"Tomorrow I embark on a new journey in my life," he said. "I do so with a firm faith in God and the support and faith of my family..... I do so with a clear conscience."
Lord Conrad Black? Richard Mellon Scaife? No, Republican ex-Govener of Illinois, George Ryan, reporting to prison for political corruption, including "allegations of sitting poolside in Jamaica at the expense of lobbyists and accepting cash-stuffed envelopes from underlings."
We who do values-based planning for the wealthy often talk of how clients go from Success to Significance. Fortune's Wheel, though, is constantly turning, and many a client rises from Success to Significance only to fall into disgrace. As Robert Frost once put it, in the spirit of the Vanitas Tradition, "Too many fall from great and good/For you to doubt the likelihood." He goes on to say,
No memory of having starred
Atones for later disregard,
Or keeps the end from being hard.Better to go down dignified
With boughten friendship at your side
Than none at all. Provide, provide!
Not to be self-serving, but I would like to suggest that if you are rich and powerful it might be best to provide for yourself, your family and your legacy by retaining a World Class Morals Tutor, such as myself, rather than the usual enablers, flatterers, and "trusted advisors." I may be "boughten friendship," like a politician on the take, or a think tank thinker, or a publicist, or your Bishop, but better boughten friendship at your side than none at all, as Frost says.
Politics can get pretty ugly and downright dirty, especially in the state of Illinois. Wrong deeds will definitely catch up to you sooner or later. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, along with his chief of staff John Harris, was arrested in Chicago Tuesday morning on charges that included conspiring to commit wire fraud and soliciting bribes in exchange for the state’s Senate seat, vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. This is the second time an Illinois governor has been arrested on federal charges. George Ryan, Illinois’ 39th governor, was also charged for wielding his authority to help himself and his friends. According to the Illinois state law, it is the responsibility of the governor to fill the senate seat and much like Ryan, Governor Blagojevich saw an opportunity to use his power to leverage amenities for himself. According to the news, Blagojevich, 52, was hoping to get a substantially higher salary, a position on the board for his wife, a cabinet post and more in exchange for his choice of a senate replacement. Looks like the governor got a little bit too greedy. The FBI has filed a 76-page indictment against both Blagojevich and Harris. The affidavit reports that the federal authorities caught Blagojevich conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat on court-ordered wiretaps last month. The people of Illinois will have to wait patiently for the conclusion of this story. Times are rough and it’s about to get rougher, especially for both Blagojevich and his cohort John Harris.
Posted by: Franrose O | December 15, 2008 at 05:39 AM