The Clout list; among other things
Rich goes on vacation and I miss comments on what I think are the start of events that will upset Illinois politics for the rest of the year: The Clout List, State patronage, City patronage, and maybe the release of a report telling us officials looked the other way while confessions beat out of people.
Things will look a lot different for the powers-that-be in Illinois sooner rather than later because of all this?
Or will Illinois just shrug this all off?
34 comments:
What happened to the two post limit?
I violated it. It just seemed like too much was going on in Illinois to let this get passed over in Illinoiz.
Sometimes it's better to do and ask forgiveness when the supremo gets back from vacation.
It seems there have been so many false starts on the issue of political patronage. I wonder if the action being taken now might be another false start. As much as I can hope for reform, it's possible Illinoisians will shrug this off.
How can JBT use this to her advantage? If I’m not mistaken, she appeared at least 10 times on Fawell’s list.
I’m curious, has Judy ever recommended anyone for a job?
Has Judy ever hired based on the recommendation of a lawmaker or former Governor?
I know at least 3 former corrections hacks that were picked up by the Treasurer’s office after they were let go by the current administration. Were they hired based on work experience and credentials? I don’t think so.
Republican lawmakers need to think twice about commenting on this issue; I’d be willing to bet that they’ve made a few recommendations of their own.
Judy needs to keep her yap shut. Her glass house might end up getting a rock thrown at it.
I have a feeling it will be no crime but people will trip up with perjury and obstruction...
...sound familiar?
JBT's advantage is not having to talk to a grand jury.
It will have legs.
As to Judy, tell me, the Ryan trial was six months and a gazillion witnesses, but her name came up how many times? I believe exactly once, and that for sending a job seeker she had known since he was 11 to go see Warner.
So much for the polka.
Wishful thinking, man, wishful thinking.
She’s not going to beat him, Bill. Out of all the Republican primary candidates, she was the worst one to put up against Rod.
Keep posting, buddy.
The worst, huh?? Why is that? Can't wait to hear.
The hiring list issue for one. What can she say about it?
She was on Fawell's list a dozen times. She's hired based on recomendations, and she has recomended people for hire in state departments.
What makes her the best candidate?
I can't wait to hear.
If Daley and/or Blagojevich go down as a result of the scandals, then you will see some significant change in behavior. Ms. Falcon already testified that the political hiring stopped once the Sun-Times blew the lid on the story and the feds started investigating.
My concern is more long term. Even as much as it would hurt the insiders if Daley and/or Blagojevich get tagged, they fundamentally don't see anything wrong with patronage. The changed behavior would only be a result of fear of prosecution. Ten to fifteen years down the line when Fitzgerald is long gone, the next Mayor or Governor will be tempted to do the same old tricks again. Ultimately, the long term solution lies in strong laws and a voting public that doesn't tolerate the stupidity we see in Illinois politics. The alternative is a slowly growing problem that is pruned back once every other generation by a U.S. Attorney.
P.S. If anyone thinks that Judy being on a list is worse than Rod creating a list then they are sorely mistaken. I don't like Judy and I laugh when I hear her talk about ethics. However, Rod is really getting into some very dangerous territory with the recent scandals. Ryan, the Governor, got in trouble for the Fawell list, not Judy.
This is about applications being altered to get applicants an a grade. Come on, one applicant received a failed grade 3 times before magically getting an a grade. This doctoring of application is the real crime and it all leads to the gov's office.
The clout list continues in Chicago, in case you missed channel 9 news tonight. A Chicago on duty police officer, in uniform fondles and takes nude photos of a woman he pulled over. The Sex freak cop has a family with big clout and pays off the woman $10,000 from the city $50,000 from the sex freak cop. Now the girl is going back to original story, that she was assaulted by the police officer. WGN has a 1 hour interview with the victim where she goes into excruciating detail about the assault, this is on the WGN site. This young lady is very courageous and I hope the Woman organizations will try to do something about this. Go to WGN web site wgntv.trb.com/ I think this is the perfect example of how clout harms this city, Watch the report and think about your daughter
The above comment is right on. Gaming the system to give unfair advantage to unqualified or underqualified applicants. And we are talking about civil service positions, not exempt policy making decisions.
I don't think most Illinoisians realize that state jobs are no longer undesirable low wage positions that only the least qualified would seek. Because of changes in the job market over the past decade a so, a well paying job with almost-free health benefits, a defined benefit pension, and virtually ironclad job security {I mean, you have to be convicted of a serious crime to get fired }is worth much more than it used to be. It's a multimillion dollar windfall for the hiree.
The huge increase in value of government jobs means that the selection of employees can now be completely competitive, except for dinosaur affirmative action regulations. There would no doubt be many qualified applicants for such sinecures.
Yet state hiring isn't completely competitive. These high-value jobs continue to be given out based on political clout. Not all, but a significant number. Illinoisians
would be less sanguine if politicians started giving out
multimillion dollar checks drawn on the state Treasury based on political affiliation. Yet hiring a state employees is a multimillion commitment of our money, counting both salary and benefits. over the longer term.
It's time to have an independent bureau do all state hiring, based on credentials and experience only. Rutan has been too corrupted by the Blago administration to work in its present form.
But in order to have change, the taxpayers need to understand what is happening. They don't.
Any politician worth his salt who wants to get re-elected and raise campaign money, whether they are a crook or not, keeps a "list" of one kind or another; for favors sought, favors done, "putting in a good word",ect.
That makes them all part of the same hypocrisy (to borrow a phrase from Michael Corleone)when spouting off about ethics, is if they cross the line like George Ryan's crew and delilberately rig the system -- violating the law.
Apparently Daniels crew did, Daleys crew does, Blagos crew does, Judys did too.
We will all find out as this unfolds further this summer.
Unfortunately, the voters have little chance to vent their rath in November -- becasue the combine owns every horse in the race.
Here, let me give it to you:
Rod's done for.
No he isn't.
Daley's done for.
No he isn't.
Repeat ad nauseum.
It is one thing to be on a list and quite another to own the list. Wake up people of the Blagosphere.
I did not have sexual relations with that list of jobs.
If Rep Fritchey is correct and Meeks is out because of a Tollway deal, Blago is toast. Even the most spiteful of conservatives will come home to JBT if they think the tolls are being extorted. How do you think ads run by JBT describing how Blago is selling off the state to appease the Rev are going to play in Peoria?
Put a fork in this Turkey, He might be done.
Clouts the tail that wags the dog - it helps many people, many good people and then along comes the goof, the stooge, the gold-brick, and even the criminal.
I am aways astonished by the outrage of the 'whistle-blower,' who got his/her job through clout, and then, when asked to do a full day's work phones an'investigative reporter' about the politically connected insider-supervisor and all of the inherent evils associated with clout; goes to court and sue the government body for millions.
Everybody wins;everybody loses; the new dog starts wagging again.
Pat,
CLOUT does NOT work for most people. Specifically it does not work in 1) a de-entological moral sense of what is right and wrong nor does it 2) work in a utilitarian sense of what is good for the greatest number of people.
Since you have an affinity for all things Irish, sports, bars, Catholic Schools, Catholic Church (although defending Imesch was kind of much at least vis a vis his invovlement in the law suits) and from the "old neighborhood" (much of which is good and justified) and I think you are from the 19th ward--CLOUT has worked for the Irish especially recently and for the 19th ward BUT MOST PEOPLE do not get the benefits.
The so called "Corruption Tax" was tolerated because since 1989 (at least vis a vis Daley) the city of Chicago became cleaner, more modern, more technology, lots of development BUT at what cost?
It is natural to take care of your friends AND to the victor belongs the spoils BUT to what extent in a modern Democracy and a nation that respects the rule of law and has LIMITED government.
The recent revelations of the corruption tax and the friends of Daley making fantastic ostensibly legal wealth through contracts and an upper and middle management controlling city personnel that is mediocre at best and corrupt and incompetent at worst and heavily Irish specifically from the 19th and 11th wards is NOT the ideal way to run City Government.
Again, Daley has done some good things. The City has progressed. (More on that Later) BUT this is not getting your cousin a summer job or clout helping get an extra garbage can. This is
#1: EXTENSIVE NO BID RIGGED CONTRACTS TO HUNDREDS MAYBE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
a) Millenium Park cost overruns of 100's of millions of dollars
politically connected investors involved in restaurants in no bid and no pay services sex for contract scandals
b) Hired Trucks, a gang member and member of HDO (a more powerful political gang than just the Latin Kings) was in charge of contracting for Hired Trucks costing tens of millions of dollars giving contracts to trucking companies who did nothing and actually stole products and cost safety including mafia trucking companies.
c) All of the contracts at the airport including 1 that has Jerry Joyce earning 120,000 a year for doing nothing. Let alone the McDonalds contracts with Joyce etc.
d) The Book Stores owned by Maggie Daleys friends.
e) The Cable Television Deal that the Joyce family got bought out at half a BILLION dollars. (ask the consumers about service and fees)
f) All of the Degnan Construction equipment contracts. Degnans inclusion in some of the Hospital deals and his wife on the Emerald Casino (minority involvement)
g) the land deals of Michael Marchese, and Oscar Dangelo trying to take little old Italian ladies homes through eminenet domain or buying acres of land for $1 or Lincoln Park land for under value.
h) The Irish Mafia Duffs ( who threaten to kill Police Officers and their wives and kids while trying to get oral sex from tranvestite prostitutes) and their minority front companies.
g) The Irish Hanleys and thier big donations of mostly Hispanic, African American and Polish, minimum wage workers whose dues went to pay Pat Levar and ex actors and a 500,000 to build a gym in Ireland.
h) The film studio grants and loans to companies and individuals associated with Sam "Wings" Carlisle.
i) The Mayors bodyguards (while working for the City) cashing in on big City security contracts.
g) the Towing contracts also connected to Joyce formed right before they were awarded the contract
i) Could go on for days about O'Hare airport
j) should we start with the LEGAL Contracts going to Shefsky (the firm where Mara Georges worked and all the politically connected are) or to Victor Reyes law firm (co-schemer A)
k) Bond work, not to the best companies but the politicaly connected and minorities (Look into the Skyway)
l) should we talk about the law suits and settlements and police corruption, some shark lawyers but also a lot of corrupt brutal cops many from the 19th ward, many protected
This is PERVASIVE not ancedotal nor the good part of corruption or clout or the cost of doing business.
THIS IS GREED. This cost the taxpayers BILLIONS. It is paid through our property taxes including seniors and people who don't have pay increases like politicians. It is sick. It is not cute. It is a lot more than the guy who got his job through clout and is now a whistle blower, who may be saving the taxpayer money regardless your perception of hypocricy.
Don't forget that the whistle blower got his job through clout because that was the only way he could get it. Just because you have to kiss ass to get a job does not mean you have to like it. A corrupt system is still a system.
The fear of a level playing field for jobs and contracts in Illinois is terrifying to inbred insiders. My God, can you imagine them actually going to a real interview?
Anonymous 4:48PM
An astute and sound catalogue of points and very well taken.
My only beef is that 'many' does not constitute 'most' in my initial post.
Pointed, well crafted and for the most part you get no argument from me.
Hickey, don't you think the 19th Ward and the Irish have too much power and that has lead to corruption.
The Mayor is IRISH. Daley
The County Board President before Stroger was IRISH and the one before that too (Dunne and Phelan)
and John Daley really runs things certainly now with the ill Stroger.
The States Attorney is Irish Devine.
The Assessor is IRISH Houlihan.
The Sheriff is IRISH Sheehan.
This is just Cook County.
Let alone Lisa Madigan or Danny Hynes in the State.
or Speaker of the House Mike Madigan
On the City side you had Eileen Carey as head of Streets and Sans (relative of Jerry Joyce)
Current Water and Sewers Department Commissioner is Brian Murphy. Your buddy Skinny Sheehan at Special Events and now at McPier because he needed more money.
Let alone all sorts of upper or middle management.
The Sheriffs office has all sorts of do nothing six figure jobs with names like Ryan, McGing (at least McGing was North Side Irish) BOTH are judges now even with serious allegations against Ryan concerning Shakman and abuse.
In terms of just the 19th ward
Houlihan is family originally and deep in the 19th ward.
His predecssor Tom Hynes was the 19th Ward Committeeman and hand picked Houlihan.
Sheehan is from the 19th ward and handpicked Dart from the 19th ward even though he had no law enforcement and a job created just for him like Ryan and McGing.
So the Assessors, Comptrollers, Sheriffs, and much of City government are ALL 19th ward.
Not because of passed tests, intelligence, diversity, helping minorities like the Sorich defense, almost ALL are Irish, despite other groups from the 19th ward. This is not the best and brightest of the City let alone the 19th ward. It fosters arrogance and corruption. It is statistical and objective. Look at the percentage of Irish and from the 19th ward. There is no equity, fairness nor diversity.
1.I think that you might have an Irish fixation. Irish ANTIDEFAMATION LEAGUE SHOULD BE CALLED!
2. You do not 'get' unless' you first 'give. '
3. Some people are not inclined to give of themselves for anyone or anything - an old old tradition of 'what are the workhouse for, is that not charity?'that is now called Progressive
4. The juice ( pardon my use of this term) from your sour grapes with regard to the 19th Ward is running rather too thickly. Some people do very well in this life bevause they work hard and have talent ( Joyce, Sheahan,Carey - all first generation political families I might add - and etc.). Some people do well in this life because of who they are because they do for others. (same as above).
5. This reads like Quigley dictated it. Sounds like Kid Revolution's Chicago Magazine Article - 'Please Skinny, help me beat Helen Schiller and I'll do anything . . .to screw you Sheahn's into my oak panelling!'
Corruption exists root it out. Send the scoundrals to prison; Convene the Tribune editorial Board and the good folks at the MacArthur Center for Justice; but lazy, do nothing for others, disloyal, and mean-spirited 'blocks' of people ( Irish, Alsatian, Montenegran, or Laplander) will never earn continued support. That is politics 101.
To get you must give. But to take and to create a system that is inherently unfair and fosters corruption is not good. It does seem like too much power is concentrated into the hands of a few.
i'd like to see the list itself...
as for me, I am done. i worked my butt off for the governor, gave money, was promised a meeting with "insiders" and nothing happened. they know where to find you when they need something. No way in the world I will ever do that again, particularly not after meeting some of the idiots that were hired who did nothing or when they did do something messed it up so bad it had to be redone the right way.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
The system is corrupt, and I am not a fan of the 19th ward, they do have tooooooo much and they do not share BUT they win elections.
the people may be fooled but the people voted them in
they people/voters could of rejected Dan Lipinksi, Bill Dart, Lisa Madigan, Dan Hynes, HDO candidates, or anyone else
BUT they voted for them
there are elections and that is Democracy, it may not be good
If I as a "layman" can see the obvious corruption and attempts at formulating an offense to offset an indefensible defense, then why couldn't the Feds and States Attorney General see the same thing? It is totally visible and "in your face" corruption! Almost to the point of "here I am, come and get me if you dare!". Blatant ultimate power syndrome by those who think they are indestructable. It will be resolved in a proper manner!
This is why the Founding Fathers wanted LIMITED GOVERNMENT.
Here is Chicago Daley is like a dictator, maybe a dictator that did a lot of good, but in Italy the trains ran on time with Mussolini and he got rid of the mafia, and in Spain there was little crime under Franco.
You need to have
1. a good Federal prosecutor not a pro-Daley pansy like Burns or Lassar
2. a strong media not Steve Neals and the like, pay to play journalism,
3. TERM LIMITS every other major city has them
4. Some kind of oversight of contracts
5. The culture needs to change and that will take a lot of work and/or a lot of time Daley reinforced the culture and in some ways made it more hypocritical and worse
The other list would be the list of who they punished.
The State and City Clout list are part of the same culture and overlap a lot of the same people.
The other list would be the list of who they punished.
My Dad told me people made payoffs not for favors but to avoid problems.
Yeah Annonymous,
Thou shalt not bear false witness is a big one.
You must be some gutless piece of work, though. On the old public teat as well.
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