- Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter
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- Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter
Justice is blind, unless you’re from Somalia and live in Minnesota
Our take: We have always heard justice is blind. Everyone is the same under the eye of the law. I guess no one told that to the federal judge in Minnesota who sentenced a Somali national to one year in federal prison for stealing over $3 million in taxpayer funds meant to feed hungry children during Covid.
Despite the man admitting he committed the fraud (not a jury finding him guilty; he pleaded guilty), Judge Nancy Brasel sentenced him to one year in prison, one-third of the recommended 36 months for the crimes he committed. Brasel agreed with the defense attorney that Abdul Abubakar Ali “showed genuine remorse.”
During her Senate confirmation hearings, Brasel stated she believes “Black people are disproportionately represented in the state prison population.” OK—that very well could be true, and we are wide open to review/conversation/solutions to that issue.
But when someone is clearly guilty of a crime, so guilty they plead guilty instead of even trying to beat the charges, guilty of stealing millions of dollars meant to feed hungry children, that isn't the place to go light. If I offered you $3 million to spend 7 months in prison (that’s likely the amount of time Ali will actually spend behind bars), would you do it? Me too!!! That’s the message Brasel just sent to all the fraudsters looking to steal our tax dollars.
COURTESY: MSN
People leave California for cheaper living, surprised when they find it actually exists
Our take: A UC Berkeley study showed that people that moved from California saw an average savings of $700 per month on housing costs and were almost 50% more likely to become homeowners. The study also noted that those leaving California in the past several years have been from high-income neighborhoods versus low-income neighborhoods.
I am not saying things are cheap anywhere. Because we went away from the gold standard and the US dollar is fiat money, literally like Monopoly money, the purchasing power of the dollar has eroded and made the cost of living harder everywhere. It happens literally every single time an economy prints money. More dollars chasing the same amount of goods and services will lead to inflation. Every. Single. Time.
That said, people have migrated all over the world chasing better lives for centuries. No one is forcing you to pay the outrageous rents in cities like L.A., New York, or Portland. Find a different place to live that you like that is more affordable. No one either forces or guarantees that you can live where you were born your entire life. Use your head and make the decisions that set you up for a great life. Constantly worrying about money typically doesn’t help that cause.
COURTESY: MSN
Texas judge who condescended to IT worker tries to summon an attorney who criticized his behavior
Our take: File this one under “absolute power corrupts absolutely": A Texas judge asked for help for an IT problem he was having in his courtroom. The “IT guy” came, found no issues, and told the judge “false alarm.” The judge decided that wasn’t acceptable and snapped at the IT guy, ending the conversation by telling him “to get out of my courtroom.”
The interaction was caught on video, which went viral, which is a bad look for the wimpy little judge. A Texas attorney saw the video and emailed the judge, telling the judge he should have apologized for his behavior. The judge tried to use his authority to summon the attorney to court next week to “discuss” their email exchange. The attorney told the judge to kick rocks, as the attorney did not have any cases that the judge was hearing.
It's hard to believe that adults can act this immature and petty. At least until you think about your interactions with other adults and remember that many of us don’t do a great job of controlling our emotions when faced with difficult situations (we’re looking at you, Mel Gibson…). Let’s raise our game people. It’s not that hard to be decent to others. Especially when you’re in a leadership position.
COURTESY: MSN
Tip of the day – How to develop a growth mindset from Psychology Today
Redefine “genius.” We all have strengths and weaknesses. Explore and appreciate your strengths, and work to improve your weaknesses. This effort can help you build a growth mindset.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Never give up. Failure and rejection are just the first step to succeeding.” – Jim Valvano