This Asshole Again?

Just weeks ago, this asshat was railing against what he called the "self-appointed" Friends of the Parks for daring to criticize a multi-billionaire who wanted to build an Ego Monument to himself on our lakefront. The billionaire was shoveling money at the bought-and-paid-for asshole solely for his bully pulpit.

Now once again, he wants to negotiate a labor contract, in effect "self-appointing" himself to this position in place of elected officials and in essence, having zero standing at all:

• Activist priest Father Michael Pfleger is calling for an overhaul of Chicago police contracts and for someone outside the Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration to represent the public in negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police union.
  
  "We must make sure this bargaining agreement being done now does not protect the bad cop," Pfleger said Tuesday.

How, pray tell, does any contract protect the so-called "bad cop"? Guaranteeing due process? Protecting them from the lynching? Ensuring that Rights are not trampled by politicians catering to the whims of the mob?

• With Rev. Jesse Jackson at his side, Pfleger called on Emanuel to include public representatives - aldermen perhaps - in negotiations with the police union.

Oh lordy, someone wheeled Jesse out of irrelevancy. Guess the #blm people were busy commuting to/from Milwaukee instead of stealing Jesse's microphone like last time.

• How Chicago police are investigated and disciplined is largely governed by past labor agreements negotiated by city lawyers.
  
  "The community is the one that suffers if the union agreement is something that protects bad officers," Pfleger said.
  
  "Make the rules transparent for the people. I hope the mayor will hear our moral appeal," Jackson said.

And the officer suffers if the rules aren't applied equally and fairly across the board. Has this happened in the past? Nope, that's why there's a Contract - the City always operated (and continues to operate) in bad faith. If everyone operated on the up-and-up, there would be little need to spell out exactly how an investigation is expected to proceed. But that doesn't happen, so lawyers have to walk the City through the proper procedures.

• The activists said the union contract not only makes it difficult for citizens to complain about police misconduct, but it also does not allow the department to reward police officers who act as whistleblowers. Additionally, under the current union agreement most officer disciplinary records are destroyed after five years.

Um...difficult how? By placing your name to a Complaint and swearing that it's true? That's kind of a requirement to get any sort of conviction in Criminal Court and a regular occurrence in Civil Court when giving testimony. So the "community" doesn't want to swear to tell the truth? How odd.

And if these assholes haven't been paying attention, that "destroyed after five years" bullshit? Yeah, the City violated that part of the Contract nine ways to Sunday - they've been releasing CR files dating all the way back to the 1960's just last month - long before we were even born. And the Courts just issued an injunction barring any/all destruction of files due to the D.O.J. inquires and investigations, but you can't expect the media to actually pay attention to facts.

Someone needs to put this cockroach in his place. Someone representing the rank-and-file. Something along the lines of:

• "The FOP negotiates with the City representatives and lawyers, not some "self appointed" windbag who sells his voice to the highest bidder. The negotiated contract is submitted to the duly elected representatives of the City of Chicago, who receive input from their constituents via normal channels and then the entire package is voted upon by the City Council."

Then someone can call Blase and remind him about the separation of Church and State and minding his flock.