Sunday, February 18, 2007

Cynics: Daley Combined With Snow, Wind For Election Year Ploy.

Only in Chicago, is the snow political. I wrote a post the other day (subsequently linked by Cap Fax) which basically says:

"Hey. How come nobody is saying, "thanks Mayor, by getting the removal crews out there in force, the city didn't have to shut down" Additionally I commented about how there were a pair of very bitter Tribune employees writing a cynical snark piece blaming da Mare because they didn't get a snow day and instead had to like...go to work and stuff...to write cynical snark pieces. It's a vicious cycle...really.

But that was hardly the only attempt to make the snow political. Patrick McDonough of Chicago Clout decided to pull a Fred Phelps and photo documented hired trucks and city employees clearing out private property - which turned out to be the Montclair-Luciana Funeral Home which is where a slain CPD officer was to be waked. After being called out on it, McDonough nicely informed us that the wake of a hero is "B.S." I've never seen the anti-Daley crowds sizeable cop hate coupled with their snowy criticizm in the same post.

Still, other bloggers (whom I assume know not what they say) wax the ever Rovian "I question the timing" of the "over the top snow removal". I suppose this particular blogger has this vision for what was going on @ 35th And Michigan:

Mike Picardi (Streets and San head honcho - if you're not in the know): Sir, the snow has reached 12 inches. What should we do?
Daley: Activate Phase 3. It's an election year.
Picardi: But sir, people will assume that you're only shoveling the snow because it's close to the election.
Daley: Hmmmm. That's silly.....it's silly...it's a silly pickle. So if I don't get the plows out there, people will blast me for not removing it during an election year. But if I do get the plows out there, pre-invalidated criticizm will be levied against me based on the fact it's an election year. Gee wiz. Whatever shall I do?

As I mentioned before, I'm a life long Chicagoan. I grew up watching the 10 oclock news with my parents. So when Rich Miller mentioned to me that Dorothy Brown jumped on Daley for his snow removal plan I instinctively knew that it was going to be that her street wasn't plowed and the implication would be that black neighborhoods weren't getting the attention that they should. As is the case quite often, I was right:


"The Phase Three obviously is not working very well," Brown said. "So, obviously he's taking that extra step because of the elections, but from my street it hasn't worked yet."

But "a lot of communities are still suffering. ... They are not doing a good job with the snow," she said.


Of course, a few minutes later Brown conceded that she would have done the same thing. I don't blame her. What's she going to say? "I wouldn't get the plows rolling to keep the city running".

It is a sad state of affairs, when a mayor has a city running so well that the absence of a stoppage is cause for political hoohaa.

30 comments:

pathickey 10:23 AM  

Dan,

Remember when Congressman Bobby '2Smart' Rush ran against Daley and called the media out to Stony Island Ave. for an "Outrage" session on snow removal? While Minister Rush was venting three salt trucks and as many plows drowned out his fulmination? Now -that's entertainment!

Hey what's with Pat 'Cave-in' McDonagh anyway? What's the guy looking for and how much?

Anonymous,  11:35 AM  

The Bobby Rush incident was some of the best political theatre we'll ever see in Chicago.

As for ol' Cave-In, I'll try not to specifically point here, but there is an ilk of people who have dedicated a large portion of their time to bringing down the King, only to find that they're either short on actual reasons to bring down the King, or short on people who care - all things considered.

This breeds what would be, in blogging language, referred to as "Daley Derangement Syndrome". My blog has become the home of the DDS afflicted - just watch the stuff the flows every time I mention a certain police officer from a certain midwestern town...you get the picture.

fedup dem 11:46 AM  

Note to Dan L and Pat Hickey: To refresh the memories of you and others who are of the opinion that Richard M. Daley's bowel movements do not stink, Pat McDonough was the whistle-blower in the Operation Hired Trucks scandal. Had his early warnings been heeded, the city would have saved hundreds of millions of our tax dollars (yours and mine), and a number of individuals may have avoided some or all of the criminal charges that they are now facing.

As for Dan L's laughable comment about the mayor running the city so well, it is obviously apparent that you are among the small minority that live in the elitist Chicago that Mayor Daley has created for his friends, cronies and the wealthy. For the rest of us, the ones who are stuck riding the collapsing CTA system, who are being forced from homes where we have lived for years due to rising property taxes, we have to live in a very different Chicago from you and that sorry excuse of a Mayor.

Tell us, do you really enjoy paying the "corruption tax" thrust upon all of us for the plagues of corruption, waste and mismanagement this adminstration has brought on the people of Chicago? I can tell you that I have had enough, and I am proud to have cast my Mayoral vote for Dorothy Brown.

RANDALL SHERMAN
Secretary/ Treasurer, Illinois Committee for Honest Government

pathickey 11:56 AM  

Randall, Old Man!

Naw Rich's call to nature - again why do reformers and progressives fixate on bowel movements??? - never understood that - anyway - Naw Richie's got problems any vast corporate enterprize does. BTW - I would rather already be under a buses wheels and than waiting for Da Mare give me a pat on the back.

Ican never understand how a person - who laps it up at the trough of public money and used a political sponsor to do that lapping - can then stab his patron in the back and still demand a wave from all and sundry as 'a wonderful guy.'

Like I said. I am a simple man. Never had the audacity to 'seek out the patronage of some great man' and then cry foul when the coin was minted through larceny. I am no sophisticate. I like cheese as much as the next person, but I hold the phone at snatching it from someone else.

Anonymous,  1:04 PM  

Randall,

I'm not sure exactly what might be so 'elite' about my neighborhood. It's just a simple middle class neighborhood made up mostly of cops and firemen. More to the point, I remain quite pleased with the mayor's performance despite currently sitting in Official MOSU Girlfriend's uptown apartment. That is of course, despite neither being the Mayor's friend, cronie, nor relative.

I'm not really sure about this doom and gloom about the CTA. I take it several times a week. I haven't seen a wheel fall off and I haven't seen a car go off the rails. Near as I can tell, there's a lot of work going on to get it up to snuff. So what's the problem? Try not to quote the hipster publications in the process though.

As for your healthy dose of McDonough loving, I'm only going to say this once:

At this stage in the game, after he apparently got wind of the location of a CPD officer's wake, went to the place where the wake was taking place for the express purpose of documenting the City taking special interest in that poor guy's wake, and then using this documentation to express some sort of bizarre conspiracy laden fantasy for political hay at the expense of respect for a man's wake, I wouldn't care if McDonough exposed Watergate. He'd still get the label of Major League Jerk in my book which goes far beyond my previous assesment that he's just flat out nuts, an assertion which I maintain.

Jeff Trigg 3:07 PM  

Ah yes, the very excellent Mayor Daley who taxes the poor (18% electricity tax even after rate increases) and gives to the rich (over $1 billion to two sports teams). Those are some priorities you can't argue with a bit.

Why should anyone expect their Mayor to know if jobs are being handed out based on political clout instead of competence? Why should anyone expect their Mayor to know if tens of millions of dollars are being handed over to politically connected truck firms that aren't doing anything? Why should anyone expect the Mayor to know if minority contracts are going to his Duff contributors and friends?

If you like your Mayor to be a cross between Sgt. Schultz, who knows nothing, Mister Magoo, who sees nothing, and Barney Fife, who is likable but incompetent, then Mayor Daley is perfect.

What is it, 1 in 10 CPS students go on to college? But I know, the Mayor is trying and it's the state's fault even though the Mayor endorsed Blago and has no problems with Madigan and Jones. The CTA is great, you wait 30 minutes for one bus and three of them show up at the same time instead of just one. What a deal.

We all love the jam-packed filthy trains in the morning also, cause even though there is absolutely no room on the first two, the third one can often sandwich you into a position that would get you fired for sexual harassment or arrested for assault or rape. And you know a cities job prospects are great when 4 of the top 5 employers are units of government and the 5th is a grocery store chain.

The highest sales tax of any city with an actual population. The highest restaurant tax in the US. The highest electricity tax. The highest hotel tax. The highest cigarette tax in the US. All taxes that hurt low wage workers the most. But we've got wonderful TIFs to give breaks to the rich developers while the poor bear the tax burden. They just haven't learned their lesson yet that they have to work on a campaign before they can feed off their neighbors.

Yes, the city is being handled so efficiently and fairly that jobs and population are booming. Oh wait, jobs and population are leaving and the poor are getting poorer. Hmmm.

Anonymous,  3:32 PM  

Why is it that a post about the snow results in this sort of litany of Daley hate?

Anonymous,  3:47 PM  

"cause even though there is absolutely no room on the first two, the third one can often sandwich you into a position that would get you fired for sexual harassment or arrested for assault or rape"
Ridiculous statements like this are the reason why the anti-Daley movement has no traction.

Jeff Trigg 3:49 PM  

I get it, we should praise the Mayor for shoveling the streets and look the other way on everything else. We should only love the Mayor completely for no-brainer accomplishments right? Nah, I like looking at forests, but you can look at trees all you want.

Jeff Trigg 3:52 PM  

Well, anon, I'd take my video camera if there were room for it. Being smashed between four people does happen every morning even if you don't like the analogy.

pathickey 4:06 PM  

Jeff,

Re-read today's Trib - Why do all of the most successful business leaders back Daley? Because He is an effective manager - like it or not.

Newsmen of the old school - those trained in the City News Bureau traditions - killed by the way by the Tribune - coup de grace anyway -
laugh clowns like the 'whistle-blowers' out of the office. Lazy, wired-in mopes that got a kick in the ass from the boss are turned into plastic saints by the Zorns, Kasses, and other such agenda driven ink-slingers.

It is one thing to be thief, get caught and punished and it is another to have ghost-payroller call foul against you.

A stand-up guy would walk away from a tainted job, or refuse to work at one in the first place. A louse guzzles gravy and beefs when the pot runs dry - big difference.

Jeff Trigg 4:17 PM  

Why do all of the most successful business leaders back Daley?

Because there is no one else less incompetent to back.

Anonymous,  6:35 PM  

Does it not amaze anybody else that for all of the accusations of wrong doing, not a single one has resulted in an indictment against King Richard ?

Anonymous,  7:02 PM  

While I cannot fully disclose everything at this point, I would like to give you a general idea of how taxpayers money has been wasted. For many years chicago city crews have been dispatched to serve a few well connected persons. (During Snow emergencies) their driveways were cleaned with four wheel drive backhoes while an entire crew drove around and watched. Crews were dispatched to give free service to the politically connected. Other chicago citizens had to pay. Some services that private contractors would charge thousands, were given for nothing. Local politicans would bump average citizens their spot on the wait list for city services. This goes on to this day. Chicago services are entered by a list, and services should be first come, first serve. Many people are still without water, the chicago system should serve all in the same manner. Is the funeral home going to pay back taxpayers? Chicago City trucks belong on the public way. If this is a government job, treat all citizens and employees equal, not much to ask.

Anonymous,  7:45 PM  

Is the funeral home going to pay back taxpayers?

Keep digging the hole Pat. A Chicago copper gets killed and you're making a political point about whether or not his death pays?

Jeff Trigg 8:59 PM  

Not being indicted, while, what, over 70 city employees and political operatives under his watch have been indicted or convicted for gaming the taxpayers the last couple years, isn't exactly a strong selling point. I doubt all the federal raids on numerous city departments will lead to the Mayor, but you never know, I thought the same about GRyan. It took over 6 years for them to get him.

No personal offense Dan L you seem like a stand up guy, but stick to the snow shoveling and beautification and other little stuff that the Mayor is good at. He's no good at keeping corruption of out his government.

Anonymous,  9:16 PM  

Dan L assumes that McDonough knew about the policeman's death before he took the photos. Maybe he did but he did not say that. If McDonough saw public trucks plowing private property (which is done for the politically connected) than good for him.

Pat Hickey assumes that Pat McDonough got hired by Rich Daley and now bites the hand that feeds him. Maybe that is true as I don't know how he got hired. But city workers who reveal wrongdoing, and the hired trucking program seems like wrongdoing are doing something good.

In many parts of the city the snow removal is not great. Some years back, under a different Sup, people were snowed in, getting ticketed and it was awful. I am glad they are the highest alert or phase or whatever election or not. I have been in and lived in other cities, including others with snow and Chicago is not better. Including a very brief stint in Toronto.

My heart and prayers do go out to the police officer and his family.

I went on the Dan L website and it is definitely as he said "snarky" or "blue" or whatever, some foul language, some real hard opinions, not my taste--but it is a free country.

Anonymous,  9:30 PM  

DanL,

What do you think about Richie Daley holding up the contracts for Police officers. Or his cutting off of PO benefits. Or creating a politically connected OPS?

Since you are a John Burge fan, what do you think about Daley firing Burge?(It wasn't Richard J, Jane Byrne, David Orr, Harold Washington or Eugene Sawyer who fired him)
or Daley's chief of staff saying to cut off his benefits or pension or suing him or not paying his legal fees?
or the Daley OPS and Personel Board saying he was guilty of torture (not in a criminal or civil court) and that he should be terminated?

Or Daley recently saying that the "Area 2 was a shameful episode in Chicago history" and that he would apologize to anyone and that he is sorry for Jon Burge?

Anonymous,  10:18 PM  

I think that most people don't care about John Burge, the people that he worked over for the most part deserved what they got, if one or two people were stupid enough to sign a statement saying they did the crime, well who really cares today. Mayor Daley is doing a good job, city looks good and people are making money, he will be re-elected and his friends will continue to steal from the city (all Mayors enrich their friends and relatives)I give credit to the Mayors team for causing disunity in the minority community, they are the best and should be shown respect.

Anonymous,  10:35 PM  

@Jeff:

According to the Daley haters, you've got 10 years where this supposed corruption is plain as day; and yet not a single conviction against the man. Hell, not even a single indictment.

@ Anonymous:

The odds of Patty boy just randomly stumbling across that same funeral home - especially given the Daley Hater crowd's long history of hate the Chicago Police Department - are round about zero.

If you need any additional evidence of that, you can check your crazy pals long tail of mocking civil servants who risk life and limb.

@Byrne:
Requires a new post. Maybe I'll drop one on that very topic.


So - anybody going to give some credit to da Mare for the snow removal?

Jeff Trigg 12:49 AM  

Dan L, like I said, I don't think he will get indicted, but that is hardly a strong defense of his competence. Let's assume he's perfectly clean. The Mayor has still allowed dozens or hundreds, of people to rip off the taxpayers under his watch. If we use the logic that not being indicted or convicted makes someone a great Mayor, well, who wouldn't be. Pat Hickey for Mayor even, assuming.... Not a single indictment qualifies me even. President Bush must be a genius at running the country since he doesn't have one indictment either, wouldn't you agree?

I know, your defense for all that illegal activity happening under him is that he hasn't been indicted. OK we got that.

Yes, thank you Mayor Daley for doing a fine job at plowing the major roads. As if this is the first time Chicago has had to deal with snow and Mayor Daley masterminded some huge new undertaking. The system should have been routine long before this Mayor came along, so I guess he gets credit for occupying an office while the S&S city workers did what they've been doing mostly competently for decades. And yes, the snow removal story, non-story is silly, you are correct. As if he minds a news cycle focusing on that instead of corruption and taxes on the poor and other trees in the forest.

Anonymous,  12:53 AM  

It seems that the links you put up that Paddy McDonough, Snitchy or Deepwater or whatever loves the fire department. So I am not sure why that means that he knew that there was a police officer funeral or that he hates the police. If he knew it was shitty, but if he didn't than he is doing what he should do.

I give credit to the Mayor for snow removal but you exagerate the job he did. I have good kids and am still in OK shape with a shovel. The environmentalists may have had a hard time without SUVs.

Why did the FOP not endorse Daley? Why did the Firefighters endorse Brown?

The Burge stuff is ancient history that is costing the Department too much money and too much trust on the street and we need to move on and not keep on bringing up something that happened many years ago.
BUT what about the Daley MERIT PROMOTIONS, or race based norming, or hanging out non politically connected police to dry.

Look at a website with more PO input than yours
www.secondcitycop.blogspot.com
There are a lot of problem with Daley when there is still the highest murder rate in the USA both numerically and percentage wise, yes it dipped for a year or too, but it is up again, and yes it is confined primarily but not exclusively to a certain subculture, but there is enough of the smaller percentage to go around.
There are a lot of problems with MORALE, POLITICS, SUPERVISORS, MIDDLE MANAGEMENT, BS GUN CONTROL THAT DALEY LOVES, HURTIN RETIREES, and lots of other issues. Daley is no friend of police, either is Dorothy Brown but it is a protest vote, in terms of enemies of police Patrick McDonough ain't even in the top hundred thousand.
Daley is creating a rat culture, he protests the wrong police officers, he does not deploy manpower right, he responds to crisis instead of preparing or planning there is only reacting.

If you are PO family than talk to them and see what they say. Maybe I am wrong but you will get an earful. Go to the retiree meetings, talk to them. Talk to the former military guys and ask them about the idiots doing tactical stuff, talk to the detectives and the politics in pulling cases off or interference from alderman connected to gangs and drugs. Talk to the real investigators or middle management who is told to let a Commissioner go for a DUI that could of killed someone, or a top precinct captain who beat up a prostitute, or to drop a case because it hits to close to a big shots son or even an alderman, and as long as they are friends with Daley everything is OK.

There are problems with training, chase rules, weapons protocol, priorities. The 11th ward ran the police department, the 19th ward got the choice jobs and retirement posts with Devine, everyone else got shit on.

Anonymous,  1:01 AM  

DanL, you are a little cynical, I looked at those links again, Either Patrick McDonough is a real a--h-le or he is not mocking them but congratulating them.
Without your analysis I read it as he is thanking and congratulation the Fire Department. Do you hate this guy too much, or are you too cynical or am I an idiot (I may be an idiot) but he does not seem to be mocking anyone or he is mocking them by being to congratulatory or you have to be an insider to know what is going on.

Daley doing well on shoveling snow does not make him good for Second City Cops.

Patrick McDonough congratulating Firefighters does not mean he mocks civil servants. Patrick McDonough complaining about snow removal at a private business does not mean he hates cops, even if he is wrong or off base, and you still haven't proven he knew about the wake. If McDonough knew about the wake and that is why he went to the funeral home you have a point, if he did not than you are off base.

New York City has some good snow removal too and better run public transit.

You can donate to the family, so can McDonough or anyone else:
find out how at
www.secondcitycop.blogspot.com

A police officer is a police officer 24/7.

Anonymous,  1:57 PM  

Dan:

Are you saying that Jon Burge was innocent or actually doing a good job or...which I might agree with you but not on the former...the lawsuits are ridiculous and a lot of these people were guilty.

I have a harder time with the position that Jon Burge was a good guy or a righteous cop based on the overwhelming evidence.
I kind of agree with Pat Hickey who rightly points out that Flint Taylor and the Peoples Law are hustlers out to make a buck on the taxpayers with some very bad criminals. However, part of the reason they are able to do that was/is bad cops. Just because cops are necessary (which I don't think these communists believe) or most cops are good does not mean all cops are good or all things cops do is justified or that Jon Burge was/is good. I also know there is hype and the media lies etc. But that does not mean there are not bad cops who did bad things.

It is not healthy for a society to bring these things up all the time. I don't think Daley is culpable nor did he know at least not specifics. Daley cannot be personally responsible for every bad eggs out of thousands of cops or tens of thousands of city workers it is just not possible.

Dan Please clarify your position.
The Pat Hickey position is much more reasonable that there is a lot of exageration and a lot of lefty lawyers are trying to undermine the entire system and make money.

Anonymous,  7:13 PM  

Your Mayor settled with the Peoples Law Office and the 4 cases in Federal Court for 15 million it was on Channel 7. The City made a deal and now is reneging. Daley doesn't want to give the money until after the election.

Anonymous,  9:00 PM  

Let us clear the air, first off the pictures were taken by a Chicago city employee that was scared of losing his job. The pictures (more than one) showed unproper activity by Chicago Employees. Since the employee cannot afford to lose his job, he did the next best thing, he reported to me so he can have food on the table. Many people still do not understand the revenge given to employees that speak up. Many people see the treatment I am given to this day for my part in the "Hired Truck Scandal". Today I worked just a few houses away from where the policeman was killed, I see the massive police presence. I talked to police officers today on the scene. I hope when I talk about my Chicago Police and Firemen, my friends, I know my job is to make sure they have what it takes to get them home to their families. Many police and fireman talk to me for hours about their conditions, watch other take promotions because of clout. I listen to Chicago Police officers scared I would reveal things they say to me! I have never misplaced any trust, and I have allowed those that wish to speak on T.V. when they have had enough. And thanks to advocates like the Illinois Committee for Honest Government and Frank Avila, candidates have a chance to get on T.V. and the Internet, with no money, none. Maybe a tip for the studio guys! I have respect for many people on the internet, but I show my face, I say my name, unlike the phony cowards that just feed off the hard work of others. If someone wishes to debate the issues come on T.V. and show what you have. Show your face, say your name. Patrick McDonough

Anonymous,  11:42 PM  

Again Arch, while the Daley Haters and the Legal Hustlers will be more than happy to one line the entire issue for you. But, like most anything: there's a bit of nuance to the whole business which should be challenged outside of the context of "See!! Rich Daley should be tried at the Hague", which we should all be honest, would just be indictment number 4154 that strangely enough, will never come to fruition.

So Paddy, did you ask all of your policeman friends what they think of Daley having a parking lot cleared out for a wake?

P.S.: Most fireman think you talk too much.

Anonymous,  7:02 PM  

They are really more concerned if Daley is going to stick it to them on the next contract. The poor cop that got shot was working a second job to make ends meet. Chicago Police are not paid enough, PERIOD. I will go to bat for any policeman. And you are?

Anonymous,  8:25 AM  

The Firefighters endorsed Dowtown Dorothy Brown.

The FOP was neutral.

Daley is no friend of police.

Anonymous,  12:40 PM  

Daley and his lying hypocritcal legal staff are the biggest enemies to good police officers not Dorothy Brown and certainly not Patrick McDonough.

Dan if you know so many cops, and I can take you to a couple of bars, and basements--Daley is not well liked and has hurt a lot of police and police families.

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