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Sheriff Hartman would’ve fit right in with Cahokia Heights

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Illinois

* A classic exchange between a sheriff and a reporter in the movie His Girl Friday…

MURPHY
(into phone) Four of Mr. Hartman’s Deputy Sheriffs were rushed to the hospital –

HARTMAN
A fine fair-weather friend you are!

MURPHY
(remorselessly, into phone) The names are Merwyn D. Mayor, who is the Mayor’s brother-in-law –

HARTMAN
After all I’ve done for you –

MURPHY
(continuing) Howard Shenken, the Sheriff’s uncle on his mother’s side –

* Belleville News-Democrat…

The former mayor of Alorton, a state senator and Mayor Curtis McCall Sr’s sons are among the 112 employees working for the new city of Cahokia Heights. McCall Sr, who was sworn in as mayor of Cahokia Heights in May, said he’s confident in everyone he’s appointed to serve in his administration so far, given that several have previously worked for the three dissolved towns and associated entities included in the merger. […]

Former Alorton Mayor JoAnn Reed works as the director for the city’s nutrition center. Illinois Sen. Chris Belt (D-Swansea) is the director of compliance, risk management and safety, according to 2021 documents obtained by the Belleville News-Democrat. Both positions are full-time. Reed and Belt previously worked for Commonfields of Cahokia Public Water District — making $29,400 and $58,500, respectively, in 2020 — which the new city absorbed under its own water and sewer department. […]

Roy Belt, who also makes $20.42 an hour is McCall’s nephew-in-law. Chris Belt, whose job description for the city includes managing “risk management and safety related to storm sewers, water mains, sanitary sewers”, is McCall’s brother-in-law. He’s married to Belt’s sister, Yvonne.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 10:30 am

Comments

Rosemont South?

Comment by What's in a name? Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 10:33 am
I love old movies but I’ve never see His Girl Friday. Does that quote imply the mayor’s name is Mayor Mayor?

Comment by Randall Dowling Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 10:38 am
The intro to Cahokia Heights wiki entry is perfect too.

Comment by AndyJD Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 10:43 am
==Merwyn D. Mayor, who is the Mayor’s brother-in-law==

Merwyn D. Mayor. Like Pat Quinn was “put on this earth to fix pensions,” Mr. Mayor was put on this earth to become Mayor.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployee Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 10:44 am
Being ensconced in a small town for most of my life, this doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. My only two questions are:
Are they qualified for the jobs they got? And are they performing adequately?

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 10:49 am
Said it for years.

Nepotism/cronyism in cities, while good copy, is child’s play compared to small towns.

In small towns it’s way more condensed.

Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 10:53 am
“We’ve got to protect our phony-baloney jobs, gentlemen.” Governor Lepetomane

Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 11:02 am
This shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Comment by Furtive Look Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 11:03 am
Having grown up in a rural farm town and moved to the Chicago area:
a. None of this is surprising.
b. Chicago politicians get all the media attention while the small town guys do stuff under the radar the big city guys only wish they could do.
The late Tom T. Hall wrote the song Harper Valley PTA about small town scandal. That stuff never changes.

train111

Comment by train111 Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 11:09 am
== “We’ve got to protect our phony-baloney jobs, gentlemen.” Governor Lepetomane ==

Harrumph!

Comment by Northsider Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 11:23 am
Patronage and wire-pulling is universal, but a bigger picture that should be considered is the superfluous and redundant number if government units in Illinois. Everyone complains about it, but like their own amalgam of satrapies. Cahokia Heights is a consolidation of three municipalities that will be a messy, but necessary, process, and hopefully a useful case study.

Comment by VerySmallRocks Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 11:28 am
I didn’t get a harruumph out of that guy.

Comment by Gruntled University Employee Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 11:31 am
Illinois taxpayers scream about wanting small gvt, until that means losing their own little kingdoms. Ask voters in Sangamon County if they believe in smaller gvt. They will likely say Yes, but not at the cost of the State, County or City jobs because they would be wrong.

Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 11:33 am
“His Girl Friday” starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, a great comedy.

Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 12:02 pm
(clutches pearls) Corruption down in God’s country?

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 12:18 pm
It Is IL number 407,838.
Corruption NEVER takes a day off.

Comment by sal-says Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 12:20 pm
[Sarcasm font on ??]

“Hi, I’m an locally elected Illinois officeholder, and I’m a patronage - aholic.”

Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 12:24 pm
“Hey! They copied us!”

-McCook, probably

Comment by ChrisB Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 1:01 pm
“Hey, they copied us.”

-McCook, probably

Comment by ChrisB Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 1:02 pm
== I didn’t get a harruumph out of that guy. ==

Give the Governor a “harrumph”!

Comment by Northsider Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 1:11 pm
The city government has a nutrition center?

Comment by Siualum Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 1:11 pm
Incidentally, “Cahokia Heights” is neither. The real Cahokia was 10 miles to the north. And in no way can the land be called “Heights.” It is literally on the river’s low-lying bottomlands, below the bluffs. Oh well!

Comment by Sir Snarks-a-Lot Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 2:34 pm
Curtis McCall Sr once tried to shake me down In The parking lot of Our Lady of Snows Shrine, it wasn’t the only time, he also used to have his own private room at one of the establishments In Centerville. The man can deliver votes in a Dem primary.

Comment by Barstool in Hamel Tuesday, Oct 5, 21 @ 7:08 pm
==Illinois taxpayers scream about wanting small gvt, until that means losing their own little kingdoms. Ask voters in Sangamon County if they believe in smaller gvt. ==

Cases in point: City of Springfield, Springfield and Woodside townships, Capital Township, Southern View, Leland Grove, Jerome, Grandview, and the donut holes. All of which should be merged into the city, Springfield and Woodside townships and the donut hole cities included.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Oct 6, 21 @ 8:38 am