17 times...
Quote:
By David Abel, Globe Staff | March 8, 2007
Barack Obama is no longer a scofflaw, at least in Cambridge and Somerville.
Two weeks before the US senator from Illinois launched his presidential campaign, he paid parking tickets he received while attending Harvard Law School, officials said yesterday.
Obama received 17 parking tickets in Cambridge between 1988 and 1991, according to the city's Traffic, Parking & Transportation Department.
Of those tickets, he paid only two while he was a student and paid them late, said Susan Clippinger, the office's director.
In January, about when the Globe began asking local officials about Obama's time at Harvard, including any violations of local laws, someone representing the senator called the parking office to inquire about the decades-old tickets.
On Jan. 26, the remaining $375 in fines and fees were paid by credit card using the city's website, Clippinger said. She said she didn't know who paid them.
"I think it's fabulous he finally paid them," Clippinger said by phone yesterday. "I think others who owe us money should pay us, too."
Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, said last night that the senator paid for the tickets out of a personal account.
She would not comment on why it had taken him so long to pay the tickets and fees. "All I can do is confirm that he paid all the tickets and late fees in full," she said.
Clippinger said her records show that Obama received the tickets between Oct. 5, 1988, and Jan. 12, 1990, for violations including parking in a resident-only area, blocking a bus stop, and failing to put money in meters.
He received most of the tickets in fall 1988, in his first year at Harvard Law School, a grueling trial for many of the students. A meter violation then cost only $5; the penalty for not paying promptly tacked on another $15. At times, he received multiple tickets in the same day for exceeding the time limit at a meter.
In total, he incurred $140 in fines and $260 in late fees. In February 1990, he paid two of the tickets, one for $10 and the other for $15.
"He's certainly not our worst ticket scofflaw," Clippinger said. "Unfortunately, it's not that abnormal. It's actually pretty run of the mill."
Obama's payment of the Cambridge tickets was reported yesterday by The Somerville News.
The Globe reported in January that in Somerville, where Obama lived while attending Harvard, the senator still owed the city $73 in excise taxes and $45 in late penalties for parking in a bus stop in 1990 and in a street-sweeping zone in 1991. Both of the tickets had been paid.
Tom Champion, a spokesman for the city of Somerville, said he called Obama's office after receiving a query about the late fees from the Globe in late January.
By the next Monday, Jan. 29, he said, the penalties were paid.
"He had no idea he had outstanding charges," Champion said. "The Globe, by raising the issue, called it to his attention, and then he paid them immediately."
"The FACTS are always subject to CHANGE once the TRUTH is applied"
"In the entire history of man the only stupid questions are the ones that don't get asked"
LOL...you guys truly amaze me. I'm assuming that you've never broke a law or two.
BTW, Obama having PARKING tickets has nothing to do with the issue of the professor being arrested.
^^^Nor does his race, but he played that card!
But it does have a mirrored effect on his snap to judgement call of the "acted stupidly" UPinion of the Cambridge police towards a "black man"...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Friday, July 24, 2009 1:40 PM
"The FACTS are always subject to CHANGE once the TRUTH is applied"
"In the entire history of man the only stupid questions are the ones that don't get asked"
I dont like obama, but honestly...who cares...there just parking tickets
Ok, don't get me wrong I appreciate police officers putting their lives on the line to serve and protect us. As far as I'm concerned, the professor should of never been arrested to begin with. Now, of course we're both going to have different views because you have no idea how it is being black and dealing with the police in general. I'm sure everyone's probably been racial profiled before but not to the extent of black americans. Im not saying he wasn't doing his job - I feel after confirming that it was his residence the officer should have left but instead arrested on WTF...disorderly conduct? But all of a sudden charged are now dropped?
John317: Still no valid point. Makes no sense to me.
wow.....now I can sleep so much better at night, knowing that Obama's parking tickets have been paid..
Seriously..who cares, lol
*~*Andrea*~*
john317(AKA Gary the Old guy) wrote:17 times...
Quote:
By David Abel, Globe Staff | March 8, 2007
Barack Obama is no longer a scofflaw, at least in Cambridge and Somerville.
Two weeks before the US senator from Illinois launched his presidential campaign, he paid parking tickets he received while attending Harvard Law School, officials said yesterday.
Obama received 17 parking tickets in Cambridge between 1988 and 1991, according to the city's Traffic, Parking & Transportation Department.
Of those tickets, he paid only two while he was a student and paid them late, said Susan Clippinger, the office's director.
In January, about when the Globe began asking local officials about Obama's time at Harvard, including any violations of local laws, someone representing the senator called the parking office to inquire about the decades-old tickets.
On Jan. 26, the remaining $375 in fines and fees were paid by credit card using the city's website, Clippinger said. She said she didn't know who paid them.
"I think it's fabulous he finally paid them," Clippinger said by phone yesterday. "I think others who owe us money should pay us, too."
Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, said last night that the senator paid for the tickets out of a personal account.
She would not comment on why it had taken him so long to pay the tickets and fees. "All I can do is confirm that he paid all the tickets and late fees in full," she said.
Clippinger said her records show that Obama received the tickets between Oct. 5, 1988, and Jan. 12, 1990, for violations including parking in a resident-only area, blocking a bus stop, and failing to put money in meters.
He received most of the tickets in fall 1988, in his first year at Harvard Law School, a grueling trial for many of the students. A meter violation then cost only $5; the penalty for not paying promptly tacked on another $15. At times, he received multiple tickets in the same day for exceeding the time limit at a meter.
In total, he incurred $140 in fines and $260 in late fees. In February 1990, he paid two of the tickets, one for $10 and the other for $15.
"He's certainly not our worst ticket scofflaw," Clippinger said. "Unfortunately, it's not that abnormal. It's actually pretty run of the mill."
Obama's payment of the Cambridge tickets was reported yesterday by The Somerville News.
The Globe reported in January that in Somerville, where Obama lived while attending Harvard, the senator still owed the city $73 in excise taxes and $45 in late penalties for parking in a bus stop in 1990 and in a street-sweeping zone in 1991. Both of the tickets had been paid.
Tom Champion, a spokesman for the city of Somerville, said he called Obama's office after receiving a query about the late fees from the Globe in late January.
By the next Monday, Jan. 29, he said, the penalties were paid.
"He had no idea he had outstanding charges," Champion said. "The Globe, by raising the issue, called it to his attention, and then he paid them immediately."
Anyone with a life would care... why?!
This is exactly the kind of petty nonsense that makes serious people stop paying attention to anything said about Obama. Then when SIGNIFICANT stories about him get reported, no one pays any attention and he will be able to get away with anything. Think "Boy Who Cried Wolf" - even if true, going after petty nothing after petty nothing only results in people ignoring everything you say.
As for the professor thing - I'd say that professor sounded like an idiot to start with - automatically assuming(granted I wasn't there to hear what was said) that the officer was there because he was black. The officers was there responding to a 911 call made by a neighbor who thought the house was being broke into - which is perfectly legitimate.
But the officer overstepped his bounds in arresting him - already having been shown proof that he was in fact the house's owner. He was arrested for disorderly conduct technically - basically because he was apparently yelling obscenities at the officer. While that might qualify him as being guilty of being an unappreciative idiot(since the cop was only there to protect HIS HOUSE from a reported burglar), you call quite legally yell anything you want(short of death threats etc) at anyone you want(even an officer) in your own home. He was basically arrested for exercising his constitutionally guaranteed right to be a jackass. In the end, the cop absolutely did "act stupidly."
Another day, another fake controversy. Business as usual.
From what I was able to gather the obscenities were yelled outside of teh house and where the public can hear. In many places that constitutes indecent conduct and is grounds for arrest.
I highly doubt race had anything to do with the officers actions. To me it seems like another case of a black person making it a racial issue because that is what they want it to be. That BS happens all the time where I live. Racism will continue to flourish as long as people keep making a non racial issue about race.
he posted on one of the websides he runs that one of the first things out of his mouth was your something to the effect of your only here cause im a black man. he was throwing the race card out after the first question from the officer. the officer just simply asked him to step outside so they can get it all straightened out. he refused. why would you bother refusing? just step outisde and clear it up. he also got upset because the officer apparently didnt know who he was and that seemed to be the biggest slap in the face to him. he expected the cop to obviously know he was well known and a big deal. the cop asked for id and insted of a drivers liscence he hands him is harvard id. and gets angry at the cop who calls the school to verify it. the charges were dropped because it wasnt' going to hold water, im pretty sure the cop did it just to piss the guy off bue im sorry he deserved it. he's an elitist snop who screas racism at every bad thing going on in his life.
people dont realise, stuff like this happens to white people as well. the only diffrence is when it happens we dont scream racism.
what annoyed me about obama. is he said basically his views were a little skewed because he was friends with the professor, he said he didnt know everythign goin on in the situation and then right after saying that he goes into blaming the police. its like hes saying, yeah i dont know antyhing that is going on but im just going to automatically blame the police and assume this cop is a racist. utter stupidity.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sndsgood/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/Square1Photography
I supposedly owe the university of connecticut $400+ dollars for some bs parking tickets and such and i havent paid them either
i got my diploma, who gives a @!#$? he had unpaid parking tickets who cares? he paid them, get over it
FireCav98 wrote:LOL...you guys truly amaze me. I'm assuming that you've never broke a law or two.
Of course we have. There are no high horses here.
FireCav98 wrote:BTW, Obama having PARKING tickets has nothing to do with the issue of the professor being arrested.
Actually it does. Obama made the comment the police "acted stupidly" before he knew all the facts. After getting 17 tickets from officers in that city it would make sense that one might be peeved at the police in that area. Thus it would be no surprise he pass premature judgement on the police department. You see where I am coming from? Of course it does not help that it was his friend involved.
john317(AKA Gary the Old guy) wrote:But it does have a mirrored effect on his snap to judgement call of the "acted stupidly" UPinion of the Cambridge police towards a "black man"...
John was saying the same thing I just did...apparently the connection went over your head. I don't think it is because you are stupid. I think it is because your prejudice.
Rosario wrote:I dont like obama, but honestly...who cares...there just parking tickets
The point is that they most likely would have never been paid had he not ran for president as well as the connection to the downright disrespect full comment he made about the Cambridge police. I expect our president to get all the facts before flapping his jaw.
FireCav98 wrote:Ok, don't get me wrong I appreciate police officers putting their lives on the line to serve and protect us. As far as I'm concerned, the professor should of never been arrested to begin with. Now, of course we're both going to have different views because you have no idea how it is being black and dealing with the police in general. I'm sure everyone's probably been racial profiled before but not to the extent of black americans. Im not saying he wasn't doing his job - I feel after confirming that it was his residence the officer should have left but instead arrested on WTF...disorderly conduct? But all of a sudden charged are now dropped?
John317: Still no valid point. Makes no sense to me.
If the professor had just turned to the officer and handed him his ID instead of being a disrespect full, belligerent, insulting, elitist prick he would not have had this problem. He was arrested because he was being disorderly. Race had NOTHING to do with it. It does not matter what color you are getting into a pissing contest with the police is a fast way to wind up in handcuffs. The only one who brought race into it was Mr Gates by calling the officers who tried to secure his house (which had been broken into once recently) a racist. Of course the charges are dropped the president has now jumped in defending his friend. I guaranty you had he not known the president he would not have acted the way he did.
bk3k wrote: He was arrested for disorderly conduct technically - basically because he was apparently yelling obscenities at the officer. While that might qualify him as being guilty of being an unappreciative idiot(since the cop was only there to protect HIS HOUSE from a reported burglar), you call quite legally yell anything you want(short of death threats etc) at anyone you want(even an officer) in your own home. He was basically arrested for exercising his constitutionally guaranteed right to be a jackass. In the end, the cop absolutely did "act stupidly."
apparently you don't know as much about the law as you think you do but thanks for spreading bad information. Since I am soooo sick of that crap I am going to clear things up. If the comment you make to a police officer can in any way be considered a threat (and no not just a death threat or even a threat of bodily injury), if it can be considered harassment sexual or otherwise (all they have to do is tell you once to quit and if you make it again it is considered harassment), if your voice is so loud it disturbs the peace, if you begin to make a sense or try to incite others, or if you are being uncooperative/disorderly you can be arrested. Now how many of these did he do?
Quicklilcav, soundsgood, mitdr774, and John all make good points.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Monday, July 27, 2009 11:03 AM
FORGET GIRLS GONE WILD WE HAVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING GONE WILD!
sndsgood wrote:imagine the uproad if the cop had just went, oh you live here, okay see ya later and left, then the guy robbed the place. the guy would be just as heated saying he let the guy rob my house because he new an important black man lived here.
Exactly the cop would have been racist for letting a black mans house get robbed.
Nothing pisses me off more than people who scream racism when that is not the case. There is no non racist sounding way to say it...the truth is black people cry the racism wolf more than any other race.
FORGET GIRLS GONE WILD WE HAVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING GONE WILD!
Man I hope Obama invites me over to fix things with my dad.
I accidentally the SHIFT LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
The proper way of using the word seen. It is not I seen it that would be I saw it. He has seen the car is the right way to use the word. English class is Cool. By the way thats my sig
And if not, that's violating your civil liberty rights, you can (should) then call the NAACP!
HA
(in the aflack bird voice)
HALFBLACK!
Chris
"An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."
Speech at the Second Virginia Convention at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia (23 March 1775) Patrick Henry
To say that this has been blown out of proportion is your opinion but for you to say that and NEVER been profiled then you're blinded from the world that we live in because this type of BS happens every day for us. We will never know Crowley's real intentions that day but as long as things like this...
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh1aYV34tFTdxQ589V
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh3ICE0k7mQ03L55W1
Could Mr. Gates been overzealous in calling it racism? Maybe. But again, you don't know how it feels and I'm not just talking imagining yourself in someone else's shoes, either but actually living through these experiences. So of course, when being profiled for majority of his life he screams racism. Everyone seems to believe that this type @!#$ still exists. Those 2 videos proves it still exists and that was 2 years ago. I'm not saying Gates was right but you can't believe everything the police has to say either!
FireCav98 wrote:To say that this has been blown out of proportion is your opinion but for you to say that and NEVER been profiled then you're blinded from the world that we live in because this type of BS happens every day for us. We will never know Crowley's real intentions that day but as long as things like this...
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh1aYV34tFTdxQ589V
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh3ICE0k7mQ03L55W1
Could Mr. Gates been overzealous in calling it racism? Maybe. But again, you don't know how it feels and I'm not just talking imagining yourself in someone else's shoes, either but actually living through these experiences. So of course, when being profiled for majority of his life he screams racism. Everyone seems to believe that this type @!#$ still exists. Those 2 videos proves it still exists and that was 2 years ago. I'm not saying Gates was right but you can't believe everything the police has to say either!
yep racism exists. just as there are white racists there are black racist, and just as you try and say we can never know the feeling of how it feels. how about you also trying to live in the shoes of someone being labeled a racist who isn't. it is just as bad. heck the lady who called in the "burgulry" as she saw it got death threats against her when she didnt even mention race. but just because people "assumed" she did, she was automatically a racist. the street goes both ways, and the best thing to do is look into it and then decide if an incident is racist or not versus just screaming racsist because you may have been profiled by a racist cop a few years back.
and sorry man, but stuff like this happens to white people all the time as well. we just take it as someone being an @!#$. we dont scream racism. just because your not treated how you want to be treated doen't make it racism. the only diffrence is when it happens to the white person the person gets mad and over it. when it happens to the black guy, esp one with allot of clout, then its on every national new organasation and you get invited to the white house for beers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sndsgood/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/Square1Photography
FireCav98 wrote:To say that this has been blown out of proportion is your opinion but for you to say that and NEVER been profiled then you're blinded from the world that we live in because this type of BS happens every day for us. We will never know Crowley's real intentions that day but as long as things like this...
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh1aYV34tFTdxQ589V
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh3ICE0k7mQ03L55W1
Could Mr. Gates been overzealous in calling it racism? Maybe. But again, you don't know how it feels and I'm not just talking imagining yourself in someone else's shoes, either but actually living through these experiences. So of course, when being profiled for majority of his life he screams racism. Everyone seems to believe that this type @!#$ still exists. Those 2 videos proves it still exists and that was 2 years ago. I'm not saying Gates was right but you can't believe everything the police has to say either!
You are making excuses for Mr Gates. Just because he MIGHT "know how it feels" does not give him the right to cry racism. It does not make it OK. Granted in the heat of the moment we have all made poor choices so I would in no way hold the incident against him if he had done the honerable thing and said "I overreacted and I am sorry". Obama should have been right behind him with a direct apology instead of his usual smooth talk, beat around the bushes BS. The only teachable moment here is that many african americans will automatically defend another african american unconditionally as both you and Obama have defened Mr Gates.
FirCav98 I am calling you out. You ARE a racist!
FORGET GIRLS GONE WILD WE HAVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING GONE WILD!
No, I am NOT racist. I like all races. But I do question things as they happen to me and will continue to. Sometimes, I don't even have to question it because it's thrown in my face or make quite clear in regards to dealing with police. Do I feel hatred? Sometimes, yes...being harassed, searched for drugs or pulled over because "it doesn't look like I can afford this car" situations raises the question of does all whites look at blacks in that light. But... I can't make a generalization that all whites are prejudice because I have white friends who are cool as hell. I'm only 25 and I've been racially profiled, harassed and faced racism on a NUMBER of occassions and witnessed my parents being harassed also. You, on the other hand can't identify because it's not typical of a black cop pulling you over for bull@!#$ and actually calling you names in your face or can you? No, probably not!
Sndsgood - I guess racism is racism and this maybe sound as a contridiction but reverse racism has not reach the severity that it has caused on minorities.
And I never made an excuse for Mr. Gates...what I said is that maybe Gates was overzealous and I also said we may not know what Crowley's intentions were. I wasn't there and neither was anyone else so all we can do is make assumptions. I'm simply identifying as a man of color that racism surely exists and questions the motives behind law enforcement in certain areas. I am far from a racist. Save that $hit for when you go to the toilet
