The [Wednesday] Papers

"Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday brushed aside allegations that the owner of a company awarded a $99 million O'Hare Airport janitorial contract was the longtime business partner of a man with ties to organized crime," the Sun-Times reports.

More ado about nothing.

"We had a competitive process. This company won and they're now offering jobs to the other [union] workers to also work for them at the airport doing the janitorial services," Rahm said.

Hey, if the mob wins a competitive process, they win a competitive process. I'm sure they provide competitive service at a competitive price. If nothing else, the mob is awfully competitive.

*

"I would note that that same company has a number of contracts with high-rises downtown in the city of Chicago with SEIU [Service Employees International Union]," Rahm said. "So, there's a fuller story, a more complete story. There's more than just one side to this story."

Besides the fact that doing business with private concerns doesn't in any way justify public contracts going to mobbed up businesses, Rahm once again has his facts screwed up.

Laura Garza, secretary-treasurer of SEIU Local 1, said the mayor was dead-wrong.

"United Maintenance does not have a contract with us for any commercial buildings. They have no contracts with us in commercial buildings period. In the past, they had contracts with two buildings for four workers. They expired," Garza said.

The contracts, not the workers. Right?

*

"The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that United Maintenance owner Richard Simon was involved in another company with alleged mob figure William Daddano Jr. - from 1998 until that firm was officially disbanded on Dec. 17, 2011, according to state records.

"Lisa Madigan in 2004 labeled the Daddanos as mobsters," Garza said. "We're calling on the inspector general and the attorney general to investigate this [to determine] whether they're a reputable contractor to do business with the city."

Right. The Daddanos. Everybody knows that.

"An Emanuel administration spokesman responded by saying City Hall had 'no reason to believe that there is any wrongdoing with United Maintenance or its owner. However, if material issues arise, the city would take appropriate action to protect its interests.'"

I think one just did!

"United Maintenance issued its own statement that insisted that, 'at no time was anyone at United aware of allegations' against any of its business partners."

Well, you can't blame United Maintenance for apparently not reading the papers.

In 2004, Attorney General Lisa Madigan described Daddano and three other family members as "reputed members of organized crime" as she opposed Rosemont's bid to open a casino.

And in a "Chicago Outfit Organizational Chart" published in 1997, the Chicago Crime Commission listed Daddano among the "members and associates" of the mob's North Side crew . . .

Daddano is the son of the late mobster William "Potatoes" Daddano. Reached on his cell phone, Daddano hung up on a Sun-Times reporter.

If a material issue arises, Potatoes will call you back.

Electric Rahm Orchestra
"Mayor Rahm Emanuel has dropped plans to take a portion of the savings going to city residents from a new bulk electricity purchasing program and spend it on clean-energy projects, administration officials said Tuesday on the eve of public hearings," the Tribune reports.

"Ald. Patrick O'Connor, 40th, the mayor's council floor leader, said the administration never intended to levy a surcharge."

Really?

Sign Co-Sign
"Former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica was sentenced to four months of courts supervision Tuesday after a judge found him guilty of defacing a former rival's campaign signs," the Sun-Times reports.

It was either that or run him for judge.

Pro-Choice
"Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday defended his decision to constrict traffic on a popular street that runs through the heart of Chicago's congested downtown area - by installing 12 blocks of protected bike lanes along Dearborn between Polk and Kinzie," the Sun-Times reports.

Hey, you can always drive.

Er, take the CTA.

Er, ride a bike.

Er, fuck you.

The [Vanecko] Papers
Part I: Anita Alvarez is quickly becoming toxic.

The Race To Replace
Political Odds UPDATED.

Fiscal Rock
Song of the Moment: Over The Cliff.

Or Think Of The Cliff As A Bluff
In QT.

Fantasy Fix: MVPs
In the fantasy world, only one Bear qualifies - and it's not the one they talk about in the real world.

Gay Press, Ancient Art
In Local Book Notes.

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The Beachwood Tip Line: Fish and chip.

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