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| Fifth Column |
| Crook County: Insider's details hurt diversity defense |
| 2006-05-17 |
| Enjoy... John Kass Insider's details hurt diversity defense Published May 17, 2006 In federal court Tuesday, I hoped to hear more about how the City Hall patronage scandal isn't really about how the mayor's guys violated a federal court order and put hundreds of unqualified stooges on the public payroll to protect their white political boss. And that instead, it's really all about diversity, about protecting the legacy of the city's first black mayor, the late Mayor Harold Washington. That theory involves three noble white guys from the 11th Ward Regular Democratic Organization--and another one from the 19th Ward--who apparently felt it their solemn duty to protect the interests of minority city job seekers. Why? Because Harold would have wanted it that way and because Mayor Richard Daley wanted it that way, too, since he loved and respected Harold so much, and if he wasn't 10,000 miles away hiding out in China, he'd say so, in perfect Mandarin. That's the gist of it. But then Mary Jo Falcon intervened and brought a few buckets of cold reality with her. Falcon is the former patronage chief in Daley's Water and Sewer Departments. She told the jury that she hired those people her political bosses wanted hired, because her bosses were her bosses, which makes sense. She testified under a grant of immunity, after the feds raided her office, seizing documents. Naturally, she testified under that grant of immunity because she figured she'd go to jail if she didn't, because she figured what she did was illegal and, being a lawyer, she understands all that now. At one point, she was asked the following question by Assistant U.S. Atty. Patrick Collins about how the hiring process really worked: "Would you take into account the qualifications of the people you were rating?" "No," Falcon said in a meek voice. Falcon spoke quietly but clearly enough, appearing somewhat uncomfortable throughout the day as Daley's political underlings stared at her from their defense tables. The alleged ringleader in the scheme, former City Hall patronage boss Robert Sorich, chewed on the end of his pen as she spoke, facing her. Some of her testimony was glitzier than the simple "No." Reporters in the courtroom were scribbling frantically when she described the instructions she was given when she took the job, which were to never put Sorich's name on anything, or include the word "Sorich" in the same sentence as "hiring." And if anyone asked, she testified, she was supposed to "deny, deny, deny." She also recounted dozens of times she had walked out of Sorich's office with a list of which political workers to hire before she fudged documents and doctored the ratings of the job candidates. For years, she'd call the list of hires Sorich gave her "the blessed list." "As you walked out of his office, did you consider them recommendations?" Collins asked her. "No," Falcon said again. "What did you consider them?" "Hires," Falcon said. She understands politics all right. Sorich, the former boss of the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (City Hall dropped the `Mayor's Office' part a while ago as the federal bus picked up speed), helped manage Daley's politics and that means the patronage. Sorich allegedly gave the orders on hiring blue-collar workers, like bricklayers, truck drivers, heavy-equipment operators, laborers. But only a certain kind--the kind that are so loyal they'll work precincts in Will County for a Republican state's attorney if City Hall wants it that way, or help crush a home-grown liberal Democrat running for Congress so City Hall could install a Clinton White House hatchet man. What hasn't come out yet is what happens when they work those elections. Besides the jobs come promotions and overtime at more than double the rates on Sundays, so they could watch football back at the shop, courtesy of taxpayers. Collins wrapped up his questioning Tuesday (Falcon is expected to continue on the witness stand Wednesday) with the story of Laura Miller, a plumber who applied for a job as a $72,000-a-year house drain inspector. Miller was the top candidate, according to the way things were supposed to be done. She received an outstanding recommendation on a personnel form: "Would be an asset to the department ... knowledgeable ... recommended for house drain inspector ..." And, she was black. Unfortunately, Falcon said Miller wasn't on Sorich's "blessed list." So her candidacy was downgraded. They said Miller didn't have enough sewer experience. But City Hall did hire a West Side truck driver without sewer experience for the same job, and others with limited experience. They all had the right political experience, though. Obviously, diversity is fine, just so long as everybody marches in political lockstep on Election Day, right Harold? |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #2 All these people should dance at the end of a rope. The Daley family included. Their subversion and coruption of our political system is every bit as bad a a terrors bombing. The effect are even longer lasting however. Treason by a different name. |
| Posted by: SPoD 2006-05-17 23:33 |
| #1 I once applied to the computer dept at that water works. Did a real bang up jobs with PDF's answering their questions and everything.... They told me I was not qualified to ever touch their computers... I figured "FIX" and walked away. A year later it turned out all their "Computer People" were not. They were actually BAG MEN for kickbacks and bribes all throughout the Daley Admin. No wonder I wasn't qualified! I wasn't a criminal! Glad I didn't get that job. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-05-17 20:45 |