$45 Million Wasted
Project Shield was supposed to make citizens safer. But in the end, the $45-million Homeland Security program more resembled a disaster, wasting taxpayers’ dollars and failing to make a single citizen more secure.
The failed Cook County initiative was replete with equipment that failed to work, missing records and untrained first responders according to a report by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The report, to be released Monday but obtained by The Sun-Times and NBC5 News, found “millions of tax dollars may have been wasted.”
Labels: county
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
63 Comments:
Nothing is going to happen. No indictments, no investigations. This probably was a good program, unfortunately minority contracts were involved. You had contractors doing substandard work and thus the system isnt working.
No one has the balls to come out and say what needs to be said
Guess what else?
That $100 million dollar tax break for Motorola Mobility?
Well Motorola Mobility announced disappointing sales today. Sales that did not meet the experts expectations and that news drove down Google's stock by 4% today.
If you haven't been following along Google is in the process of buying out Motorola Mobility.
Anyways. bottom line..if you're not hitting your sales targets I guess that means layoffs.
Layoffs kind of blow apart the entire mirage of tax breaks for saving jobs.
AND of course Illinois can cancel the tax break agreement should layoffs happen. However how do they get any tax break money back that they already awarded Motorola/Google? Ans: they don't
Yeah think about it! Tax breaks for nothing.. More wasted money.
My question is why does Homeland Security even bother giving Chicago anything ?
History of theft and curuption at the highest levels. No enemy foreign government would even bother attacking Chicago, because we are destroying our selves. Are leaders our are enemy. Vote anyone but these current crooks!
When I retire and move away from Illinois I'll play "Free at Last" and crack open a nice cool beer.
I've never been a POW in a foreign war. However I remember watching Vet Nam footage of POW prisons being released. I now can relate in a small way.
Two years counting down.
Oh and guess what else?
The multi-million dollar tax breaks for the CME Group, (Chicago Merc Exchange and the Board of Trade)?
Well it just keeps getting deeper and deeper.
Check it out. The commodity traders are heading for the hills after the MF Global bankruptcy with 40,000 customers having their savings in segregated accounts stolen.
(VIDEO) -- Americans AND Their Money Leaving the USA
Trust in the system has broken down over refusal to prosecute the banker crimes and it looks like this MF Global disaster could be the final straw.
In today's Barrons we have this:
CME Shares Keep Falling In After-Hours; Is Breakup On The Table?
[...]
Last week, the New York Times reported that regulators investigating MF Global’s collapse had widened their inquiry to CME, whose exchanges were used by MF Global. The Commodities Futures Trading Commission has been probing the disappearance of some $1.2 billion in customer funds from MF Global. Now, it’s reportedly looking into the CME’s actions in the days before the Wall Street firm’s filing for bankruptcy on Oct. 31. The Chicago-based CME Group owns the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade and the New York Mercantile Exchange.
more here
..and then this in the Financial Times...
LME’s steel plans tarnished by MF Global
So hows that Illinois tax break money working out.
We gave money to Ford and they are building a tech center in Cal. not Il.
We gave money to Sears and they are closing how many stores across the USA..Yeah none in Illinois yet nevertheless the taxpayers are propping up a failed business model.
We gave money to Motorola Mobility and they are being sold. Google says they intend to operate them as a separate unit but that's what they all say to keep employees from jumping ship until they are ready to lay them off. You know the layoffs are coming because the sales aren't doing it.
So now what Springfield...Chicago...City Hall?
The guy incharge of Homeland Security has absolutely no experience in law enforcement other than getting a bubble gum badge from the former mayor Daley. Way to waste money and put some young guy incharge with no experience other than being friends with politicians.
Crook County DEMOCRATS at it again Who got the payoffs and kickbacks on this one? Once again, wgere are the Feds? Are they capable of investigating ANYTHING correctly?
Parts of the Strategic Air Command has been de-classified why not use it, it scared the Turnip chit out of the Soviet's and The Warsaw pact?
Maintain Fail Safe units that deploy to the problem if the get the go code while on standby.
But for god sake maintain the chain of command!
The only thing new about this scandal is that is appears the Feds might actually DO something about it.
Wouldn't that be refreshing.
Good job Masters, asshole
You forgot to mention that was his gig running that failure, mister big resume. And who hired him??? Are they not responsible too? I can't wait to leave this corrupt incompetent shithole stain on the earth
a really huge shelter was built behind Oak Forest Hospital to park DHS vehicles. Just looks like a big parking garage with vehicles that aren't being used for any purpose. That had to cost a lot of money.
And who is at Cook County Homeland Security now?
- Mike Masters Masters Masters
- Ray Ray Hamilton
- Karen Tactical Barbie Bartuch
All on LOAs from CPD (except Masters.)
What a crew!
Yeah, right!
Talk to me when they actually ARREST someone.
Whatever your disdain for Masters may be, this all happened way before he got to Cook County. This has been in the news quite a few times over the past couple of years. This is a Stroger mess
This article is from 2010
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/project-shield-lawsuit-103978104.html
Be informed about what you are talking about before you start slinging mud all over the place.
It was Todd-ster at the helm of this project and the county...worse than the fools at the City.
This sucks. I was looking forward to feeling $45 Million Dollars safer.
Thanks toni, thanks Mikey.
Oh, and when should we expect the indictments,
Gee, government waste in Cook County. Who'd have thunk it?
Business as usual, but I wonder who has it?
---not a cop
I hate MM as much as anyone, but most of this happened before he got HS job--the responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of Todd Erkle--who I hear is to be indicted at some point on a slew of things. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet--but it's supposed to be coming.
And who is at Cook County Homeland Security now?
- Mike Masters Masters Masters
- Ray Ray Hamilton
- Karen Tactical Barbie Bartuch
Relax, do some research before you open your mouth, this all happened before they got there.
Ask P.O. Ramos who was employed overseeing this contract then at Cook County
All on LOAs from CPD (except Masters.)
What a crew!
1/10/2012 02:32:00 AM
Yes, but most likely still paying into the CPD pension fund while on a leave, thus making themselves eligible for a CPD pension and in five years a county pension. Nice work if you can get it.
Ahhh the toddler will make such a great play doll in prison!
I never quite understood the hatred for Masters. If you think he was incompetent, then you must have a short memeory, because this job has had political hacks and incompetents for decades, and the guys who bad mouth Masters, had no reluctance to kiss their asses. What most of you don't realize about Masters is that he upon taking the position at Homeland Security immediately noticed that the cameras and computers were in front of the air-bags. All of the Chiefs in all of the small police departments in Cook County and the bosses at the Cook County Police failed to notice that this placement put their officers in danger of having a computer shoved in their faces upon impact in a crash. Believe it or not, and it's hard for those of you filled with hate for Masters to accept: MASTERS PROBABLY SAVED THE LIFE OF SOME OFFICER BY RECOGNIZING AND CORRECTING THE PLACEMENT OF THESE COMPUTERS AND CAMERAS! Yeah he was a rich kid who went to Harvard Law School, and Marine Officer School, so that makes him an asshole! Those of you who hated Weiss and Masters would be grateful to see them back. These two fought for and got us the four day week, rifles, training that used to be reserved for the few. Masters at Homeland Security will help us all, like it or not.
I love how everyone here hates the feds and the media until they talk about someone else. Then its "where are the feds???"
They never mention Dave Ramos who was in charge. Former cpd patrolman on leave who can't return during this pending investigation.
Nothing is going to happen. No indictments, no investigations. This probably was a good program, unfortunately minority contracts were involved. You had contractors doing substandard work and thus the system isnt working.
No one has the balls to come out and say what needs to be said
1/10/2012 12:14:00 AM
-----------------------------------
.....and most apparently your balls were cut off too since you are not saying jack shit that amounts to anything. What minority contracts? What contractors? When you find your balls come on back until then stop harping on shit you cant give the facts about.
As my man Det Sgt Joe Friday would tell you, "Nothing but the facts Bitch!"
Todd "Erkle" Stroger should be the first mutt indicted for this disaster. Pissing away $45 million is not easy. Unless you live in Crook County. Fucking politicians are such greedy conniving bastards. Oh well.
Just like the 40 mil that went missing during Lubermans stint@ OEMC. Nothing happened to him either. This Homeland Security has been nothing but a boon doggle big money giveaway to political cronies under the guise of protecting us from turrurists.
What about our GARBAGE "in-car cameras"?????
25% to 50% ARE BROKE at any given time!
Who got that sweetheart contract?
Seriously, I'm still confused (moreover disappointed) that no one 'went to jail' over the hundreds of millions of cost over-runs and do-overs in Millennium Park.
Pat Fitzgerald, this is Fed $$ here.
Please send them a message.
The media may use the term 'waste.'
We ALL know better... it's 'theft' through incompetence/abuse.
Somebody's gotta go to jail!
Please Fitz, do the right thing.
I picture the pols at the county when they got this money like the p o s in the station when a restaurant drops off free food.
Anonymous said...
Nothing is going to happen. No indictments, no investigations. This probably was a good program, unfortunately minority contracts were involved. You had contractors doing substandard work and thus the system isnt working.
You're just mad because you and your family didn't get a chance to steal the money first.
This happened before Masters got there. Duh.
MMM was not there when the waste happened. It was CPD P.O. ramos on loa who was in charge.
Look at Solyndra et al.....
$45 million is pocket change for this crowd.
What took the Einstein's in the media to figure out this entire program was a dud? All that money pissed away on worthless projects. Lots of this cash comes from the aftermath of 9/11. I always thought the gas mask idea was really a joke. If we ever got hit with any kind chemical agents it would all be over. At least the Racoon would be safe with his family in the bowels the OMEC.
Parts of the Strategic Air Command has been de-classified why not use it, it scared the Turnip chit out of the Soviet's and The Warsaw pact?
Maintain Fail Safe units that deploy to the problem if the get the go code while on standby.
But for god sake maintain the chain of command!
1/10/2012 01:28:00 AM
You might want to increase the dosage...those antipsychotics are not working.
There has to be individuals who were responsible for budgets and they cannot explain where the money went because there is no paper work. They should be indicted.
WTF...so what else is new, typical when the government gets invovoled.
Welcome to politics in Chicago and cook county. Guess who is gonna be the fall guys, I think Masters will, and at least he wOnt be a stranger as blago will be waiting for him with oPen arms and a c-ck craving some virgin ass. Karma is a bitch and it's new name is MASTERS hahaha
Sure wish Weis was back, he never destroyed our PD like McJersey. Admit it SCC. Weis did more good for CPD then anyone else. Truth is truth. This east coast drunk has done nothing for us. Let's keep score since SCC you were the first to bash McFed. Carbine program, patches for our vests instead of wearing our badges, approved the Glocks and other great off duty weapons, didn't destroy the structure of the PD,tried to get us an out door range, MSF and TRU left alone, approved plate carriers and helmets for our first responders. You name me one other Supt. that would have done this for us. He screwed up with Cozy but made up with it by bringing back M. Mettie. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was a CPD Gold Star that advised him on Cozy. Right is Right.
HELLO LISA......... !
Is not this the stuff the Attorney General of Illinois is suppose to be investigating ?
Thanks For Nothing.
Wow - some of you don't have the right scorecard on this play.
First, they wrote up a lot of BS so that they could secure the money from the Feds. 9/11 opened up the purse strings for a lot of security projects.
Lofty ideas with the typical bureaucratic BS that would lock in a boatload of cash was what was generated.
Once they got it, instead of bringing in people that could do oversight of the project - AND GET IT DONE, they brought in political cronies and the usual minority firm suspects to dance around and make it look like they were working on something while collecting a check.
As a real systems integrator with real experience, you could not get in - especially if you were white. Even when it was known that the project wasn't going anywhere- they didn't bring in anyone to do a real assessment.
No sour grapes here - because you realize you're not going to get in, so why bother.
But now that the Feds are investigating, GREAT. Let the spotlight shine on the incompetence.
Taxpayers should wake up and see how much these people wasted. This was Amateur hour at all levels, so let the jail terms begin.
- a Pro
Junior Toad Stroger was on Don & Roma this morning, said "he wasn't Board President" when the program was started. Maybe it was Pops Stroger (St.Roger). He blamed IBM Corp for not being able to get the system to work. Yeah, but they paid them anyway.
Toad said the FBI hasn't spoke to him and he was never investigated about the matter.
Could this be the JJ Jr. " bring it on" statement that will prompt what Sen. Kirk is seeking.... a federal investigation?
We all know how that Huberman - Motorola invoice scandal turned out. Millions of dollars spent and no equipment to show. And still an antiquated analog emergency system.
Politicians never miss an opportunity to fill their pockets by way of shady contracts and government programs.
! Yeah he was a rich kid who went to Harvard Law School, and Marine Officer School, so that makes him an asshole! Those of you who hated Weiss and Masters would be grateful to see them back. These two fought for and got us the four day week, rifles, training that used to be reserved for the few. Masters at Homeland Security will help us all, like it or not.
1/10/2012 08:34:00 AM
People didn't like Masters because he was an arrogant prick and a marginal performer, simple as that. As for the rifle, training and all the great stuff they got us? That was all in the works and poorly implemented.
The J-Fled years were like the Carter years: best forgotten. The poster had to have been Ray Ray, Karen or Jody.
One last thing: Mikey, Ray and Karen (all in need of people skills) are not allowed to carry a firearm. They are on leave.
I never quite understood the hatred for Masters. If you think he was incompetent, then you must have a short memeory, because this job has had political hacks and incompetents for decades, and the guys who bad mouth Masters, had no reluctance to kiss their asses. What most of you don't realize about Masters is that he upon taking the position at Homeland Security immediately noticed that the cameras and computers were in front of the air-bags. All of the Chiefs in all of the small police departments in Cook County and the bosses at the Cook County Police failed to notice that this placement put their officers in danger of having a computer shoved in their faces upon impact in a crash. Believe it or not, and it's hard for those of you filled with hate for Masters to accept: MASTERS PROBABLY SAVED THE LIFE OF SOME OFFICER BY RECOGNIZING AND CORRECTING THE PLACEMENT OF THESE COMPUTERS AND CAMERAS! Yeah he was a rich kid who went to Harvard Law School, and Marine Officer School, so that makes him an asshole! Those of you who hated Weiss and Masters would be grateful to see them back. These two fought for and got us the four day week, rifles, training that used to be reserved for the few. Masters at Homeland Security will help us all, like it or not.
1/10/2012 08:34:00 AM
Signed, Masters,Masters,Masters
Was there a written plan in place? Were there signed contracts? Who did the work or didn't do the work? Follow the money. Can't be too dificult figure this out.
Corzine, Solyndra, Strogers, Daly....It's a Democrat syndrome. Where do all dat money go? Millions, Billions and gazillions.
This happened before Masters got there. Duh.
MASTERS QUALIFICATIONS IN ANTI TERRORISM NIL NOTHING
What a waste of $$$$$
CAMERAS! Yeah he was a rich kid who went to Harvard Law School, and Marine Officer School, so that makes him an asshole! Those of you who hated Weiss and Masters would be grateful
--No
Cause HE HAS NO ANTI TERRORISMM QUALIFICATIONS Period
KB your back under his desk with Ray Hamilton
Nice
Masters Hamilton What are their qualifications/ Please do show and tell???????
ray Ray hamilton was a marine who failed to become an officer never served on active duty or in a war zone
Masters a lawyer Ok a Marine Laywer So that's like a fish with a bicycle when it come to terrorism Oh OK he did go to Kuwait for Legal Services Not a fighting man and a reservists
=So Their CLOUTED That's ALLL
How much do Masters and Hamilton cost? What's their salary
Why does the county need a terrorism guy anyway WTF is there no end to the bullshit here
Todd is sitting on crates of equipment working to cash it in.....
Those of you who hated Weiss and Masters would be grateful to see them back. These two fought for and got us the four day week, rifles, training that used to be reserved for the few. Masters at Homeland Security will help us all, like it or not.
1/10/2012 08:34:00 AM
Um, no; no one would be grateful to see you guys back here.
And, we know you were the lucky recipients of the windfall of good press when we got the new work schedule, etc., etc., but those were on the way FAR before you arrived in town.
Go away. You aren't wanted. No, not even on the blog.
"You might want to increase the dosage...those antipsychotics are not working."
--1/10/2012 01:11:00 PM
Proof positive, Mandrake, that the Communists have polluted our precious bodily fluids.
Just keep feedin' me that belt, son. Just keep feedin' me that belt.
The media said the prime 2 contractors had no comment. Who are the contractors. ? No one said they did anything wrong as of yet so who are they?
masters is a weasel Im so safe with him defending my country against the terrorits! Ha HA bad joke is the 6 figure salary
Thirty years on --
Channel 9 weather tells us that "30 years ago today (1982) the high was -4F and the low was -26F. -26F is the 2nd coldest temp ever recorded in Chicago."
I was walking down Thorndale towards Winthrop that night, the snow squeaking under my boots.
It was a s__t neighborhood then, and it was still a s__t neighborhood when I went back there last summer.
It's amazing how little money thrown at a problem will really do. Bullets, maybe, but not money.
Sure wish Weis was back, he never destroyed our PD like McJersey. Admit it SCC. Weis did more good for CPD then anyone else. Truth is truth. This east coast drunk has done nothing for us. Let's keep score since SCC you were the first to bash McFed. Carbine program, patches for our vests instead of wearing our badges, approved the Glocks and other great off duty weapons, didn't destroy the structure of the PD,tried to get us an out door range, MSF and TRU left alone, approved plate carriers and helmets for our first responders. You name me one other Supt. that would have done this for us. He screwed up with Cozy but made up with it by bringing back M. Mettie. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was a CPD Gold Star that advised him on Cozy. Right is Right.
1/10/2012 04:05:00 PM
Mr. Weis, Have you nothing better to do than pat yourself on the back, here on the blog?
And don't even TRY to claim you "brought Mike Mette back". That other man, the one whose life you destroyed... his name is COZZI. How arrogant, that you can't be troubled to kearnn to spell it.
One last thing: Mikey, Ray and Karen (all in need of people skills) are not allowed to carry a firearm. They are on leave.
XXXX luv to stop them for traffic and give em a few tickets
But nobody has the balls?
Mr. Weis, Have you nothing better to do than pat yourself on the back, here on the blog?
And don't even TRY to claim you "brought Mike Mette back". That other man, the one whose life you destroyed... his name is COZZI. How arrogant, that you can't be troubled to kearnn to spell it.
1/11/2012 01:36:00 AM
Mea culpa on the 'learn to spell it' error. Computer refreshed as I typed it and I forgot to check my post before hitting 'send'.
Money, especially big money gets wasted all the time:
Haiti Earthquake: Two Years Later, Where Did The Money Go?
And, like the grains of rice aboard, the dollars mount into the hundreds of millions; even billions. According to some reports, the United States government, American individuals, families and humanitarian groups donated approximately $3 billion. That's just from America with a total of something like $12 billion coming from all donor nations for funds to be disbursed.
Still, somehow, no one seems quite sure precisely how many grains -- or dollars -- we're talking about. The accounting seems to have a sliding scale that can move hundreds of millions of dollars one way or another. At the time of publication, President Bill Clinton, the UN Special Envoy to Haiti and the co-chair of overseeing the nation’s re-construction for the last two years, hasn't responded to repeated requests by GlobalPost regarding specific aid and cash donation figures.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/11/haiti-earthquake-funds_n_1200229.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D127040
you idiots they IG's report states from 2005-2008, Ramos didn't get their until 2009. You guys are all wrong.
Crook County will take (steal)the Fed's money but won't hold an illegal on a fed detainer. Classic
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