crony capitalist
What are "the markets" looking like today?
That's Lehman and the whole banking industry there. Say buh-bye to any all of what's left of the US as an economic power. Am afraid though, the Wicked Witch is not dead yet and that we will need to go through way more pain than mere melting away.
bank collapse | Bankruptcy | corporate irresponsibility | crony capitalist | Humor
Vito Lopez: Corruption and Cronyism
The lengthy lead story in the Real Estate section [of the NY Times] credited Lopez with sparking a massive rebuilding effort in Bushwick, way back when he was a graduate student in 1971, and then carrying it through. The story also mentioned that Angela Battaglia's agency is the developer for a $20 million component of the rebuilding effort. It even pictured [Vito] Lopez and Battaglia standing together in front of new housing construction. But the story omitted that Battaglia is Lopez's girlfriend. Does that connection at least deserve mention? Might the article have explained why there was or wasn't a conflict of interest present? Was it a coincidence that Lopez's girlfriend's outfit was put in charge of the $20 million deal? Inquiring minds would like to know. It may well be that everything was done on the up-and-up. But given Lopez's tendency to do favors for his friends-for example, he helped make his girlfriend's brother Jack Battaglia a Civil Court judge-the Times should have explored the question.
Albany | Corruption | crony capitalist | developers | Vito Lopez
