Cirilio Lopez ... man or myth?

I know it's Hallowe'en and all, where everybody gets a bit jumpy, but holy smoke ...

I've been searching for information on the guy named Cirilio Lopez who police allege was arrested in U.S.A. May 2002, an event which led to "word on the street" identifying the new Crime Boss on the West Coast as Jasmohan Bains, cousin of Dave Basi. That's how the story went.

So Cirilio Lopez is an important part of the Legislature Raids scene as of 28 Dec. 2003, right?

But no. Googling, Metacrawling, searching for Mr Lopez, I keep coming up empty-handed. Nothing resembling the Mr Big crime boss. How is this possible?

Cirilio Lopez never existed? has vanished?

Clues, anyone?

Omigod ... it's Cirilo ... hangs head, scuffs toe!

5 min. ago, I clicked onto 376,000 hits for Cirilo Lopez so even when the artist named Cirilo Lopez has been subtracted, this gives me plenty to work on for a while.

Thank you, everybody who realized straightaway that I had spelled the doggone name wrong but you refrained from the tempting put-downs. Sheer kindness. Thank you.

Then hey, presto! just like that, Anne Cameron comes back into our story, putting things right. Wonderful to hear from you again, Anne.

Thanks for upping my salary, too, much appreciated. Stick around, eh?

Now, back to work. And with a much lighter heart, I must say.

Good work BC Mary! Job well done!

Railgate

BC politics is as queer as a fish.
Too bad that poor Polish guy got Tasered at the airport last week. It should have been someone else. Like one of our corrupt politicians for example. Question is, which one? There are so many.

Railgate

BC politics is as queer as a fish.
Too bad that poor Polish guy got Tasered at the airport last week. It should have been someone else. Like one of our corrupt politicians for example. Question is, which one? There are so many.

Check Please.

So when certain ministers start running their mouths about organized crime and targeting street level goons, maybe an intrepid reporter here and there might work up the backbone to ask how it is that criminal organizations can so readily launder so much money... Perhaps those upstanding "middle management" citizens at your local bank branch can help. Or maybe that freelancing accountant or book-keeper.

There are more white collar criminals in this province then drug dealers.
And there are more crappy reporters than either of them put together.

laundering cash

It has always been my suspicion that part of the reason for the increased number of casinos, hotels and drinking venues has been to launder cash. Dirty money in, "good" money out...

After all, where would one launder grow-op money? A place where they take in lots of cash (or at least appear to) seems like the logical place for me. Quite easy to say one charges more for drinks, or has full occupancy, or has had a lot of gamblers dropping coin...

Oh how I miss the old

Oh how I miss the old "Cariboo Prospector"

Jeff

G West's incisive comment

G West's incisive comment above deserves repeating:

And isn't it interesting that these same guys seem to have been the Premier's go-to guys when it comes to all kinds of political dirty tricks?

How this government was structured from the start by the premier, especially when it came to hirings and firings (ministerial aides etc.).... and also when it came to power, in other words, who really controlled cabinet, the ministries.... is absolutely central to the Basi/Basi/Virk case.

The "custom-designed" power structure of this government says it all.

Good Job MSM...........

This post by Bill Tieleman was posted the same day as the one about the Roman Catholic Church by Rafe - October 29, 2007.

The fact that everybody is still going strong over at Rafe's thread is a pretty clear indication that by pretending it ain't even happening the MSM has created an evironment locally where what guys in shiney dresses in an enclave halfway around the world did centuries ago is more important that what is happening currently in Victoria.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased to see Rafe bring up the issues surrounding the RC Church past and present. I wonder if anyone could bring up the issues surrounding the Zionist organization/nation/church and their treatment of the Palestinians or possession of Nukes, whatever, as a point of discussion without being banned. Let's face it, accusing the Pope of being aligned with Hitler has to offend at least as many people as anything one can claim about the government in Tel Aviv.

Of course I've just always been one of those guys who found it ridiculous to have people trying to kill each other in the name of god, especially the same god (ie. WW1 and WW2, to name just two recent examples.)

But be that as it may, it sure does indicate to me how successful the MSM - by basically boycotting coverage - has been successful at turning the whole issue of the BC Rail Trial and the accompanying dispersal of assets that once belonged to the people of BC into a non-issue. No one has even commented here for two days now, talk about the men in dresses in the Golden Palace in Rome goes on at a furious pace over at Rafe's thread.

I believe it's an issue kootcoot...

...here at the Tyee, anyhow. I believe that most of us are just waiting to see what happens in December and in the spring, when the case should get under way.

I have noticed that the vast majority of the right wing rhetoric has stopped (save for a few ultra wingnuts) since the paid media monitors have been exposed. Without them around, many articles preach to the choir. Also, many of the neo-liberals/neo-conservatives/fascists have been catching on to what kind of person their leader really is. Even though the media doesn't hold the Liberals feet to the fire on page one, day after day, like they have traditionally (often wrongly) done to the NDP, the public is becoming aware that the purse has been terribly mishandled. Poor priorities and dubious leadership have been the hallmark of this government. They have botched an opportunity to make this province the envy of the world. Where is the infrastructure? Why are there so many poor people, so many homeless? In this time of prosperity, why are so many of our children not getting what they need to grow strong and healthy? Why do our disabled and elderly get mistreated?

Vaughn Palmer, in the electronic edition of the Oct. 31, 2007 Vancouver Sun, is quoted here:

That paints a far less flattering portrait of the B.C. Liberals than the self-satisfied image they have been promoting in their speeches and publicly funded advertising.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/columnists/story.html?id=7baf74d6-b1de-4a47-bf9c-7c2d8e2458a2

Another Palmer commentary:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/columnists/story.html?id=b3f6c37a-e66b-4252-bf62-4db81714bc21

Does anyone know if the Liberals are still employing those media monitors, and are they using our tax dollars!?

Sharing - you make my point

If you check my post at the House of Infamy, I discuss the Vaughn Palmer column you cite. I also point out that in the midst of all his criticism, he fails to even MENTION the BC Rail Trial (which had the hearing Friday that Bill addresses above). Apparently it isn't as important as booster seat photo ops and Land Based Fast Ferries on Steroids.

Of course my suggestion is that maybe now is the time to emphasize the BC Rail trial/fiasco/scam just to help deflect attention from all the other slime oozing up through the cracks. Of course these guys have so much going on, no one can hope to keep up with it, methinks it might even be part of the strategy.

kootcoot

I think Vaughn Palmer's article is about what is currently going on in The Legislature. I haven't checked, but I dn't know if the BC Rail scandal has come up in this session.

I am in full agreement with your points about the MSM having been woefully neglectful in not keeping the Railgate and the need for effective prosecution of perpetrators in the foreground. We deserve to know what has happened, and criminals need to pay for their deeds.

We know that we have been stonewallied for far too long. We know that things are not right with this government because they are not up front about their actions and they don't open their books to the public. Even when they do open books through FOE actions, they attempt to black out things that make them look bad.

You're Probably Right, SIG

You are probably right that VC's column was addressing primarily issues that had arisen lately in the house, not necessarily on Smithe Street. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil StoneWally has made it clear he has nothing to say about the elephant standing on the Legislature, so perhaps the Oppos are just being practical in the use of the ridiculously shortened Question Period, not bringing it up.

I must say I was somewhat surprised at the lack of promotion/hype about the fact that the fall session was even starting, not
that it was secret, but it certainly began low key and off the MSM radar. Of course a government that operates by OIC and back room secret deals most likely considers the Legislature unfortunate, but occasionally necessary window dressing to impart the impression that "democracy" is at work.

Also I think it would be interesting reading if I could find a brief that delineates the difference between legal matters that the AG cannot mention in the house (where he is immune from libel) and those upon which he feels it is appropriate to issue judicial opinions from the sidewalk. Of course as I may have mentioned above, the Law seems to be whatever the LIEberals need it to be and whatever they can bend it into, as long as it serves the interests of them and their constituency (which I certainly don't feel a part of).

I don't know if stock tips are allowed here, but perhaps the Black Ink (for redaction) business would be a growth sector these days.