Oaksterdam “U” Unionizes
Medical Cannabis-friendly Oakland California is working hard at bring in money by licensing, and taxingmedical cannabis growers. Meanwhile, Oaksterdam “U” which has over 100 employees voted on Friday (5/29/10) to unionize as part of a retail agriculture and community patient care union. The Local 5’s organizer Dan Rush stated that medical cannabis clubs , medical cannabis doctors and the industry as a whole “will get the same respect as law enforcement, nurses, doctors” …. Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City councilwoman and prospective contender for mayor, told CBS that the unionization was “a good day for Oakland,” the city of Oakland has an unemployment rate of over 17 %.
Just like any other NFL season, 2007 has seen its fair share of Fantasy Football surprises and disappointments. Previously unheard of players have emerged as Fantasy Studs (see my previous article: Fantasy Football Surprises); while highly regarded players who were penciled in on draft-boards everywhere have turned out to be Fantasy Duds. After 11 weeks of the NFL season, it is time to look at my Top 5 disappointments of the year that have already sent some Fantasy owners looking towards 2008.
Top 5 Fantasy Disappointments:
1) Shaun Alexander - I don't want to hear any complaints from Fantasy owners who picked Alexander. Either they were living in a bubble for the last five years or they just chose to ignore the impact of the “Madden curse” (see my previous article: The Madden Curse: Believe It). Alexander was picked very high in leagues around the country and deservedly so - he was the 2005 NFL MVP. However, 2006 has been a much different story. He started off the year with a poor performance against the brutal Detroit Lions. He followed that up with two mediocre (by his standards) performances against the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. After that Giants game, it was revealed that Alexander had suffered a broken left foot, sidelining him for weeks; decimating the Seattle Seahawks and Fantasy Football teams everywhere. Alexander is finally back, but is still not 100% and no one is certain when he will regain his 2005 form. His return has made it even tougher for Fantasy owners - do they play him even though he isn't 100%? Do they continue to sit him? It appears to be a lose/lose situation. If only EA Sports had asked another star to be the cover-athlete for Madden `07.
2) Edgerrin James- I do not like to brag, but I cannot help myself in this situation. I told everyone in my league to beware of Edgerrin James, as he is running behind a brutal Arizona Cardinal's offensive line and he is no longer going to have the passing game that he did in Indianapolis which helped set up the run so effectively. James has struggled mightily this season and has disappointed any Fantasy owners who blew a first-round pick on him. Through 11 weeks of the season, James only has 680 rushing yards and has yet to amount a 100-yard performance. Moreover, he only has 3 touchdowns! Through 11 games last season, James had 1,116 rushing yards, seven 100-yard games, and 11 touchdowns!
Arizona is bad, James is bad, and your Fantasy team is probably bad because of it.
3) Randy Moss- Where do I begin? Moss is a rare talent who has the capabilities to become an all-time great receiver. However, his attitude and work ethic has made Moss just an average receiver. Granted, most playmakers would probably struggle to put up great Fantasy stats in that atrocious Oakland offense, but it doesn't help that Moss goes public in saying that he tries only when he wants to and that he would probably try harder if he was on a good team AND that he admits to smoking marijuana. Moss' stats reflect his lack of effort - posting only 455 receiving yards through 11 weeks and only 3 touchdowns. A bad attitude combined with a bad offense is a disastrous combination for any Fantasy Football owner.
4) Drew Bledsoe - Oh how I feel for Drew.Bledsoe begins the year as the starting quarterback for a contending team and is replaced during the year for an unproven rookie who goes on to enjoy tremendous success. Sound familiar? First Brady, now Romo. Believe it or not, Drew was picked quite high in many Fantasy leagues, due to the weapons he had around him - Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, some guy called “T.O.” and Julius Jones out of the backfield. How could someone not succeed with these types of players? Drew found a way. He played in a total of six Cowboys' games - threw only 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. For anyone who watched the games, it wasn't just the interceptions he threw, it was when he chose to throw them (first and goal from inside the 10-yard line trailing by 7 with under one minute to play against Philadelphia comes to mind). Considering how early Bledsoe was chosen in many leagues and the expectations that surrounded him has made poor Drew a poor choice.
5) Cadillac Williams - After an outstanding rookie campaign, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams has taken a step backwards rather than another step forward. Williams was taken early in most Fantasy Football drafts, but has struggled to post adequate stats through 11 weeks. While Cadillac's rushing yards are respectable (619), he has only found the end zone once all season. Williams does not catch enough balls out of the backfield (23 receptions for 149 yards) to make up for his lack of touchdowns. His lack of production may be due to his nagging back injury that has plagued him all season, but whatever the case, Williams has been unreliable and ineffective thus far.
Other notable disappointing Fantasy player's this season are:
- Daunte Culpepper - (4 games played, 2 TD, 3 Interceptions)
- Reggie Bush - (1 rushing TD, 0 receiving TD)
- Ben Roethlisberger - (17 Interceptions, Broken Face, Appendicitis, Concussion)
- LaMont Jordan - (434 rushing yards, 2 TD, Injured Reserve?)
Oakland Medical Marijuna
Marijuana Medicine has a long history of helping, With the recent death of Heath Ledger due to prescription drugs| more and more patients looking at the prescription drugs and cannot help but be curious as to what their future holds. Doctors are so swift to write prescriptions for anti-depressants, painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Most medical cannabis patients feel that they cannot function on the medications that they have been prescribed for pain, insomnia, depression, etc. and find that they function very well on medical marijuana.
While many people are finding relief from terrible diseases by smoking marijuana, there are also many people who believe that legislators should allow researchers more freedom to research this drug for legal medicinal usage. To date, 13 states have declared medical marijuana legal to use. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the federal government can continue to ban the use of medical marijuana. Justice Scalia writes that the federal government also has, under the commerce clause, the power to prohibit interstate commerce of this drug. Personal use of marijuana may not be commerce, but if our drug laws were working correctly, they would be perfectly enforced. Even as evidence mounts concerning the benefits of marijuana as a medicine, federal officials and agencies continue to bury their heads in the sand.
Written records on medicinal marijuana stretch back over 2000 years. It was first discovered in print in the 2nd century in a Chinese book of medicine. As far back as 1611, this plant was cultivated for its fiber in Jamestown, Virginia. In the 19th century, it was used to treat such ailments as spastic conditions, labor pains, insomnia, and even helped with appetite. It is still used as a medicine in the Middle East and Asia. Although modern technology medicine does not refer back to the medical practices of ancient civilizations, this only confirms that marijuana has had a significant medical history, and claims of its medicinal use were not just pulled out of nowhere.
Marijuana is a drug that comes from the dried, cut leaves of the hemp plant known as “cannabis sativa”. It goes by a number of street names such as “grass”, “Mary Jane”, “pot”, “reefer”, “herb”, and “weed”. The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This ingredient targets Cannabinoid receptors that have been proven to cut tumor growth in half in common lung cancer. It has also been tested and researchers at Harvard University say it also significantly reduces the cancer's ability to spread. Cannabinoids are chemical substances in cannabis, or marijuana. Endocannabinoids are cannabinoids that are produced naturally in the body.
Montel Williams is a huge activist for legalizing medicinal marijuana since he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999. He has debilitating knee and foot pain and has tried Oxycontin and a variety of other drugs with no relief. Then a doctor suggested he smoke pot and “immediately I slept through the night.” Williams is a registered medical marijuana user in California. He began pushing for medical marijuana laws after being stopped at a Detroit airport by an Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms officer for carrying drug paraphernalia. His charges were later dropped.
Williams told a Senate panel about his chronic pain and urged New Jersey to join 12 other states that have enacted these laws. The states that have currently legalized medical marijuana are: California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Maine, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Montana, Vermont, and Rhode Island. New Mexico is planning on signing a bill in 2008. Williams will speak at two events in Trenton; a Drug Policy Alliance-sponsored news conference and a Senate hearing. Governor Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey said last year that he would sign a medical marijuana bill into law. “I break the law every day and I'll continue to break the law.” (Montel Williams)
This bill, sponsored by Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) lists cancer, HIV and AIDS, chronic pain, severe nausea, persistent muscle spasms and even glaucoma as conditions eligible for medical marijuana use. The legislation has never received a hearing, even though it has long been proposed. A 2002 poll found that 82 percent of the people in New Jersey supported allowing access to medical marijuana. Terrance P. Farley, an Ocean County assistant prosecutor told the Associated Press that the bill is only an attempt to legalize drugs. “This is how they're trying to get marijuana legalized”, he said.
Marijuana is listed in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the most restrictive schedule. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) supports that placement because marijuana met the 3 criteria about this drug: 1) marijuana has high potential for abuse, 2) the drug has no currently accepted medical use in treatment, and 3) it has a lack of accepted safe use under medical supervision. The Federal government should, at the very least, possibly downgrade it to a Schedule II, since it has been accepted for medical use in the United States. A past evaluation by several agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), concluded that supported use of medical marijuana has no sound scientific studies and no human or animal data supported the safety or efficacy for general use.
During the Prohibition of Alcohol period (1920-1933), psychoactive properties of marijuana were left to criticism by the same forces that opposed the consumption of alcohol. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, which made continual use of marijuana a criminal act. During hearings held before this act, a lone opponent, a representative of the American Medical Association (AMA), argued that banning marijuana should exempt it for medical purposes, at least. His testimony included the following:
There is positively no evidence to indicate the abuse of
cannabis (marijuana) as a medicinal agent or to show that
its medicinal use is leading to the development of cannabis
addiction. Cannabis at the present time is slightly used for
medicinal purposes, but it would seem worthwhile to main-
tain its status as a medicinal agent…. There is a possibility
that a re-study of the drug by modern means may show
other advantages to be derived from its medicinal use.
Marijuana was removed from the American pharmacopoeia in 1941, over AMA objections, and hope for further research or legal medical use came to a halt. In 1970, Congress restructured the drug laws with the Controlled Substances Act, which kept marijuana banned for medical use.
Marijuana has many substitutes, such as Marinol. Swallowing this substance, however, takes longer to work, has more adverse side effects and is more expensive. A year's supply can cost up to $15,000; too much, some said, for a flawed version of a weed that can be grown in any backyard. One reason many prefer to smoke marijuana rather than swallow Marinol is that it allows them to regulate the amount of THC that goes into their systems. Smoking allows an instant transmission of this ingredient to sites in the brain that control nausea, so when the anti-nausea effect wears off, they only need to smoke a little more if needed. Individual patients respond differently to different doses, and they can avoid taking too much, which is not possible with Marinol.
On the other hand, although several states have passed legal drug laws making smoked marijuana available for various medical conditions, the FDA, the DEA and the Office of National Drug Control Policy do not support the use of smoked marijuana for medicinal purposes. These measures go against their efforts to ensure that medications are proven safe and effective under the standards of the FD&C Act. Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposal would allow chronically ill patients to medicinally smoke, eat or take marijuana in tablets. The program would be monitored by the State Health Department. The amount of marijuana would be capped at 1 ounce and the patients would be issued registered medical marijuana user cards. Bertha Madras, deputy director for demand reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in a telephone interview: “We cannot base medical decisions on anecdotes.”
Researchers do not know why THC inhibits tumor growth; they say it is possible the substance activates molecules that arrest cell cycles. It may also interfere with angiogenesis and vascularization, which promotes the growth of cancer. Anju Preet, Ph.D., a researcher in the Division of Experimental Medicine says much work is needed to pave the pathway by which THC functions. “The beauty of this study is that we are showing that a substance of abuse, if used prudently, may offer a new road to therapy against lung cancer.” People hope that the federal courts and legislators will be allowed to take a closer look at the benefits, examine the evidence and conclude that we only want safe pain relief for the people who need it the most.
Medical Cannabis
Marijuana Medicine has a long history of helping, With the recent death of Michael Jackson due to prescribed medications| more and more patients are examining their pill bottles and cannot help but be curious as to what their future holds. Doctors are so swift to write prescriptions for anti-depressants, painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Most medical cannabis patients feel that they cannot function on the medications that they have been prescribed for pain, insomnia, depression, etc. and find that they function very well on medical marijuana.
If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
Language is as organic as that Venus Fly Trap on your front porch. It also has a voracious appetite…It is as malleable and impressionist as silly putty, the primordial goo that sticks to the roof of our mouth (and yes, to our fingers) like peanut butter. It is an architectural wonder like Balboa Park and the Coronado Bridge, allowing our minds to traverse from one park to another, one body of land to another. It is visual acuity in that it can zoom-in and out like a telephoto lens directed at a sunflower or a point in space. It is power, and can shape and reshape the universe into a multiplicity of dimensions.
It’s also fun—like one of those floor-sized puzzles of the Eiffel Tower.
Some words don’t seem to have their meaning altered much. They exist—and persist—generation after generation. Contrary to the epigram from Wittgenstein, we really do speak a different language, and our worlds are perceived differently as a result. One could have fun arguing that we live in a multidimensional universe as a result of language, and that as a result, we speak, listen, and know our world through a multiplicity of languages (And I’m not only referring to those languages associated with national origin with their respective dialects…).
Think: VENN diagrams! Each rhetorical community to which we belong has its own language and/or lingo. We create our world—our experience—through language; in turn, it facilitates our experience of this world, doesn’t it? Families and other people who cohabitate or spend a considerable amount of time with each other come up with new words (and/or alter the meanings of words) in the same—or similar—ways that industries do when technological advances occur. When an object is created, it needs a name; calling it a “thingamajig”—or other similar labels - will only work for so long…When an experience is had, comparing it to other experiences may work for a time, but what if it doesn’t compare to anything you’ve experienced before? Doesn’t it deserve, doesn’t it call for, a new word to describe it? If we don’t have a new word, and can’t seem to agree upon one, we can point to that thing and/or experience for only so long. What if we can’t duplicate the thing or the process or the experience? We don’t want to forget it, right? We want to share it with others, right? Maybe we even way to patent it or make it or do it or share it.
It needs a name to perpetuate its existence as well as to identify its existence to others…
So, since neologisms, idiomatic language, and slang are thought-provoking categories for exploration (and also make for fun group projects), I asked my two summer school classes to assume they were linguists and contemporary socio-cultural anthropologists gathering and recording data. I asked them to discuss word categories, definitions, and examples.
Here are some highlights from their expedition:
Word: Lackies
Definition: Referring to people who just sit around talking about Magic, The Gathering card game, Star Wars, Pokemon cards, and play gameboy the entire day before and after class.
Example:
‘Hey Chuy! Let’s hang out. Just a minute…I have to ask this guy something.’
‘Fine. So hang out with the lackies, you lackie.’
Word: Simon
Definition: Someone who tells you something about things or people with extreme exaggeration and later finds out it is a lie or is just plain crap.
Example:
‘Dude, you gotta play this video game. It’s freaking awesome. Anyone who’s anyone plays this game.’ Later, after buying the game and finding out I hate it and return it for a refund, my other friend says, ‘Man, he bust a Simon on you.’
(J. P.)
These three slang terms hail from the Caribbean!
Word: Hey Ma
Definition: Hey Girl
Word: Skettel
Definition: Someone who has sex with a lot of people.
Word: Cockle
Definition: Another term for a female sleeping around.
These two hail from Hawaii:
Phrase: da kine
Definition: Used when communicating something implied, but too lazy to finish the sentence.
Example: ‘I’m hungry…let’s go to da kine.’ This means the usual place these two eat together. Most people just think this phrase refers to marijuana.
Word: bannang
Definition: A person who looks Asian on the outside and acts white from inside.
(M. B., D.H., D.R., and D.W.)
Word: tight
Definition: likeable, cool, in fashion.
Example: ‘Those new pair of shoes are tight!’
Word: turn-two
Definition: Get going. Let’s move on.
Example: ‘All right people…let’s turn-two.’ (NOTE: As you say this, make the “two” sign with your two fingers and flip your hand back-and-forth.)
(H.E., M.H., S.M., E.M., and C.F.)
Word: shema
Definition: to evoke empathy.
Word: sicky-gnar
Definition: good; overwhelming.
Word: M.I.L.F.
Definition: An acronym for ‘mother I’d love to fuck’.
Word: gromm
Definition: child surfer
(C.W., A.H., M.M., and R.S.)
Here’s one from Alabama:
Word: buggy
Definition: a shopping cart.
Here’s a few from Minnesota:
Word: uff-da
Definition: Norweigian term used to express disgust or used in place of ‘my goodness’.
Example: “Uff-da—it’s hot outside!”
Word: Bucket
Definition: Another name for a woman’s purse.
Example: ‘Hey—look at my brand new bucket!’
Word: yaontoo (ya-on-too)
Definition: Do you want to or would you like to?
Example: ‘I’m going to the mall. You can come if yaontoo.’
Word: Nambit (name-bit)
Definition: Norwegian term used to express surprise or shock.
Example: If something happens that you can’t believe, you may say, ‘Nambit—honestly.’
I don’t believe these are from Minnesota…
Phrase: off the braken
Definition: cooler than cool
Phrase: That was bomady!
Definition: that blows your head, crying tears funny.
(B.E., A.A., I.A., and F.S.)
Word: shomgo
Definition: klutz; dumbass.
Example: ‘I tripped over the curb and felt like such a shomgo.’
Word: snugs
Definition: cuddly dog
Phrase: Mickey Mouse
Definition: being resourceful.
Example: ‘I couldn’t find the tool so I Mickey-Moused it.’
Word: groovy
Definition: out-dated; out-of-style
Example: ‘Man, look at her outfit—it’s so groovy she should change!”’
(D.P., D.S., F.S., M.K., and J.P.)
Here are a two “lop-offs”, or words that are broken up and stand for an entire word:
Word: inad
Definition: inadmitted
Word: depo
Definition: deported
Word: scooter
Definition: a motorcycle or a little car
Phrase: scooter trash
Definition: Harley Davidson rider
Word: skidlid
Definition: helmet
Word: spider
Definition: pubic hair
(S.M., K.N., C.L., and C.E.)
Word: Falcon
Definition: Calling dibs on hitting on a girl when with a group of guys.
Phrase: Junk in the Trunk
Definition: Voluptuous gluteus maximus
Word: Bangin’
Definition: A party that is the place to be…a tight party.
Phrase: Off-the-hook
Definition: Extremely cool.
(B.L., V.L., J.P., and I.A.)
Word: geterdone (get her done)
Definition: Go for it. Just do it. Motivational.
Example: ‘If you want to become an actor, you can’t lie around all day; just geterdone’ (David Jaimes).
Phrase: butter face
Definition: referring to someone who portrays an ‘ugly’ face.
Example: ‘Man, she has a beautiful body, but that butter face fucks her up’ (David Jaimes).
Phrase: Jimmy Legs
Definition: Sporadic, or sudden outbursts while sleeping in legs (e.g., shaking leg).
Example: ‘I couldn’t sleep last night because she has the Jimmy Legs and she kicked me all night long.’
Word: teabaggin’
Definition: to suck someone’s testicles
Example: ‘She was teabaggin’ me yesterday.’
(O.C., K.T., and D.J.)
Word: 143
Definition: ‘I love you’ (in text messaging)
Word: LOL
Definition: Lots of Laughs [NOTE: This is a separate, but similar, definition to “LOL”, which in computer-speak translates as “laughing out loud”.]
Example: ‘The comedian, Steve Harvey, was funny. He was LOL.’
(I.B., J.F., A.A., and J.B.)
Word: winger
Definition: A long fall before the rope catches you.
Example: ‘Hey Dude! I took a winger and thought that I was going to die.’
Word: P.F.T.
Definition: Physical Fitness Test
Example: We have a P.F.T. today.
Word: crater
Definition: Hit the ground
Example: ‘I fell and almost cratered.’
Word: open-book
Definition: A place in a rock from 0 degrees to 150 degrees.
Example: ‘The open-book had some interesting moves.’
Word: ruster-tail
Definition: The tail of water made when skiing.
Example: I was ripping and made some ruster-tails.
(Y.A., N.A., T.P., A.A., R.S., and B.K.)
Let’s here it for the Summer of 2005 English 101 and 205 students! (sound of applause…)
Stay tuned for Part II in September, where I will be offer some linguistical delights from Science and Speculative Fiction world builders. Just to give you a little taste, here are a few from Boort, one of my multi-faceted fictional projects:
Word: Sozar (So-zharr)
Definitions: 1. an expletive like “awesome”; 2. a swear word (depending upon tone); 3. said as a toast and/or to congratulate someone; and 4. something said in frustration.
Examples:
“Sozar! I can’t seem to find the portal to return home to Boort.”
“The Boortian Ambassador just hired you as her personal assistant? Sozar to you!”
Word: Poochi Bug
Definitions: A type of honey-making “insect” (for want of a better category) that flies but can also maneuver on—and in - the ground. Their tiered hives can range in height from a few feet to over twenty-feet. Circumferences range in size as well. It is believed that certain types of Poochi Bugs burrow deep into the ground as well. They are considered to be poisonous to most humanoid species. The Poochi Bug and its behavior is a rich source of metaphor in the Boortian language group.
Examples:
“I wouldn’t go out tonight if I were you…The Poochi Bugs are too quiet.”
“Please join me for an aperitif—it’s made with the finest Poochi Bug honey.”
“Those Terrans have much to learn about our style of transgalactic trade negotiating. They’re larval at best.” (This is reference to Poochi Bug larvae. Just prior to hatching, they wriggle out of the hive, thus leaving themselves susceptible to other predators such as the Mora Blossom. The Mora Blossom is a plant know for its exquisite fragrance; it exists in a symbiotic relationship with the Mora Spider, another deadly creature. Interesting to note, however, is that the Mora Spider’s venom has psychotropic properties. There is also a belief that individuals with the appropriate genetic codes are capable of transdimensional travel once bitten.)
“You really need a vacation…You look like you’ve been building hives.” (This is a reference to the Poochi Bug Hives which are constructed much like a village. It also references the underground activities of certain clandestine movements engaged in transgalactic political schemes.)
Fear and Loathing Cannabis in Las Vegas
Thanks to medical marijuana it seems that Nev…of all states, is looking at getting involved in the distribution of medical cannabis. I'm currently in Las Vegas right now doing a little research into the different medical marijuana doctors offices that are here, if any.
James Riddle Hoffa, more commonly known as Jimmy Hoffa, was born in Indiana to a poor family. From these humble beginnings, he rose to be perhaps the most prominent figure in labor union history. Hoffa’s father died when Hoffa was quite young and this led to Hoffa travel to Michigan where he began working in warehouses as on of the lowest workers in the shop. He got to see first hand how management treated the workers and laborers. Not long after this Hoffa organized a labor strike over the worker mistreatment. Having found his calling, his days as a worker were numbered as his union potential started to unfold. Hoffa rose through the ranks of the Teamster’s Union which was also know as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
By way of review, labor unions had developed in response to the mistreatment of workers and poor working conditions that had long plagued industry in the . The unions gave the common worker a collective voice on issues such as wages, retirement, work schedules and other issues related to the worker’s welfare. However, some would argue that the cure was not much better than the problem. The primary focus of the various unions was to work for and advocate the worker. However, all too often things such as graft, bribery, intimidation, embezzlement, outright violence and ties to organized crime quickly became a reality of the unions.
Hoffa’s Teamsters were ultimately one of the largest unions in the country. The Teamster’s name came from their original work description where a teamster would run a team of oxen to pull a cart. However, the modern day version of the Teamster when Hoffa came to power was in shipping, trucking and the delivery of various goods which included the over-the-road transportation industry. When Hoffa took control of the Teamster’s in 1957, the former president had been sent to prison. Hoffa, however, didn’t let this concern him and he wasted no time in seeking to further the Teamster’s presence and scope. Hoffa saw the Teamster’s expand across the country and by the early 1960’s had succeeded in bringing nearly all of the over-the-road truckers in the country under one national contract. From here Hoffa decided to expand even further to include even airline pilots. However, this raised the concern of governmental regulators out of fear that having virtually all shipping and transportation in the country under the umbrella of one union would create a situation where a strike could potentially cripple the economy of the country. Hoffa’s plan for further expansion ultimately never happened.
However one of the main concerns that many had in regard to Hoffa was his ties to organized crime. It was these very ties to organized crime that allowed Hoffa to assume the control of the Teamsters and in return, Hoffa allowed organized crime to exert control over the union. Essentially this meant that through the Mafia’s control, they could force certain strikes or resort to blackmail to gain profits from different locals and businesses. As well, via kick backs and deals signed by the local unions with the Teamsters, Hoffa and the other union leaders grew rich while the individual workers suffered. However, Hoffa, the master tactician was able to play people against each other and did this to his initial benefit with the mafia.
However, Hoffa’s grasp on the unions started to falter. In 1967, Hoffa was convicted of attempting to bribe a grand juror and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison; however, his sentence was commuted by President Nixon to time served on the condition that he not be involved in Union activities for a period of 10 years.
Several years later when Hoffa was to meet with some mob leaders in Michigan, he disappeared from the Machus Red Fox restaurant near Detroit. Since his disappearance, the location of his body and his ultimate fate continue to fuel wide speculation and conspiracy theories that persist even today. While Hoffa would have secured his place in history due to his role in expanding the Teamsters; his true place in history has been cemented not because of anything that he did, but by his disappearance, likely murder and the continued search for his body.
Some of the more popular theories are that his body is in the New Jersey Turnpike, was dumped into one of the Great Lakes, buried under Giant’s Stadium, was put in a car that was compacted, was buried in either Michigan, New Jersey or New York or was even buried in Elvis’ grave. Several criminals with Mafia ties have reported that he was placed in the trunk of a car which was then destroyed and likely recycled. They went on to say that Hoffa was now a car bumper.
Since his disappearance in 1975, there have been a number of leads that have been pursued by authorities; however, none have developed to the point of a criminal indictment nor have they revealed the location of Hoffa’s remains. DNA belonging to Hoffa was found in a car whose owner had earlier said that Hoffa had never been in the car, but again, no indictment resulted.
Other leads from people with Mafia ties have recently been explored, but then dismissed without a great deal of attention. However, earlier this month, the FBI began examining a farm known as the Hidden Dreams Farm in Milford Township, Michigan, a community 45 miles northwest of Detroit. The FBI has had more than 40 agents and specialists searching the 85 acre farm and have recently begun taking down a large barn on the site to examine what may be underneath. The FBI is keeping silent on the subject, but aerial photos have shown a great deal of activity on the property.
The Detroit Free Press has reported that a 75 year old federal prisoner supplied information that lead to the search. It appears that the prisoner, who is in jail on marijuana charges, lived on the farm at the time of Hoffa’s disappearance. The farm is also only about 20 miles away from where Hoffa vanished. The Free Press has also reported that the prisoner had, as early as 1976, offered to provide information to the FBI on the location of Hoffa’s remains, but the FBI was not then interested. Even recently, the FBI was initially standoffish according to the paper so much so that the prisoner had to threaten to go to the media with the information. However the FBI ultimately listened and has begun their search. Apparently the prisoner and another man were present around the time of Hoffa’s disappearance when several others, with a backhoe dug a hole and placed a cylinder shaped object covered with plastic in the hole. One of the men present, Rolland McMaster, an associate of Hoffa’s, according to the prisoner, said words to the effect of, “there goes Hoffa.”
The current search has forensic specialists, cadaver sniffing dogs, ground penetrating radar and even a private contractor assisting in the demolition of structures on the property.
While it is impossible to say if Hoffa has finally been found, while the FBI is appears as of May 30th has suspended their search of the property, it is clear they are serious about looking for him when they receive a lead they believe is credible.
Hoffa’s son presently heads the Teamsters and his daughter is a judge in Missouri.
