Rham Emanuel denies Workers Compensation Claim on Konrad Tucharski
Mayor Rahm Emanuel embattled staff received orders to fight the Workers Compensation Claim of a dead Chicago Department of a Water Management employee. Emanuel demanded not a penny to be paid and a private law firm to fight the case. Emanuel also stopped Chicago media not to follow the funeral and wake of Konard Tucharski. Per a high-ranking North Side Chicago Superintendent, Konrad did not live in Chicago. Konrad allegedly lived in Mount Prospect with his wife and two children. Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson has kept quiet.
Konrad Tucharski was a City of Chicago Bricklayer working on the street without proper shoring. None of the employees knew what to do when the street fell in on him and left Tucharski with a closed casket funeral on February 17, 2017. Pictures of the crime site at Sauganash Avenue showed the crew did not have proper shoring. Chicago Clout has seen Chicago Department of Water Management working in ditches 20 to 30 foot down with no shoring and no exit in case of an emergency. Fire the Commissioner Now. Rahm will not fire his pal that goes to hockey games with him.
We at Chicago Clout are asking Mayor Rahm Emanuel to stop his crazy investigation NOW. We want a settlement in full to this family. We are asking the street name of Sauganash Ave to be changed Konrad Tucharski Avenue. City of Chicago full time employee John “Hired Truck” D’Amico who is also a full-time Illinois State representative can make this happen in a phone call. This is Laurino turf. Let’s get this done. We are also asking Joe “cupcake” Ferguson to back off the residency investigation of Konrad Tucharski, he gave his life to Chicago, that is enough to ask of anyone.
Vocamotive Illinois Workers’ Compensation Fraud denial of Equal Protection
Chicago City Worker Killed on Northwest Side Cave-in No shoring
Please see attached picture if you want to know how Konrad Tucharski was crushed to death on February 13, 2017. If you look at City of Chicago Department of Water Management Leak Truck WD 1238 you will see on the right hand of the picture a silver colored ditch box. The box had holes drilled into it so it can be used as a shelf and for storing tools neatly. It is used for organizing shovels and probes. If you look closely it is not in proper working order. It has holes drilled into it.
This shoring is not taken off the trailer and not used as it is designed. The shoring should be loaded with mud and dirt. The sides should be worn and torn. The foremen in this truck is paid to fill out trench safety certifications on every job. The foreman in this truck is paid to make sure this safety equipment is used on every job. The foreman is also paid to make sure the trench box is working 100 percent on each job. The trench box must be inspected on every job.
Most Chicago foreman under the direction of Paul (DUI) Hansen, only put the box in hole, when the Safety Department is in route or after someone is injured.
Please do not tell that to the Tucharski Family the lies and phony safety precautions taken by the DOWM. Many North District employees were crying at work this morning as they knew it could have been them.
Chicago Alderman are demanding an investigation into the causes for the constant injuries and millions in workers’ compensation payouts. Chicago Alderman are also mad Rahm Emanuel is not on hand to take care of the family. Konrad gave his life for the citizens of Chicago. Rahm Emanuel cannot allow the same old stupid problems to go on year in and year out. Konrad must be a wake-up call to drug test all city workers, immediately fire slackers, insist city workers learn CPR and basic rescue. All crews should have emergency safety items to save lives. Will Rahm Emanuel save the skins of his political friends? We will let you know.
Rest in peace Konrad Turcharski, you were a great worker. Sorry the Office of the Inspector General never did anything about all those complaints on shoring. Maybe Joe Ferguson does not separate the wheat from the chaff like he thinks. Joe the blood is on you too.
Rahm Emanuel fingered for Trench Collapse Sewer Worker Death
For almost two decades, the City of Chicago Water Department has allowed City workers to work in ditches with no shoring. Just a few days ago, Chicago Clout, exposed for the hundredth-time City Workers are injured on dangerous work site. Chicago Unions such as the Plumbers Union, Bricklayers Union, Laborers Union watch worker and worker end up in the hospital and Chicago Taxpayers are on the hook for millions in Workers Compensation Benefits. I am asking the City of Chicago fire the persons responsible for the ongoing fraud that is allowed day after day. Chicago Clout has filed multiple complaints with the Chicago Inspector General and the Illinois Department of Labor.
All these complaints and files are going to the family of Konrad Tucharski so they can get facts on the cover-up. Chicago Department of Water Management employees were overcome with grief at the North District Yard. I am sure they realized they could be next. Workers watched a gruesome site as Konrad head exploded and popped when the street fell from the sawcutting and dangerous conditions. The Forest Glenn Neighborhood is infamous for the sandy clay mix of soil known as LOAM. Loam is a mushy mix of sand water clay and it is very dangerous to be in.
The North District yard under direction of alderman Tunney’s boy toy Paul Hansen, will allow Foreman to continue filing false Trench safety reports. Per several sources, Paul Hansen did nothing to console workers or demand the use of shoring.
The foreman routinely attach trench boxes behind their trucks that look as clean as a whistle. Also in recent testimony destined to court soon, the foreman are installing broken pieces of wood and wooden boards to imitate proper shoring. The City of Chicago Central District has massive piles of proper shoring that was broken to pieces by hoisting engineers upset they need to do extra work for safety.
The City of Chicago Department of Water Management has fought the Illinois Department of Labor on every fine imposed. Enough is enough. Rahm need to fire all employees that allow the death to happen. Many workers will need psychological care from the carnage they witnessed. Now we need to monitor, Alderman Burke and the Committee on Finance to make sure they do not screw the family from benefits they deserve. Rest in peace Konrad Tucharski. You deserve justice.
Vocamotive; Alderman Burke’s Hitmen and Illinois Workers Compensation Fraud
Not long ago, Alderman Burke had a powerful cancer affecting his prostrate. Prostate cancer is not fun at all. It can expose itself by your inability to have an erection. You can have blood in your semen and urine, and in many cases, have bowel movements in public. When Alderman Burke has cancer, all the city resources are unleashed to make sure he is taken care of. Alderman Burke knows, the better the care, the longer you will live.
Of course, when Committee on Finance Alderman Burke has Chicago City employees hurt on the job, that is another matter. It is time for stall tactics, hiring incompetent people to handle the injuries. Alderman Burke kept taking his city check when he was treating even though he took many days off to recover. Per my sources at the Mayor’s Office, there no investigation into Burkes health care claim, and no attempt to stop his paycheck despite him being “Non-Compliant”. All of Burke’s health care vendors were paid, “on the spot”. Most people that do not show up from work, do not get paid. Burke’s security posse, were sitting around while he recovered, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands. Nice job if you can get it.
Many Chicago City of Chicago employees suffer injuries at work related that were unnecessary. The Illinois Department of Labor has cited many Chicago Departments with fines and fees. Chicago always fights them. Instead of using shoring in a ditch, avoiding unnecessary death and injury, Chicago continue to say, “It is all about production “or “we are avoiding privatizing”. The City of Chicago also continue to fight across cross the board drug testing. They were heroin drug rings in the North District Water Department not long ago, but the pill business is still doing well. The drinking situations have improved dramatically, most workers get it. Use logic, if the job foreman take a few extra minutes to make a ditch safe, they can save hundreds of thousands of additional expenses.
Alderman Burke uses a company called Vocamotive for their Vocational Training. They know the game of dealing with the city. The Committee on Finance is not under the control of the Rahm Emanuel administration. That makes them less accountable to taxpayers. Alderman Burke hired a fired City law department lawyer, Monica Somerville, to handle the dirty work. Just like the Chicago Mob, or Rich Daley, Alderman Burke has buffers. Burke hired a staff that includes dog walkers, dog groomers, and hair dressers to handle city workers claims. These workers refuse to work with the injured and create a barrier to getting a worker back to work, as quick as private insurance companies would. Thus, the Committee on Finance is forced to hired private consultants, medical specialists, law firms, and vocational training companies, to do the dirty work, the COF, a criminal enterprise requires. For over a year, the Committee on Finance refused to pay a crippled city worker in a wheelchair, but the Committee on Finance hired Lisa Helma a CRC at Vocamotive to investigate job searches against the employee that has not been paid in over a year. Wait, Alderman Burke hired Lisa Helma, at Vocamotive Vocational Training to investigate Job searches? So, what does Alderman Burke’s COF investigators do? Just dye the Chicago River once a year? To think Lisa Helma, a former member of the IARP, is now playing policewomen? Amazing waste of money Chicago. Lisa Helma, a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, answering to hair dresser Andrea Micelli at the COF, wasting tons and tons of money. I though Chicago was broke. Are we being lied to? I am astounded as the sheer stupidity of this entire story. The Committee on Finance refuses to pay the workers expenses, disability pay, medical care, postal expenses, travel expenses, surgery bills, MRI bills, but has the money to investigate over a year later, how many swings at the bat do you get? I suspect the Committee on Finance realized their scams are being exposed so they are attempting to sling mud on their accusers. Also, Vocamotive is still refusing to comply with subpoenas from other state agencies. Every dog gets his day. What does not come out in the wash comes out in the rinse. Do not uses Vocamotive, get another lawyer. Vocamotive is not a Vocational Training company I would ever use.
Chicago Department of Water Management Rahm’s Greatest Failure
The City of Chicago Department of Water Management is again in the news on several fronts. The embattled North District is again attempting to cover-up a Christmas Party Brawl involving several employees. The December Party was held at a Northwest side bar. The bar confirmed the multiple fights. The Chicago Inspector General Joe ‘cupcake” Ferguson is again doing nothing except kissing up to Fran Spielman at the Sun-times.
The bosses at the Water Department again sent Joe packing to chase a box of missing pencils in the transportation department. At the party, one employee was getting closer to another employee, (allegedly Sandberg), and was headbutted. I would have wrote about this but Gary Litherman FOIA Officer at the Water Department is doing everything to keep Paul “DUI” Hansen and the Hoisting Engineer Foreman out of the story. The Alderman’s son was in the sun-times twice for drinking related issues, but thanks to Alderman “Toots” Tunney, he is taken care of. It takes head to get ahead.
Pictures of two men at the party have oral sex in the bathroom have been sent to the I.G. Maybe Joe can take them home and do a more personal cover-up.
For many years, the promotion system at the DOWM has promoted incompetent supervisors and the ongoing problems need addressing. I suggest Rahm Emanuel investigate the way Luci Pope-Cozzi-Anderson-Hansen promote employees. It is criminal.
Just recently, Chicago Clout has made FOIA requests regarding the contractor and contracts at the Jardine Plant. You might know, Gary Litherland is a puppet that refuses to offer up taxpayer information. The DOWM is hiding millions of dollars in no show contracts and job that are fronts for the Democrat Party fund making machine. The Jardine Plant also has morning exercise and afternoon soccer games on taxpayer money. The special payroll system covers it all up. High ranking City officers have phony companies that are stealing millions and no work is performed. Nice eh?
Every dog gets his day! The City of Chicago is losing millions in revenue from the Jardine Plant and the Chicago Water Purification system. Suburban cities are now obtaining water from other sources including Evanston. Evanston runs a professional water department free of clout and crime. Some cities like Des Plaines have said goodbye to Chicago, more Cities like Niles, Morton Grove, and Lincolnwood are on the way to make sure their residents do not pay a corruption tax. Rahm Emanuel and his corrupt administration are losing the “Chicago Golden Goose”. To keep the massive payroll of unneeded supervisors like Paul Hansen, who work on 44th ward political projects on city time, (yes, we know) Chicago taxpayers are going on the hook again to make up for the massive money loss. I hope Chicago elects Chuy to clean up this madness once and for all.
I am proud to serve the citizens of Chicago releasing hundreds of pages of sworn testimony showing how the lead poisoning of Chicago taxpayers is criminal.
Rahm Emanuel should shut up before he gets some Trump time.
Most Americans want to clean up America. Donald Trump was elected to do so. Donald Trump wants to clean up the borders and get things under control. Many City of Chicago City Workers known for their political expertise worked like animals to get Donald Trump into office. Hillary thought everything was in the bag.
Rahm Emanuel though he could have business as usual for another four years. That means governing like an absolute idiot, stealing everything that is not glued down. Making financial deals to enrich himself and his friends. Having immigrants means Rahm’s spend taxpayer dollars on programs to make his friends very wealthy. The money is made in managing programs. Just skimming off the cream at every turn. Rahm Emanuel does not care about the immigrants, but he does provide low cost labor for major corporations, like the airlines. Rahm knows for certain some parts of the population will not take these menial jobs for lousy pay. Rahm loves the pulpit acting as if he cares about the poor. Rahm thinks the poor are subhuman. Rahm Emanuel love Rahm Emanuel. He is a selfish slob.
Rahm visited some police graduating event and shaved his legs to look youthful. One of the police recruits said, “Rahm Emanuel had shaving cream on the back of his thigh”. He also said that is why they were laughing at Rahm. Rahm was wearing running shorts and the Chicago media ate it up. Wake up Chicago, Rahm is another Daley. No good for business. Chicago needs to get under control fast.
Governor Rauner looks at Illinois Workers’ Compensation Reform.
Illinois has every reason to succeed. We have the hardest-working people in America, the best infrastructure in America and the best location of any state. We have unlimited economic potential. Yet, despite these advantages, the state’s economic policies have led to very weak economic growth and massive manufacturing job losses.
Illinois’ total employment peaked in 2000. If Illinois simply kept pace with the rest of the nation in economic growth since then, we would have added 600,000 more jobs.
Nearly two years ago we unveiled an ambitious 44-point plan to create more jobs and spur economic growth. Since then–in the spirit of compromise–we’ve narrowed our focus to the most critical priorities–term limits, more jobs, lower property taxes, better schools and real pension reform. When it comes to job creation, we have continued to advocate for changes to the workers’ compensation system because of its direct impact on state government and job creation. As part of a balanced budget, workers’ compensation reform should be a core part of a comprehensive agreement.
When I meet with employers, both in Illinois and across the country, they cite two primary challenges for businesses in Illinois: the highest property tax burden in the nation and our uncompetitive workers’ compensation system. Those costs are particularly harmful to businesses with large physical footprints and large workforces. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Illinois has lost 34 percent of its manufacturing jobs since 2000 alone, while other states, like Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky, are growing.
Workers’ compensation is not just a business issue. It directly impacts taxpayers by costing state, county and municipal governments more than $400 million every year, plus additional costs for school districts and special purpose districts. Government employees file workers’ compensation claims for injuries and illnesses more than 50 percent more often than private-sector workers.
Illinois employers spend approximately $3 billion per year on workers’ compensation, including medical expenses and disability benefits. The most widely used national study, conducted by the state of Oregon, shows that Illinois jumped from 23rd to the third most expensive state in the nation following 2005 changes to the law. Bipartisan reforms in 2011 helped to reduce costs, but Illinois remains the most expensive state in the Midwest and is tied as the seventh most expensive state in the nation.
A balanced approach to reform could save employers and expand job opportunities for Illinois residents. It would mean that all participants in the system–employers, workers, medical providers, insurers, lawyers and the Workers’ Compensation Commission–bring savings to the system. There are many elements that can and should be included in a reform package.
LOOK TO OTHER BLUE STATES
Forty-five percent of workers’ compensation costs are for medical services. While the 2011 reforms cut maximum fees, the cost for certain procedures remains multiple times–three, four, five times–the comparable Medicare rate. We can rebalance the fee schedule to find savings while protecting access to quality care and still compensating providers fairly.
Illinois workers receive among the highest benefits in the nation. The compensation for most injuries in Illinois is two to three times the national average. While we are not proposing to reduce benefit levels, we have asked lawmakers to address circumstances for which the system was not designed.
The workers’ compensation system has been forced to absorb the growing costs of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other degenerative conditions. Most other states, including blue states like Massachusetts and Oregon, have responded by reforming their causation standards–a reform that Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in 2012 would “exclude those conditions which are primarily caused by the natural degenerative process which occurs during aging” and was necessary “to protect taxpayer dollars.”
The court system has also increased the overall cost of the system. Recent judicial decisions have removed award caps for shoulder and hip injuries; “significantly expanded” the circumstances in which an injury to a traveling employee is compensable, according to Madigan; and undermined an employer’s defense against claims caused by the intervening intentional conduct of the employee. We can reduce costs by restoring commonly accepted practices.
Many other good ideas have been proposed to make the system more efficient. Ultimately, we will all benefit from balanced reform: Employers will save costs, Illinois will be a more attractive place in which to create jobs, workers will still be protected in the case of a workplace injury while enjoying greater job opportunities, and the state and local governments will experience a broader tax base through growth.
If we cannot provide Illinois residents with good jobs and expand our tax base, the state will never be able to properly support education and human services to the level they deserve, and our pension liabilities will look even more daunting.
Change is not easy, but the status quo is unacceptable. We cannot afford to fail.
Illinois Workers’ Compensation Reform shortchanges Workers again January 22, 2017
A change in the rules for workers’ compensation in Illinois is included in a “grand bargain” package of bills Senate President John Cullerton and Minority Leader Christine Radogno are pushing this week to finally get a state budget.
In an interview Thursday with the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, Cullerton and Radogno said the workers’ comp bill undoubtedly will be tweaked before final votes in the state Senate and House. We sure hope so. Compromise is essential, but workers’ comp still must deliver on its basic promise — that injured workers get quality health care and fair treatment.
As written, the bill includes enhanced fraud protections and benefit cuts, including further reductions in the amount that medical providers get paid for some types of procedures, limitations on physical therapy and the types of drugs that may be prescribed.
Additional cuts no doubt will be proposed as the bill moves forward. But this is an area where lawmakers must tread carefully. In some other states, benefits have been cut so substantially that some injured employees have been unable to get any medical care. Some seriously injured employees have been ruined financially. If those workers wind up on Social Security Disability Insurance, the cost of workplace injuries has been shifted from employers to taxpayers.
That can’t be allowed to happen in Illinois.
Workers comp is a trade-off. In exchange for giving up the right to sue negligent employers who cause accidents, workers are assured of getting medical care, pay for time when they are off work because of an injury, and compensation for permanent injuries. Any changes in the law should preserve that bedrock deal.
In 2011, Illinois enacted a series of reforms, including a 30 percent reduction in the amounts paid to health care providers, that brought down costs. But those savings largely have yet to show up in lower workers’ compensation insurance premiums for employers.
One way to cut costs without further reducing worker benefits would be to give the Illinois Department of Insurance the authority to ensure workers’ comp insurance companies aren’t getting excessive profits. That’s a safeguard that already exists in many other states.
Setting workers’ comp benefits at a reasonable level can help Illinois’ economic competitiveness. But Illinois shouldn’t expect to have lower workers’ comp costs than its neighbors. Part of the formula for calculating workers’ comp premiums is the total amount of employer payrolls. Because Illinois has higher average incomes than adjoining states, it can’t expect its workers’ comp rates to be lower.
Cullerton and Radogno are pushing for a bipartisan solution to a political impasse that has forced Illinois to stagger along without an annual budget for more than a year and a half. We support that effort. We also trust they can get the job done while preserving a fair workers’ comp system.