Turner arrested in corruption probe: What do you think?

I hear the concerns about FBI targeting leaders of communities of color. And I hope that they investigate all elected officials that are corrupt. But the question must be aksed. Whether they are targeting black elected officials or not does that mean its am okay to take a bribe or payment for public service ? Is it okay to manipulate public systems for personal benefit ? Isn't it wrong whether or not it is a black or white person ? I believe it is.

I am aware of the positive contributions that Dianne Wilkerson and Chuck Turner have made for the community for decades. I also believe strongly that they should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. I hear people saying we should excuse the indiscretions and poor decisions that have recently come to light.

We live with the reality that no one is perfect. But we also live in a community and city where we preach personal responsibility. Are we to tell our teenagers that they should think before they act but show them that there are exceptions.  Rarely do we rally around our youth when they make mistakes and these are people with less than 20 years of life experience. Yet we will rally around adults elected by the public who have taken actions that create doubt and suspicion in the very trust they are sworn to uphold.

If only we did rally around our young people like this our community would be on our way to healing !

In the whole history of politics in Boston, there have not been many leaders with as much integrity and selflessness in their work for the community as Chuck Turner.  There is definitely a lot more to this story than the prosecutors are suggesting.    

I think this investigation started when one of the individuals involved complained to the FBI.  I also think, but am not certain, that he's an African American guy.  I certainly don't think Wilkerson and Turner are the only pols in Boston taking cash.  Hell, the DA is investigating Dimassi for taking much larger sums, but so far they don't seem to have the witness willing to talk or the photo of cash changing hands. 

To me, this almost seems like the way small-time corner drug dealers are easier to catch than king-pins. The corner-dealers are visible and their activities are known to many people.  Kingpins insulate themselves and work further behind the scenes.  Hopefully Diane and Chuck will spill the beans on their peers,  and this will become about cleaning up our city instead of a racial issue.

One final way to think about things- maybe your neighbors wanted a business license and could not get one because they were not willing to, or too naive to throw cash around. These are not victimless crimes.  Wilkerson and Turner screwed those honest people by their alleged corruption.

BANNER: Please get a copy of the charges, and give the readers some actual information. I understand that Chuck's not accused of taking a bribe at all, but there could maybe be a campaign contribution violation at worst

Why didn't the Glob(e) provide a link to the affidavit? Because they cash in on this mob-ism you see in the misguided comments there. The lynch mob mentality is sickening. Rush to judgement, presumption of guilt, ...forget about reason, or spelling or grammar, (often an indication of care) that's just a peeing contest of angry folks who'd rather attack the weak than the strong who oppress them

As a former Pinkerton Guard, I see a familiar pattern here. I was instructed by my boss in a Cambridge retail store, to watch and to follow black people. I refused, and was dismissed.

When a guy like Chuck, a completely dedicated people's representative gets fingered among the legendarily corrupt City Council of the legendarily corrupt City of Boston, I suspect there's some selectivity on the part of FBI, who are themselves legendary liars.

Have we forgotten that a Fed court awarded over one hunderd million dollars (a record breaker) to people set up by the FIB ...err FBI right here in Boston? This was discused by legendary good guy Attorney Michael Avery in a video posted somewhere under "wrongful convictions" It was at Suffolk Law.

I am also both disheartened and skeptical. I agree in innocence until proven guilty. If the charges are true, then he should be held accountable. Yet, I also feel like there are multiple messages that are being conveyed. How is this corruption being equitably distributed? You mean to tell me only elected officials are corrupt? That's the message being pushed. Yet, DiMasi's peers are still standing tall for him and not breaking chain and demanding his resignation although the amount of money involved with his allegations greatly surpass the sums involved with WIlkerson & Turner. Secondly, there is a level of accountability across the board that has to be applied. And there are talented folks out there with high integrity and tremendous skills who can be nurtured and honed into top-notch public servants. But it has to be a larger movement around not only striving towards meaningful change instead of piecemeal stuff, but also towards leveling the playing field. Just because Obama's in the White House, it's doesn't mean the okie-doke is over.

Wake Up People of Color!

I believe their is a conspiracy in Massachusetts politics to get rid of all members of color who hold powerful positions of authority. if 90% of the legislature on Beacon Hill and Boston City Council members are corrupt, then more whites should be doing the "perb walk" and not just the colored folks. 

Here's the deal.  No African-American person in power has the luxury of playing "politics as usual" particularly when -- as is the case in both Boston and Massachusetts -- politics as usual involves corruption.   Like in all other areas of life, we must be pristinely transparent in our dealings, solidly above reproach and thoroughly more competent in order to gain the minimum of consideration for being qualified

If these charges are true, then shame on Chuck Turner, an individual, like Dianne, for whom I've always had a tremendous amount of respect.   In my view, Turner -- with his activist background -- of all people/politicians, should know better than to open himself up to the taint of scandal.   That he may have practiced corrupt politics, placing his career, and position in history in jeopardy for such a paltry sum, is very difficult to comprehend.

What this does is lend credence to the adage that power corrupts.  If Turner is corrupt, in the interest of the larger community, he's got to go.  He may have done the wrong thing then, by taking a bribe, but he must do the right thing now for the sake of the community.  Now, more than ever, we need competent, skilled, savvy, and above all, honest politicians representing the interests of the community.  I have no doubt that there are many within our community with the potential to assume the mantle once held by those who, for some reason, have been felled by the temptation of corruption.

It is my belief and expectation that ALL elected officials (federal, state, city) should be cleaner than clean. if they cannot abide by those high standards, they should make way for someone else to serve. This is a great opportunity for the Boston minority community to usher in a new class of leaders.

I will not presume to know whether Mr. Turner was involved in the alleged crimes. However, i do fee l that as an African American that lives in Boston I hear the all to familiar comment that this is the government trying to limit outr community. It am not naive and I know taht this sort of thing has been done in the not to distant past and I would not put it past our government to such things again. Yet what bothers me is that nobody is saying oh well these people are human and are actually capable of such things. In the community the first thing to do is to blame the goverment. Secondly if the government is to blame then this is such an afront to our community that we should be on the streets battling the established power structure. You see I am sick of the do nothing crowd. By blaming the goverment you do not wash away the sins of our community nor change the perception of our community of our people. Again I request people to get off their couch and take back their democracy.  

Wilkerson I could believe would take a bribe - but Chuck Turner?  Material things aren't important to him- there has to be something else going on here.  I disagreed with his politics at times but always found him an honorable guy.  This is a sad day

What was the purpose of this investigation?  Was supposed to test to see if certain politicians would take the bait or if they would reject the offer?  Looking at people's comments on Boston.com and elsewhere sort of hint that there was not some kind of reason for targeting these leaders who have been actively involved in stuggles in our community against the system that employs them.  Where are the other politicians they investigated and caught on camera taking money?  Why is it Chuck Turner who is always being smeared by the Globe and Herald for his radical point of view and critisism of the system.  I really think that they were targetted for this invetigation for a reason, especially while we enter this economic situation, facing so many foreclosures, jobloss, school closings and youth gun violence. Chuck has always been up for the fight against the social injustice in our communities and supported all effort put before him by his constituents to demand change from the city.  Where are the investigations on the mayor?  People think he's so clean? Chuck and Diane were targetted, no doubt!