The Celtic Knot is a wonderful Irish Restaurant in Evanston, Illinois. It has wonderful food and tonight January 21, 2010 was visited by a wonderful and enthusiastic group of Democrats supporting David Hoffman for U.S. Senate. Davis Hoffman was joined by two young Irishman that are some of his most excited supporters. Michael and David McDonough told me they are telling all their friends to have their parents vote for Mr. Hoffman in the election just a few short days away. I hope all of you well educated voters make sure you tell everyone to vote this primary election. I also agree with my children and will vote for David Hoffman. As a parent I reward my children for wise choices, I recommend all voters reward David Hoffman for making wise decisions while in public service. I must admit, candidates like David Hoffman give all of us a reason to go to the polls and vote. David Hoffman was also joined by Chicago City Workers tonight including teamster local 700 leader Angelo Fata and Operating Engineer Saul Charak. Most of the people in attendance were very passionate in their support for David Hoffman. Photo by Patrick McDonough.
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Watchdog Recommends Deputy Water Commissioner’s Firing
Updated: Friday, 22 Jan 2010, 9:48 PM CST
Published : Friday, 22 Jan 2010, 4:07 PM CST
By Robert Herguth, FOX Chicago News
A high-ranking Daley administration official who was described at the Robert Sorich trial as a cog in the city’s patronage hiring operation should be fired, a government watchdog is recommending.
But being part of a scheme to hire and promote politically connected employees wasn’t Deputy Water Management Commissioner Tommie Talley’s only alleged transgression.
Talley also dispatched city water department crews to work at private sites — including Nativity of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church, the mayor’s ancestral parish in Bridgeport — Chicago’s inspector general found, according to city government sources.
Talley, a veteran city worker allied with the Daley family’s 11th Ward Regular Democratic Organization, couldn’t be reached, and a city spokesman had no immediate comment.
At the Sorich trial several years ago, Talley was mentioned on the stand by Hired Truck czar-turned-government witness Donald Tomczak as one of the city officials who helped facilitate the city’s rigged hiring process.
Sorich, who oversaw Mayor Daley’s patronage activities, was convicted in the case and sent to prison. Talley was not charged, and kept his city job.
But the allegation was pursued by the inspector general’s office, which also looked into separate claims that Talley was directing city water department resources toward select private sites.
One of those spots, sources said, was Nativity of Our Lord. That’s where the mayor grew up, and it was Sorich’s home parish as well.
In spring 2008, one of the church buildings was getting water. Somewhere along the line, someone contacted Ald. James Balcer (11th), who called Water Management Commissioner John Spatz to have it checked out, sources said.
The commissioner reached out to Talley, who dispatched crews to the church at 37th and Union, sources said.
It was quickly evident that the trouble — later diagnosed as a “collapsed pipe” near the foundation — wasn’t on public property and should have been handled by the church, a source said.
But city crews excavated the site nonetheless, and even called in a contractor to help pinpoint the problem, the source said.
“By the time they started digging, they knew it shouldn’t have been their problem, but they went ahead with it regardless — and this was at Talley’s insistence and behest,” the source said.
The Rev. Dan Brandt said that while city crews were on the scene for a time, he stressed that the church paid a private company to ultimately fix the piping issues.
“I really don’t give a whole lot of credence to what they [at the inspector general’s office] have to say,” said Brandt, the pastor.
Balcer declined to comment, saying “it’s a pending investigation.”
The amount of taxpayer resources expended on the job was not immediately clear; whatever the ultimate price tag, the city has the option of pursuing restitution from Talley.
There were at least a couple of other similar instances in which city water crews did work on private sites, sources said, although those details were not available.
This week the inspector general’s office forwarded its findings to top city officials, who now must decide whether to accept the recommendation to fire Talley.
Inspector General Joe Ferguson declined to comment.
To spread the word that we are 10 days away from the February 2 Primary Election, we created a “Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Hoffman” list with help from our supporters. Take a look and then forward to 10 people!
10. David is the only candidate not taking any state lobbyist, federal lobbyist, or PAC money. He will be nobody’s Senator but yours.
9. David spent 16 years in public service, working for communities and taxpayers who needed a voice.
8. David takes the corruption issue off the table with no connections to Rezko, Blagojevich, or pay-to-play politics.
7. The Chicago Tribune, the Sun-Times, the Daily Herald, and many more have endorsed David Hoffman.
6. David has traveled thousands of miles across Illinois to meet with voters and find out what issues matter to them most.
5. David will take on fraud and abuse in Washington and fight the special interests and lobbyists who are who doing everything possible to stop reform.
4. “In Hoffman, the voters have a candidate with a wealth of experience and integrity, who has produced in every job he has ever had.” -Chicago Sun-Times
3. We don’t want another “Massachusetts” to happen in Illinois – David has the experience, conviction, and toughness to keep President Obama’s former Senate seat in Democratic hands.
2. “Hoffman is what Illinoisans deserve – and should expect – in a United States senator. He’s an incorruptible man who tells truth to power” -Chicago Tribune
1. Illinois wants to be proud again.
Dear Law Enforcement Friends:
As law enforcement professionals, you know how a dedicated elected official can impact the safety of our communities and the well-being of our families.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate David Hoffman, a former Inspector General, federal prosecutor and reform leader, is a man who loves the law and who actively serves his community. His 16 years of public service prove that.
While an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Hoffman investigated and prosecuted all types of federal crimes, including drug trafficking and money-laundering cases against street gangs and international drug cartels. David’s work in the U.S. Attorney’s office was key to the decline of violence in Chicago, due to his prosecutions of key gang leaders and violent offenders.
His work as the Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Gangs Section under U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald helped create a new gang unit that Justice Department officials use to train gang investigators around the country. As a leader of Project Safe Neighborhoods, an anti-gun violence program, he helped reduce gun violence in some of Chicago’s most crime-ridden neighborhoods.
As Inspector General for the City of Chicago he transformed the Inspector General’s Office into a fiercely independent and highly professional anti-corruption office. He exposed bribery, fraud and theft schemes among other things.
As Election Day nears, we all agree that great leadership is needed now more than ever before. We believe that David Hoffman – and his advocacy for the law enforcement community – are just what is needed in the United States Senate.
Sincerely,
Phillip J. Cline
Chicago Police Superintendent
(Retired)
Terry G. Hillard
Chicago Police Superintendent
(Retired)
Michael J. Cronin
Deputy Chief of Narcotic and Gangs Unit
(Retired)
Frank Radke
Deputy Chief of Police
(Retired)