$150 million doesn't do much good in the big house

white collar crime is no longer about getting really, really rich...possibly getting busted and then having tea with politicians and other former ceo's in a minimum security prison for a month or two. (unless of course you are martha stewart, then it rescues your company from bankruptcy and gets you a primetime show - but that was lying to federal investigators...and hell, we've told the country that was fine by letting presidents do it time and time again).

the tyco execs got sentenced in new york...8 to 25 years. most likely means they will be out in 8...but that can be an eternity in prison. these schmucks got busted in state court too, which means no club fed...hard core, pound me in the ass prison is where they are headed. thrown in with rapists and murderers at rikers or attica.the feds handed down some hefty sentences over the last year too (worldcom exec got 25 years and adelphia exec got 15 years...although that will probably be at club fed, still aint the penthouse these assholes got used to while they robbed folks blind). setting up for the trial of kenneth lay and his buddies at enron next year (including, i believe, the brother of wgn chicago's weatherman, tom skilling, who gets paid a million a year to be a meteoroligist...it isnt too late to change your career path folks).

yes, the folks at enron will see trial. they will see prison time if convicted. don't think the government is trying to push it under the rug...big time crime takes big time resources and a lot of time to prosecute. perhaps we are getting closer to the days when tron can turn himself in late because he got caught up with some trim and these thieves get burned by overzealous cops. don't get me wrong, we still have two completely different criminal justice systems; one for those with money, one for those without...but its good to see things balancing a little.

speaking of poor folks in the criminal justice system...and this is really for another time...but we go about it all wrong. not that it will ever get fixed...people dont even want to send money to poor schools, let alone the criminals that come out of those neighborhoods. i can only hope someday we figure out that some things we are doing just aren't working...and we are losing a lot of bright young minds because of our hardheadedness.

Feels like lightning running through my veins.