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Illinois Worker’s Compensation revelations explode in Chicago

The City of Chicago Department of Water Management, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and Alderman Burke were front and center again in a massive amount of accusations at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission May 22, 2018. The Chicago Water Department was again accused of providing cover for injured city workers with clout. The Water Department again was accused of withholding injured workers payments to force settlements on black women and those that can not get signatures for Emanuel and other Chicago politicians. According to a source at the Jardine Plant, you pay to play.

One worker revealed he was eating out of garbage cans and was under the care of multiple doctors from the lack of needed care. One of those in attendance made a snicker. One worker revealed how Alderman Burke hires no-bid private contractors and receives lucrative kickbacks. One disgruntled worker in the Committee on Finance and finally spoke with the Chicago FBI office. An explosive set of documents are now in the public domain.

Cynthia Davenport, (case 05-WC-002827) a crippled 65-year-old women, just lost her husband. The City of Chicago under Mr. Conners, Commissioner of the Department of Water Management, continues to allow this crippled DOWM bricklayer to stave on only half disability pay. Many crippled employees do not even get that. Tomorrow, she will be at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission to attempt to receive the duty disability pay reinstated. Cynthia was also a victim of Vocamotive Vocational program that sent this lady to whore houses to make her, “non-compliant”. She was sent to attempt to work nights at a place that had young ladies with short skirts and no panties allegedly servicing older men.

I surprised they didn’t force her to become a dancing instructor at “Fred Astaire”, her walker would be a great asset. As long as Vocamotive continues to contribute to Alderman Burke, this shit will continue. The City hired a Dan Weiler a private Attorney Hennessy and Roach P.C. to attempt to destroy her. It worked before.

Allegations such as Federal violations, labor laws, financial destruction, divorces, were common. Accusations such as Mercy Works Doctors sending referrals. Workers were treated “Like a subhuman animal”. DOWM women treatments steered treatment to destroy black women lies. The Committee on Finance. Examples of collusion with private lawyers lying to clients about settlements. It seems the City of Chicago is refusing to accept pictures of brutal injuries. One claimant is still waiting over 7 years for his settlement, but they refuse to settle until he is retired, and government benefits are used to pay for his needed care. Sounds like fraud to me.

A Chicago cop physically attacked Patrick McDonough in one case and the Chicago Inspector General failed to protect Mr. McDonough. Accusations of Chicago and Committee on Finance fraud, changing medical diagnosis was abound. Stunning accusations. What will the IWCC do to stop the City of Chicago?
What will the Alderman do? Thanks to former city employees and Frank Coconate, Federal Attorneys, and others, this will all be exposed prior to the next election.

Paul Hansen a former City of Chicago Department of Water Management employees name was brought up several times. Have a nice day, more on this soon.

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State worker retiring amid probe of racist emails in water department scandal

Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission Picture.JPG

A veteran state employee whose personal email address was a source of racist, sexist and anti-gay emails that circulated among bosses in the Chicago water department is retiring, state officials said.

Frank Capuzi’s decision to retire effective Monday comes as the state began a review of his conduct following Tribune inquiries into offensive emails sent from his address to a high-ranking water department official and others. Among those emails was one describing a fake “Chicago Safari” adventure tour that made light of the shootings of children in black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

Capuzi, an investigator with the Workers’ Compensation Commission, “gave notice of his retirement” on Thursday, said commission spokesman Ben Noble.

Noble indicated that the commission’s investigation was not over and said that Capuzi left on his own. “Capuzi freely exercised his right to retire,” Noble said. “The commission cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. It takes seriously these allegations.”

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Diana Rickert, a spokeswoman for Gov. Bruce Rauner, confirmed that Capuzi is leaving his state job. “We take these allegations extremely seriously, and we’re not going to tolerate any type of misbehavior that we are aware of,” she said.

Capuzi, 62, has worked for the state for more than four decades and makes more than $114,000 per year. He could not be reached for comment Friday.

He was a longtime GOP committeeman on the West Side, having won the 26th Ward post as recently as 2008 and the 27th Ward at least as far back as the early 1980s, according to records from the Chicago Board of Elections. He is the son of a former Republican state lawmaker, Louis Capuzi of Chicago.

Racist emails scandal moves beyond Chicago as Illinois opens investigation into state employee’s role
Earlier this month, the Tribune revealed that Capuzi’s AOL address was a source of emails at the center of a widening scandal in the city’s water department. The “Chicago Safari” email was among at least four of the most offensive ones that circulated among water department bosses that came from Capuzi’s personal email address.

Even though Capuzi did not use his government email address, ethics experts told the Tribune that this type of matter should be looked into to determine whether any violations of state law, rules or policies have occurred, including conduct unbecoming a state employee.

The Rauner administration’s code of personal conduct states, in part, that employees should conduct themselves “with integrity and in a manner that reflects favorably upon the state.” That code, a union bargaining agreement and the state ethics law are all part of the review, the commission said.

Racist emails show Chicago official joked about ‘safari’ tour to see violence in black neighborhoods
City Inspector General Joseph Ferguson uncovered a string of racist, sexist, anti-gay and anti-Muslim emails while investigating another matter in the water department. His findings led to five water department bosses being ousted, including Commissioner Barrett Murphy; his deputy, William Bresnahan; and Paul Hansen, a district superintendent and the son of former Democratic Alderman. Bernie Hansen.

The Tribune obtained nearly 1,300 water department emails from the water department via a public records request, including several emails forwarded from Capuzi’s address to Hansen.

The Chicago Safari email, sent in July 2013, states that if “you didn’t book a Chicago safari adventure,” for the Independence Day weekend, “you missed” the shootings of a 5-year-old boy and two others in West Pullman; the shooting of a 7-year-old boy in Chatham; and the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Humboldt Park.

“We guarantee that you will see at least one kill and five crime scenes per three day tour. You’ll also see lots and lots of animals in their natural habitat. Call and book your Chicago Safari today,” the email reads. An image depicts four white people in safari gear taking pictures of black people trying to break into a car.

Others included a July 2014 email titled “Watermelon Protection” that included an image of a scarecrow dressed in a white KKK robe amid a watermelon patch; an April 2017 email titled “Today is Heterosexual Male Pride Day;” and a March 2014 email about an essay contest that had to include elements of religion, royalty, racism, disability and homosexuality. The “winning” essay read: “My God,” cried the Queen, “That one-legged nigger is a queer.” Chicago tribune Ray Long

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Lawsuit Follows Shake-Up At Chicago Water Department DOWM

(CBS) — Seven employees of Chicago’s Water Department filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday morning, claiming they were denied promotions, subjected to racial claims and sexually harassed because of their race.

CBS 2’s Sandra Torres has details.

“I feel less than the man that I am when I’m talked to disrespectfully,” says 57-year-old Derrick Edmond.

He refers to the treatment he’s received while working at the south water purification plant. He’s among the Water Department employees in the suit who say, in part, “black employees are humiliated, harassed, and threatened daily by co-workers.”

“In 2017, many black people at the Water Department still cannot go to work and make a living without being subject to a hostile work environment,” Edmond says.

Edmond has been working as an operating engineer at the plant for over 30 years.

In the lawsuit, he claims:

-supervisors denied him promotion opportunities because of his race.

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-they called him the “N” word and referred to him as “you people.”

-he was disciplined in retaliation for speaking out against his treatment in the department.

“All of their stories are consistent from top to bottom,” attorney Vick Anderson says.

In May, Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired Water Department Commissioner Barrett Murphy after an investigation uncovered racist and sexist emails.

Attorneys say employees now want justice.

“This lawsuit falls on the heels of our mayor of our city having to acknowledge that the culture of the Water Department is indeed hostile and abusive,” William C. Martin says. “This is the next step in this admission process.”

Two plaintiffs are women and five are men; attorneys say at least 30 others have reached out to them with similar claims.

A spokesperson for Emanuel issued this prepared statement in response to the lawsuit:

“The City of Chicago has no tolerance for discrimination of employees in any form, and while we cannot comment on this lawsuit specifically, the City does not take any allegations of this nature lightly. The Mayor recently appointed a new commissioner and is committed to providing the support and resources necessary to implement changes and address issues at the Department of Water Management.”

Patrick McDonough, a City of Chicago Department of Water Management employee has complained of discrimination to two decades. Frank Coconate joins the lawsuit.

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Black workers denied promotions, called racial slurs at Chicago water department: lawsuit

African-American employees of the Chicago water department routinely were denied promotions, subjected to racial slurs and sexually harassed because of their race, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday that could further roil a department that’s become a racially charged problem for Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The lawsuit, filed in federal district court, comes weeks after a leadership shakeup at the Department of Water Management as a months-long watchdog probe that ferreted out racist and sexist emails shared among department supervisors.
The suit was filed on behalf of seven current and former employees of the department, and it seeks class-action status, which if granted could expand its scope. The employees alleged they were denied promotions and transfers, given less-desirable work assignments, harassed and wrongly fired in some cases because of their race.
It further states that department workers routinely used racial slurs or racially charged phrases, including the n-word and “you people,” to refer to black employees, according to the lawsuit. “Black female employees are called bitches and whores on a regular basis,” the filing reads.

And when they filed complaints about a hostile work environment, they were “subjected to unfair, arbitrary and capricious discipline for speaking out,” the lawsuit alleges. Department officials “have done nothing to remedy the hostile work environment,” it adds.
The lawsuit asks for a judge to rule that department officials violated federal fair labor laws, bar further discriminatory contact, and provide lost wages and back pay to the allegedly harmed employees.
City officials did not have an immediate response to the lawsuit.

A day before it was filed, Emanuel and the City Council were singing the praises of newly appointed water department Commissioner Randy Conner, an African American man from the South Side who was promoted amid the shakeup and confirmed by aldermen Wednesday. Conner is named as a defendant in the lawsuit because of his new role, but there are no specific allegations in the 40-page filing that accuse him of any specific wrongdoing.

Conner was appointed by Emanuel to replace Barrett Murphy, a friend of the mayor’s who resigned his post as the result of a city inspector general’s investigation that turned up the racist and sexist emails. William Bresnahan, who was managing deputy commissioner, and Paul Hansen, who was a district superintendent, also resigned.
The Tribune earlier this month first reported that Hansen sent to Murphy and Bresnahan emails in early 2014 that included anti-Islamic and racially insensitive language.
Hansen also sent an email that included sexist language as he made fun of a colleague in response to a lengthy message that colleague sent to Hansen about a frozen water main.
In addition, Thomas J. Durkin, the general foreman of plumbers, and John “Jack” Lee Jr., another district superintendent, later were replaced on administrative leave pending disciplinary decisions as a result of the probe.

hdardick@chicagotribune.com

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City Workers: Proceed with caution, Victor Crown tax rebates

Victor Crown is asking for four years of tax returns from Chicago City Workers. The City workers are lining up in the 4600 block of North Francisco. I strongly urge all city workers to be careful and make sure you review any changes to your taxes with your tax preparation specialist. Victor has been telling folks he is a special appointee of the Federal Courts for many years. Victor Crown is not a lawyer or a CPA. Make sure anyone that prepares your tax form to sign the paperwork. Proceed with caution. I will look into this myself and report back. Patrick McDonough.