The Boston Marathon bombing will most likely be solved by analyzing thousands of photos, video footage, and a lot of difficult police work. This morning the New York Times tells us that video gives us the first clues:
In the first major break in the hunt for the Boston Marathon bomber, F.B.I. personnel on Wednesday found security video clips that showed a man they believe may have played a role in planting the explosives that killed three people and injured more than 170 on Monday.The videos also showed at least a handful of others whom the authorities want to question, either because of what they appear to be doing in the video or their proximity to the blasts, a senior law enforcement official said.
The official said the authorities were trying to boil down the number of people of interest in the videos and would then decide whether to ask the public’s help in locating them.
via Suspicions in Boston Attack Turn to Man Seen in Videos – NYTimes.com [1].
Of course, it’s not like on the TV show 24 where they could find and track a car in real time from cameras all over LA, but, by reconstructing the scene over time, a clearer picture of who done it will emerge. Because of the high profile of the crime, the FBI will get their man.
Locally, 2 nights ago, someone tried to break into my neighbor Pat’s garage. They broke the glass, but didn’t get through the screen. Had they been successful, the door had a deadbolt, double keyed. It’s just a sign of the times. My own garage has plywood screwed to the inside of two windows that were broken repeatedly by thieves, I don’t like it, but the break ins have stopped. The next day, after Pat’s attempt, we all asked his neighbor, Larry, did his camera’s show anything? They have before [2]. We’ve also found who did a hit-skip total of a car thanks to another camera, and saw a woman drive up, walk onto a porch and steal what UPS had left. Cameras aren’t the end-all panacea of solving crimes, but they do help.
Which brings us to the aerial surveillance program proposed in Dayton. There is a small vocal group that’s very opposed to an eye in the sky. Would they be against using surveillance footage of the Boston Marathon bombing to help solve the crime? Doubtful.
Criminals don’t stop doing crime because of fear of getting their picture taken, nor do they stop because they know they can go to jail. For the most part, crime happens because someone didn’t learn the difference between right and wrong, something is broken with their priorities in life, or, they don’t feel as if they have any other options. In this “land of opportunity” one opportunity is to be incarcerated. We have the highest incarceration rate on the planet. Something like one in 31 has spent time in prison. We spend a lot of money keeping people locked away for doing minor crimes, much of it related to drug addiction.
Catching criminals isn’t solving our problems quickly enough, just like having the biggest, baddest military isn’t scaring anyone away from waging terror on us, since a conventional war isn’t really a sane option. If we want to look at the real problems in our country, no surveillance cameras are needed- the real crime is the divisive nature of our economy. On one hand, we have the subsistence population (as Leona Hensley called them, “only the little people pay taxes”) and those who are pocketing, literally billions (without anyone making a connection between our economic mess and the cold hard fact that the giant sucking sound wasn’t Mexico – but Wall Street):
Certainly, plenty of hedge fund titans took home billion-dollar paydays last year despite the fact they lagged the big gains in stocks. For example, Steven A. Cohen, who controls $15 billion in assets at SAC Capital Advisors, which has been under intense scrutiny by government investigators, fell just short of the market’s returns for 2012. His take-home pay, however, was about $1.4 billion, earning him the No. 3 spot among the best-paid hedge fund managers.
via Hedge Fund Titans’ Pay Stretches to 10 Figures – NYTimes.com [3].
If you wonder who robbed your garage, or bombed the Boston Marathon, and want to point fingers- think about a $1.4 billion dollar paycheck, and where it came from? All those foreclosures, that devastated the value of your home? The medical bills and insurance that became too expensive for you to afford? The reason we don’t have cops on our streets and are resorting to spy cams in the sky? The reason we can afford to pay to put dopeheads in prison but not make college affordable- it’s that it’s legal to pay yourself $1.4 Billion a year by manipulating the financial system and screwing the entire county.
Of course, I want the marathon bomber caught and brought to justice, just as much as I want the people who stole my bike and my kids’ bikes to be arrested too- but, I think we often get confused about what crimes are most heinous. Losing faith in our society is the most dangerous possibility, and most of us feel powerless to change it.
Throughout history, when the gap between rich and poor becomes unbearable, usually, a revolution resets the system.
It’s not big brother that should scare you, it’s our brothers and sisters who are not paying attention.
And just for entertainment, here’s a partial report on how much Steven A. Cohen spent buying his freedom from prosecution:
Contributions to Political Committees
COHEN, STEVEN
GREENWICH, CT 06831
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| AYOTTE, KELLY A [4] VIA FRIENDS OF KELLY AYOTTE [5] |
|||
| 08/27/2010 | 2400.00 | 10020821933 [6] | |
| 09/27/2010 | 2400.00 | 10020821923 [7] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
GREENWICH, CT 06831
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS, LP
| EVERY REPUBLICAN IS CRUCIAL (ERICPAC) [8] | |||
| 12/08/2009 | 5000.00 | 10990143759 [9] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
STAMFORD, CT 06902
S.A.C. CAPITAL ADVISORS
| LARSON, JOHN B [10] VIA LARSON FOR CONGRESS [11] |
|||
| 10/31/2008 | 2300.00 | 29932513667 [12] | |
| 11/02/2012 | 2500.00 | 13960811624 [13] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC
| BAUCUS, MAX [14] VIA FRIENDS OF MAX BAUCUS [15] |
|||
| 10/30/2008 | 2300.00 | 28020733244 [16] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL
| DODD, CHRISTOPHER J [17] VIA FRIENDS OF CHRIS DODD [18] |
|||
| 09/08/2008 | 2300.00 | 28020563047 [19] | |
| LIEBERMAN, JOSEPH I [20] VIA FRIENDS OF JOE LIEBERMAN [21] |
|||
| 06/29/2006 | 2100.00 | 26020431247 [22] | |
| 06/29/2006 | 2100.00 | 26020431247 [22] | |
| 08/03/2006 | 10000.00 | 26020770291 [23] | |
| 09/20/2006 | 10000.00 | 26020770291 [23] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| CAMP, DAVID LEE [24] VIA DAVE CAMP FOR CONGRESS [25] |
|||
| 10/30/2008 | 2300.00 | 29991679919 [26] | |
| CANTOR, ERIC [27] VIA CANTOR FOR CONGRESS [28] |
|||
| 11/04/2008 | 2300.00 | 28993356222 [29] | |
| DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE [30] | |||
| 09/27/2006 | 26700.00 | 26020872167 [31] | |
| 06/07/2007 | 28500.00 | 27020281185 [32] | |
| KIRK, MARK STEVEN [33] VIA KIRK FOR SENATE [34] |
|||
| 09/22/2009 | 2400.00 | 29020410060 [35] | |
| MCCONNELL, MITCH [36] VIA MCCONNELL SENATE COMMITTEE ’14 [37] |
|||
| 10/31/2008 | 2300.00 | 29020051570 [38] | |
| REID, HARRY [39] VIA FRIENDS FOR HARRY REID [40] |
|||
| 10/28/2008 | 2300.00 | 29020061009 [41] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS LP
| PORTMAN, ROB [42] VIA PORTMAN FOR SENATE COMMITTEE [43] |
|||
| 04/28/2010 | 2400.00 | 10020441720 [44] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SELF
| GRASSLEY, CHARLES E SENATOR [45] VIA GRASSLEY COMMITTEE INC [46] |
|||
| 06/10/2008 | 2300.00 | 28020722889 [47] | |
| 06/10/2008 | 2300.00 | 28020722889 [47] | |
| SMITH, GORDON HAROLD [48] VIA FRIENDS OF GORDON SMITH [49] |
|||
| 10/24/2008 | 2300.00 | 29020160119 [50] | |
| WYDEN, RONALD L [51] VIA WYDEN FOR SENATE [52] |
|||
| 05/01/2009 | 2400.00 | 29020260602 [53] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
STAMFORD, CT 06906
CLAYTON HOLDINGS INC.
| OBAMA, BARACK [54] VIA OBAMA FOR AMERICA [55] |
|||
| 09/04/2008 | 250.00 | 11972481476 [56] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
STAMFORD, CT 06906
SAC CAPITAL
| LIEBERMAN, JOSEPH I [20] VIA FRIENDS OF JOE LIEBERMAN [21] |
|||
| 08/07/2006 | 250.00 | 26020770502 [57] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
WESTPORT, CT 06880
ADVANCED RADIOLOGY CONSULTANTS
| AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE [58] | |||
| 04/21/2012 | 250.00 | 12971231222 [59] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
WESTPORT, CT 06880
SRA PC
| JOHNSON, NANCY L. [60] VIA JOHNSON FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE [61] |
|||
| 03/05/2004 | 2000.00 | 25980354365 [62] | |
| 10/23/2006 | 2000.00 | 27930468046 [63] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A
GREENWICH, CT 06831
S A C CAPITAL ADVISORS LLC
| BENNETT, ROBERT F [64] VIA BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE [65] |
|||
| 05/05/2004 | 2000.00 | 24020542925 [66] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A
STAMFORD, CT 06902
S.A.C. CAPITAL ADVISORS, LLC
| MANAGED FUNDS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE [67] | |||
| 04/27/2007 | 5000.00 | 28991310128 [68] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL
| DODD, CHRISTOPHER J [69] VIA CHRIS DODD FOR PRESIDENT INC [70] |
|||
| 03/31/2007 | 2300.00 | 13961167632 [71] | |
| 03/31/2007 | 2300.00 | 13961167632 [71] | |
| HATCH, ORRIN G [72] VIA HATCH ELECTION COMMITTEE INC [73] |
|||
| 10/06/2010 | 2400.00 | 11020050260 [74] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| ALL AMERICA PAC [75] | |||
| 11/07/2006 | 5000.00 | 27940122910 [76] | |
| BAYH, EVAN [77] VIA EVAN BAYH COMMITTEE [78] |
|||
| 11/07/2006 | 2100.00 | 27020042338 [79] | |
| GRAYSON, C M ‘TREY’ [80] VIA FRIENDS OF TREY GRAYSON [81] |
|||
| 09/25/2009 | 2400.00 | 29020403781 [82] | |
| SUNUNU, JOHN E [83] VIA TEAM SUNUNU [84] |
|||
| 03/23/2007 | 2000.00 | 27020144274 [85] | |
| 11/30/2007 | 300.00 | 28020041233 [86] | |
| 11/30/2007 | 2300.00 | 28020041234 [87] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS LLC
| THUNE, JOHN R [88] VIA FRIENDS OF JOHN THUNE [89] |
|||
| 04/24/2009 | 2000.00 | 29020251131 [90] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS, LLC
| FORD, HAROLD E JR [91] VIA HAROLD FORD JR FOR TENNESSEE [92] |
|||
| 08/03/2006 | 2100.00 | 27020030600 [93] | |
| 08/03/2006 | 2100.00 | 27020030600 [93] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A MR
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| ENSIGN, JOHN E [94] VIA ENSIGN FOR SENATE [95] |
|||
| 05/07/2009 | -2400.00 | 10020014007 [96] | |
| 05/07/2009 | 2400.00 | 10020014007 [96] | |
| 05/07/2009 | 4800.00 | 10020014007 [96] | |
| NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE [97] | |||
| 10/17/2007 | 28500.00 | 28020111672 [98] | |
| 07/07/2009 | 30400.00 | 29020304603 [99] | |
| 10/31/2012 | 30800.00 | 12021110536 [100] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A MR.
GREENWICH, CT 06831
S.A.C. CAPITAL
| BUSH, GEORGE W [101] VIA BUSH-CHENEY ’04 (PRIMARY) INC [102] |
|||
| 02/03/2004 | 2000.00 | 24962770813 [103] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A.
GREENWICH, CT 06831
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| TRUTH ACCOUNTABILITY AND COURAGE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (TACPAC) [104] | |||
| 12/16/2009 | 5000.00 | 10930278718 [105] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A.
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| BONO MACK, MARY [106] VIA MARY BONO MACK COMMITTEE [107] |
|||
| 12/15/2009 | 2400.00 | 10990214333 [108] | |
COHEN, STEVEN A. MR.
GREENWICH, CT 06831
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| ALTSCHULER, RANDOLPH MR. [109] VIA RANDY ALTSCHULER FOR CONGRESS [110] |
|||
| 11/12/2010 | 2400.00 | 10992489248 [111] | |
COHEN, STEVEN DR.
WESTPORT, CT 06880
ADVANCED RADIOLOGY CONSULTANTS
| AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE [58] | |||
| 05/20/2008 | 250.00 | 28932487551 [112] | |
| 05/21/2010 | 250.00 | 10990781432 [113] | |
| 05/23/2011 | 250.00 | 11931687310 [114] | |
COHEN, STEVEN E.
BRIDGEPORT, CT 06605
NORWALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE–STATE
| DONOVAN, CHRISTOPHER G [115] VIA DONOVAN FOR CONGRESS [116] |
|||
| 10/04/2011 | 200.00 | 12950416897 [117] | |
COHEN, STEVEN E.
BRIDGEPORT, CT 06605
NORWALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE
| DONOVAN, CHRISTOPHER G [115] VIA DONOVAN FOR CONGRESS [116] |
|||
| 06/29/2012 | 200.00 | 12940768914 [118] | |
COHEN, STEVEN M. M.D.
WESTPORT, CT 06880
ADVANCED RADIOLOGY
| MURPHY, CHRISTOPHER SCOTT MR. [119] VIA COMMITTEE TO ELECT CHRIS MURPHY [120] |
|||
| 08/15/2008 | 250.00 | 29990942206 [121] | |
COHEN, STEVEN MR
GREENWICH, CT 06831
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| TOOMEY, PATRICK JOSEPH [122] VIA FRIENDS OF PAT TOOMEY [123] |
|||
| 04/05/2010 | -2400.00 | 11020120412 [124] | |
| 04/05/2010 | 2400.00 | 11020120412 [124] | |
| 04/05/2010 | 4800.00 | 11020120411 [125] | |
Total Contributions: 273450.00
Joint Fundraising Contributions
These are contributions to committees who are raising funds to be distributed to other committees. The breakdown of these contributions to their final recipients may appear below
COHEN, STEVEN A.
GREENWICH, CT 06831
SAC CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
| TAKE BACK THE HOUSE 2010 [126] | |||
| 10/21/2010 | 15000.00 | 10992287101 [127] | |
Total Joint Fundraising: 15000.00
Recipient of Joint Fundraiser Contributions
These are the Final Recipients of Joint Fundraising Contributions
COHEN, STEVEN
GREENWICH, CT 06831
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS, LP
| EVERY REPUBLICAN IS CRUCIAL (ERICPAC) [8] | |||
| 10/21/2010 | 5000.00 | 10992275351 [128] | |
COHEN, STEVEN
GREENWICH, CT 06831
SAC CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
| CONTINUING A MAJORITY PARTY ACTION COMMITTEE (CAMPAC) [129] | |||
| 10/21/2010 | 5000.00 | 10992336354 [130] | |
| PROSPERITY ACTION INC. [131] | |||
| 10/25/2010 | 5000.00 | 11990320464 [132] | |
Recipient Total: 15000.00
TRY A: NEW QUERY [133]
RETURN TO: FEC HOME PAGE [134]
And note- he’s also entered under “Stephen” for a little kicker
Contributions to Political Committees
COHEN, STEPHEN
STAMFORD, CT 06902
SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS
| KANJORSKI, PAUL E. [135] VIA PENNSYLVANIANS FOR KANJORSKI [136] |
|||
| 03/31/2008 | 2300.00 | 28932437233 [137] | |
COHEN, STEPHEN A
STAMFORD, CT 06903
ERNST & YOUNG LLP
| ERNST & YOUNG POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE [138] | |||
| 06/12/1997 | 300.00 | 97032163373 [139] | |
| 05/12/1998 | 300.00 | 98033183936 [140] | |
| 05/05/1999 | 300.00 | 99034524474 [141] | |
| 04/07/2000 | 500.00 | 20035602569 [142] | |
| 03/22/2001 | 500.00 | 21990078827 [143] | |
| SCHUMER, CHARLES E [144] VIA FRIENDS OF SCHUMER [145] |
|||
| 02/21/2001 | 1000.00 | 21020150168 [146] | |
| 06/28/2004 | 1000.00 | 24020452502 [147] | |
COHEN, STEPHEN MR.
STAMFORD, CT 06903
ERNST & YOUNG L.L.P.
| GIULIANI, RUDOLPH W [148] VIA RUDY GIULIANI PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE INC [149] |
|||
| 12/23/2007 | 2300.00 | 28990602997 [150] | |
Total Contributions: 8500.00
TRY A: NEW QUERY [133]
RETURN TO: FEC HOME PAGE
Whomever said “money is the root of all evil” never imagined it being reported this way on the FEC database. Buying your freedom when you are out of this world rich, is relatively cheap.
It’s not big brother that should scare you, it’s our brothers and sisters who are not paying attention. (David Esrati)
… and this coming from a guy who was hauled into court five times for the crime of bad guerilla theatre? No dear David, on a bureaucrat’s whim the full force of the IRS could come pouncing on you, with the power to forfeiture, and bereft of presumption of innocence. Or declare your front yard a national park stripping you of ownership rights. Or perhaps declare your neighborhood blighted and give your property to somebody else with big money and big promises. And government has proven itself eager to starve it’s citizenry Kim Jung Il style, or torture them Saddam Hussein style or just crude executions in the manner of Pol Pot. Government, with its monopoly and license to engage in force, is always to be feared…
[…] Citizens United threw the door open to unlimited money in politics. The Federal Elections Commission “tracking” of donations is such a joke that another site, http://www.opensecrets.org is the only place you can go to get actual, usable data- like, who gave to whom, from what industry, to what cause etc. However, it’s still built on top of the FEC Data which is bad data to begin with. Need proof? Look at this old post where billionaire Wall Street wizard Steven, or is it Stephen? Is listed with …. […]