By Steve Rhodes
I really don’t want to write about Richard M. Daley every day. I really don’t. I really, really don’t. But the man leaves me with no choice.
1. Daley: I’m Not Accountable.
2. “Democrats, Republicans, independents, I don’t care who they are,” Daley said in 2004. “We don’t hire anyone on a political basis. We have never done that in this city.”
Writes Mark Brown, who dug up the quote: “Two trials later, we have tons of proof that was patently untrue.”
3. “[A]ccording to testimony, the mayor’s brother Bill and Tim Degnan, considered the fifth Daley brother, met with Latino political operatives to build the patronage army known as the Hispanic Democratic Organization,” John Kass writes.
“Actually, it’s the Hispanic Daley Organization because it wasn’t about supporting Latinos. It was all about supporting Daley. Bill and Tim – and presumably the mayor himself – gave their blessing, and another giant patronage army was built, financed by you taxpayers to strengthen the mayor’s wrought-iron fisted rule.
“Naturally, I asked him whether Degnan and Bill Daley told him about the HDO deal. But the mayor cut me off so quickly, I couldn’t even mention the phrase ‘racketeering conspiracy.’
“‘John, my statement speaks for itself. I’m glad you finally showed up to one of my press conferences,’ Daley said.”
On Fox Chicago’s Good Day Chicago this morning, Kass reiterated that he was attempting to ask the mayor this: When your brother Bill and your pal Tim got together and formed the Hispanic Democratic Organization, didn’t they tell you about it?”
It bears repeating.
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And you never discussed hiring with Robert Sorich, your former patronage director? You remember Sorich – he used to be your brother John’s personal driver.
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And you pride yourself on being such a great manager, but what would happen to a corporate CEO if it was revealed in not one but two trials that company hiring was massively fraudulent?
4. Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. on Good Day Chicago: “A lot of people who work for government agencies are fall guys, but everybody’s involved.”
5. Yes, it would make sense that Bill Daley is suddenly thinking of China instead of an Illinois ballot. (With the usual caveat that Sneed gets it right less often than the proverbial broken clock.)
6. “Clean It Up, Mayor . . . ” the Tribune editorial page says today.
Isn’t it a bit too late for that?
7. The Tribune’s Dan Mihalopoulos channels the Beachwood Reporter.
Mmm, Slush Fund . . .
“Chicago School Board members will consider today whether to double their expense accounts by a total of $88,000 just as the system faces its largest budget deficit in 10 years,” the Sun-Times reports in print, but apparently not online.
“Expense allowances would rise from $12,000 to $24,000 annually for each of six board members, and from $19,200 to $36,000 annually for the board president.”
Um, have office supplies really become that much more expensive? Don’t y’all have an OfficeMax rewards card?
“Noting that board members are not paid, board President Michael Scott called the hike a “good gesture for people who volunteer so much time.”
I can think of another pretty good gesture for people who volunteer so much of their time trading on their political connections to gain positions in which they can do the mayor’s bidding.
“A small amount of money like that for seven people is the last thing we should worry about when we are facing a $475 million deficit that board members are going to have to spend a whole lot of extra time to address.”
Think of it like a taxpayer-funded bonus!
“[Civic Federation President Lawrence] Msall also called it ‘outrageous’ that the board members don’t need to file receipts for expenses.”
Wait, so they’re just pocketing this money?
“”Without a receipt, these are not expense accounts,” Msall said. “They are slush funds.”
Well, it’s the least we can do for those who “volunteer” their time. For the sake of the children.
Now, whaddya all say you volunteer to pay for your own expenses and put that money into a fund to buy our kids new books? Huh? Any takers?
Onion or Sun-Times?
“School evacuated after chlorine-like smell found near pool.”
Chicago Tea Party
The revolution will not be metered.
Chicago’s Disorderly Conduct
Beachwood legal correspondent Sam Singer looks at the city’s unconstitutional free assembly provisions.
MLB Sleepers
Beachwood fantasy sports correspondent Dan O’Shea takes a look at which ones have awaken.
The Capital Song/Jeff Ruby
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Ruby lost a bet.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: A capital idea.
Posted on March 25, 2009