The new Karen Spranger

A cash crunch in our Macomb County Prosecutor, Peter Lucido’s office, is the reason the extradition from a Tennessee jail of a suspect in the execution-style slaying of an Eastpointe man is on hold for an indeterminate amount of time.

The estimated cost for the round trip by untrained Eastpointe law enforcement officials, to pick up the accused person is $1,000 — which is the financial responsibility of Lucido’s office.

Prosecutor Lucido is claiming poor budget management by the previous prosecutor is the primary reason for the lack of funds to finance extradition trips like this one and others. While that may be true, why then did Lucido, just weeks ago, decide to terminate collecting up to $110,000/year from individuals under the Macomb County’s OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) funds? Lucido claimed “I decided to terminate it because I just feel $110,000 isn’t worth it to penalize and punish.” I’ll bet most Macomb County taxpayers don’t share Lucido’s thought that $110,000 isn’t worth it.

Lucido has also asked overburdened taxpayers to cough up an additional $900,000 to hire more staff, buy cell phones and other equipment, along with another $45,000, again from “law-abiding taxpayers,” for a part-time prosecutor, and also for approval to transfer $15,100 in federal forfeiture funds to purchase $23,000 worth of furniture for new crime victims rooms. He is under the delusion taxpayers have money trees in our backyards where we can just snatch $50 and $100 bills whenever commanded by financially-inept politicians.

Lucido claimed: “We’re going to find the money somewhere. But I don’t know what we’ll do the next time.” Somewhere would have been the OWI fund if Lucido had done any basic financial/budget planning before terminating the collection.

Law-abiding Macomb County citizens are left to hope Lucido is aware that typically an extradition hearing must be held within 10 days of the person being arrested, or else the suspect is set free. Based upon Lucido’s track record so far, it’s questionable if he is aware of that requirement.

It’s beginning to look like Macomb County taxpayers have a new Karen

Spranger on our tax payroll.

William D. Krull

Roseville