The Rigas Situation
John Rigas and his two sons were the toast of Buffalo about 15 years ago...
...they saved the Sabres and they made a bid to do a whole bunch of work downtown.
Then the bottom fell out.
Like a whole bunch of other rich big shots they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
It was alleged that they were using the hard-earned money of their very employees to supplement their rich boy ways.
They were convicted of it.
Two out of three of them went to prison.
Including John Rigas...
...who just received a compassionate release as he is 91 years old and in failing health.
I'm not sure how I feel about that.
You see, the thing that aggravates me more than anything else in this world are the really rich guys who do everything they can not to pay their fair share.
Minimum wage is held down.
Retirement, health care, time off of work have all been denied.
Millions of people aren't making a living wage!!!
And yet...
...the very top takes all they can and tell themselves that their time is way more valuable and that they earned the tax loopholes, the extravagant salaries and the healthy bonuses.
(Feel the Bern indeed...he certainly has some points...I won't bore you with the CEO pay rate increases as opposed to that of the working dope)
But...
...Rigas is an old man.
Did he deserve to die in prison?
The streets of Rigas' hometown were lined with people who welcomed him home from prison.
A whole bunch of people talked about what a nice man he was.
A few others talked about the money that was stolen.
But it seems that all is forgiven.
Rigas will get to see his family (all but the one son who is still in jail).
My heart was warmed by the story.
Then it went cold when I read about the retirement funds that were abused so that the big wigs could fly around in their jet.
I'm so confused!
I would most likely vote that he gets to spend his final days at home...
...but man...
A rich guy robbing the very people who were working for him?
"He should've died in there," one guy said. "He ruined so many people."
There are a whole bunch of people who blame the poor for the money problems in our nation...
...does that make sense?
The people who don't have any money are spending too much of our money?
Nah, it's guys like Rigas.
I didn't celebrate his homecoming.
How could I?
...they saved the Sabres and they made a bid to do a whole bunch of work downtown.
Then the bottom fell out.
Like a whole bunch of other rich big shots they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
It was alleged that they were using the hard-earned money of their very employees to supplement their rich boy ways.
They were convicted of it.
Two out of three of them went to prison.
Including John Rigas...
...who just received a compassionate release as he is 91 years old and in failing health.
I'm not sure how I feel about that.
You see, the thing that aggravates me more than anything else in this world are the really rich guys who do everything they can not to pay their fair share.
Minimum wage is held down.
Retirement, health care, time off of work have all been denied.
Millions of people aren't making a living wage!!!
And yet...
...the very top takes all they can and tell themselves that their time is way more valuable and that they earned the tax loopholes, the extravagant salaries and the healthy bonuses.
(Feel the Bern indeed...he certainly has some points...I won't bore you with the CEO pay rate increases as opposed to that of the working dope)
But...
...Rigas is an old man.
Did he deserve to die in prison?
The streets of Rigas' hometown were lined with people who welcomed him home from prison.
A whole bunch of people talked about what a nice man he was.
A few others talked about the money that was stolen.
But it seems that all is forgiven.
Rigas will get to see his family (all but the one son who is still in jail).
My heart was warmed by the story.
Then it went cold when I read about the retirement funds that were abused so that the big wigs could fly around in their jet.
I'm so confused!
I would most likely vote that he gets to spend his final days at home...
...but man...
A rich guy robbing the very people who were working for him?
"He should've died in there," one guy said. "He ruined so many people."
There are a whole bunch of people who blame the poor for the money problems in our nation...
...does that make sense?
The people who don't have any money are spending too much of our money?
Nah, it's guys like Rigas.
I didn't celebrate his homecoming.
How could I?
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