Month: April 2020

Recently the Illinois Worker’s Compensation Commission including the Chairman of the Commission, a duly – appointed political appointee by Governor Pritzker backpedaled and reversed itself related to providing coverage to the working men and women of the state that were exposed to COVID 19 in the course and performance of their work duties and who sustained an injury, illness or death as a result of said exposure. This included first responders as well as essential public workers responsible for providing critical services. Since Mayor Lightfoot was flat-footed in the initial response the presumption of prima facie evidence of exposure as the result of being required to go to work would have fallen on the employer, in the cities case-Mayor Lightfoot who allegedly grossly failed to provide adequate PPE to many front line employees. The IWCC chose not to appeal a lower court decision which revered the IWCC decision as initially supported by Governor Pritzker, to find COIVD 19 Exposure in the workplace as compensable. The IWCC stipulated that it would be a cost burden to appeal the lower court decision. As a result, those employees that are exposed and who suffered a tort can litigate in the civil court. This will place a tremendous expense and prolonged period to seek remedies. Unless pressured by insiders or newspapers and media, the City of Chicago Corporation counsel plays the “rope a dope” for years to starve out those seeking justice.

As the COVID 19 Quarantine has been extended by Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker litigation to challenge the most recent extension by the Governor who is drunk with power. In one instance a ruling in favor of a downstate legislator in a Republican District was granted a Temporary Restraining Order by a Circuit Court Judge to be exempt from the quarantine and the judge ruled in his favor and against the Governor, The Governor called it a political ploy but it appears the dam is breaking. Another State legislator closer to home-in the Rockford area has filed a similar complaint but has asked the court to enjoin/include all of the citizens of the state as part of a class. Pritzker is hoping to get this case to the Democratic Controlled Illinois Supreme in a legal attempt to reverse the Clay County Circuit court ruling. His race might be moot-as the US Supreme Court has asked the state of Pennsylvania to provide within a week, a written reason why that state with the Governor’s imposed quarantine has allegedly violated numerous constitutional rights afforded United States Citizens in that state. Based on the response by the state the US Supreme Court could rule the quarantine a violation of United States Citizen’s legal Rights.  In Michigan legally armed protestors have once again descended on that states Capital in protest of the Democratic Governor’s draconian restrictions related to that states quarantine and restrictions during the COVID 19 pandemic. The point of this is that Lightfoot and Pritzker have trampled on the Constitutional Rights of citizens and now citizens are pushing back and asserting their God-Given Constitution Rights afforded each legal citizen.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Illinois and the Mayor of Chicago are crying broke and might very well be facing bankruptcy. Their collective failures managing and governing the City and State, now in their warped minds, make it incumbent on the Federal Government to bail-Out the City and State. President Trump said he would consider a bailout only if those so-called Sanctuary Cities and States reversed course and stopped providing legal protections to illegal aliens. Looks like Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker are boxed in on many fronts. Let’s see how this plays out for them.

Fresh Update: the Illinois Workers” Compensation Commission is reworking the entire order to avoid any more challenges the next time Governor Pritzker attempts to change policy. Pritzker was beyond pissed when this embarrassing loss was exposed. Well when you have Bruce Rauner leftovers at the IWCC, you will get your ass handed to you. I will have more information on this issue. Other IWCC complaints were brought to the attention of Capitol Fax’s Rich Miller. Mayor Leroy Lightfoot is turning into a full-blown reformer. SAD but true. We all know what a bum Alderman “Edwarts” Burke is, but at least he tried to get protection for Chicago frontline workers. The future jailbird is looking for friends before he gets into the pokey.

It looks like a job for Leroy Lightfoot to remove this sign. Locking workers out of a public building is rude and unprofessional. Stay away from 95th and Genoa. Stay in the garage. Only humans in office. You are not human. Back of the bus bro.

Chicago Police Swat team member takes his Chicago Police SUV number 9373 and enjoys a yummy shake at the Park Ridge Dairy Queen. This cop should have had his PPE on when he was closely engaging with a Queen employee. I am not happy Chicago Swat Police are in another town when those pesky soul brothers are having those house parties in the South and West Sides of Chicago. I bet it will take a long time to respond to an emergency when you are in a Northwest Suburb. This happened at 3:35 P.M. today at Canfield and Devon. Lori Lightfoot would like a banana split once in a while also. But she is screwing city workers out of disability payments as we speak.

http://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/November-2019/Chicago-Accent-Hall-of-Fame/?fbclid=IwAR1TCaJg5bUGvih1bqJ9m3a3D3TeOhdfF0q7lvT0XuB_FZBDlKESXvRCX_Q

It is an honor to be named with some very famous people like Frank Coconate and the skit on SNL talking about the Chicago Bears. Chicago Clout and Patrick McDonough were honored to have an interview with Frank Coconate. The interview has thousands of hits. Special thanks to Edward McClelland of Chicago Magazine for the honor.

Sho enough, Mayor Lori Lightfoot orders da negroes out of the City of Chicago Department of Water Management at the 95^th and Genoa Yard office. The vast majority of workers in the South District are a minority. So, locking them fools out is to be expected by the white overlords.

It was just in the Chicago Sun-Times, groups of blacks were at several parties and had no Covid-19 protection and no safe distancing. Some whites think just cause one negro acts out, all neggas act out.

Is John E. Gallagher the General Superintendent being a racist? Is John the new Paul Hansen? Just when you thought the Department of Water Management was going to make promotions clout free and let the hard-working blacks and Mexicans control their own destiny, this happens. Gallagher was just promoted, and his safety position was taken by his brother. The Gallagher family has been given many jobs because of Daley, Rahm Emanuel, and Leroy Lightfoot.

The public has a right to go to the bathrooms at this Chicago facility. No one can lock it up and have blacks and Mexicans go poo in the park. Making hard-working laborers go to the dirty bathrooms in the garage which is unsanitary.

The South District lacks the proper safety items to avoid COVID-19. Workers are not given enough proper PPE. Workers want Gloves and face masks.

Covid-19 has stricken many workers at 95^th and Genoa but Commissioner “Cough Cough” Conner is refusing to identify those that could have been in contact with those that are positive.

Look just because a white boss thinks he knows he is better than dem niggas, he is worse. Put on your face mask and open dem doors.

We all know the South District has more clansmen per capita than any other district. Gallaher also allowed the entire district to a work stoppage just recently. More on that later. Please don’t pretend city of Chicago management likes black, they hate em.

Today was a great day on the Illinois workers’ compensation front as it relates to employee protections and the COVID19 Disaster. Thanks to Patrick McDonough’s many letters to the Governor Pritzker of Illinois, those who are exposed to and catch Covid19 in the course and performance of their work assignments will be able to make a claim for workers’ compensation as a result of recently amended IWCC rules. Illinois is traditionally a liberal state that favors the employee, so it will likely be the employer’s responsibility to prove the transmission DID NOT occur and work. This is a significant change. This will put the onus on the employer to prove that safety controls were in place including adequate PPE for all employees related to associated risk was provided not only now but at the onset of the public health  Disaster. As this relates to the Department of Water Management, the hundreds of thousands of dollars of PPE that was stored in the lower level of the Jardine Plant is missing. Many of the PPE was stolen and handed to private contractors working at the various Water Treatment plants. Also important, not only are traditional first responders covered by the new regulations but also essential employees including those with Water Management who have been required to come to work despite the risks, and assure the operability of the critical infrastructure to keep the water supply and distribution operations. Most do not know the impact suffered by the pumping Stations (like Mayfair pumping station)covered up by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Commissioner Randy Conner. The Department of Water Management was professionally run not long ago, by certified safety supervisor that disappeared and former Alderman John Pope attempted to replace him. No longer will Mayor Lightfoot be able to play on her trained lawyer skills that allege the employee was sick and should have stayed home but instead came to work and exposed others to COVID19. She will now need to hire attorneys to litigate each claim in the traditionally liberal Workers’ Compensation Commission and prove the employee was not exposed at work as a result of exposure. That is great news that will force safety measures to be put in place to provide safeguards for all employees. This is a massive amount of money for Alderman Burke’s chosen law firms like Hennessey and Roach. that made massive political contributions to Burke when he ran the Committee on Finance.

Also, today it was sadly reported a highly regarded long term DWM employee succumbed to the dreadful COVID19 virus. He was reputedly infected while in the course and performance of his work activities at the water department and it is likely a wrongful death claim will be filed against the city as a result of this senseless death.

As a tribute to the DWM employee who passed away Randy Conner and Mayor Lightfoot reputedly authorized that all crews and foreman from Division Street South across the city to rally at 74^th and Stoney Island to pay respect to the departed employee. It is rumored that Mayor Lightfoot had this idea –based on the rally in Lansing Michigan in which protestors from across that state in rebellion of new stay at home restrictions issued by the Democratic Governor in that state rallied at the capital in their automobiles causing gridlock. In the Water Departments case, heavy equipment that costs hundreds of dollars an hour to operate ( the cost of the equipment, fuel, and the union scale operator) convened in mass to pay tribute and was utilized in theory to maintain the social distancing as required by Public Health ordinance. Many exited the machines and vehicles and appeared to be in violation of the social distancing rules and regulations being touted repeatedly by the Mayor. Hopefully, no other DWM employees were exposed during the mass gathering, but should they be exposed they will be able to file a workers’ compensation claim as the gathering was allowed to take place by DWM supervision and it took place during work hours for those on the clock-which would be all employees operating city equipment. The State and special police had investigators and inspectors documenting the personnel and equipment on site.

It is rumored the Department of Water Management is finally ordering PPE for the critical employees required to work. As noted in a previous article this should have been done prior to the onset of the COVI-19 Disaster. As claims are litigated the discovery phase of litigation including Depositions of Public Health officials currently and formerly employed by the City will ALLEGEDLY  shed light on many failings by the Current Mayor and Former Executive Employed at the OEMC as well as prior administrations. Workers’ Compensation attorneys will be remarkably busy in the coming months. If you are an employee of the City of Chicago and you or your family have contacted COVID-19, I will make sure you and your family are well represented. I am also working with the former City of Chicago employees to make sure those with-out water will be taken care of. Mr. Frank Coconate and I will deliver needed supplies to any City of Chicago employee affected by COVID-19. We will not allow your family to starve while the Mayor of Chicago and her evil lawyers, stop, deny, or delay your workers’ compensation benefits. Please contact us if an employee and his/her family are hungry.

As Mayor Lightfoot blames the Federal Government and in particular President Trump for lack of a response plan to the COVID 19 Public Health Disaster consider the following.

The City of Chicago following the deadly SARS pandemic developed a working and written Personal Protection Equipment Plan for all emergency responders in the event of a deadly pandemic. This plan was developed and let by the OEMC and the Chicago Department of Public Health. Estimates of PPE for employees tasked to work during a deadly pandemic were projected. The plan delineated the purchasing and warehousing of critical PPE for the City Workforce Including N95 Respirators. The plan noted where the PPE would be procured, stored and rolled out in advance of a deadly pandemic such as the one taking place now. The plan also delineated vendor management and allegedly outline contracts with vendors in the event of an emergency that would be required by a written legal agreement to provide PPE to the City as a priority customer.

Working groups would convene at the OEMC to update this citywide plan. It is worthy to note, the current Mayor served in Executive Leadership roles at the OEMC and allegedly would have known and participated in the updates and execution of such plans including the necessity to procure PPE in the advance of a Pandemic such as the SARS Pandemic and associated Challenges the City faced related to that event and public health disaster and more recently the H1N1 citywide response led by the Chicago Department of Public Health and the OEMC.

So as City employees are forced to provide services the guidance they have received is real-time from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention-a Federal Agency that falls under the Executive Leadership of the President that the Mayor continues to attack for his shortcomings in her minds- eye related to the response and allocation of material to the city. Yet the city also is required to develop and have plans that are tested in drills and when necessary based on the results of the drills –take corrective action. Documentation of such drills and planning are required components of the large Federal Grants that the city receives from the Federal Government under the Direction ultimately of the President of the United States. Did the City provide and document shortcomings not only now but under prior administrations including those of Obama and his predecessor?

Worker Safety is the most important aspect of any organization and the City of Chicago appears to have allegedly failed its workforce by failing to have a delineation of workforce risk in the event of a deadly pandemic and corresponding countermeasures in an executable and viable plan. The Mayor has 1000 exempt jobs under her control. She can designate as many people under those exempt titles as she wants to develop viable emergency response plans including a PPE Plan in the event of a disaster.

It is likely following the deaths of city employees that lawsuits will follow based on the alleged failings of the City. While Mayor Lightfoot will continue to blame others including the Federal Government, in reality, she owns this response, just as Richard M. Daley owned the response and complete failure to the Citizens of Chicago that perished in the Heatwave of 1995. The critique of the cities response is well documented and it was a scathing indictment of leadership at that time. It is likely, once a recovery takes place from the COVID19 response, history will not look kindly on the preparedness efforts of this administration. Time will tell and history will take note.

I reported a Hydrant Crew with no plumber and missing a Laborer today. Mayor Lori Lightfoot is sending crews out with no Helmets, Vests, safety Cones, and exposing CONVID-19. Cheap paper b.s. masks do nothing and the close working as demanded by the Department of Water Management Commissioner Conner is all smoke and mirrors. Chicago Taxpayers are being taken for a ride. No work is being done and exposing these men to death is a crime.