SCC Predictions

Once again in what is turning out to be a yearly event, SCC attempts (badly) to ascertain the future:

• Politics - Local - a continuing series of low level indictments. We've been hoping for more years than we've been running this blog that something big will break, but we are always disappointed. This year, we'll aim low.
• Politics - State - Someone big indicted. Blago or Mrs. Blago. And if the media did it's job, it will have a big impact on Obama's future as well.
• Politics - National and International - Hillary has already gone negative and it's cost her. Obama is running pretty well, but has too many skeletons if the media would just look for them. Edwards? Let's face it - the presidential race on BOTH sides is looking truly grim. Everything else? Same as 2007 - the more it changes, the more it stays the same.
  
• Sports - continuing mediocrity everywhere with the notable exception of the Blackhawks. With Bill Wirtz out of the picture and and the Hawks on free TV, we've seen our first consecutive sellouts in a few years or more. A few right moves and the Hawks are playoff bound like the old days and competing for the Cup in 3 years.
• Department - The Chinese proverb states "May you live in interesting times." Let's just say we're hoping for really really interesting this year from the new Supe and not so interesting changes as the SOS and other scandals wind down finally. Manpower continues to suffer.
  
• General - global warming continues to not impact anything except Al Gore's bottom line; the economy continues to chug along, never spectacular but not a massive downturn either; illegal immigration continues to drain resources; and no one really cares.

Readers?

This is Bears Football

Unfortunately:

1st Downs	28	13
Total Yards	413	275
Passing	308	179
Rushing	105	96
Penalties	8-72	5-34
3rd Down Conversions	3-14	6-14
4th Down Conversions	1-4	0-1
Turnovers	3	3
Possession	35:08	24:52

Not sure how this table will show up in the post, but the Bears got beaten in every major category, especially passing and time of possession.

But they still won.

And that is usually Bear's football these past few years. Defense and Special Teams carrying the day while the offense is just good enough to keep it close. Not a bad strategy, but not one that is going to regularly get you into the playoffs and winning championships. The Bears really need an arm that can connect with guys like Hester on a regular basis.

Changes? Dumps?

The countdown to Jody commences in earnest - 16 January for City Council rubber stamp? What will be the first movements and changes?

Who's going to get dumped?

Who's going to retire?

What is going to get disbanded?

You may begin your predictions and wish lists here.

Bears Finale

At last, an end to a mediocre season.

Can they win two in a row? The Saints actually have a shot at a playoff spot, so they'll be playing to win. The Bears biggest problem is a let down after an emotional win last week against Green Bay.

Congratulations Officers

Once again, total homicides fall:

• Barring a burst of violent crime over the next few days, Chicago could finish the year with its fewest homicides since 1965.
  
  By Saturday evening, police had tallied 438 homicides. Chicago finished 2006 with 467 homicides, after 450 in 2005.
  
  This would be the fourth year in a row the city has seen fewer than 500 homicides, more or less a plateau after a decade-long decline.

Last year saw a slight up tick. This year, a little downturn. At least, according to how the stats are generated. Everyone deserves a pat on the back - even some of the units that take a beating here on the blog.

Be that as it may, we're still of the opinion that we've reached a plateau of sorts. Manpower at the district level is hideously low. Units like TRU and the DOC teams that are supposed to "flood" an area following a shooting to prevent retaliation do nothing to address the chronic crime problems that CAPS was invented to solve. As soon as this "extra" manpower leaves, the same problems reoccur. So much of what the "fast reaction" units are designed to prevent could be completely eradicated by increasing the manpower allotment in the Districts on a daily basis.

Pathetic

If the public could see the things like this:

• A fight between inmates at a maximum-security division of the Cook County Jail sent seven possible gang members to area hospitals Saturday night. Just before 7 p.m., a fight broke out between a group of inmates in the 9th division of the Cook County Jail, one of the three maximum-security divisions in the jail, Cook County Sheriff's Office spokesman Bill Cunningham said. The fight was believed to be gang-related.

At least two inmates are in critical condition. One would assume no great loss. Until you add up the amount of tax money being drained to pay for medical treatment along with the housing and food provided during their court sanctioned stay in our 5-star County Jail.

Once Again - Silence

For the second police shooting in a row, utter silence from the media and the reverends:

• Police reportedly shot and killed a man in the Little Village neighborhood early Friday on the West Side.

  The shooting happened about 4 a.m. in the 4200 block of West Ogden Avenue, said Ilana Rosenzweig, chief administrator for the newly formed Independent Police Review Authority.

  Rosenzweig said the officer responding to a call when he fatally shot the man.

  A spokesman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office could not confirm the fatality as of 6:35 a.m.

  The IPRA is reviewing the shooting, but no further information could be released, she said

No protests. Minimal media outcry. TV news virtually ignoring the entire episode.

Maybe this not having Bonds and Camden with their canned speech is doing some good? If no one is giving any media or reverends any info, then they have nothing to contradict and raise hell about. We'll continue to follow their lead - no names, initials or info forthcoming. We'll leave this thread open so people can comment on whether they agree or disagree with the IPRA policy.

So far, it seems to be working and that's something we didn't expect.

SWAT Tryouts

Someone wanted a thread on it. Here's the info we have:

• 300 applied
• around 200 or so filled out the paperwork properly
• under 50 passed the physical/firearms test

Someone said a boss or bosses attempted to find out who had passed and who had failed the shooting portion of the test for some reason or another, but it sounds like a tall tale.

Make of it what you will.

Vote With Your Wallet

Misdirected effort:

• Effective New Year's Day, it will cost another 5 cents to buy bottled water within the Chicago city limits, thanks to a tax that is the first of its kind in the country.
  
  But several organizations are out to invalidate the new tax, which was approved in November as part of Mayor Richard M. Daley's $275 million city budget.
  
  The Illinois Beverage Association is among the groups that plans to file a lawsuit to invalidate the tax. The organization argues that the tax will "disproportionately hurt low- and fixed-income families, who spend a greater percentage of their income on food and drinks. This includes senior citizens."

In this case, the organizations and associations are just making lawyers richer. Municipalities can attempt to levy taxes on anything they want.

But voters can purchase things anywhere they want. We, as a matter of habit, do all of our shopping in the suburbs; gas, food, clothing, etc. Everything we can, we purchase outside city limits. We make sure the Daley machine has to stretch for any penny they get out of us.

If enough people stop buying bottled water in the city, the tax may eventually be repealed.

Undetermined?

This is strange:

• The woman found with a knife through her chest Friday in Lincoln Park does not appear to have been a victim of criminal sexual assault or robbery, police said. The ongoing death investigation had not been declared a homicide as of Friday evening.
  
  "There was no sign of a struggle," Chicago Police Officer John Mirabelli said late Friday afternoon. "Right now detectives are interviewing friends and family to see if the victim (previously) demonstrated signs of distress."

She had a knife through her chest. A knife that was left embedded in her body. Is there any reason this could not conceivably be declared a homicide? Seriously. We'd really like to know. We've heard a few war stories about mentally disturbed individuals who had the superhuman strength and wherewithal to actually push a knife into their body, but it has been awhile.

SCC Comments

Sorry, but as this is our blog, sometimes we like to take a moment or two and address some of the comments. Sometimes, these comments are public and we reply in the relevant comment section. Other times, we delete comments out of hand and get a bunch of grief from the affronted author. Since the readers never see the comment, we note that in our reply. This post covers both types.

First up, whichever piece of human garbage is attempting to blame this blog for the actions of people who are disturbed, distraught or depressed, you're an ass. An ass with an agenda, but an ass no less. Grow up, get a thicker skin. You want to tie in unrelated events and claim bullshit connections to non existent happenings, do it on your own site. We aren't giving you a platform. Hypocrisy, by definition, is saying one thing and doing another. We've been consistent throughout.

Second, who ever is whining about indicted SOS guys getting paying gigs somewhere, go blow. There haven't been any convictions handed down that we've heard of. You got aced out of some sweet side gig, take it up with the security management company you work for. What's that? Side gig paying cash under the table and there's no one to bitch to? Go home junior - we don't owe you a forum for that type of BS.

And finally, a published comment. Or two:

• For all you who would talk smack and laugh at our efforts to do something positive you can go to hell. This wasn't for the publicity or for the good of the department. It was for our own personal reasons. You trash talking asshats aren't worthy of of being called a public servant. You have a problem with that come see me and we can talk it over in the back lot.
  Bill Schield Sgt TRU
• Oh and SCC, you have a problem with us I wouldn't mind having a face to face with you either. And for future reference, No! There is nothing that TRU is not capable of doing. Why don't you put down your key board, take some c/u and pop by for roll call and a ride with me and I will show you exactly what it is that we do everyday. It would be my utmost pleasure to take you for a ride. Thanks for trying to make our little endeavor into something other than what it was, something for kids who have nothing.
  Bill Schield Sgt TRU

Sergeant BS, we didn't try to make anything something it wasn't. In fact, judging from the commentary provided by readers and the Sun Times, it would appear that TRU attempted to make this toy give away into something it wasn't - a publicity stunt with "leftover" toys. How else would you describe it, having a lieutenant on scene ready to go and a tame reporter by his side.

After all, we don't see any credit being listed in any of the media about 300 toys being delivered to LaRabida, Shriner's or Rainbow House. And that must have stuck in the craw of more than a few bosses over at that "elite" unit. So why not generate some publicity?

And as to your comment that "No! There is nothing that TRU is not capable of doing" we would point out the following three instances of things that TRU cannot do:

• eat lunch without congregating
  
• process a one bag dope arrest with less than 3 cars
  
• take a joke

Ever Closer

Come on...almost there:

• A federal investigation is now underway over a city sewer contract that involved the son of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
  
  [...] A tearful Mayor Daley, responding to reports of his son, Patrick, and nephew Robert Vanecko's investment in a sewer company that did business with the city said, "I hope those people understand that Patrick is a very good son. I love him, and Maggie and I are very proud of him. I hope you respect I have nothing more to say on this."
  
  Now, a former city sewer worker says the FBI wants to know more about those deals, and, through his attorney, asked to interview him.

So close. Come on Mr. Fitzgerald. The pieces have to almost be completely in place to bring down the whole corrupt system. What are you guys waiting for? Finish him!

Interesting Read

Liberal gun haters won't like it, nor will those who call us "gun nuts."

But a cop who has interviewed over 200 survivors of gun fights has a very detailed article on the actual dynamics of what actually happens when the shit hits the fan. Training and mental attitude save the day most times. Go read it at this link here.

Oops

Engineering error?

• The director of the zoo where a teenager was killed by an escaped tiger acknowledged Thursday that the wall around the animal's pen was just 12 1/2 feet high—well below the height recommended by the main accrediting agency for the nation's zoos.

  According to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the minimum recommended height for tiger exhibit walls is 16.4 feet.

Four feet (in height) makes a big difference to a predator with four feet. No word if this 70 year old wall was built low or perhaps there was 3 or 4 feet of something accidentally added to the moat over the years. There's going to be a lot of second guessing of the accrediting agency that hadn't noticed the height of a wall meant to keep tigers in an enclosure, especially as initial reports of the victims "teasing" are being denied outright by the police chief.

Feel Good Story

Got to have one during the Christmas season evidently:

• Any other night, this group of police officers would be cruising the Calumet District on the South Side, looking to arrest bad guys, take guns off the street and keep as much of a lid on violence as possible.

  But this was the night before Christmas. So, dressed all in blue from head to feet, and with a squad car full of toys, the officers hit the street with a different mission:

  Find kids, and give them a gift.

And the chosen subject of this feel good story? TRU. Is there anything these people can't do?

Pissed Off Brits

Vigilantes:

• "A Summer of MADness?

  "Motorists Against Detection, the vigilante anti-speed camera group have announced a summer of MADness which will see them target for destruction all speed cameras in the UK. It’s now going to be a period of zero tolerance against all speed cameras, said their campaigns director Capt Gatso. (((A remote descendant of General Ludd, I reckon.)))

  "The group claims speed cameras are just money-making machines and they have given the authorities long enough to prove their worth. The first camera to fall in the summer campaign is in south east London on the A2 at the Sun in the Sands roundabout on-slip heading northbound towards the Blackwall Tunnel.

According to the article, the gang claims to have torched and otherwise destroyed over 1,000 cameras throughout Britain. No plans to open a stateside branch yet.

Cops Hurt

In the paper and in the comment sections:

• A car reportedly ran a red light and struck a police squad car, injuring five people including two police officers on Wednesday morning in a South Loop intersection, police said.

  An EMS Plan I was initiated at 4:43 a.m. for the traffic crash at State Street and Roosevelt Road, according to a fire department dispatcher.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery officers.

The Public We Serve

The Tribune has an article up on the Christmas Eve DUI accident that has left an off duty Chicago cop in bad shape. Very bad shape. We hope he recovers, but that isn't the story we're covering. The Trib also has open comments on the article. A sampling:

• Todd from Chicago - another cop who thinks the laws dont apply to CPD officers. way to go and lead by example
• Chicago Voter from Hillside - another drunk cop above the law and this will be covered up by his scum friends in the police dept. as they protect gang daly
• Marie from Northbrook - Noone should be defending this scumball, HE could of killed someone and thankfully he's the only one seriously injured.
• Marie again - Go feed your fat cop husband some more bagels and quit defending drunk driving **** pigs, unless maybe, just maybe, your fat cop husband is one of those drunk driving pigs and that's why you're so adamantly defending this lowlife.
• Pete from Chicago - You need to protect your police force. They work hard. If the guy was drinking...so what, if he was doing a little cocaine...so what, if he had a 9 year old kidnapped child in the back... so what. These guys risk their lives for you. As far as i'm concerned, they are above the law.
• Marie yet again - Quit defending this disgusting pig! Rot in jail piggy!
• Todd from Chicago - It's pathetic that cops and their battered wifes defend pukes like this guy and the drunk cop that killed those two men in lakeview a month or so ago, rather than be ashamed of these lowlifes for tarnishing the badge they hide behind.

Our adoring public. Granted, there are a bunch of suburban haters listed here and we do have our defenders popping up in the comment section of the article. But the complete willingness of the public to suspend any and all semblance of innocence whenever CPD is involved in anything is disheartening.

Delayed Statistic

Bummer:

• A 24-year-old man died Friday, almost eight months after he and three other people were shot at a party on the West Side in May.
• Police said the shooter entered a party in the 4600 block of West Huron about 2:40 a.m. on May 5 and shot four people.

So without anything happening anywhere else, Fillmore picks up an additional homicide from seven-and-a-half months ago.

Does he go in the May column or the December column? Detectives?

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty

Bad kitty:

• The San Francisco Police Department confirmed that a tiger escaped its confinement at the San Francisco Zoo, then attacked and killed a visitor.
  
  Two others were injured by the tiger, which entered a cafe inside the zoo. The injured were taken to an area hospital.
  
  The tiger was shot to death when it started moving toward a group of approaching police officers, said police spokesman Sgt. Steve Mannina. Several officers shot it with handguns, he said.

No word on whether the officers got to keep the pelt.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from everyone here to all of you out there.

Posting will, of course, be slow for the duration of the holiday. So don't expect much in the way of comments being put up or anything else until late today.

As Good a Reason as Any

Admit it, we've all heard worse reasons for killing someone:

• Bond has been set Monday for a woman who called police after allegedly stabbing her 70-year-old husband multiple times with a kitchen knife while he was sleeping late Saturday in their West Side home.
  
  Rovenne Barnes, 51, is accused in the domestic-related homicide after stabbing a man multiple times in the 100 block of South Campbell Avenue, according to a release from police New Affairs.
  
  Barnes, charged with one count of first-degree murder, was ordered held on a $900,000 bond by Cook County Judge Maura Slattery Boyle.

She just didn't want to entertain any more. There's only so many tea parties, poker games and Superbowl get-togethers that a woman can stand, damnit.

Missed Opportunity

On the local front, the fight over big box stores versus "living wage" costs the city jobs and tax revenue:

• Crains Chicago Business reports that Target won't open stores in Morris, Antioch, Arlington Heights, and at 76th and Ashland in Chicago, as previously planned. Wal-Mart has axed stores in Aurora, St. Charles, Crystal Lake, Elgin, East Dundee and Bradley. And Home Depot has called off projects in Minooka and at 119th and Interstate 57 in Chicago.

  Analysts say many consumers are financially struggling with the housing market, and that may be the reason these stores don't want to expand.

The housing market "bubble" is over played as the number of ARM's in trouble accounts for something like one-half of one percent of the total mortgages in default. If Chicago hadn't dithered over such intrusive practices as attempting to dictate a wage higher than the Federal minimum, these stores would be in place already and once there, would possibly have experienced cut backs, but most likely wouldn't have closed. As it is, a non issue - except for the massive $200 million tax hike that could have been partially alleviated by a large tax paying corporation opening stores around town.

Payroll Screw Ups

Once again, can't anyone in this City figure out how to pay people what they are owed, on time and accurately?

• Hundreds of off-duty Chicago cops who moonlight as part-time school security officers could be the latest group of employees to be victimized by Chicago Public Schools paycheck problems.

  CPS officials say the officers should have been contributing to Social Security, so CPS will dock their pay to cover the missing contributions.

  Officials of the union that represents more than 600 of the off-duty or retired officers contend CPS erred in not withholding the contributions, so they say CPS should cover the amount owed to Social Security.

This represents the latest screw up in the CPS payroll system. We recall CPD had similar issues a year or two back when switching systems. We'd bet a month's retro pay it won't be fixed in two years when we finally get a contract.

Who Are These Guys?

ESPN. Tribune. Sun Times.

All year they can't win two in a row.

But guess who's just won 3 in a row?

Mette Accuser DUI?

Again?

Rumor and innuendo reaching our e-mail.

Can anyone confirm? We don't know how this might help Mike's case, but it certainly can't hurt anything.

Doormats

So last time the Bears played the Packers, we predicted a one sided affair with Chicago ending up at the short end of a nationally televised game.

Now with nothing on the line except draft picks, do the Bears surrender all pride and let the Pack walk over them? The last two games, we've seen horseshit tackling, half assed routes and blown plays left and right. We don't really think the Bears have much pride left for this year.

But it's the Packers.

Santeria

Decapitated animals!

• Police in near west suburban Oak Park say they found the bodies of three decapitated animals in a park this week. Deputy Oak Park Police Chief Bob Scianna says a passer-by saw a man walk into Barrie Park, at Lombard Avenue and Garfield Street, Wednesday night with what appeared to be a dog carcass. The witness flagged down a police officer, who, at the top of a sled hill, found the remains of a goat, a rooster and a hawk. The hawk was found in a plastic bag that also held its head; the goat and rooster were found beside the bag, their heads nowhere to be seen.
  

We remember old timers telling us war stories about finding all sorts of dead and burned exotics on the railroad tracks in various locations around the city. So we know where to get a bunch of live poultry in the city. Seiser says he can get us a goat at cost...but we'll owe him a favor. But a hawk? Hmmm.

But it'll all be worth it if we see the gnome marched off to prison in chains.

Hahaha

Faster Mr. Fitzgerald:

• The U.S. attorney's office significantly raised the stakes against Gov. Blagojevich on Friday afternoon, alleging in a new court filing that the governor -- referred to as "Public Official A" -- told two people in separate conversations that supporting his administration could be very financially rewarding for them.

Looks like we'll shortly have the third governor in the past 40 years serving prison time. The only remaining question is who goes first? Him or his wife? And who squeals to the feds first?

Disturbing Study

Thanks to whomever sent this in. Highlights:

• The latest round of experiments in the Force Science Research Center's on-going "hit probability" study has produced preliminary findings with surprising and unnerving implications for LEOs. Among the new discoveries:
  
  --even "naive shooters," untrained and unpracticed with handguns, are amazingly accurate in making head shots at close range, and tend to shoot for the head instinctively;
  
  --shots intended for an officer's vested area often end up in unprotected vital parts of the body because of a suspect's poor gun control;
  
  --the speed with which an officer can be put behind the reactionary curve, even by assailants who have no expertise with firearms, is startling.

That's not the worst of it:

• To Avery's surprise, many initial rounds, especially when the gun was brought from behind the back, tended to go to the right of the target (from the shooter's perspective). This contradicts conventional wisdom, he said, which holds that shots from a right-handed shooter often end up going to the left. If this apparent discrepancy is sustained in further testing, officers who are taught to move to their left in hopes of avoiding early rounds may, in fact, be stepping into a field of fire.

So a bunch of the training we've heard, received or experienced is completely contrary to the conventional wisdom. Go read the entire article. It might change the way you think of a gunfight.

Trolling

We noticed a number of comments trolling for info on the shooting Thursday night/Friday morning in the 011th District.

As IPRA isn't speaking to the news stations anymore and the Orange One has been muzzled along with Skeletor, it would seem that media types are going to ask around here and elsewhere for tidbits - like Frank Main does.

Well, we're going to see how silence works, too. No comments about the shooting. No linking to the newspaper reports. Let's see if providing no info to the play reverends works in our favor or theirs.

We've also seen a bunch of comments linking to a group of idiots who have been conducting some of the filming of cops at, near, around or drinking at bars and then driving, all off duty. The comments have appeared with such frequency, we are going to assume that one or more of the people is actually part of this practice and is looking to generate website traffic. A few of the comments are obviously by outraged cops, but the civilians are overwhelming the comment section with this nonsense.

So anything regarding this will also be deleted. We're sure anyone interested in finding this bullshit can hit a few "google" keywords and find the crap themselves.

Frank? A Little Gratuity?

How about Frank Main at the Sun Times signs over about half his paycheck to SCC? Just about every story this guy writes nowadays is culled from our comment sections:

• A Chicago Police officer has been cleared of charges he operated a gambling parlor but was fired for keeping an unregistered gun in his police locker.

This story is 2 months old but Frank passes it off as new (as we mistakenly inferred, but we aren't professional "journalists" with all sorts of resources and go-fers at our disposal). Here's a bold prediction - this guy gets his job back within 2 years. With back pay.

How? He can cite cases where officers have killed people with unregistered guns and suffered no more than few days suspension. You can't have two tiers of discipline...at least not out in the open. And we all know there are at least three different systems of punishment. The Police Board's chance was the gambling charge that somehow got cleared.

Crime Down Again

We would be remiss if we didn't mention this little bit of info:

• Crime statistics released by police Friday show a decrease in overall crimes in Chicago -- including a murder rate that could be the lowest in more than 20 years.
• From Jan. 1 through Nov. 30, statistics showed a 4 percent decrease in overall crime, according to a release from Chicago police.
• Violent crime fell 2.2 percent and property crime fell 4.5 percent, but murders have shown what police are calling a "significant decrease," dropping 6.6 percent compared to the same time period in 2006.

Imagine how much crime would have dropped if we weren't operating two, three or more beat cars down per district per day. Or how many more crimes would have been prevented if we had a Detective Division that was up to strength and could actually devote resources to solving crimes instead of moving the "x" and putting the repeat offenders behind bars. Or if we had prosecutors who were more willing to go for the felony conviction and remove thugs from the streets for tens of years instead of a few months.

Inspector General Making Enemies

Good job David:

• Inspector General David Hoffman’s decision to investigate mayoral son Patrick Daley’s hidden interest in a sewer inspection company that did business with the city is almost certain to widen the rift between Mayor Daley and his corruption-fighting inspector general.

  But if the mayor is miffed about it, he wasn't saying so today. In fact, Daley wasn't saying anything at all about the controversy.

Just about a month ago, Hoffman had a shot fired across his bow by Daley's review board when they re-hired a piece of trash named Joseph Annunzio even though the review board found that he had actually done the things he was accused of doing. At the time, we wrote that Hoffman just had himself publicly emasculated.

Seems Hoffman has a learning disability AND can manage to grow his balls back following Daley's impromptu surgery. That's a good thing to see and we support his efforts fully. Good luck Mr. Hoffman.

Cops Win One

You got to love it when you actually go before a judge and jury, present a decent case, and somehow Corp Counsel doesn't manage to fuck things up and give away money:

• A federal jury Wednesday found in a favor of two Chicago police officers accused of making a false arrest and using excessive force to apprehend a man suspected of assault and battery.
  
  In his suit against the officers, plaintiff Ivan Shkrobut sought $140,000 in damages after Officers Jonathan Apacible and Joshua Alvarado attempted to bring him into custody Dec. 19, 2003, the city's Law Department said Thursday.

Whoever these officer's attorneys were, sounds like you better ask for them if you get sued.

Who's Clout is Heavier?

Pathetic:

• More than 1,500 people are trying to get a piece of the $12 million pie created to compensate victims of City Hall's rigged hiring system. One of the more unusual claims was filed by the son of a Chicago alderman.

  Dr. Jay Stone is arguing that his 2003 campaign against then-incumbent Ald. Ted Matlak (32nd) was doomed because of the formidable help Matlak received from convicted former First Deputy Water Commissioner Donald Tomczak.

• "I don't have to prove that I would have won. All I have to prove is that I was discriminated against for political reasons. That was absolutely the case. Matlak had an insurmountable political army. Some precincts had up to seven workers" for Matlak.

So you have an aldercreature's spawn claiming that he couldn't get a fair shake because someone else's clout was bigger than his and he's claiming damages as part of that $12 million set aside to remedy his situation.

Couldn't he just violate the ethics rules like Daley's son did and not tell daddy that he was part of a connected sewer contractor?

Rigged Tests?

Shocked! Shocked that test rigging might be going on in this city!

From the Tribune:

• In another case, the city decided to retest candidates for police lieutenant after Brennan's office received complaints about the exam in January. Brennan said she was concerned about the new test because of reports that officers with political connections might have been given the answers.

"been given the answers"? Ms. Brennan, if you read the other daily paper, you'd see that Mark Brown published all the questions to the allegedly "subjective" portion of the test that was supposed to gauge a candidate's ability to "think on their feet."

As it is, we don't doubt that...

• as certain exempts were members of the board of "subject matter experts" that actually developed the test,
• that copies of the test were made available to these exempts to "review" before the final test was put together, and
• the shocking propensity (in defiance of all known mathematical odds) of staff members of these same exempt members (who put together the test) of scoring in the top one-tenth of one percentile,
  

...it is almost certain beyond a reasonable doubt that people were given the answers in some form or another. If we aren't mistaken, the top two scorers on the last Lieutenants test came from the fifth floor of police headquarters, the top scorer in this Lieutenants exam came from the fifth floor of police headquarters and each of the last two sergeant's exams produced the top scorer from ::gasp:: the fifth floor of police headquarters.

Must be something in the water.

The Man Without a Union

Sometimes, you run across the most interesting things. Take for example, the minutes of the Police Board.

The 20 September meeting:

• Wayne Harej, identified himself as a Chicago police officer and said he would like to initiate a complaint because two sergeants are currently on the board of directors of the Fraternal Order of Police, which is in violation of Rule 54 (b) of the Department rules and regulations. Interim Superintendent Starks asked Mr. Harej to speak with Assistant Deputy Superintendent Debra Kirby of the Internal Affairs Division regarding these allegations.

Follow up at the 18 October meeting:

• Wayne Harej identified himself as a Chicago police officer and said a complaint log number has been obtained regarding the alleged rule violation he raised at last month's meeting. He said that 325 individuals holding the rank of sergeant and above are members of the Fraternal Order of Police.

It must be nice to appear in the same platform as Pat Hill, who addressed the Board before he did - the same Pat Hill who spent her entire career jamming up working police officers, testifying against police officers and just generally, using her status as a "police officer" to undermine the Department at every turn.

So this guy just got a CR on 325 coppers? For being members of the FOP? Wasn't Cline a FOP member? Wasn't Hillard? Isn't Starks? Isn't it kind of habit that the Superintendent be a member? As was explained to us, these people are Fraternal members. They get invited to the golf outing and dinners, they get the newsletter, and the FOP Book.

If we remember correctly, the national president is a former CPD lieutenant; one of the VP's is a Chief of Police. So is another national officer. The FOP umbrella is supposed to encompass all officers. But we guess if you begin your career as a member of C-5 getting other coppers jammed up, old habits die hard. No wonder the FOP threw this guy out.

Have a Heart

From an occasional reader of ours:

• FTO Charlie Scott of the 006th District needs a heart transplant.
  The SHARE YOUR HEART FOR THE CHARLIE SCOTT FUND has been set up at Seaway National Bank, located at 645 E 87th Street. Checks, personal or cashiers, or money orders can be sent to:
  P.O. Box 19522
  Chicago, IL 60619.
• A Fund raising party is being held, 20 December 2007 at Mr G's Supper Club, 87th and Ashland..The generosity of Mr G's, Seaway Bank, Nike, Target, Best Buy, Ballys, various area restaurants, and so many others, has been phenomenal and many last minute Christmas Gifts will be up for raffle.. Despite all that is currently going on we know we are still a big family and we have a brother in need.....TICKETS AT THE DOOR AND DOOR OPENS AT 7 PM ($20)
  

Re Bid?

From the comments:

• THE FOP MEETING LET US KNOW THAT ALL THE SENIORITY SHEET IN EVERY UNIT IS WRONG.
  
  THE CITY HAS NEVER TOOK INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE GUYS WHO HAVE SERVED MORE THAN 30 DAY SUSPENSIONS.
  
  THE FOP WANT YOU TO GRIEVE THIS IF YOU KNOW YOU LOST A BID FOR A SPOT DUE TO THIS .

This rumor has been popping up with increasing frequency in our e-mail. It seems that the Department has neglected to take into account "bad" time when figuring seniority placement. And if the rumors are to be believed, it's about to get a whole lot bigger.

The Department has also neglected to take into account "Leaves of Absence." Someone said that the Department didn't penalize officers called up for military service, but people saw a loophole and took leaves of absence for all sorts of stuff - night school, personal reasons, out of country work, etc - and never had their continuous service dates adjusted to reflect the lack of City service time. This has led to a whole bunch of resentment and evidently, a union grievance.

Is the Department going to have to re-bid all furloughs and watches seeing as how all the seniority lists are wrong?

Responsibility? Hahahaha

This is great:

• The days of police brass “blaming the troops” and running for cover will end when career FBI agent Jody Weis takes over next month as Chicago’s new $310,000-a-year police superintendent, Mayor Daley said Tuesday.
• “What I said to [Weis] is, ‘You’re going to take responsibility.’ If the police officer takes responsibility on the street, your sergeants, your field training officers, your lieutenants, your captains and your command staff have to take responsibility for the job they've done or not done,” Daley said, his voice rising.
• “If I judge you and our community judges you on your actions, everybody else must be judged as well. There’s no exceptions in regards to this. There’s where the transition is going to take place. Those who can’t take responsibility will have to leave. There’s no more excuses anymore. No more blaming the troops on the ground. It’s the responsibility of those who seek those braids…It’s a 24-hour job, seven days a week.”

Finally. Someone holding the brass responsible. And in a related matter:

• An emotional Mayor Daley acknowledged today that it was a “lapse of judgement” for his son to have a hidden interest in a sewer inspection company that did business with the city, adding, “I wish he hadn't done it.”
• “I did not know about his involvement in this company. As an adult, he made that decision. It was a lapse of judgement for him to get involved with this company. I wish he hadn't done it,” Daley said.
• “I know the expectations for elected officials and their families are very high. Rightfully so. Especially for me, as I know on a daily basis.”

Just so you know he's not responsible for the way he raised his son and how he acts. And amazingly, both of the linked articles were written by Daley's own personal water carrying reporter, Fran Spielman. The woman has no shame whatsoever.

Back to our regularly scheduled mayhem.

Where Do We Get Ammo?

Looks like we'll have to start up the reloading press again:

• Cook County Commissioners Larry Suffredin and William Beavers have introduced three proposed ordinances that would shut down all gun stores in Cook County, including Chuck's Gun Shop and the recently opened Cabela's in Hoffman Estates.
• The Deadly Weapon Dealers Ordinance, a proposal by Suffredin, would prohibit federally licensed firearms dealers from operating within 10 miles of one another and would ban all gun shows in the county. Further restrictions on where firearms retailers would be allowed to operate are predicated on proximity to schools and parks. Commissioner Suffredin was recently quoted as saying, "As a home rule unit, Cook County has the legal right to regulate where these establishments [gun stores] are allowed to operate. Chuck's Gun Shop is within one mile of a school which will not be allowed once this ordinance passes."
• Also introduced as part of this anti-gun package of laws is the Safe Streets and Weapons Registration Ordinance, introduced by Beavers. This ordinance would require the registration of all firearms and firearms owners in Cook County. Closer examination of the proposed ordinance reveals an even more diabolical gun-control scheme -- as written, the ordinance would actually ban firearms in the county including any handgun without a loaded chamber indicator. Furthermore, the ordinance prohibits transporting a firearm in a vehicle unless the gun is completely disassembled into a "nonfunctioning state." This includes rifles that have already been sighted-in and revolvers that cannot be simply "broken down" into a nonfunctioning state.

Someone correct us if we're wrong, but this would effectively ban all revolvers and most rifles and shotguns?

Here's a statistic we've never seen published. With all this technology and manpower dedicated to tracing the origin of guns seized in Chicago, what is the percentage of guns confiscated in Chicago (and Cook County) that were actually sold in Cook County? We're willing to bet that the number is awfully small and most guns come from somewhere else. Which means that this move by Beavers and Suffredin is all smoke and mirrors and won't do a thing to impact the crime rate. Kind of like Representative Acevedo's push to ban 50 caliber rifles when the grand total of individuals killed in the entire United States by 50 caliber rifles still stands at zero.

Oh Good Lord

Check out this news:

• A class action lawsuit will be filed tomorrow against the City of Chicago, Mayor Richard Daley, and various police officers.
  
  Chicago police officers have been arresting and ticketing thousands of innocent civilians for violating the cell phone ban (which prohibits using a cell phone while driving) to the tune of millions of dollars accrued to City coffers, under a law that has never been properly enacted.
  
  The law (625 ILCS 5/11207) requires the City to put up signs to inform drivers that they may not speak on their cell phone while they are driving. There are no signs. The City has certified that it has failed to put up signs. Therefore, every single arrest in this regard has been illegal. All money received by the City through tickets that its officers have issued has been illegally secured.

We're just wondering where does the line start? That budget hole is about to get a whole bunch bigger. Anyone know if this lawyer feels like taking on the red light cameras that have been ruled illegal in just about every single state where the citizens challenge them?

Impressive Redeployment

What is the life of a child worth?

• A teenager who suffered a ruptured appendix at sea, hundreds of miles from help, got an unusual rescue when the Navy airlifted her to an aircraft carrier for emergency surgery.
  
  Laura Montero, 14, fell ill aboard the Dawn Princess cruise ship off the coast of Baja California. The Bahamian ship sent out a distress call Friday that was answered by the USS Ronald Reagan, which was on training maneuvers about 500 miles away.
  
  The nuclear carrier was the closest ship with a hospital facility, according to a news release from the Navy. It steamed overnight toward the cruise ship, which was about 250 miles northwest of Cabo San Lucas when the call went out

$2.5 million dollars a day to operate this carrier and they drop an entire training schedule to rescue a kid.

Go Navy.

Assassination Attempt!

Or maybe they just thought the mayor and aldercreatures were looking a little sweaty with all the Federal pressure bearing down:

• Mayor Daley and two of the City Council's most influential alderman received threatening letters in the mail that contained a white powdery substance — later determined to be talcum power.

  In addition to Daley, the letters were received by Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke (14th) and the City Council's 80-year-old elder statesman Ald. Bernard Stone (50th). The alderman received their packages last night.

  Daley received his this morning. All three were mailed in brown envelopes with bubble wrap.

  Interim Police Supt. Dana Starks said the powder was non-threatening and believed to be talcum powder.

We had heard that the envelope was found next to an orange and white bag bearing the words "-unkin -onuts" near where Richie and Eddie's security people sit while perusing the morning papers. Area detectives continue to investigate.

And Speaking of Connections...

Remember back in the day when every so often, usually around Superbowl time, the Organized Crime division used to locate a wire room or a bookie joint and bust a couple of low level thugs who were running a betting parlor? They'd parade these mopes in front of the cameras and announce how they had seized betting slips that totaled a couple of million dollars.

The actual amount of cash seized was negligible, almost non existent. No one leaves rooms full of million of dollars floating around. And the boys running the operation always knew where to find their regular paying customers anyway (or else). And a month or two down the road, the boys would show up in misdemeanor court where everything was dismissed out of hand or probation was offered and accepted.

Anyone wonder why that isn't done anymore? The last time CPD ran across a wire room, bookie joint or illegal casino was when they busted down the door of a "beauty salon" on Elston and found poker machines, dice, cards and records of wagering. That investigation centered around a copper who owned the joint.

Any unclouted individual cop who got caught up in running or patronizing this type of establishment would have a whole lot of explaining to do, don't you think?

We heard someone got his job back after appealing to the Police Board this past year - the Police Bard that is appointed and controlled by a certain individual on the 5th floor of City Hall.

The Outfit - alive and well and operating in your neighborhood.

UPDATE: Some readers are saying that he might only be before the Police Board at this time.

Connections

From the comments:

• The Organized Crime Division during recent times.
  
  Ray Risley was the Chief of Organized Crime and a good friend of Miedzanowski.
  
  Bill Callahan was the Commander of the Intelligence Section and is now in business in Orlando with the daughter-in-law of Daddano.
  
  Wayne Johnson and John Murray were investigators in the Intelligence Section under Callahan. Both of these individuals had connections with the Chicago Crime Commission.
  
  Wayne Johnson becomes the Chief Investigator at the Chicago Crime Commission and strongly critized Mayor Stevens of having organized crime connections.
  
  Wayne Johnson becomes the Chief of Police in Cicero and John Murray becomes the Inspector General in Cicero when Betty Lou Maltese was the Mayor and Edward R. Vrdolyak was the town's legal advisor.
  
  Johnson retracts his claims about Mayor Stevens. When he departs he accepts a buyout and signs a non-disclosure agreement. Murray is forced out.
  
  Cline was a lieutenant in the Gang Crimes Section under Risley and supervised Miedzanowski. He had a close friend who had outfit connections that was murdered. He also was close with Hanhardt. When he becomes Superintendent the FBI and US Attorney's Office are not comfortable briefing him on OC matters.
  
  Damning facts!!

Anyone ever hear of the game "Six Degrees of Separation"? The theory is that anyone can be connected to any other person on the planet by no more than six intermediaries. The mathematics of the whole theory is kind of sketchy at best, but it can be demonstrated often enough to make an amusing pastime.

Does anyone else find it amusing that no matter who the boss is, they are never more than 2 or 3 degrees of separation from Capone's old hangout of Cicero. And we're not talking about connections via meetings or award ceremonies. We mean dinners, assignments, who worked for whom and so on.

The connections aren't threads as much as great big hawsers the US Navy uses to tie aircraft carriers to seawalls during a typhoon.

Monday Night Game

The Trial of Kyle

It's as least as catchy as anything Howard Cosell and ABC Sports came up with.

Jody, Pay Attention

We hope you're reading this JP:

• An Oak Brook businessman who has extensive financial and personal ties to the former head of the Chicago mob has given more than $200,000 in contributions to Illinois politicians through personal and corporate donations -- with Gov. Blagojevich receiving the most money, $35,000, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

  Among other top recipients of donations from the businessman, Nicholas Vangel, a longtime friend of mob boss James "Little Jimmy" Marcello, were former Gov. George Ryan, House Speaker Michael Madigan and state Rep. Angelo "Skip" Saviano, an analysis of the political contributions shows.

This is only the most recent example uncovered by Steve Warmbir of "Hired Truck" fame. This is exactly why we suggested (tongue-in-cheek) that every person at and above the rank of Lieutenant ought to submit a family tree along with a resume to your office.

The entire State of Illinois is infiltrated by Organized Crime; Cook County courts are corrupted beyond redemption; city government is awash in Outfit stooges; a significant portion of the command staff of the Chicago Police Department is tied into questionable political donations, corrupt promotional practices and, yes, Organized Crime. You want a quick primer on what's facing you?

• Captive City by Ovid Demaris
• When Corruption Was King by Robert Cooley
• Boss by Mike Royko

Captive City is one of the finest books on the mafia's role in Chicago government. Cooley's book, while somewhat self serving, outlines the Gambat and Greylord investigations along with an entire culture of bribery and case fixing arranged by the Outfit - it's amazing how many of the named individuals are still in power, including their kids. Royko's book is an entertaining read that documents the rise of the Chicago Machine and how it became the money maker it remains to this day.

There's dozens more books, countless federal probes and more than enough grand jury testimony we're sure you have access to. But until you immerse yourself in the history of it all, you have no idea how intertwined it all is. It's everywhere.

Respect a Two Way Street

Nonsense "solutions":

• The most creative proposal we've heard for improving [the Chicago Police Department slogan] comes from Thomas Epach, a former executive assistant to Chicago's superintendent. Epach appreciates the need for a change of culture. But he also urges Chicagoans not to overlook the strengths of what he sees as steadily better educated, better trained officers. "You get murdered in Chicago and you're still having a good day," Epach says. "The most talented police force in America is on the case."
  
  His proposed rewrite:
  
  "We Serve and Protect -- With Respect."

The trouble with respect is that one has to give it to get it. Anyone gotten any lately?

We've been 6 months without a contract and the last time one was signed promptly and within a few weeks of the previous agreement expiring was...never.

The City spends its time taking away contractual rights and protections that are afforded to the lowliest crack addicted prostitute, but not to its police officers.

You drive a squad car down the streets of a dozen neighborhoods we could mention, and you have to run your windshield wipers just to clear the spit out of the air.

You have aldercreatures scoring cheap political points off police who are enforcing the laws that the aldercreatures pass in the City Council. And "reverends," too.

You have the mayor shorting our pension by over half, while having his son and nephew running ventures with what there is of our pension money and making a tidy profit to boot.

You have 30% of bosses whose only qualification is who they know, who they blow, who they are related to, or who they gave money to. Actually, it's probably way higher as you have entire legions of house mice who happen to work for the people who develop the test scoring in the top 1% of test takers.

Don't even get us started on the media.

And when was the last time the mayor showed up at a parade to honor our dead?

But hey, if changing a slogan is going to make everyone feel better about the police... whatever. Let us know how that works out.

From the Comments

First up:

• Some day SCC, I hope to be as all knowing as you, the Great OZ of the CPD, so I can jump to conclusions as to what someone may or may not have said or done.

Well, keep working at it. It takes a lot of work to jump to our own conclusions - you have to be educated, have a healthy distrust of the powers that be, be willing to think for yourself and not swallow every press release by the City, the Department and political suckhole that comes down the pike.

• Instead of bashing him, why don't you give the guy credit for working on a Saturday? Most Alderman don't work any day of the week and this guy is putting in time on a Saturday.

Working a Saturday? We work Saturdays all the time - five out of every seven. We're pretty sure Tunney wasn't working as an aldercreature on a Saturday.

• No doubt you would have been more pleased if the Alderman had been shot so you could turn the incident into another pro gun rant. Not that I believe in the gun ban, you just become tiresome at times...but it's your blog now,isn't it?

Had to take the low road, didn't you? We don't recall ever saying we wished aldercreature Tunney dead, shot, maimed or harmed. We wouldn't have lost any sleep over it one way or the other, but wishing particular harm on anyone isn't a habit of ours. We certainly would have joined in the celebrations if one of the offenders had been shot, but that didn't happen. And thanks for noticing it's our blog.

The second comment from our newest troll, fillmoreranger:

• appears the situation worked out just fine WITHOUT him discharging a firearm! No one injured, no proceeds taken, bad guys behind bars... whats wrong with that? You gun nuts never cease to amaze me... you take a situation that worked out just fine and ask "well where was his gun?" WHO CARES! Imagine if he had gotten off a round, it misses the intended target (which Im sure it would being I cant see the rainbow coalition doing much target practice) goes through the window at Clarkes restaurant and hits an innocent person... now what? This is a perfect situation that shows how guns and the gun nuts are out of control! Guns are not the answer!

No one injured because the offenders (who outnumbered the aldercreature 5 to 1) chose not to injure anyone; property lost and recovered was one empty wallet, and we haven't seen if these kids went to the Audy home or were released to their parents, but we doubt they spent much time behind bars.

People who refuse to be victims can prevent more crime than those who acquiesce to predators. If the offenders had any question that someone was armed, this wouldn't even have happened. As it is, the punks know the odds are in their favor, especially in the boystown area - the place is crawling with victims.

Every single state that has concealed carry or will issue permits has experienced a drop off in crime. Every one. And every place that restricts guns see a massive upsurge in attacks. This isn't a US phenomenon - it's international. In Australia, assaults and property crime skyrocketed following a gun ban. England? Same thing and they are currently trying to outlaw knives because of the tremendous up-tick of stabbings.

You claim guns are not the answer? You're not asking the right questions.

Aldercreature Robbed

If the CPD wasn't out enforcing foie gras and cell phone bans, we're sure this never would have happened:

• Five juveniles are in custody Saturday afternoon after apparently attempting to rob Alderman Tom Tunney with a weapon on the North Side within one block of his 44th Ward office.

  Tunney was walking alone in the 3300 block of North Seminary Avenue when five juvenile males came up to him about 1:30 p.m. and demanded his wallet, according to police News Affairs Director Monique Bond.
  

So why wasn't Tunney carrying his own gun as city ordinance provides for aldercreatures?

Does anyone think this would have happened to Ed Burke with his 14 body guards, 8 city cars and 10 houses scattered across the city, suburbs and state?

But once again, a good job by cops for someone who won't ever appreciate what you do for them day in and day out. We notice the article doesn't even mention a thank you from the aldercreature. That could be a reporter's oversight - but somehow we doubt it.

Look! A Gun Saved a Life

From KNBC:

• A female homeowner who shot a male intruder in her back yard in October 2006 spoke to KNBC's Laurel Erickson on Wednesday, one day after a jury found the man guilty of all charges.
  
  Nadine Teter shot Michael Lugo twice in the stomach and once in the leg after he broke into her Canyon Country home.
  
  Lugo broke the lock on Teter's door and barged in. She fled to the back yard with her gun, according to police.
  
  "He was coming at me. He was yelling. I shot him to stop him," Teter said. "He went down. He got back up. Came back at me. I shot him again. I shot him again, and he turned around and jumped back over the fence. (He) disappeared."

Both Crimefile and The Other Side of Kim cover this event.

But any local coverage seems to have slipped through the cracks. Hmmmm.

History Repeats

Who saw this one coming? (ok, ok, put your hands down... we all saw this one a mile away)

• In 1975, Mayor Richard J. Daley quoted his mother as he unapologetically defended his decision to give $1 million in city insurance business to an Evanston firm that included his son.
• Thirty-two years later, Richard M. Daley is struggling to come to grips with a similar conflict involving his son and city business. Only this time, the mayor is not defending it and claims to have had no involvement in or prior knowledge of the deal.

For a notorious micro-manager, the mayor sure misses a lot of the finer details concerning city contracting and friends, relatives, and political contributors being closely involved in making thousands, even millions, of dollars.

And as a wag pointed out in the comments section, since the Department of Ethics has been having the Police Department hand out one and two day suspensions for simply being late in filing ethics disclosures, what would be the penalty to the mayor and his son for failing to file and reveal these conflicts?

Perhaps a bit of a refund is in order?

Along with a monetary penalty to make sure that this never ever happens again in the City of Chicago. Hahahahahahahahaha.

Slow Posting

It's snowing don't you know? We'd like to take the kids to a toboggan slide, but Stroger (Sr and Jr) pissed away all the county money that used to provide cheap wintertime thrills.

Open post in the meantime.

Phony "reverend" Victory

This is just dumb:

• Abiding by the wishes of religious leaders, CTA unions on Friday called off plans for a one-day walkout to protest the impasse on funding Chicago-area mass transit.
  
  The agreement, announced at a South Side church, spares more than a million commuters from a 24-hour work stoppage late Sunday through Monday that would have brought traffic in the Loop and elsewhere to a halt.

A halt? It might have increased the gridlock and made the taxi guys and the parking lot owners rich, but...hey?! Wait a minute! This is all a plot to make people actually use the Millennium Park Parking garage so that it might actually be able to pay off it's own bond issue!

Seriously though, the "reverends" averted this work stoppage? Did anyone notice that there is a "reverend" on the CTA Board? A "reverend" who was confirmed to have gone to Area 4 to interfere in the investigation of a CTA employee stealing identities? Anyone else think he's trying to regain a little of his tarnished halo?

"Duh" Moment

Where do they come up with these story ideas?

• For every dollar the city of Chicago collects in property taxes, about 47 cents goes toward pensions -- for police officers, firefighters, garbage collectors and other city workers.

  The amount of money in those funds is growing, but not as fast as the amount needed for current and future pensions.

  These pension funds are invested in a variety of ways. How well those investments perform matters to taxpayers, as well as future retirees: If the investments fare poorly, taxpayers could end up paying more in taxes.

Now, let's see if they can put 2 and 2 together and point out again how the mayor's nephew is borrowing this pension money and investing it in risky schemes that have a high probability of "cratering," but the mayor's nephew (and other connected people) stand to lose no money because they get paid by commission rather than by performance.

This is exactly how most municipal pensions are going to go under in the next 25t years.

This is More Like It!

The spotlight firmly back where it belongs:

• Mayor Daley’s son Patrick had a hidden interest in a sewer-inspection company whose business with the City of Chicago rose sharply while he was an owner, a Chicago Sun-Times investigation has found.

  Patrick Daley invested in Municipal Sewer Services in June 2003, along with Robert Vanecko, a nephew of the mayor. The pair cashed out their small investment about a year later, as federal investigators were swarming City Hall in the early days of the Hired Truck scandal.

And it looks like the Daley dynasty might end with this mayor. Scandal scandal scandal at City Hall where it always was, is, and shall ever be if the media would just open their eyes and be watchdogs for the citizenry rather than water carriers for the political class. An excellent bit of research by Tim Novak of Hired Truck fame.

And it's not just local:

• Suburban businessman Chris Kelly, a former fundraising chief for Gov. Blagojevich and the governor’s one-time emissary on state gaming issues, was indicted today on charges he ripped off the tax man by allegedly concealing his use of his company’s money to pay debts to bookmakers and Las Vegas casinos — where he gambled millions of dollars.

  Kelly’s indictment was one of three announced today by the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago as it continued its widening probe of the governor’s inner circle.

How soon until the indictments reach the governor's residence? Could this be Mrs. Blago's last Christmas at home for a few years? Or at least the beginnings of the revocation of her real estate license? We can only hope. This report written by the other half of the Hired Truck team, Steve Warmbir.

Pulitzer's anyone? Multiple awards perhaps?

That NASTY Four Letter Word

You know what it is. WORK (eeeeek!!!!):

• Adult public housing residents would eventually be required to work at least 20 hours a week or face eviction, under an unprecedented sweeping policy the Chicago Housing Authority is poised to approve.

  "I feel all these things are in place for the betterment of the residents," said Mary Wiggins, a member of the CHA board and its Tenant Services Committee.

  Wiggins, also a public housing resident, continued: "If there's no good reason for them [residents] not to work, they shouldn't be there."
  

We think if this could be worked into the proposal posted here a few days ago by a reader that all recipients of Public Aid be drug-tested every time we cut them a check, we would consider voting for this Mary Wiggins for mayor, governor and president all at once.

Anything to end the generations of leeches that currently suck up so much tax money and produce nothing except votes for the Daley Machine.

Not Really Accountability

From the Comments (can anyone confirm?):

• Intresting word from the LT'S class in the academy . ADS kirby, and other came in and really shook things up. It looks as if the recent audits of search warrants will result in CR#s being filed on all members on the warrant including LT. Any officer who has three court absences in a period will be investigated as rogue, even if the absesces are excused. The rational is that the officer must be avoiding the court case. Any officer who recovers 12 guns or more in a period without at least 4 search warrants being executed, will be investigated, because statastics show 4 warrants must be executed to get 12 guns. If you make an arrest, but the offender agrees to show you places of intrest before you bring him into the station, this is considered kidnapping because your holding the person against thier will. Any officers who get an offender to turn in a weapon is guilty of cooersion, and will be investigated, and last but not least, an IAD LT stated that they will continue to investigate CR#'S regardless if a sworn affidavit was obtained or not

Kirby doesn't have much room to stand in judgment seeing as how her people missed a number of large scandals for years and signed off on a huge number of investigations that abetted the cover up. And the statistical bean counting shows a propensity to rush to judgment based on a computer reading rather than, oh we don't know, an actual INVESTIGATION maybe?

The last sentence seems like a contract violation (and a violation of State Law) of rather large proportions and anyone with knowledge of there being investigations of themselves or other officers without a sworn affidavit should bring evidence of such to the FOP for action (the exception being investigations criminal in nature derived from evidence collected by IAD which do not require an affidavit).

A Couple of Questions "Rev"

Those tax laws can be a bitch:

• Federal authorities have subpoenaed financial records and employees in an apparent probe of the Rev. Al Sharpton's 2004 presidential bid, nonprofit civil rights group, and for-profit businesses, a newspaper reported Thursday.

  As many as 10 Sharpton associates were subpoenaed Wednesday to testify before a federal grand jury in Brooklyn Dec. 26, his lawyer told the Daily News.

  They were told to provide investigators with financial records from the campaign and roughly six Sharpton-related businesses, as well as personal financial documents of Sharpton and his wife, the newspaper said.

Maybe this will keep Al busy for the next few months. And after that, maybe for a few years, say 3 to 5 in the federal pen.

That Time of Year

Suicides and attempts at suicide:

• An off-duty police officer was in very serious condition Wednesday night after shooting himself earlier in the day on the city's Northwest Side, according to the Chicago Police Department.
  
  The unnamed officer shot himself about 4 p.m. Wednesday...

Seriously, if you or anyone you know is feeling down, depressed, on the verge of making a very bad decision regarding their lives, get them help.

If that person is you, seek help.

There are so many services available through the Department and referrals outside of the Department if need be. Don't become a statistic.

NOTE: Sympathy and prayers for the unnamed officer ONLY. All other comments will be deleted. We have other posts below that you can spout off in.