Barack Obama is documented to have close ties to corruption and crime in Chicago and Illinois. The Tony Rezko trial revealed Obama’s close, long time ties to Rezko, Blagojevich, Stuart Levine and a host of dubious characters. Obama has also been documented to have been involved in securing grants from the state of Illinois for many projects that were suspect or tied to criminals. Obama and his former campaign manager, Dan Shomon, secured state grants for Robert Blackwell companies. Shomon, while campaign manager for Obama, worked for Blackwell. Robert Blackwell companies gave over $ 30,000 to the Obama campaign in 2007.

The Chicago Suntimes, in an article dated July 11, 2008, reveals another large grant obtained by Obama and this deal really smells. Here are some excerpts from the article:

“Obama’s $100,000 garden grant wasted
He vowed to ‘work tirelessly’ to build an oasis for Englewood. It never happened.”

“Kenny B. Smith, a onetime campaign volunteer for Barack Obama, can’t explain exactly how he spent $100,000 of taxpayers’ money on a garden that was never built.”

“As a state senator, Barack Obama gave $100,000 in state money to a campaign volunteer who failed to deliver on a plan to create a botanic garden in one of Chicago’s most blighted neighborhoods.

Obama — who was running for Congress when he announced the project in 2000 — said the green space in Englewood would build ”a sense of neighborhood pride.”

Instead, what was supposed to be a six-block stretch of trees and paths is now a field of unfulfilled dreams, strewn with weeds, garbage and broken pavement.”

“Smith — an early Obama supporter who gave $550 to his state and congressional campaigns — said he gave his paperwork documenting the work to a state agency and no longer has it. A Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity spokeswoman said officials would look into the matter.”

Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1050869,CST-NWS-garden11.article