Comments on: Breaking: Read the Taxicab Indictments; Suspects Tried To Bribe Leon Swain Jr.

By: Downtown rez

Downtown rez — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:37:17 +0000

Fred:
People criticize Barry for his policies and crimes.
At this point there is no evidence that Loza was acting on Graham's behalf- no proof that Graham is did anything worse than misplace his trust.

By: Fred

Fred — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:41:11 +0000

Mr. Graham has to go. Resign now.

I can't understand how the same people in DC who think that Mr. Barry is so corrupt find it so easy to make excuses for Mr. Graham. Bottom line: Mr. Graham has exhibited poor judgement in his hiring of Mr. Loza, given the weird personal relationship he seems to have with this individual.

By: IMGoph

IMGoph — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:29:12 +0000

as a kind of aside, i was on 14th street nw yesterday evening (near P street) when i saw a cab with virginia plates with what was clearly a forfeit 'official' taxicab sticker (here's a picture of an official one). the font and size of the sticker were all wrong, and i'm certain that, in order to be an officially licensed DC cab, you have to have DC plates, correct?

By: Fred

Fred — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:27:58 +0000

Amen

By: Downtown rez

Downtown rez — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:32:39 +0000

Agreed, TH. Free rides escalate to free trips escalate to free cash. Anything more than a cup of coffee among old friends is potential trouble.

By: Sandra "S.S." Seegars

Sandra "S.S." Seegars — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:58:18 +0000

Thom, it’s interesting that you would wonder about Swain being on the wrong side of the law, because this story depicts Abdulaziz Kamus as a briber who became an informant to lessen his charges. I believe Swain is clean in this one. I was a Taxicab Commissioner from 11/99 to 6/06. In my first couple of months, I had some bribers arrested. Bribers will try anyone. I am sure there are many more involved in bribery in the taxicab industry, but I am afraid that the FBI will not get them all. I know the majority of the persons involved in this episode, and I am truly surprised that they would spend that kind of money taking a chance on losing everything they have. In some cases, they may be deported.

By: Truth hurts

Truth hurts — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:13:43 +0000

Downtown Rez: I'm not trying to pick a fight here. My point is simply this: if someone overtly offers a bribe to a city official, then that official has a duty to report it. In a "was that what I think it was?" situation, the official ought to be on guard for more overt gestures. And I'm guessing your guess about Loza being tested first is right. He obviously flunked the test by not walking away. I have no tolerance for government corruption, none.

By: Downtown Rez

Downtown Rez — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:36:26 +0000

Truth Hurts: I do suppose that everyone who is anyone in DC has been offered a bribe. But they can be subtle things. I've several times come away from an encounter thinking "was that what I think?..." And, IMO, it's not always "worth" reporting these, standards of proof being what they are in our great society. I'm guessing Loza didn't get to the money part without being tested for his reaction before hand.

By: Johnny

Johnny — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:32:57 +0000

Correction:

Both the Washington Post and the Washington Times are out to lunch on this scandal. If these guys are convicted, they should be deported back to their African country. They can take Jim Graham with them. I am sure Jim Graham will find him some young African men to sleep with. Opps, I forgot, African men are too dark for Jim Graham. Jim Graham like’s Salvadoran/Central American men with light skin and a exotic look to satisfy his sexual needs.

By: Johnny

Johnny — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:29:48 +0000

Both the Washington Post and the Washington Times are out to lunch on this scandal. If these guys are convicted, they should be deported by to their African country. The can take Jim Graham with them. I am sure Jim Graham will find him some young African men to sleep with. Opps, I forgot, African men are too dark for Jim Graham. Jim Graham like's Salvadoran/Central American men with light skin and an exotic look to satisfy his sexual needs.

By: Truth Hurts

Truth Hurts — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:24:04 +0000

@ Fred: I don't believe that every politician has been offered a bribe they didn't report. If you're right, however, every such politician belongs in jail. Government corruption undermines everything.

By: Fred

Fred — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:42:57 +0000

Yes it is. But don't you think EVERY politician has been offered bribes they did not report?

By: creativemeat

creativemeat — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:31:54 +0000

Did anyone see Jim Graham on the local news being interviewed on Columbia Rd. The reporter asked if he has every been offered a bribe. Jim Graham said "I have never accepted a bribe." Then the reporter said that's not what I asked, I asked if you have ever been offered a bribe. And Jim Graham said he can't talk about it. So basically our elected council member was offered a bribe at someo point but didn't report it. That's pretty shady in my book.

By: concernedaboutdc

concernedaboutdc — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:05:42 +0000

Yank their business licenses, try them, and if guilty imprison them then deport them.

By: Fred

Fred — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:01:35 +0000

Yes, I must grudgingly congratulate the investigative team at CP for this story (although truth be told, I wish I could muster up more enthusiasm for it...I just don't care as much as I feel like I should). I always complain about them, but this time, it looks like they're doing good.

I will just relate what a recent cab driver told me on our way downtown. He said that this guy who went undercover to bust Loza did so only because the guy who was in charge of implementing the medallion system here, or pushing it, someone named Solomon my cab driver said, was responsible for tearing apart Atlanta's cab system, and he did not want to see the same thing happen here. No idea if it's true or not, but this is what comments sections are for.