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* Frank Main at the Sun-Times…
Illinois state Comptroller Susana Mendoza is accusing Mayor Lori Lightfoot of failing Mendoza’s brother and other Chicago cops by instructing her appointees to a police pension board to vote against approving a “duty disability” that would provide pay and health insurance to officers facing career-ending COVID-19 complications. […]
Sgt. Joaquin Mendoza, a Chicago cop for 22 years, was hospitalized for 72 days and lost the use of his kidneys and his left arm after contracting the coronavirus on the job, according to his lawyers. They say he hasn’t been able to work since getting sick in November 2020, before COVID-19 vaccines were available.
He sought a duty disability that would have provided 75% of his regular salary and free health care — rather than an “ordinary disability” providing 50% of his salary and no health care and is phased out after five years.
On Feb. 24, 2022, the Chicago police pension board voted 4-3 to deny Mendoza a duty disability and awarded him an ordinary disability.
Since then, the board has denied a duty disability for another officer who got COVID. At least 18 other Chicago police officers have similar requests pending, according to Mendoza’s attorneys.
The bottom line is if a police officer dies from COVID, the law presumes they contacted the virus on the job. If they are “only” permanently injured by long COVID, the city says they don’t qualify for duty disability. As one of Mr. Mendoza’s attorneys told the Sun-Times, “Officers are almost being punished for not dying.”
* Media advisory…
Comptroller Mendoza launches legislative effort to protect Chicago police severely injured by COVID
What: Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza will announce a bill being filed by State Sen. Bill Cunningham and State Rep. Jay Hoffman to protect Chicago police severely injured by COVID. Comptroller Mendoza’s brother, Det. Sgt. Joaquin Mendoza, is one of 20 or more officers who could be left without benefits by the city’s policy of refusing full duty disability benefits to the officers severely affected by COVID in the days before the vaccines were available.
When: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21
Where: Chicago City Hall 121 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, 3rd Floor
Who: Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza will be joined by aldermen, retired police officers, firefighters, officers denied pensions for their COVID injuries; and others.
* Paul Vallas press release…
Mayoral frontrunner Paul Vallas is reacting to the explosive Sun-Times story today that details how Mayor Lori Lightfoot failed to stand with members of the Chicago Police Department by refusing to grant a duty disability pension to officers who contracted COVID-19 on the job and have faced serious medical problems. Vallas is releasing the following statement:
“Just like doctors, nurses, EMTs and other first responders, Chicago police officers were on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic putting their lives at risk to do their jobs, and refusing to grant health benefits and a fair pension to officers who face serious health complications from the virus is absolutely heartless. Mayor Lightfoot has consistently failed to provide the support that police officers need in order to make our city safer, from not maintaining the proper amount of manpower to promoting incompetent leadership to imposing oppressive schedules, and now this latest insult. I’m running for Mayor as a lifelong Democrat who will put crime reduction and public safety first, and while I will not hesitate to hold officers accountable when necessary I will also restore the baseline level of trust and support from City Hall to CPD that is necessary to create a safer environment for all of us.”
Thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 8:51 am
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As long as Covid deaths are considered line of duty, long Covid/Covid disabilities should be considered duty disabilities. Easy as that.
Comment by Sterling Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:04 am
Lightfoot’s stance is absolutely disqualifying. In reading this, I’m dumbfounded. Mayor - your 15 minutes is up.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:06 am
The Mayor never ceases to amaze me with her bad takes on things.
Comment by ddp76 Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:09 am
Lightfoot needs to not be elected again.
Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:15 am
This is a good bill and the correct policy and I’m really fascinated to see Mendoza take a big ol’ swing into the mayor’s race.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:20 am
if LL is voted out, I’ll be interested to see if she expects the police protections post office that Daley gets and Rahm briefly got.
Comment by Jose Abreu's Next Homer Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:21 am
Timing is everything in politics. Comptroller Mendoza, for good reasons, blasted the mayor with a few weeks to go. I don’t see even a run-off for Lightfoot; a 1 termer. It is terrible that the pension board is not siding with the police officers due to Covid. The city received millions from the Feds for Covid-related issues. By a single vote, they turn their backs on our first responders who serve in harm’s way. It’s impressive that Mendoza already had press ready with the bills filed to remedy this issue!
Comment by Pizza Man Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:24 am
Feels like payback for something.
Comment by St. Nick Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:27 am
With Vallas responding faster than the other mayoral candidates… either it tells me Mendoza is supporting Vallas (gave him a heads up) or Vallas is simply quick (to react) on the political shots of his opponents.
Comment by Pizza Man Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:28 am
I have no problem with this unless they refused to get vaccinated without a legitimate medical reason.
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:38 am
This from the woman who ignored COVID protocols to get her hair done because she ‘needs to look good’.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:47 am
=either it tells me Mendoza is supporting Vallas (gave him a heads up) or Vallas is simply quick (to react) on the political shots of his opponents.=
Mendoza is too politically savvy to have anything to do with Vallas. As for Vallas, despite what anyone may think of him he has by far run the best campaign to date. Which shouldn’t be a surprise, he’s had a lot of practice.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:48 am
I don’t have any great love of the CPD, but if you contract Covid on the job before Covid vaccines were available or, if you contract Covid on the job having been vaccinated and end up being disabled by Covid in the short or long term, you should receive full disability. If you contract Covid on the job after refusing to get vaccinated for no legitimate medical reason, especially after the CPD vaccine mandate was put into place, then I’m not so sure.
Comment by skutt Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:54 am
===I have no problem with this unless they refused to get vaccinated without a legitimate medical reason.===
===If you contract Covid on the job after refusing to get vaccinated for no legitimate medical reason, especially after the CPD vaccine mandate was put into place, then I’m not so sure.===
Cool story bros, but November 2020 is before the vaccine was available.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 9:59 am
looking back at the last Chicago Mayoral, probably certain that many regret taking so strongly to heart Mendoza and her Burke connection. Mendoza would have been a better choice for Mayor. Hell hath no fury….
Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 10:11 am
3-D, reading comprehension is a thing. You obviously can’t refuse a vaccine that didn’t exist yet. This policy affects cops who contracted Covid both before and after vaccine availability. There are at least 18 other cases with unknown dates of infection.
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 10:14 am
=Cool story bros, but November 2020 is before the vaccine was available.=
3-D - You omitted the first part of my comment. Obviously one cannot refuse a vaccine that does not exist yet, as I clearly noted in my comment.
Comment by skutt Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 10:25 am
“Feels like payback for something.”
Yeah. For screwing-over her brother.
– MrJM
Comment by MisterJayEm Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 10:40 am
What was the evidence before the pension board? While there’s a presumption that COVID is duty related, that presumption is rebuttable. It seems odd that everybody jumps to accusations of bad faith without even looking at the evidence.
Comment by duck duck goose Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 11:54 am
When did he get COVID, and if it was after vaccines were available was the officer vaccinated?
And how do you prove he got COVID on the job?
What about other professions who got COVID at work? How does this compare to them?
Comment by Just Me 2 Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 12:12 pm
If only we all had a sister who was a statewide elected official to advocate and personally intervene on our behalf.
Comment by Google Is Your Friend Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 12:26 pm
===personally intervene===
She didn’t intervene.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 12:27 pm
@duck-duck
While this situation is tragic, you are right to point out we do not have all of the information we would need to make an informed decision. For example, the story actually states that the police pension board made the decision (not Lightfoot). Knowing why the reached their decision is more relevant than theories about mayoral candidates.
If this is a policy issue, then the solution is policy, not elections.
On the other hand, I have no skin in this game.
Comment by H-W Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 1:20 pm
==The bottom line is if a police officer dies from COVID, the law presumes they contacted the virus on the job.==
To those of you asking questions note the above. How can the presumption for a COVID death be that it was contracted on the job but when it comes to disability the answer is something different. If one is true than they both have to be true.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 1:33 pm
===She didn’t intervene.===
Sure.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 2:51 pm
Sorry, thought you meant the Mayor. She definitely intervened.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 3:15 pm
He contracted the virus on the job? How do we know?
It seems that a majority of adults now have had Covid. Should everyone with serious complications be provided special benefits?
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 21, 23 @ 5:40 pm