Summary: On Monday, January 27th, San Francisco’s Director of Public Works, Mohammed Nuru was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after making false statements in his unnamed arrest last week. He has been charged with one count of wire fraud which includes bribing an airport commissioner and providing insider information to a contractor bidding on a program to provide restrooms for the homeless. In 2011, he was also the target of a lawsuit accusing him of treating black women differently in the workplace. Facts about the case are still spiraling out after he appeared in federal court on Monday.
Reaction: I am shocked that this is still happening in 2020 in San Francisco. I think it is very wrong that Nuru has taken advantage of his power in the government as a public servant.
Connection: This is connected to the political machines and bosses that we are currently learning about. More specifically, William Tweed was a political boss for Tammany Hall in New York starting in 1856. He extorted around $45 million to $200 million from the government, using some to help New York residents, before he was arrested in 1873.
Discussion Questions: Do you think that misusing government power to help others (in Nuru’s case helping the program to provide restrooms for the homeless) is justified? Why or why not?
I saw this on the news earlier today and was a bit confused, but after reading this I am less so. I found it kind of amusing that this happened so shortly after we learned about the political machines and the corruption. Looking at the discussion question, I believe that while the cause of helping others is good, as civil servants, they have an obligation to operate within the law and not take advantage of their power.
ReplyDeleteHaving done some additional research, it seems that Nuru attempted similar schemes before, as I'm pretty sure the bribery and the restrooms was for a business friend of his. Both of them collaborated at least 5 times, including both the SFO and bathroom plans, so it's good to see justice brought upon them. These government officials are given such high impactful roles to benefit the city, yet here we have an example of corruption and personal gain. They have to respect what they're given, and fall into those societal standards. I hope Nuru learns something from this if the FBI case is true, and earns his punishment behind bars.
ReplyDeleteAfter I read this article it’s frustrating to see situations such as these, because Nuru could be seeking help for the homeless but the fact that he went past the limits of law and his other actions tell another story. As well, the need for the FBI to intervene and arrest him means his unlawful bidding contracts weren’t in hopes of helping the less fortunate and more of gaining side money and wealth from his power as an authoritative official. As much as I wish I could say I’m surprised at hearing about political figures taking advantage of their positions, corruption is still a huge part of society even from the 1890s to 2020 today.
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It is really unfortunate that something like this would be happening in our own city, but it was to combat the homelessness problem that is quite apparent in San Francisco. He doesn't seem like the cleanest person, and taking advantage of his role is quite unjust but fitting based on his past crimes. Working for the government is a tough position to take on, and using their power for good is of course what government officials are meant to do, but abusing their power is never the right or just thing to do.
ReplyDeleteIt is sickening that corruption at this level is happening in our hometown by an influential political figure such as Mr. Nuru. Although he is trying to help the people of SF, he is also doing it in unlawful ways. He was also allegedly involved in five different scandals as well. It is also ironic how he is trying to clean the streets of SF but is one of many corrupt political officials looking to increase their own wealth at the expense of tax-payers and by abusing his political power. So is it justified, no. No one can just break the law of the land and get away with it. Not even Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that it is justified. I get that he is trying to help other people, but there are legal ways to do so. As a public works officer, he should actually be a role model to other people. Even if his intentions were good, he is still breaking the law and should have to deal with the consequences. In would say he could get off with a warning, but this isn't his first offence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that as a public servant, he should be a role model to others, and legally use his position to make the change he wants to see. He should not be using his power to break the law to get what he wants.
DeleteI don't think that corruption is justifiable. There are ways to provide help to the people of your city without using corruption, if you can't get your way in the government, if it's something you strongly believe in, such as helping the homeless problem, then you can donate, volunteer, or spread more awareness. I also think that since his other corrupt actions were not to help the homeless, but for his own self interest, it shows that his sole focus is not on helping the people of San Francisco, but himself.
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