Clemens to be indicted? More waste of our tax dollars.

yankeeno7 · January 12, 2009 4:45AM

Im not defending what Clemens did or may have done. But I am against going through the motions of perjury and spending our tax dollars because they want to go after a guy for taking steroids. I also dont agree with only targeting the big name players and then punishing them while there were SOOO many players using. Nothing will ever happen to them.

People may be angry with McGwire's testimony but to a big extent, I agree with him. It's time to move forward. Test, educate, discuss how bad steroids are. What happened in that era will be that era's albatross.

MBMiller25 · January 12, 2009 4:47AM

Yes I would agree. Although I do not condone what Clemens did, I would prefer our tax dollars be spent on other more worthwhile projects.

swartz1 · January 12, 2009 4:49AM

yeah ...look how far they got with Bonds...

storm888 · January 12, 2009 4:51AM

The steroid-guys are already disgraced.

Paying money to put them on trial is a gross squandering of scarce resources.

The crooks on Wall Street are a much more appealing target.

slantycouch · January 12, 2009 4:54AM

I absolutely agree. No one is proving anything anymore. Move on.

RonBurgundy · January 12, 2009 5:00AM

Fail. Breaking the law is breaking the law. When you start drawing distinctions based on whether this criminal activity is a lower priority than that criminal activity, you enable people doing the perceived lesser criminal activity to keep on doing it. Particularly someone in Clemens' case who is high profile and wealthy.......if you enable someone like that to lie to investigators and commit criminal activity, then you enable others who are not high profile and wealthy to do the same. In my opinion, he is exactly the kind of person who deserves an indictment, especially since he has remained defiant and basically non-apologetic about it.

Ron Burgundy

Salinas · January 12, 2009 5:00AM

Sort of like wasting our money to go after Clinton when he was President for committing perjury? Of course they should go after him. I just wish Clemens would apologize, plead guilty, so we can save taxpayer money for other endeavours.

yankeeno7 · January 12, 2009 5:07AM

I would agree with you Ron and Salinas if this was done at a much earlier stage in investigations but I just see it as a witch hunt now. There is no good that can come out of this or any good out of punishing Clemens...and probably not even Bonds for that matter.

fergie23 · January 12, 2009 5:16AM

You don't get in trouble for the crime you get in trouble for the cover up. You can commit almost any crime in this country and then apologize for it, eventually people will forgive and forget.

Martha Stewart didn't go to jail for insider trading, she went to jail for lying about it to investigators. Clemens isn't being indicted for using steroids he is being indicted for lying under oath. The indictment has nothing to do with taking steroids/performance enhancing drugs.

As for the crooks on Wall Street 99.5% of them will have better, higher paying jobs 5 years from now. The .5% that committed the most egregious fraud will eventually be prosecuted. Wall Street is a rigged game.

Robb

RonBurgundy · January 12, 2009 5:56AM

I disagree that no good can come out of this now. If Bonds or Clemens go to the hoosegow, I guarantee at least some professional athletes will think twice about ingesting illegal substances, and just about all of them will think twice about lying about it.

I didn't mean to sound harsh earlier, but the "tax dollar" argument is a hot button of mine when it comes to law enforcement. Rail all you want about whether our tax dollars work on the roads, in our schools, etc., but the law shouldn't make distinctions based on economic efficiency. And, this is a multi-billion dollar industry.......in that sense investigating its high profile employees is no different than investigating corporate n'er do wells on Wall St.

Ron

dude · January 12, 2009 5:57AM

What RonB said.

storm888 · January 12, 2009 6:00AM

"...Martha Stewart didn't go to jail for insider trading, she went to jail for lying about it to investigators. Clemens isn't being indicted for using steroids he is being indicted for lying under oath. The indictment has nothing to do with taking steroids/performance enhancing drugs...."

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

ALL very true.

Still a waste of tax dollars.

And, it is bad for baseball and baseball cards.

.................

NOTE to aspiring white-collar, unindicted criminals:

"Do NOT Chat With The 'Investigators' Until Your Lawyer Scores Transactional Immunity For You."

You are NOT smarter than the "investigators," and you WILL lie to them just enough to screw yourself.

A simple "No," that should have been a "Yes," is all it takes to nail yourself.

When they threaten to take you "downtown," tell 'em you will call your lawyer from "downtown."

larryallen73 · January 12, 2009 6:02AM

It's not about steroids it's about BREAKING THE LAW by lying. I hope they nail him so other people won't think they are above the law!

mtcards · January 12, 2009 6:04AM

Considering that our government has shelled out $710 Billion and thrown it a the banking industry, then is in the process of trying to shell out another $25-$50 Billion at the auto industry and now is wanting to blow $1.3 TRILLION on other government funded nonsense, it makes the cost of this seem trivial.

That being said, crime is crime. If Clemens committed perjury, he should pay the same price as an ordinary Joe would. The media makes this a big deal, whereas if some local guy lied about having an affair under oath, he would get probation and we would move on.

Edited to Add: I cant believe I wasted my 1000th post on this topic.

yankeeno7 · January 12, 2009 6:21AM

Sorry you wasted your 1000th post. Should have waited.

Im not saying that Clemens was not wrong breaking the law and should get away with it so much more than this testimony crap probably never should have taken place and its just a continuation of being a huge waste of money. If they hadnt gone with the investigation through testimony (though I understand they may have felt it was the only way to get truth) then this wouldnt be happening.

Edited to add: I cant believe I wasted my 5691st post on this topic.

Brian48 · January 12, 2009 7:24AM

Well, I agree there's better things to spend the money on, but at the same time perjury is a major issue. Examples have to be made and unfortunately Roger is going to be it.

This really sucks as I've always been a fan, but he screwed up and didn't come clean. He's going to pay the price.

jayhawke · January 12, 2009 7:37AM

Make Clemens reimburse the costs.

julen23 · January 12, 2009 7:37AM

double edged sword there....

he & bonds are both liars & cheaters however

and i used to heart barry bonds, but that was then & this is now.

j

bman90278 · January 12, 2009 7:59AM

Well I certainly hate seeing our tax dollars wasted on Bonds and Clemens, but alot of our court cases are a waste of our tax dollars.

Brian

mmync · January 12, 2009 8:11AM

What would happen if every wrestler from the WWE had to testify under oath?

Boopotts · January 12, 2009 8:22AM

<< <i>What would happen if every wrestler from the WWE had to testify under oath? >>

What would happen if you had to testify under oath?

WinPitcher · January 12, 2009 8:22AM

If they lied then the government could go after them.

Steve

FanOf390 · January 12, 2009 9:21AM

Let's forget about sports fans for a minute here.

Most people in this country don't give a rat's butt about Bonds or Clemens -- or what either one might have ingested/injected to break baseball records.

Most people in this country would rather have the government use its funds to protect them from someone who might do them harm -- murderers, rapists, burglars, speeders, drunk drivers, unethical businessmen, scammers, child molesters, .... (need I go on)

Get a grip, Sports Fans. Time for a reality check!!

Clemens to be indicted? More waste of our tax dollars.

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