her attorney that she worked with Jerry Haymon to defraud a bank by jacking up the purchase price of a house in Gary. Drago-Hunter said Haymon, who has already pleaded guilty in the case, had originally convinced a woman and her son to sell him a house they owned in Gary for $36,000. However, he set up a side agreement with another man to buy the house for $74,000, far more than the house was actually worth.

Drago-Hunter’s role was to create two separate closing documents, one to fool the owners into thinking they were selling the house for the original asking amount, and another reflecting the $74,000 purchase price, which was given to the bank.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Bell showed the two documents, noting that the first one said the owners received just $2,300, the actual amount they were paid. The second one, however, shows them receiving about $36,000. That, Drago-Hunter said, was a lie.

“What happened in reality is that the defendant and Jerry Haymon were scheming,” Bell said.

Drago-Hunter said that Haymon collected the difference between the prices by filing a lien on the property. The bank wouldn’t have accepted the lien, however, because he had just filed it a few days before closing, and so she wrote out the disbursement to make it appear it was going to the owners.

As part of Drago-Hunter’s plea agreement with the government, another charge of wire fraud and two counts of identity theft are being dropped. She faces up to 20 years in prison.

One of Drago-Hunter’s other co-defendants, Sheila Chandler, also pleaded guilty in the case. A federal jury found the fourth defendant, Phillip Rucker, guilty in December.

Drago-Hunter, who continued to work for the city of Gary for about a year after her arrest until October, is scheduled to be sentenced April 19.

Sentenced?

LOL!!!

Gary scum never really atone for their crimes. Usually they get a slap on the wrist, rarely if ever are they made to reimburse the money they fleeced from taxpayers or private parties and if they keep their mouth shut, they're rewarded with a comfy gub'mint job somewhere in the bowels of the corruption they call Lake County Politics.

Raggs arrested after allegedly pointing loaded pistol during road-rage incident

By Lauri Harvey Keagle lauri.keagle@nwi.com, (219) 852-4311


GARY | The Lake County Commissioners' special assistant recently appointed to the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority is being held at the Gary City Jail Tuesday morning after allegedly pointing a loaded gun at a motorist Monday night, police said.

Tramel Raggs, 32, was arrested in connection with the incident, according to Cpl. Gabrielle King.

According to King, at 5:30 p.m., a 37-year-old man told police he was at a red light facing south at 5th Avenue and Broadway behind a silver Honda Accord blocking two lanes.

The victim told police he pulled up next to the Accord and made an obscene finger gesture toward Raggs, who was driving the vehicle, and yelled at him.

Raggs then allegedly pointed a black pistol at him and drove off.

Police dispatchers alerted police on the street to the incident, saying the victim was following Raggs onto southbound Interstate 65.

Police stopped both the victim and Raggs at mile marker 4 and asked Raggs if he had a weapon. Raggs allegedly told police he did.

King said officers found a black pistol loaded with live rounds in the vehicle.

Raggs was handcuffed and transported to the Gary City Jail. King said the allegations of pointing a loaded firearm and intimidation are felony offenses.

Raggs was appointed to the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority in February in a controversial move. Some associated with the airport authority felt it should have been a more open selection process and that someone with more business experience should have been selected.

The controversy followed similar complaints about Raggs' hiring for the $59,312-a-year county position last year.

Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, said Tuesday morning that he is asking Lake County Attorney John Dull to investigate the matter.

"We haven't seen a police report yet and I don't want to be premature on this, but we do have a serious problem," Scheub said.

Lake County Commissioner Roosevelt Allen, D-Gary, said he will withhold comment on the matter until authorities decide whether to charge Raggs with any crime.

Commissioner Fran DuPey, D-Hammond, said she too will defer a decision.

"We don't have the whole story yet," she said.

Raggs is the son of Gary City Clerk Suzette Raggs.