Uh, no.

If Jim Black did not want to spend his golden years in federal prison, separated from his family, maybe he should not have devoted so much energy to defrauding the people of North Carolina for, oh, a solid decade or so.

Besides, the deeper you dig into the agreement which settled the balance of Black’s $1m. fine, the more the size of the break he has already received grows.

Consider:

  • Black told the court in June 2008 he needed more time to pay the fine as it was difficult to liquidate property; Black liquidated no property to settle the fine.
  • Black’s $1.1m. Tryon St. office was under threat of liquidation via a state lien on the property; Black still owns that property and his fine is gone.
  • Wake County Public Schools may or may not have received land worth $500K; Wake County Public Schools absolutely must expend resources to turn the land into any cash.
  • Mecklenburg County used to collect $1800 a year in tax on Black’s property; Mecklenburg County will collect $0 from WCPSS.

Everyone’s a loser in the deal — except for convicted men’s room cash hound Jim Black. And now come Black’s enablers and apologists to say he has suffered enough. No, we’ve suffered enough, yet there is always one more deal, one more slash to the state’s body politic.

Bonus Observation: As near as I can tell, Wake County prosecutors will barter generously on fines owed the state. $25K? Sign over that old pick-up truck. $5K? Riding lawn mower and a goat. We’re dealin’!