ChicagoClout

"In April, Daley agreed to create the $12 million fund as part of an out-of-court settlement that allows the city to get out from under the Shakman decree on Dec. 31, 2008, if it can prove substantial compliance at that time. The ban on political hiring and firing will be replaced by an executive order."

This is the paragraph the explains why the Inspector General should monitor compliance and not some new (added city expenses) department that da Mayor can more easily manipulate and "cook the books". I don't think the Mayor plans to "substanially comply" and that's why he has to create a new department he can manipulate to show compliance. Certainly the current IG Mr. Hoffmann is too independent to be controlled by Daley.

City hiring cases flood monitor
By Laurie Cohen and Todd Lighty | Tribune staff reporters
11:27 PM CDT, October 1, 2007
After being swamped with last-minute claims from people who say they lacked the political clout to get jobs in Mayor Richard Daley's administration, a court-appointed official said Monday that she probably will need more time to determine how much—if anything—each is owed.

Friday was the deadline for filing claims under an agreement between the city and lawyer Michael Shakman to end Shakman's long-running court battle against political hiring at City Hall. The agreement required the city to set up a $12 million fund to pay as much as $100,000 each to employees and job-seekers who were denied jobs, promotions, transfers and overtime work because they did not have political connections.

Noelle Brennan, the court-appointed official who has monitored city hiring for the last two years, said 1,451 people filed claims alleging that they were harmed by the city's actions between the beginning of 2000 and the end of last May. Brennan did not know the total value of the claims filed but said requested awards are probably more than $12 million.

More than 600 of the claims came into Brennan's office on Thursday and Friday—some as late as the deadline midnight Friday. As a result, Brennan, who was set to decide on award payments by the end of December, said she would likely ask a federal judge for an extension.

"I think this will be an enormous undertaking," Brennan said. "The universe of information that we have to investigate to substantiate these claims is very, very large and we want to be able to verify all claims that are submitted accurately and fairly so that everybody gets the award they are entitled to."

Under the decades-old Shakman civil decree, the city pledged to keep most hiring decisions free from politics. However, Brennan and federal authorities investigating a criminal job-rigging scheme at City Hall have found that administration officials routinely violated the court order.

The people who filed claims contend they suffered because of political favoritism.

lcohen@tribune.com

tlighty@tribune.com

Frank was a Polish-American longshoremen's union leader who worked with "The Greek" to smuggle goods through the Baltimore docks. Sobotka became involved in smuggling to fund political campaign contributions to try to sway politicians into funding initiatives that would save the Baltimore port. Sobotka's two main objectives were to have the docks dredged to increase the depth for incoming ships and to re-open the grain pier.

Sobotka had a family consisting of his wife, who was never seen, and his son Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka. His brother Louis Sobotka and his nephew Nick Sobotka both lived near by. Both Ziggy and Nick worked in Frank's union. Nick often acted as go-between for Frank and the Greek passing messages back and forth and giving Frank lists of containers to move to The Greek. Frank relied on his old friend and fellow union man Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa to move these containers for him and made sure he was always assigned to ships with contraband on board. Ziggy was involved in crime in Baltimore but Frank was largely unaware of his activity and did not include him in his association with The Greek.

The International Brotherhood of Stevedores union's secretary treasurer, Frank Sobotka is the pater familias for an extended family. He's the guy everyone turns to — when they need work, when they get hurt on the job, when they are desperate for money. But work on the docks is disappearing, the port is being taken over by development, and union membership is dwindling fast. Sobotka's dream is to return the port to some of its past glory for workers. To do this he has decided to take an all-or-nothing shot, lobbying lawmakers to deepen the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, which would make Baltimore more competitive as a port.

But taking care of everyone in the sinking union and feeding lobbyists secret $50,000 chunks of cash is expensive business, and although his intentions are good, his means are coming crashing in on him. To finance his efforts, he is being paid to let The Greek's shipping containers slip into the port undetected by authorities. However, his feud with police Major Stan Valchek (caused by Sobotka's one-upping of the Major with his church window) combined with the discovery of 13 dead girls in a shipping can has brought on a major investigation of the port.

On top of this, Sobotka discovers that his screw-up of a son Ziggy and his nephew Nick have been doing some freelance work stealing shipments of cameras, and his own family ties are frayed at best. With detectives asking questions about the dead girls, some strange goings-on with his cell-phone and his own suspicions about his friend Officer Russell's involvement in the case, Sobotka demands to meet The Greek and tells him he wants out.

The Greek, who needs Frank's system, objects. Nick then asks for more money for them to take on the extra risk. The Greek and Sobotka agree to this arrangement - Frank needs the money — but Sobotka is ever more uneasy — he sees this relationship spiraling out of control. Near the end of the second season, Frank decides to turn informant in order to help both Ziggy and Nick receive lighter sentences for their own crimes. However, the Greek manages to lure Sobotka into a meeting with a deal that would supposedly guarantee Ziggy's freedom. Originally, the Greek's intention merely focused on securing Frank's loyalty to his organization. However, when his inside man in the FBI, Agent Koutris, tips him off to Sobotka's informant status, his plans changed and Frank was murdered, but he went like a legend, scrapping to the end. After his death he was re-elected as union chief and his union crumbled.

(Response) Why do I get the feeling someone had a nip or two prior to posting?

Pat,
If a person were to use the "Opt-Out Form" their chances of getting a dime are nill. It took Shakman, et, al, 38 years, which is a disgrace. The "Shakman decree" is Anti Military Veteran and Anti Civil-Service. They screwed all of us, big time.

(Response) The amount of money given to Chicago City Workers is an insult. I agree with your opinion, many Vets and civil service employees got shafted. I think Mara Georges and Mayor Daley's lies are a great insult. But all in all, I think the Black Chicago Employee got the worst end of this deal. Problem being, Chicago's Black Leadership, has been bought off by Daley. Patrick McDonough.

Good job doing the homework and legwork. Keep on exposing the Daley corruption, some of us are paying attention!