Please watch this Chicago Channel 2 News Special about Fire Hydrants. Click here: http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_127221813.html I have harped about the conditions of several Fire Hydrants and testified at a State of Illinois hearing. I will take some time to get this b.s. straightened out. It is the result of privatizing and no checks and balances. Patrick McDonough
Yet Again, Mayor Daley's Departments in the News
I am happy to report, many Chicago Department of Water Management and Streets and Sanitation are keeping the Chicago Tribune reporters, Laurie Cohen and Todd Lighty fully informed of the current political climate in Chicago. Please make sure you read this atricle, click here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0705070063may07,1,7753674.story?coll=chi-news-hed I hope all Chicago City Workers keep their nose to the grindstone and keep informing the Newspapers until we have a safe and secure workplace with no more retatliation. Way to go Ramond C. On the Front page of the Chicago Tribune!! Nice picture. Patrick McDonough.
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Chicago Department of Water Management Overtime
Please make sure you read this article that shows the overtime that can be made if you are on the “right” crew and or shift. During this last winter, Chicago city workers made quite a bit of money in extra overtime. Thank you to Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun-Times for shedding light on this subject. I am still hoping Fran can take a closer look at the private contractors that cleaned up during this last winter $$$$$. Many of the Plumbers were retired ex-Water Department employees. Tom McMannus (Plumber’s Local 130) told me one person in particular made a fortune. We will dig into those and many other issues at our upcoming federal trial. I really believe if the Chicago newspapers and the Inspector General woulf take a closer look at the Chicago Department of Water Management, they would find more buried bones. Patrick McDonough
Commissioner Peraica Commissioner Beavers Start Politicial War
Please enjoy this Article from the Daily South Town. Click here: http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/366024,dst_ethics_501.article article Commissioner Beavers, aka “The Hog with the Big Nuts”, just got over a good ass whupping by Jesse Jackson Jr., started in on Commissioner Tony Peraica.
As I understand it, Tony Peraica got additional space for his campaign headquarters because the landlord had extra space he did not need. Now we are going to have a very costly political war between Beavers and Peraica. My understanding is Beavers might need to raise $150,000.00 to cover his free political office space. I think this fight needs to be covered closely because the laws are violated in Chicago on a regular basis. I took this photo at the LaGrange Village Hall May 5, 2007. This is the monthly meeting of the Republican Organization of Lyons Township. If I had any suggestion to the Republican Party in Illinois, the first one would be to start recruiting the young voters. On a personal note, Tony make sure you take this issue to court, we need the expose the many ethic violations in Illinois. Photo by Patrick McDonough
More Chicago Department of Water Management Hired Truck Scandal Updates
“It Pays Lousy to be Mayor Daley’s Hired Truck Patsy!!!
Metro briefs
May 4, 2007
HIRED TRUCK: The Chicago Sun-Times
‘Quarters’ Boyle loses appeal
An appeals court upheld a seven-year prison term Thursday for Hired Truck figure John “Quarters” Boyle, who was sentenced in 2005 for taking $200,000 in bribes and urging witnesses to shred evidence and lie to the FBI. Boyle said his sentence was too harsh, especially considering he pleaded guilty. A three-judge panel said the sentence was proper, noting that Boyle “proudly admitted and repeatedly boasted in open court that he would not rat on his friends.” Patrick McDonough
Chicago Tribune Department of Water Managment Update
Tomczak bid to cut prison term rejected
Judge doesn’t buy alcoholism excuse
By Matt O’Connor
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 4, 2007
A federal judge has rebuffed a disgraced former high-ranking city official who is hoping to qualify for an alcohol treatment program that could bring a significant cut in his prison term.
Donald Tomczak contended he had kept his alcohol abuse from court officials to avoid embarrassment for himself and relatives, including his son, Jeff, former Will County state’s attorney.
In a court filing he authored from a federal prison camp, Tomczak, 72, sought to have court records changed to show that he had become dependent on alcohol and been under a doctor’s care for the problem since 2004.
But U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan shot down the request earlier this week.
If Tomczak successfully completed the alcohol treatment program, his nearly 4-year prison term could have been cut by up to 1 year, according to U.S. Bureau of Prisons policy.
A Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman in Washington said the fact that a defendant’s alleged alcohol abuse isn’t mentioned in a probation report doesn’t mean he would necessarily be rejected from the treatment program.
The approval process “may take a little longer,” Felicia Ponce said Thursday.
Tomczak, once the top deputy in the Water Management Department, pleaded guilty in 2005 to commanding a political army of patronage workers and taking almost $400,000 in payoffs from companies that wanted business from the city’s corrupt Hired Truck Program.
He began serving his sentence in February at the federal prison camp in Oxford, Wis.
In his filing, Tomczak said he works as an orderly in the prison camp library and described himself as a model inmate.
Tomczak said he didn’t confide to probation officials about his alcohol abuse to avoid notoriety for his son, who he said was then seeking re-election for state’s attorney.
However, the son lost re-election in 2004, months before Tomczak pleaded guilty to racketeering and a probation report would have been prepared.
The probation report is also kept sealed from public view, though certain of its details can be made public at sentencing.
In pleading guilty, Tomczak admitted he had used city workers in 2000 to campaign on behalf of his son when he successfully ran for Will County state’s attorney. Jeff Tomczak lost office in 2004 amid allegations that the Chicago political machine had influenced his first election.
Tomczak’s sentence could have been substantially longer than 4 years, but he won a break because he cooperated with federal law enforcement. Last year he testified for the prosecution at the corruption trial of Mayor Richard Daley’s former patronage chief and three other former city officials.
mo’ connor@tribune.com
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Thank you Chicago Tribune Laurie Cohen/Gary Washburn
City supervisor is found not guilty of politicking on the job
Published May 4, 2007
A city supervisor charged with passing nominating petitions for Mayor Richard Daley’s re-election campaign on city time has been found not guilty by a Cook County judge.
Lester Cioch, a $39.65-an-hour assistant foreman of sewer cleaning and precinct captain for the 32nd Ward Democratic Organization, was charged shortly before the February municipal election with violating state and city ethics laws that prohibit public employees from doing political work while on the clock.
At a bench trial April 20 before Cook County Circuit Judge William O’Malley, prosecutors played Cioch’s taped confession and co-workers testified that he asked them to sign petitions on city property during work.
In finding Cioch not guilty of the misdemeanor charges, O’Malley said prosecutors had been unable to find the petitions Cioch had circulated. Daley’s campaign had said the petitions were not submitted to election officials.
The judge also questioned whether the state law applied to city workers, said John Gorman, a spokesman for Cook County State’s Atty. Richard Devine.
Cioch is on paid administrative leave while city officials review his employment status.
I will comment on this at a later time. Patrick McDonough
Make Time for this Video Daley and Mara Georges
Many Chicago Citizens have no concept how hard Chicago Reporters work to get the truth. Mayor Daley, Mara Georges, cannot get past Chicago’s best reporters. Fran Speilman, Gary Washburn, to name just a few. These reporters try to keep our government honest. See this video, click here: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5268553# Thank you ABC Chicago Channel 7 News. Patrick McDonough
Mayor Daley Insults Hispanic Community Again
Mayor Daley, why would you send a tow truck with a black driver, to tow and impound autos in the Hispanic Community? Mayor Daley, you fire employees that do not live in the City of Chicago for residency violations, but you hire suburban companies to tow and impound Chicago Citizens Autos. Why are you sending Chicago Taxpayer’s money out to the suburban areas Mayor Daley? That must mean, you want Chicago City Workers to live in Chicago to do your electioneering, but the suburban companies that pay millions into your political war-chest can operate businesses anywhere they wish? Look in the Central District of Chicago Mayor Daley, thousands of buildings stand abandoned with no businesses producing taxes for Chicago, make those suburban companies move into Chicago Daley. Photo by Patrick McDonough.
Mayor Daley's Department of Revenue Hired Truck Scandal Repeat
Mayor Daley uses City of Chicago Signs on his “Hired Truck Tow Trucks”. This is the exact same deal as the Hired Truck Scandal because, the Drivers and companies are non-union. The companies are “Minority Set aside” and short change the drivers of benefits like health and life insurance. Set aside companies pay workers a lousy wage, not prevailing wages. Take jobs away from City of Chicago Residents that need to pay for Mayor Daley’s outrageous taxes. Why have the Chicago Union leadership failed to stop this practice? Did the Chicago branch of the F.B.I. not investigate this yet? Photo by Patrick McDonough.