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Michelle Malkin (<A HREF="http://www.townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/mm20030110.shtml">back to story</A>)

January 10, 2003

Plundering 'for the children'

When corporate moguls get nabbed for ripping off shareholders, the media go
ape-wild. Last year's front-page headlines were filled with Big Business
scandals and barrels of op-ed indignation about capitalist greed. But when
teachers' union officials plunder their members' coffers in Enronic
proportions, the media go . . . AWOL.

I recently read a nauseating FBI affidavit filed last month in support of
search and seizure warrants for three teachers' union officials in
Washington, D.C. The accused villains under federal investigation are former
Washington Teachers Union President Barbara Bullock, her aide, Gwen Hemphill,
and her treasurer, James Baxter. All three are prominent cronies of D.C.
Mayor Anthony Williams and key players in the local Democratic machine.

The union extracts nearly $700 a month per teacher from its 5,500-member
group. The Trump-spending trio and several others are suspected of embezzling
more than $2 million in member dues dating back to 1995. Here is just one
excerpt of the FBI affidavit detailing Bullock's selfless expenditures:

"Among (her) purchases were: a $20,000 mink coat, along with other mink coats
that . . . have been stored at Miller Furs in Chevy Chase, Maryland; nearly
$500,000 in custom-made clothing from a Baltimore clothing maker known as Van
Style . . . more than $9,000 at retailer Bloomingdales; more than $9,000 for
clothing and accessories from a Florida vendor known as Body Scentre Limited;
more than $11,000 in purchases from a retailer known as Friedman's Shoes in
Atlanta, Georgia; more than $5,000 to Galt Brothers Jewelry in Washington,
D.C.; more than $5,000 to Graffiti AudioVideo for electronic equipment; more
than $12,000 at retailer Hecht Company; more than $3,000 at the Hermes
Boutique in Vienna, Virginia . . . "

Wait, there's more:

"(M)ore than $5,000 for bedding and a desk pad from the Horchow Collection;
more than $6,000 to vendor J. Crew; more than $15,000 . . . for St. John Knit
apparel; more than $4,000 for merchandise from Little Switzerland JNU, in
Juneau, Alaska; more than $60,000 to MS Rau Antiques in New Orleans,
Louisiana (including $57,000 for a 288-piece Tiffany sterling silver set);
more than $17,000 to Miller Furs; more than $150,000 at retailer
Neiman-Marcus; more than $50,000 at retailer Nordstrom; more than $4,000 at
beauty salon Oriental Oasis; more than $25,000 for services of the Parkway
Custom Dry Cleaners in Chevy Chase, Maryland; more than $9,000 to Ramee Art
Gallery in Washington, D.C.; more than $40,000 at retailer Saks Fifth Avenue;
more than $50,000 at a vendor known as Snazzy Limited in Orange Park,
Florida; more than $4,000 at the St. John Boutique in Beverly Hills,
California, and New York, New York; more than $2,500 for china or crystal
from The Lenox Shop in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Prince William, Virginia;
more than $6,000 in gourmet kitchen equipment from retailer Williams-Sonoma;
almost $4,000 to jeweler Tiffany & Co.; more than $20,000 to the Atlanta
gallery of the artist William Tolliver; and more than $7,000 to Wagner
Opticians."

Bullock spread the wealth to friends and family. According to the FBI agent,
her sister received "a two-door, French, hand-painted armoire" from an
Alexandria, Va., antiques dealer, Tradition de France. Bullock's driver and
errand boy, Leroy Holmes, received checks "totaling in excess of $1,000,000,
which he converted to cash to pay himself more than $90,000 per year, plus
additional funds to maintain and pay for personal vehicles, and provide cash
to others."

Bullock's aide, Hemphill, also shared her booty with family, including
$20,000 in African art; a $12,999 50" plasma, flat-screen television; and a
$950 handbag from Neiman-Marcus. Union Treasurer Baxter is suspected of
rampant book-cooking to hide his union income from the IRS. The trio also
"enlisted the aid of an accountant to help them hide the misconduct,"
according to investigators. Also under scrutiny: Interim Union President
Esther S. Hankerson, who has held leadership positions since 1994 and whose
credit-card use is reportedly being probed.

Meanwhile, the union's rent, phone bills and health premiums for retired
teachers went unpaid.

This is a sickening and all-too-familiar case of education corruption
involving the looting of compulsory union dues. Rank-and-file teachers have
fought across the country for the right to stop union tyrants from siphoning
money from their paychecks for political lobbying and personal
aggrandizement. Big Labor's accounting system is a sham. But you won't read
about this scandal on the editorial pages of The New York Times.

After all, the looters did it "for the children," right?







©2002 Creators Syndicate, Inc.



<A HREF="mailto:malkin@...%3Fsubject=TownHall.com%20Reader%20Comment">Contact Michelle Malkin</A> | <A HREF="http://www.townhall.com/columnists/BIOS/cbmalkin.html">Read her biography</A>



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Pam Hartley

Does this have something to do with unschooling and living joyfully with our
children? If so, please give us a hint, I'm sure I'm not the only one a
little confused by why we're getting this.

Pam

Lucie Caunter

If you have any doubts about staying at home and learning freely after
reading that article ...
As my neice said: " School is way over rated" .
Lucie

Pam Hartley wrote:

>Does this have something to do with unschooling and living joyfully with our
>children? If so, please give us a hint, I'm sure I'm not the only one a
>little confused by why we're getting this.
>
>Pam
>
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