Morning Shorts
Friday, Jun 25, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daley has new plan to outsource some city hiring
The latest example of Daley’s privatization frenzy will start with a request-for-proposals from firms interested in recruiting and hiring tradespeople in five city departments: Streets and Sanitation, Transportation, Water Management, Aviation and General Services.
If it works to have an outside personnel firm recruit and hire carpenters, electricians, laborers and plumbers, City Hall will move to outsource all other hiring, the mayor said.
* Daley floats new approach to get rid of patronage hiring
After years of trying and failing to rid his administration of patronage scandals, Mayor Richard Daley floated another plan Thursday: bringing in an outside firm to hire many city workers.
The latest idea comes as one of Daley’s top former operatives faces criminal retrial for allegedly rigging city hiring to strengthen the mayor’s onetime political army and as Daley struggles to end federal court oversight of personnel decisions.
For his new test program, Daley singled out five major city departments, at least three of which have been repeatedly accused of considering politics when hiring, promoting and firing — practices banned by the courts in most cases.
* Former Chicago Alderman Sentenced to 28 Months
The former chairman of the Chicago City Council’s police and fire committee has been sentenced to 28 months in federal prison for taking $40,000 worth of home improvements in exchange for a zoning change. Before sentencing, Isaac Carothers told U.S. District Judge Robert Dow he understood “the terrible damage” he inflicted on his family and the city for his illegal conduct.
* Burge Defense: They’re rats and pieces of garbage
Some of the most compelling evidence against Burge are pictures of an injured Andrew Wilson after he confessed to murdering two Chicago Police officers in 1982. Burge’s defense attorney Richard Beuke started his closing arguments saying the now deceased Wilson was in the darkest dingiest corner of hell laughing about this case.
* Accusations of lying swapped as Burge trial comes to close
* Burge case goes to the jury
* Jury starts deliberations in Burge’s torture trial
* City committee OKs Wal-Mart for Pullman Park
* Wal-Mart, unions reach deal on second Chicago store
* Zoning panel clears Wrigleyville development
* Mayoral plan would allow corporate naming rights for bridge houses
* More excesses under former Metra CEO detailed
The audit noted in 2008 Pagano received $111,000 for unused vacation time that year and for 2009, against Metra policy. It also found Pagano approved agreements giving former Deputy Executive Director Rick Tidwell and former labor relations chief Mike Nielsen $89,000 and $42,000 respectively - comprised of unused vacation and sick days payouts - for staying past their retirement dates.
* Pagano pay hikes lifted pensions
* RTA may try to recoup Metra execs’ vacation pay
* DuPage residents fight against Lake Michigan water
Only a few hours remain for residents living in an unincorporated area of the county near Lombard to object to a plan to bring them Lake Michigan water. The objection period ends Saturday.
* Sun-TImes: Carp crisis requires thoughtful, fast action
* Fate of ShoreBank rests in unanswered questions
- wordslinger - Friday, Jun 25, 10 @ 9:55 am:
There’s something surreal about seeing Daley flailing about, trying his hardest to get rid of that darn patronage. Who’s supposed to believe that stuff?
- Just Observing - Friday, Jun 25, 10 @ 10:04 am:
Outsourcing hiring to an outside firm does not necessarily make the firm less likely to sucumb to political hirings — now you have a firm that is “selected” by the City and wants to keep that contract so the firm understands what it means when someone from City Hall calls to “recommend” this person or that person for a job. This goes on now with private firms that get government contracts.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Friday, Jun 25, 10 @ 10:15 am:
I’m thinking that letting the federal judge control the hiring is working just fine.
- jerry 101 - Friday, Jun 25, 10 @ 3:27 pm:
What? Outsourcing hiring to fight patronage? I don’t think so. If anything, that will make patronage hiring easier.
First, hire a politically connected firm to perform the hiring, then hire whoever the Mayor says to hire, then avoid accountability by being a private firm with far less transparency and an immunity to FOIA requests.
Yup, that’s a great recipe for avoiding patronage.
Actually, it’s a great recipe for bringing back the good old days of patronage in a big way.
The private sector is far more corrupt than the public sector. The government sector makes the news more often, but that’s due to the greater transparency, not greater corruption.