Dorothy November 20, 2007 at 6:24 p.m.

Richard Breeden is speaking highly of Mark Ernst coz Breeden does not want to scare away investors and
sink the value of the stock. Breeden is a very wealthy man as we have learned on this blog. Maybe Breeden got tips from Black's column at the National Post I thought Berkhire-Hathaway owned H & R Bloch.

Stephanie November 20, 2007 at 6:39 p.m.

Perhaps one of our knowledgable bloggers may find out how much the retainer of Richard Breeden is at H & R Block?
As a consultant he screwed the Hollinger successor shareholders with a fee approx. $200,000,000. Since Black owns 20% of the shares Mr Black share of Breeden's fee is $40,000,000. That is really cruelty. Presently as chairman of H & R Block I estimate his yearly stippend at $60,000,000 plus options of H & R Block stock for a total of $400,000,000 per year. Breeden does not work for peanuts.

Henry November 20, 2007 at 6:51 p.m.

Breaking news: Richard Breedon appoints new board at H & R Bloch. Sources close to the new chairman commented on a list
of possible appointees: Gov Thompson, Marie-Josee Krovos, Richard Perle, Ambassador Burts, Secrt.Kissingor. Mark Steyn, columnist Amiele. Some of the above may be considered to join the audit committee. The corporate lawyer job is going to Kippins. The chairman feels that the above have been well trained to be yes-men.

Skeeball November 20, 2007 at 8:04 p.m.

In the previous thread, Leaf wrote:

The reality is that inmates can remain in their cells 23 of 24 hours if they so chose.

At http://www.bop.gov/inmate_programs/work_..., the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons has this to say:

Sentenced inmates are required to work if they are medically able. Institution work assignments include employment in areas like food service or the warehouse, or work as an inmate orderly, plumber, painter, or groundskeeper. Inmates earn 12¢ to 40¢ per hour for these work assignments.

(Although they can make up to $1.15 an hour if they work in a Federal Prison Industries factory. Whoo-hoo!)

So it looks as if Black shouldn't count on saying, "Sorry, boys, you go work in the kitchen if you like... I'm going to stay here and polish my manuscript."

Barbara in BC November 20, 2007 at 8:11 p.m.

If you could stay in your room all day and not work in prison, there would be many homeless people who'd LOVE to move into a cosy cell.

Melissa November 20, 2007 at 8:23 p.m.

A man with lord black's intellectual upbringing and his
superior ability as a writer, it would a mistake not to allow him to further his potential as a writer. Surely, with lawyers of the caliber of eddie, prison authorities
will bow to his genius and not force him to do toilets for 12 cents a day.

Oscar November 20, 2007 at 8:32 p.m.

Lord Black claims that personal belinging were placed in the 13 boxes by his faithful secretary. Yet now we learn that his personal belongings remained in the office and are auctioned away to repay creditors to Ravelston and Hollingor. So what did the secretary place in the 13 boxes?
Probably business documents harmful to the trial.

ROGER November 20, 2007 at 8:38 p.m.

BLACK OUGHT TO ORGANIZE A TRADE UNION FOR PRISONERS

Black could continue to write his column for the National Post in which he would decry the conditions in American jails as being Dickensian. Black could be the prison equivalent of Jimmy Hoffa! Black, a trained lawyer, could fight for the rights of all prisoners everywhere. It could become his life's mission (what's left of his life) to champion this long neglected cause. Amiel on the outside could rally support. I am very sure that Maclean's and the National Post and Global and the Fraser Institute will whole-heartedly support this cause, especially with Black at the helm and Amiel as first officer.

Black could tearfully recount his own sad story of being assaulted in jail. Oprah would have him on her show in a heart beat. Opus Dei will advocate for prison reform as its most compelling mission, led by good Catholic knight Black.
I get tearful just thinking of Black in his shining armour taking up the cause of so many poor and disadvantaged inmates, falsely imprisoned, victims of a heartless system!

I am sure Radler would set aside his differences and advise on how to increase employment opportunities for ex-inmates. All the proceeds from W101's Radler canned laughter bags could go to Black's Association for Reform and Friends of prisoner rights international, affiliated with the SEIU.

Oxford November 20, 2007 at 8:47 p.m.

As prison union boss conrad would run a tight ship. No secret balloting, high bonuses for the union boss,
complaining members to be hosed mercilessly, union dues stricly enforced. There is a slight problem, immates are not allowed to congregate.

ROGER November 20, 2007 at 8:58 p.m.

ON THE OTHER HAND....

How much do these prisoners pay for board and lodging? Why should taxpayers, the victims of these criminals, have to pay to feed, house, clothe, guard, entertain and care for the medical and dental needs of all of them without getting some work out of them?

Welfare recipients, including single parents (ie. women, take note Jab3, women) have to work under Workfare, so why should these able bodied mostly male criminals get a free holiday in prison? No sir, make them earn their keep.

How much does it cost to house a criminal like Black? Food, clothes, shelter, guards, medical treatment, it all adds up to quite a bit. Why is he going to be paid a whole 12 cents? He ought to be forced to pay the full cost of being imprisoned! He ought to pay for the high quality hotel that prison is! Hot dogs cost money! If you buy a hot dog from a Toronto street vendor, I bet it costs a lot--I would never eat such food! I also heard that at the Skydome (or whatever they call it now), hotdogs cost over $8 each! Prison is more like the Skydome. If could afford Grenouille (or whatever that place is called), then he can afford to pay full price for his hot dog meals!

I sure hope the Fraser Institute doesn't go all sentimental and support freeloading on taxpayers by Black!

The best way to make money off Black to recoup the cost to taxpayers is to video Black in jail. Instead of letting some papparazzi steal all the money, prison authorities could sell live video feed to pay per view internet channels. Black knows how rich folks like to be treated--they could rent him out as a waiter or butler to rich folks like rock stars, the Kravis's or the royal family. Black would love being close to all those powerful successful people again!

Alongside Free Mummia t-shirts, soon we will see Free Connie t-shirts.... Stockwell Day will buy a dozen. Right beside those will be the hottest selling ones of all--Jail Mulroney Now t-shirts!

Attica November 20, 2007 at 9:10 p.m.

Indeed, there must be a "means-test" made prior to housing conrad. Anyone, affording to buy his own painting by warhal for $265,000 should be able to pay his way while in prison.Taxpayers cannot afford to support rich prisoners. I'm sure conrad would agree that being fair. Remember the famous words: "Ask not what your prison can do for you, ask what you can do for your prison."

ROGER November 20, 2007 at 9:13 p.m.

>>"Ask not what your prison can do for you, ask what you can do for your prison."<

LOL!

I still hope that Black puts his talents to use because prisoners need advocacy. On the other hand, is Black too disreputable to advocate on their behalves?

But the real people who need convincing are Black's erstwhile friends, so he just might be the right person for the job, complete with first hand experience!

ROGER November 20, 2007 at 9:21 p.m.

If Black pays $500 per day, imagine if one multiplies that by all the other rich folks in the jail! Maybe Canada should offer Canadian citizenship to all rich people in American jails and bring them up here to serve their jail terms? Because our jails are much nicer, maybe we could charge them each $20 million for Canadian citizenship and around $5,000 per day board and lodging?

Inga November 20, 2007 at 9:26 p.m.

With Mr Breedin as chairman of H & R Block, Goldman-Sacs has categorized the H&R Block stock as "sell pronto". After a report prepared on the stock history of Sun-Media (formerly hollingor) where Mr Breedin is an advisor. Sharehoders of H&R Block are on the chopping block, the report states.

Jeanne November 20, 2007 at 9:34 p.m.

This blog is about Black's trial, not about Breeden. Nice try though.

Sabine November 20, 2007 at 9:36 p.m.

After being named chairman Mr Breedon was interviewed by bluumberg staff. Mr Breedon was ask if he was not concerned
that based on previous history of his stewardship signalled a downtrend of the stock? Ya'll --Mr Breedon replied-- my contract states that if I get fired, I be getting a bonus of one billion. The concensus among Wall Street insiders is that H & R Block stocholders are canned.

Oganga November 20, 2007 at 9:55 p.m.

During the shareholders meeting mr breedan recused himself early stating that he had to dash to deposit his paycheque
at a Cayman island bank to his numbered account. He was seen boarding his 200 foot luxury yacht with a crew of 12.
Prior to leaving he stated that only suckers paytaxes.

Marilyn November 20, 2007 at 11:27 p.m.

Jeanne November 20, 2007 at 9:34 p.m.

This blog is about Black's trial, not about Breeden. Nice try though.
___________________________________________
Well Jeanne, it's Doug Bell's blog and he started this thread by discussing a news story about Breedon. So that's what he wants us to discuss. Bell has every right to set the thread topics. It's just too bad he doesn't visit each thread periodically to keep things on topic and prevent the discussion from deteriorating into meaningless blather . . . not to mention weeding out the fake posters.

leaf November 20, 2007 at 11:39 p.m.

unlike roger, repeating myself is not my style.
you just wait and see how CB will be spending his days in jail. we'll LOL then. or at least, i will, at you!

and blondie, homeless people do get themselves into jail when winter comes. didn't you know that? been going on forever...

Sasha November 21, 2007 at 12:03 a.m.

Like a safari hunter trophy of years past, it was learned that the price of mr black's walhal paintings was jacked-up by an anonymous collector that turned out to be ms breeden.
He wanted mr black's painting in his cayman-island mansion living-room to show his friends the big-game that was his catch. Breeden is still hopeful that judge eves sentencing will include astronomical monetary fines to mr black, forcing him to relinquish the cherished warhal.

ROGER November 21, 2007 at 12:17 a.m.

BREEDEN IS A NEOCON

Black used to love neocons.

W101 November 21, 2007 at 12:18 a.m.

U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons: "Sentenced inmates are required to work if they are medically able."
-----

It's going to be a living hell for Black at first, but after 5 or 10 years, he'll get used to it.

ROGER November 21, 2007 at 12:24 a.m.

I DOUBT BLACK HAS EVER WORKED A DAY IN HIS LIFE

Oh well, as W101 says, in time Black will learn how to clean the latrines so they shine and smell sweet.

ROGER November 21, 2007 at 12:25 a.m.

I THINK LEAF IS A MAN.

ROGER November 21, 2007 at 12:28 a.m.

BLACK IS PROBABLY HAVING SOME TATTOOS DONE SO HE WILL FIT IN
in jail. He is also taking language classes so he can talk the argot of inmates.
Amiel is helping prepare him for jail life.

W101 November 21, 2007 at 12:32 a.m.

Speaking of art, too bad E. Munch isn't around, he'd be the perfect guy to paint Black's next portrait.

As it stands, the only commission Black will be able to afford is a blurry "Man with Hot Dog" photo taken on an el cheapo cellphone camera.

jade_lee November 21, 2007 at 12:36 a.m.

w101
Do you honestly think that what the federal prison system says happens in their prisons actually does?
Here in Canada the average cost to house an inmate is about $135.00 per day. Trust me when I say I don't think the system gets that much work out of most of them and I don't mean to say that it's the inmates fault entirely, the work programs like license plate production for instance is solely done in the provincial system in Ontario but there have been times when the government has paid prison workers when inmates were unavailable to help in that production due to other issues....government like private industry sometimes acts without much thought or principal, just ask CB's jury.

W101 November 21, 2007 at 12:37 a.m.

"He is also taking language classes so he can talk the argot of inmates."
----

Should be cinch, after all Black grew up speaking crook. He just needs to learn the local vernacular.

Manuel November 21, 2007 at 12:37 a.m.

Immigration officers reported that jailed german-born arms-deeler schriber's time for deportation is set for December 1st. After eight years having karlheinz around, the prison guards are sure gonna miss the brown-bags filled with cash karheinz was handing out generously. Karheinz is referred to as the prison's phylantropist. The guards union is preparing a thank you card to karlheinz and to eddie. It is not known why eddie is included, since he was seen removing euros from the brown-bags.

jade_lee November 21, 2007 at 12:40 a.m.

I would love to surround myself with beautiful works of art but sadly my dear old pappy did not leave me the coin to indulge myself like lucky CB. Now that this art is being sold off it must break CB's heart and luckily he is rather heartless so in the end he will get over it......

jade_lee November 21, 2007 at 12:45 a.m.

Manuel
I bet you would not say what you typed to the face of any prison guard would you? BTW he has not been in jail for 8 years and if it's true that this government is foolish enough to deport schrieber after all this time, sh*t will hit the fan is a spectacular way......can't wait to see it to be honest.

W101 November 21, 2007 at 2:14 a.m.

jade_lee: "Do you honestly think that what the federal prison system says happens in their prisons actually does?"
-----

Well, I would certainly defer to you on the subject. What you say about prison life going virtually unreported is exactly right, completely off the editorial radar any publication I've ever worked, they are more likely to do a story on Tuva than the Don Jail.

I can only speculate (but since you ask!) I think Black's experience will be more determined by local factors than any federal guidlines. By that I mean, the chemistry with the cellmates he winds up with, the guards he encounters, the particulars of the Oxford culture (Wisconsin isn't New Jersey) how Black handles adversity -- like being told what to do for the first time in his life.

Whatever he faces, I think it will be a brutal shock. But when it comes down to survival and self-preservation, he's as human as everyone else, he'll adjust because he has no choice. He's not the first guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth to go to jail, somehow they manage to get through it.

The problem is, while Black is a crook, he's also crazy. I don't think it's the kind of crazy you can fix. He needs to be stopped, but removing all hope with a long sentence that removes all hope at his age is brutish cruelty that simply isn't right.

He's more than spent any money he's actually earned, the civll suits should by all rights completely wipe him out financially, that and a few years in jail is plenty to keep society safe from his treachery, a few more to reward his past heartlessness. Hopefully the judge sees it that way -- something like 5 years for the fraud, two for obstruction, and then off to write his ridiculous memoirs.

What's your take? Wouldn't a sentence of 15 years be akin to the death penalty? i can't really grasp the reality of that kind of jail term.

Bubba November 21, 2007 at 5:08 a.m.

Sometimes a feller in hear has a lot of time on his han's an' readin' about peekoolyar thin's is one way of dealin' wif it. Natcherly, seein' as ah's a-gonna haf a rich Kinadian loser, who claims t'be a real English lo'd an' intelleckual, as mah cellmate an' bitch, ah's follerin' his events real close an' wif great interest. Good t'see he is studyin' prison "argot" so thet he'll fit in while he is doin' his time as a member of our "community". ah allus say it's fine t'"fit in", hee-hee. ah can guareentee thet at least one thin' will fit in real nice!

One thin' is fo' sho'nuff, thet Kinadian lo'd is real hot unner th' collar about thet Mr. Peter Nooman, as enny fool kin plainly see. But Mr. Nooman is a free man an' will remain so, wharas Lo'd Crostdresser of some part of London has at most a few weeks of freedom befo'e he becomes one of us, an' then his money will be of li'l use t'him, dawgone it. Th' only currency he'll be able t'count on then is th' goodwill eff'n varmints like me, an' he'd better larn real quick how t'arn it.

Bubba November 21, 2007 at 8:53 a.m.

I'm an idiot

jade_lee November 21, 2007 at 9:01 a.m.

w101,
Prison was originally a place people would go prior to their execution.
Long prison sentences are only good if the offender is a danger to society, they serve as a barrier keeping the dangerous person a safe distance from those in harms way. For the most part I really do believe prisons are crime schools in that criminal thinking is rampant and the younger the incarcerate, the more likely that person is to be drawn over to that dark place where right and wrong is often confused with justice. CB will not benefit in any way from a long prison sentence nor will the society that pays for it. Punitive measures are something most wronged people advocate for the offender, but more times than not the rational mind does not consider who suffers or who benefits by punishment.
All studies about punishment that touch on the effectiveness of it, ultimately concludes that punishment does have merit but it's all in the timing and intensity, of the variety of punishment at the punisher's disposal. It's an area that really has yet to be thought through and I would not hold my breath that our current government is up for the task. Listening to new and improved measures of punishment this government is proposing for young offenders once again proves to me that government does pander to the emotionally charged general public rather than the facts we have accumulated so far about recidivism, community supervision and the parameters that identify what makes a child break laws. I might add that these same members often take a new view about prison terms once they find their own friends or family or co-workers in conflict with the law.

jade_lee November 21, 2007 at 9:37 a.m.

The globe has an interesting story online about an inmate. Her parents say that they gave their child to the authorities at 15 with the real hope that she would somehow be transformed. The parents went on to say that the authorities returned their troubled child at 19 in a body bag. Prisons are not the panacea we seek to solve our problems.

Alcatraz November 21, 2007 at 12:49 p.m.

Mr Breedon was an economic advisor to bush prior to going to the SEC. Breedon started his career at Cravath law office, this law firm advised mr black about the non-competes. Later mr breedon branched out into a hedge-fund with head office at the Cayman island. It is not known why the hedge-fund has been investing heavily in us-private- prison-enterprises. There is speculation that it is because of the lord's inconvenient truths.

W101 November 21, 2007 at 1:53 p.m.

jade_lee: Prisons are not the panacea we seek to solve our problems.
----

Thanks very much for your posts. I remember an interview with a criminal psychiatrist a number of years ago who said that almost all the really crazy crimes you read about, someone going bezerk with a gun, pushing someone in front of a subway train, a suicidal bank robbery ... virtually all of them were committed by someone with schizophrenia or other serious mental illness. In one case, it was because a prescription ran out, the pharmacy wouldn't renew it because the doctor wasn't available over the long weekend.
The person went bezerk and shot his neighbour.
The one or two paragraph story in the paper never seems to mention this, so I think most people who don't think about it, which would be most people, get the wrong impression ... for some reason it seems preferable to cast them as villains, which they aren't.

jade_lee November 21, 2007 at 2:19 p.m.

Would that be Dr Scott?

DH November 21, 2007 at 4:55 p.m.

Roger said: 'I DOUBT BLACK HAS EVER WORKED A DAY IN HIS LIFE'

I don't know about that. I saw him lift and carry thirteen boxes once.

W101 November 21, 2007 at 5:29 p.m.

DH: "I don't know about that. I saw him lift and carry thirteen boxes once."
-----

This is exactly what Black would think. That would be a day's work for a lazy slob like Black.

But Roger is talking an actual workday, which believe or not, for most people takes almost all day.

W101 November 21, 2007 at 5:30 p.m.

jade_lee: sorry, a long time ago, don't remember the name.

W101 November 21, 2007 at 5:51 p.m.

If Mulroney is the clever devil he appears to be, no doubt he has kept the brown envelope full of cash in a safe place, along with the signed letter he demanded from KS, so when the RCMP drops by he can show them the letter along with proof of what KS didn't give him. Cold hard evidence that KS is a liar, and that Mulroney is completely innocent. All the RCMP officers would need is a few bills from the envelope to make sure they aren't counterfeit. Which they could quickly ascertain by attempting to deposit in them in their bank accounts. If the cash gets by the teller, case closed.

jade_lee November 21, 2007 at 8:06 p.m.

Mulroney's story about the cash does not have a ring of truth to it. As a matter of fact a good source says that the Mulroney's dealt in cash while living on the public purse.