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When will the madness end in Chicago? Daley missing in action.

look forward to a new Chicago Clout T.V. show just a couple of weeks away. I decided to have Michael Volpe on the show because people need to understand corruption from a fresh perspective. Our viewers at Can-TV want a viewpoint from someone that does not work for the City of Chicago. Fair enough. We are going to re-explore the Hired Truck Scandal and the Hiring Scandals that have plagued Mayor Daley and his Administration. We are also going to look into the Chicago unions, make a determination of their actual value to the Chicago employees. We are again making an invitation to Journeymans' Plumbers Local 130 to appear on the show and tackle the tough questions. Any unions representing Chicago employees are welcome. Dennis Gannon let his slip show with the pension mess, a possible conflict of interest? Special thanks to my 726 Teamster pal for the "Mayor Daley" tee-shirt. Patrick McDonough.

Comments

Just found out that one of the few positions I tested for and interviewed for with Revenue were given to someone with clout in the 11th. Ward. Mind you, I got a perfect score on the test, I'm about 15 years younger than this guy and about 100 lbs. lighter than him. I guess everyone knows that patronage hiring is still running rampant in Chicago still. The City posts a bid, calls employees to tests for these bids and we are to believe we might really have a shot at some of these positions, when really the jobs were already promised before the bid even gets posted. I wonder where Noelle Brennan is these days?

Listen Dave, do you really think Brennen is going to do anything? Come on, come down from the clouds, I had an interview to be a foreman, the people running that "spot" were the higher ups in management, they pull a trick when you least expect it, there was a set up to give (in my opinion) Al the upperhand, I believe that the old 726 excutive board got Al his job there, come on the hiring scam continues!!! it is going to take a big person to fix this mess.

Heres an idea..."Shakman, Part 2"

Dave: If this gentleman scored in the highly qualified range, and has more seniority than you do, he gets the nod set forth under the criteria established by the Monitor. His age and weight is irrelevant. In fact the City is compelled by law not to consider age as a factor (Civil Rights Act of 1964, age discrimination).

For example lets say that this gentleman scored a 91 and you got 100 on the test. Both of you would land in the "highly qualified" range. Now lets assume that he has 12 years of seniority and you have 10. Under the Monitor's guidelines, he should be offered the position.

If he didn't score in the highly qualified range, and he has less seniority, then you have a legitimate cause of action.

If there is not a bonafide occupational qualification (BFOQ) regarding weight, then it is not allowed to be considered.

You stated that you're working in the Revenue Department. How would a workers weight effect their ability to do the job? What do your job duties entail? Aren't most of the jobs within this department clerical in nature?

Com'on Pat a re-hash? YOur running out of steam on this. Same old sh*t different day. OLD NEWS is still OLD NEWS. (Response) I got a good week in-route.

please get Chuck D. on your TV show.HE LOOKS LIKE A ROCKSTAR AND IS COLORFUL.PLUS HE IS INFORMATIVE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE.HE S BETTER IN PERSON THAN ON YOUR POSTS.
BOB
ps your ratings will skyrocket if you get him!

by ROCKSTAR, are you referring to the fat old Elvis??? and thanks for the compliment on my knowledge(?)

This mayor needs to eat a lot of hydrogenated oils and foods. That's the prescription to help all us broke taxpayers. Fatty butter, eat lots of the delicious stuff mayor (d-crooked) Daley. ummmmum! Fatty butter how delicious. Come on mayor, tastes mighty good. So what's a minor stroke when you got faaaaaaty butter. As Andy Griffith would say "everything thing tastes good when it sits on a Ritz cracker" especially fatty butter mr. mayor, sir.

Joanie,
We have the exact same seniority date. We both went for the same job. He has bragged before that he is politically connected in the 11th. Ward. You can sugar coat it all you want, but we all know how he got the job. The position in Revenue was for a Booter position.

How 'bout Chuck D. AND Flavor Flav. Pat could be the catylst for a Public Enemy reunion!!!

City building inspector accused in bribery probe
September 22, 2009 4:38 PM

The latest Chicago building inspector charged in the federal bribery investigation known as Operation Crooked Code has made an initial court appearance.


Dominick Owens, 43, of Chicago, was charged with accepting bribes, and was released on a $4,500 signature bond after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan.

According to a federal complaint unsealed Tuesday, an informant working with the government has told agents about payments to Owens for certificates of occupancy totaling more than $20,000. Those alleged bribe funds were paid in 2005 and 2006, the complaint states.

In one instance in 2006, the informant asked Owens for two such certificates. On July 10 that year, Owens allegedly entered a request for an occupancy inspection at two addresses, the complaint states, and updated the requests in the system as "completed" just 12 minutes later.

The informant then allegedly passed him $600 in cash while under surveillance, the complaint states.

Owens is expected back in court Oct. 7.

--Jeff Coen

Firm owned by former Hired Truck kingpin's son accused of water theft
HYDRANTS | But owner calls it a mix-up, gets permit lickety-split
Comments

September 22, 2009

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter/fspielman@suntimes.com
A company owned by the son of former Hired Truck kingpin Michael Tadin was accused Monday of stealing water from a city fire hydrant -- without a permit and without a device to prevent construction debris from contaminating Chicago's water system.

Plumbing inspector John Swietczak said he ordered MAT Construction to stop work on a street resurfacing project in the 2100 block of North Clybourn after noticing Friday that the company had used a hose to attach its street grinder to a hydrant.

ยป Click to enlarge image A company owned by former Hired Truck kingpin Michael Tadin was accused Monday of stealing water from a city fire hydrant.

(John H. White/Sun-Times)

MAT has a sub-contract to perform "asphalt milling work" for the North, South and Central Water Main Installation Project. Water is needed to cool street grinding machines.

When Swietczak asked to see the permit, the MAT foreman acknowledged he didn't have one. Nor did he have a "reduced pressure zone valve" to prevent debris from flowing back into the water system.

The foreman then called company owner Michael Tadin Jr. and handed the cell phone to Swietczak.

"The guy straight out tells me he's been doing this for 25 years, and he's never bought any permits," Swietczak said, noting that contractors pay $13.16 per day for hydrant use.

Tadin Jr. countered, "I never said that. I said this is the first time I've been checked for a permit in 10 or 12 years."

He added, "It was a misunderstanding. I'm a sub to a sub-contractor. I always thought it was the general contractor's responsibility to get these permits. I guess the general contractor didn't do it, either."

According to Swietczak, Tadin Jr. complained that the shutdown was costing him more than $3,000 an hour and threatened to go over the inspector's head before hanging up on him.

Within hours, Tadin Jr. had faxed a letter to City Hall and gotten a permit on the condition that MAT take steps to prevent water contamination. The fee was waived, even though waivers are supposed to be confined to community gardens.

Tadin Jr.'s letter states, "Can I please have a water hydrant opening permit for MAT Construction?" Handwritten are the words: "Waive fees per commissioner" and, "Need list of hydrants to be used."

Swietczak, who plans to issue citations against MAT, said city approval "happened at the speed of light" and normally "takes days."

"Tadin does whatever he wants. He gets whatever he wants," he said.

Another source said a plumbing contractor normally must submit a letter of responsibility before hydrant permits are issued, then install and test the backflow protection device.

Grease city palm and move into unchecked houseTuesday, September 22, 2009 | 9:57 PMChicago zoning inspector arrested for taking bribes by Barb Markoff and Chuck GoudieSeptember 22, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Operation Crooked Code has nailed another City of Chicago zoning inspector.
In a criminal complaint unsealed on Tuesday afternoon, zoning inspector Dominick Owens was charged with federal bribery. Authorities contend that Mr. Owens took more than $20,000 in bribes in exchange for residential certificates of occupancy for single-family homes and other new construction projects.
The government says in 2005 Owens started taking bribes from a permit expediter who was cooperating with the federal investigation. On July 20, 2006, he is accused of giving the expediter occupancy certificates for homes on West 37th Place and North Wolcott Street and then accepting $600 for the crooked permits.
Owens has been an inspector with the Chicago Department of Zoning for 14 years.
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This is part of the ongoing federal investigation Operation Crooked Code. Thirteen other city inspectors have been charged in the case during the past 2 years.
Owens was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to be back in court on October 7th. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

WHAT A DIP SHIP!

The only homes i know of on West 37th Place were build by Anthony "I have Ald. Balcer in my pocket" D^*razia. The housing market crashed and we get left with the vacant lots that D#$razia's banks foreclosed on. Thanks Anthony for making our neighborhood look like Englewood. Thanks Ald. Balcer for giving the guy that built your house everything he needed to fail. Thanks John Daley for appointing an idoit in the place of Patrick Huels. Say what you want about Huels, but he never would have let De@*azia have too much.

Dave: You need to find out how he did on the written examination. You can get the information under a Freedom of Information request.

You didn't mention seniority in your first post and that is an important consideration in the new procedure.

The greatest liability in the new promotional process, in my opinion, is the verbal portion of the examination which is subject to manipulation.

I don't doubt that your assessment of the situation is correct and I wasn't trying to whitewash over your concerns. I was just pointing out what you need to focus on if you want to challenge the promotion.