Exercise in Futility
This popped up in the comments:
- To the caller who asked Andy Shaw of the Better Government Association to define what "merit", is in relation to promotions on the Chicago Police & Fire Departments.
Andy Shaw was the guest host on WLS 890AM this morning, filling in for Don & Roma. This caller called in at 8:15AM and asked very poignant and focused questions. Andy Shaw attempted to initially weasel out of it, stating,"that merit is the law".
The caller asked, "why there is no definitive definition of "merit"?
Andy Shaw asked for an email detailing the problem with merit on the CPD and CFD.
Everyone, please take a minute and drop a brief and courteous email to the Better Government Association, c/o Andy Shaw.
E-mail; info@bettergov.org
Better Government Association
11 East Adams Street, Suite 608
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (312) 427-8330
Fax: (312) 386-9203
Good questions. And all covered here in great detail over the years. But Shaw is a former media type. And media types by-and-large are owned by Daley Inc. And call us cynical, but Shortshanks has tentacles everywhere, so a media-type who used to crave access to the administration for scoops and tidbits from Jackie Heard isn't going to inspire us with the greatest of confidences even if he's at the BGA. Especially as he tried to "weasel out" of answering the questions as posed and then pushed it off to, "Send me an e-mail and I'll look into it." Sure he will.
But anything is worth a try at this point. Prove us wrong Andy Shaw. We're typing our e-mail as we speak. Let's see how many you actually answer. Or investigate.
But anything is worth a try at this point. Prove us wrong Andy Shaw. We're typing our e-mail as we speak. Let's see how many you actually answer. Or investigate.
Labels: we got nothing
posted by SCC at 12:02 AM
25 Comments:
Nothing will be done. That is all. Carry on.
"Merit" is generally the opposite of Better Government. It promotes incompetence and a waste of human resources. It cuts both ways--Both, from failing to promote the right person and from promoting the wrong person.
Andy Shaw = Better Government FAIL
First Mr. Shaw will need to get his hands on every list documenting every rank merit promotion ever made on the department. That means detective, sergeant, lieutenant and captain. Mr. Shaw will likely see a pattern of names repeatedly merit promoted.
Then Mr. Shaw needs to follow the trail and look into the names of those merit promotees and identify the date that they were promoted to an exempt position. Mr. Shaw will likely see a pattern of names being merit promoted to a lieutenant one month, and next month becoming a commander, and three months later becoming a deputy chief, and so on.
Finally Mr. Shaw will have to investigate such wonders like Sgt. Keating, who was dubbed Commander, and then Deputy Chief. Perhaps Mr. Shaw can find out what miracle-like police skills that Sgt. Keating possesses to earn him such high ranking positions without ever having to take a promotional exam.
I guess I should email Mr. Shaw, huh?
What the hell is an "ad hominem". You musta went to kollage.
---not a cop
I sent my email. I want merit people in the end and I want accountability in selections.
Really, I think merit should go away all together, but ease don't jump down my throat.
But anything is worth a try at this point. Prove us wrong Andy Shaw. We're typing our e-mail as we speak. Let's see how many you actually answer. Or investigate.
I DID THE SAME, SCC. HE MAY BE SORRY HE EVERY MENTIONED THE WORD 'E-MAIL'.
Shortshanks has tentacles everywhere
_____________________________________
SAD BUT TRUE. ANDY SHAW AND THE BGA ARE PROBABLY RIGHT IN HIS HIP POCKET.
as someone who knows shaw personally, believe me when I say this....He would be good to get on our side....he would love to nail king shortshanks... The king went after him and his wife personally...tried to shut down their bed and breakfast after andy did some unfavorable reporting on the king. send him any info we can to bring this corruption out into the open!!!!!
I remember way back when, my father no clout took the CFD's engineer examine. Much to his suprise he landed #2 on the list. Turns out, the phone call was made by someone with an accent putting the word in for someone with a similar name. They bumped the wrong one.
The other guy eventually made it up to the high ranks. My father retired a happy engineer.
Stay safe...a wife
Merit involves suction or and exchange of cash or favors.
Andy Shaw has no interest in making things better, he's just in it for the paycheck and to keep his mug in front of TV cameras.
He hated the cops as a reporter and he still hates cops.
Nothing is worse than a do-gooder who doesn't know WTF is going on.
I remember way back when, my father no clout took the CFD's engineer examine. Much to his suprise he landed #2 on the list. Turns out, the phone call was made by someone with an accent putting the word in for someone with a similar name. They bumped the wrong one.
The other guy eventually made it up to the high ranks. My father retired a happy engineer.
Stay safe...a wife
7/22/2009 08:41:00 AM
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What surprises me is that they didn't yank it out from under your dad.
Andy Shaw was the same person on the radio about a month ago answering the question of "Are you in favor of our local govt having term limits? Answer...no no Im against term limits...So your for having the same person govern people for almost twenty years?.....Im just saying im against term limits."
I guess Andy knows whats up in this city....Don't ever speak against Da' Mayor!
E.B.
I actually listened to this entire call. That wasn't how the conversation went. Every caller who called in was asked to give a very brief description of their problem with government, then email him after the fact with specific details Shaw could research. From the sound of the exchange, Shaw didn't sound like he'd heard much about Merit promotions but did mention how it sounded like another example of patronage. He didn't sound like he was against us, just that he hadn't heard much about the issue.
In the City of Chicago, "merit" is nothing more than a euphemism for CLOUT.
The City has yet to provide a categorical and unequivocal WRITTEN definition of what they term "merit". They have yet to set any standardized criteria for achieving "merit".
Given a choice between a "good test taker" with over a thousand Part I felony arrest incidents and house mice WITH CLOUT who wouldn't recognize a felon if he bit them in the ass, conventional "Chicago Way" wisdom favors the latter for promotion, plum assignments, take home City cars, the FBI Academy and other perks.
Mr. Shaw has been around long enough to know this FACT. Certainly, his predecessor Terry Brunner with former BGA chief investigator Mike Lyons could also bring Andy up to speed re: EXAMSCAM and other facts that indisputably make Chicago the laughingstock of the nation in big-city political corruption.
I say give Andy Shaw a chance. It's his call between becoming the taxpayers'
"knight in shining armor" or just another sycophant for da Mare and other in-your-face, corrupt politicians.
Happy hunting and best wishes, Mr. Shaw. If you're legit, bringing about meaningful reforms will be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
I think I missed the boat , what law says we have to have merit? I didn't quite understand that. And even if you explain it I'm still not getting on the boat.
Andy Shaw is not your friend just so you know.
As a citizen, I understand merit to be a kin to an Honorary degree from somewhere. In the case of CPD "merit" I understood the initial spirit of it to be a vehicle by which a rank-and-file officer can be promoted by a board of supervisors to to a supervisory position in spite of not completing a requirement such as a college degree or proper testing scores that are a requirement for promotion to supervisory positions. All for the public good, I feel , because in my travels in business I have met people who have had little formal education in any specialty or even generalities but they are brilliant at what they do.
But our rat bastard of a mayor has, I believe, perverted the spirit of "merit" and destroyed it's spirit for his own special interest, just like he has perverted the original spirit of the implimentation of TIF Districts to rejuvenate blighted areas of the city.
In any case, Shaw and the BGA has a fiduciary obligation to the public to compel the city to explicitly define, "merit".
Buck Naked
(not a cop)
P.S. Just thought of something. All those Alderman given concealed carry permits were given them meritoriously.
P.P.S. Just called BGA and passed on my feeling an the woman on the phone seemed to get it.
She said she'd pass it on.
Buck
not a cop
I guess I should email Mr. Shaw, huh?
7/22/2009 06:59:00 AM
Uh, that's an affirmative there cowboy.
---not a cop
>He didn't sound like he was against us, just that he hadn't heard much about the issue.
There's no way you're a cop. Your post is missing the ridiculous paranoia, the us v. them mentality, the inability to see things the way an outsider would see them.
sent an email, lets see what happens
why does every superintendent fail to promote quaified black , hispanic supervisors to the 1st , 16th and 18th districts and white supervisors to the 7th 11th,15th 10th and 14th districts etc.
"Nothing is worse than a do-gooder who doesn't know WTF is going on.
7/22/2009 10:04:00 AM"
Except a do-gooder who knows what the fuck is going on and pretends he doesn't.
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