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February 28, 2007
THE EDUCATION OF YVETTE CLARKE PART 22: IS YVETTE THINKING LOGICALLY?
Hardbeat News commentator Arthur Piccolo has been spearheading a campaign to name a new Nets arena after Jackie Robinson. This week he's recapping the Brooklyn Papers coverage of Yvette Clarke's outrage over the naming-rights deal with Barclays Bank and is cautioning the freshman congressional representative from taking a position that might seriously undermine her credibility:
CongressWoman (sic) you cannot hold out the possibility of damaging Congressional Hearings that will explore possible wrong doing by a major worldwide corporation but choose not to do so if they will “donate” more money to Brooklyn whether or not you decide who gets the money.
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Here is a good simple accurate definition of Extortion from Encyclopedia, “extortion is more widely defined to include the obtaining of money or property of another by inducing his consent through wrongful use of fear, force, or authority of office.” And from the Encyclopedia Britannica this definition, “ Unlawful exaction of money or property through intimidation or undue exercise of authority. It may include threats of physical harm, criminal prosecution, or public exposure.” And from Wikipedia “The simple four words "pay up or else" are sufficient to constitute the crime of extortion. These are third party definitions not the law itself but should give Yvette reason to pause before considering being involved in a “deal” with Barclay’s that includes Barclay’s altering its current naming rights offer.
Posted by lumi at February 28, 2007 6:15 AM