Ill. Republicans Offer Reward on Daley

[Jon8503]

Jul 27, 11:51 AM (ET)


CHICAGO (AP) - The Cook County Republican Party is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an indictment and conviction of Mayor Richard M. Daley, whose administration has been buffeted by scandal. "The arrogance of Richard Daley is appalling," said Gary Skoien, chairman of the county party. "We hope this reward will inspire someone with critical knowledge to come forward."

Daley's press secretary, Jacqueline Heard, scoffed at the GOP reward. "This is ridiculous, politically motivated and undeserving of any further comment," she said in a statement. The reward follows last week's announcement by federal prosecutors that they had charged two City Hall officials with rigging the city's hiring system to get around a 1983 court order that bars officials from hiring employees for political reasons.


The mayor, who has not been charged, reacted to the charges by proposing that municipal hiring be turned over to an independent commission. Last week's indictments were an outgrowth of an ongoing federal investigation of bribes being given in return for jobs in a $38 million program in which the city outsourced hauling work. Twenty-one people have pleaded guilty, including some former high-ranking city officials.

The lawyer who obtained the 1983 federal court order on hiring has asked a judge to hold the mayor in contempt of court for violating the decree. Michael Shakman argued in a court filing Tuesday that civil fines should be imposed on Daley and other city officials for what he says are "systemic, widespread violations" of the decree, which bears his name.

Shakman did not allege that Daley had been aware of specific violations, but he blamed the mayor for a "culture of disregard for the law and disrespect for court orders." Corporation Counsel Mara Georges denied that the violations rose to the "systemic level" that would justify holding the mayor in contempt.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/07/27/national/a085125D54.DTL

[Prism]

1. Well

On the one hand, Chicago city government is rife with corruption and cronyism.

On the other, the Illinois Republican Party is a corpse awaiting an autopsy.

We'll call this one a draw.

[iconoclastic cat]

2. Yeah, we might actually have better luck with a Green candidate.

[Prism]

6. Don't get me wrong

I think Daley is a fairly good Democrat and thoroughly decent guy.

He's just an awful adminstrator, and he tends to move in circles with some truly heinous people. The old, corrupt city oligarchy who reigned with the Father have latched onto the Son.

The independent hiring commission is a good start, and I really wish he had implemented it ages ago. But, as things stand now, I'm thinking a good house-cleaning is order unless things severely change between now and '07.

I dunno. As a gay Chicagoan, I'm probably a little soft on Daley. He's done an awful lot of good for us.

[iconoclastic cat]

7. I can't accept his tolerance for corruption.

What's worse is that he feigns ignorance.

As CPS teacher, I'm probably a little hostile toward Daley. He's done an awful lot to rip off the kids in this city.


BTW, welcome to DU! I can't PM you yet. Post some more!

[Prism]

12. Thanks!

I have a friend who worked for CPS. She lasted roughly three years. She wanted to be a teacher all her life, and that little experience pretty much killed it for her. She cannot say enough bad things about the administration.

[iconoclastic cat]

13. Oh, yeah.

A lot of people think that teachers in the CPS are frustrated with their students, when in fact the problem is the sheer number of horrible administrators that seem to breed in the system. I'm about ready to switch after just one year; if I am hired for a non-teaching job somewhere, I will probably not return.

[Prism]

15. The programs are a good idea

She entered the program where a portion of her college was paid for as long as she agreed to teach for a set amount of time in an inner-city school. She loved the kids and loved that she was making a difference. But she received absolutely no administrative support, and it simply ground her down over time.

But then, that seems to be the CPS's m.o. these days.

[iconoclastic cat]

16. Ah, yes, Teachers for Chicago or something like that.

A lot of people came through that program. The administrators don't care about education; they care about appearances and self-promotion. Their motto should be, "So what have you done for me lately?"

So, BTW, from whence do you hail? I'm up in Andersonville.

[Prism]

17. All over

Lived in the burbs, in Rogers Park, downtown, etc. I recently returned after a few years in Europe and am in the middle of buying a place in Wrigleyville.

Er, how many posts do I need before PMs become available? lol

[iconoclastic cat]

18. I'm not sure.

That info must be documented somewhere on the site.

[Prism]

19. Eh

I'll figure it out, one way or another =)

[B Calm]

3. Henry (the hypocrite) Hyde has time on his hands.. Maybe he'll

look into this??

[iconoclastic cat]

8. Is he still alive?

[ClintonTyree]

4. This was posted yesterday as well.........

and I suggested we put a bounty on the entire bush administration. If this is the sort of lunacy the Slugs want to resort to now, then turn about is fair play.

I hereby offer a $1,000,000 bounty for information leading to the arrest and conviction of george w. bush for crimes against the world and the citizens of the United States.

How's that? :)

[datasuspect]

5. daley ain't much of a democrat

he for sure is NOT his old man.

[iconoclastic cat]

9. His old man wasn't exactly a progressive, either.

[wndycty]

10. Very stupid move. . .

. . .a move like this takes some Democrats who were trending anti-Daley and will turn them pro Daley because they will rally behind him against a Republican attack.

[iconoclastic cat]

11. I know! I may be hungry for Daley to get his pink slip, but I'm sure not

going to support a Repub hit squad! Especially Illinois Repubs, who are the most pathetic genre of Repub in the country (to wit: Keyes, IFI, etcetera).

[KharmaTrain]

14. Chicago Democrats Know This Game...

It's just reshuffling the deck chairs. LOL.

The corruption is all but genetic in the way city government (might as well through county and state) is structured. It's still as much a patronage system as ever, and as long as it's friends and buddies and lots of money flowing in between, corruption will flow. Every so often it's just flushed out and then a new level of sewer rats surface.

Richie's nowhere as bad as his old man. At least he's not busting heads in Grant Park. I agree that Richie's biggest fault is he gave a wink and nod as this stuff just kept getting worse, and short of Fitzgerald having a video of Richie snorting nose candy, Richie will ride things out.

If Richie's stupid enough to get his fingerprints on any of these scandals (something his old man got away with) then he deserves to go down...but the Repugnicans better not think this is there opportunity. I hear the elected Chicago Repugnican Club still meets in the same phone booth.

Cheers...

[DanCa]

20. 2 wrongs dont make a right

Here's hoping this will backfire.