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September 19, 2012

It couldn't happen here

City threatens to sue citizen for sprucing up trashy area

Charles Oliver

Residents in Philadelphia’s Point Breeze neighborhood had long complained about the empty lot near the corner of 20th and Annin streets. It was choked with weeds and had become a dumping ground for trash and debris. Ori Feibush, who owns a coffee shop next to the lot, had been particularly vocal. The city’s redevelopment authority owns the lot, and Feibush submitted seven written complaints to the authority, called it 24 times and made four trips to its offices to get the plot cleaned up, all without any success. So he finally spent $20,000 of his own money to remove 40 tons of garbage from the lot, landscape it, plant cherry trees and put up benches. And the city thanked him for his efforts. No, they didn’t. They say he trespassed on government property and are threatening to sue him unless he returns the lot to its original condition.



Ohio inmate Ronald Post has sued to delay his execution, saying he’s too fat to die. Post, who was convicted of killing someone almost 30 years ago, weighs 480 pounds. He says that would make it hard for prison officials to find a viable vein to inject him with the drugs the state uses for executions, condemning him to a “tortuous and lingering death.”



A fire alarm went off at a Wilkinsburg, Pa., housing project after someone burned some popcorn. Firefighters quickly arrived and determined there was no problem. But it took the housing authority 15 hours to turn the alarm off. Officials say the control panel was in a locked room and no one could find the key.



According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’ consumer price index calculator, it would take $1.12 in 2012 dollars to buy the same amount of goods and services that $1 bought in 2007. Thank goodness everyone is making 12 percent more than they did in 2007.



Last year, the federal government provided the names of at least one Navy SEAL involved in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden to Hollywood filmmakers making a movie on that raid. Now, the Justice Department is arguing in court that it should not have to reveal the names of that SEAL or any other military or CIA employees it gave to those filmmakers. Judicial Watch has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for records about government communication and cooperation with the filmmakers, including any names provided. Justice Department lawyers contend giving the names of commandos and CIA agents to Hollywood types doesn’t make those names part of any public record.



Former Highland Heights, Ky., police chief Carl Mullen pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Mullen admitted to taking $127,390 from the Highland Heights police department through misuse of official credit cards.



More than 90 Washington, D.C., police officers have been arrested since 2009. The most frequent charges have been DUI and domestic violence, but officers have also been charged with more serious crimes, including sexual assault, murder and possession of child pornography.



Charles Oliver is a staff writer for The Daily Citizen. Got a suggestion for It Couldn’t Happen Here? Email it to him at charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com.

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