The GPD Lawsuits: The Cure For Insomnia

The lawsuits continue to fly in Greensboro. This time, thirty-nine black police officers sued the city of Greensboro and two former police leaders Friday for breach of contract and racial discrimination.

There is so much fundamentally wrong about this complaint/situation, that I don't know where to start. And I'm not going to. Others in the local blogosphere can and will provide much better analysis and insight than I.

I've been patiently waiting for it for the better part of a day. Come-on guys. You're slacking;)

This morning, the oh-so-enlightened GSO News & Record bemoans the cost of this litigation to taxpayers. If it were not so pathetic and predictable, I'd laugh. I wonder how much of this mess might have been avoided if the publishers & editors of the N&R had stuck true to the cannons of journalism . . . instead of planting their stuck-up noses firmly in the rumpuses of the powers-that-be (the local "cabals", if you will) . . . and pursuing their tired, race-baiting agendas.

I'm going to pretend I'm Carrie Bradshaw (I know, I don't have the figure or sense of style) and preface this latest episode of our sad/sorry local amorality play with a question: How much of the current cost of these legal actions actually lies directly at the feet of the local press?

This quote, from GSO city manager, Mitchell Johnson, was hurl-worthy: "It's really a shame . . . It's been an incredibly unfortunate situation and could have been dealt with more effectively a long time ago if people had made the right decisions."

If only. Mr. Johnson (to whom I am thankfully no relation) apparently does not have mirrors in his office.

It's amazing to me how much Mitchell Johnson resembles (Randolph Hospital VP) Steven Eblin. In fact, it's down-right creepy.

Having filed a lawsuit a very long time ago . . . operating under the profoundly misguided notion that the legal system was only interested in uncovering the truth/righting wrongs . . . and noting that the N&R is already not-so-sublty promoting the notion that the city should settle and put these matters behind us all (as opposed to going on to the trials that so many of the players - and observers - apparently want) . . . I don't think this will ever play out in front of a jury . . . and I don't think anyone is going walk away from this satisfied or happy or vindicated in any way.

Well, except the lawyers.

I believe I paid for Schmidly's deck. Before the bear/deer/ghost/whatever. And I'm still not back home.

You see, it's been my experience that when lawyers get involved, truth and common sense fly out the window . . .

. . . not that my experiences with North Carolina's beyond-corrupt legal system has any relevance to what is going on in Greensboro (a Greensboro I barely recognize) today.

Go to sleep Roch.

Update: This lukewarm gem from Allen Johnson's blog (again, no relation) is so typical of the N&R.

The GSO City Council will consider the matter of protest petitions in two weeks. It's a "right of recourse" for citizens to protect their property/oppose development & zoning decisions that now so totally kowtow to economic and business interests.

"The Greensboro City Council will hear the case for and against protest petitions in less than two weeks. Then it will say no."

Ya think, Allen? Great lead-in/"hook" to your support for citizens. Perhaps you should work on style matching substance.

Since it's your blog, and an opinion, how about, instead of pessimistically offering, "It will say, no." (setting up a legislative fight), try, "It should say, YES!"?

Of course, the City of Greensboro is going to have to develop like crazy in order to levy the taxes on those citizens who protest too little - in order to pay for all those settlements to police officers who in no way deserve them.