Good afternoon . . .
Being the mayor of Chicago is no easy job. The city has all the problems of any large metropolitan area plus the inbred politics that makes Chicago famous. It is called the Windy City because of all the political "hot air," not the wind off Lake Michigan.
In the 70s a mayor was voted out of office because he failed to mobilize snow removing equipment after a blizzard in a timely manner. Many parts of the city were shutdown for more than a week.
Rumors of corruption, bribes, kickbacks, and every type of crime imaginable have been a part of the folklore of Chicago since its incorporation.
Mayor Richard Daley seems to be having more than his fair share of scandals in his administration.
The "hired truck" program led to indictments of city officials and truck companies with possible ties to organized crime. Ties to the "mob" are a part of Chicago's charm.
The collapse of a porch in 2000 led to an investigation that showed corruption in the building inspection department. The department had further problems when it was discovered that the 18-year old son of a union boss was hired as an inspector without any of the qualifications for the job.
Most television stations have done at least one story of city workers doing other things than work for the city during the workday. Some stay at home, some go shopping, some go to the track, and others have co-workers and supervisors punch in and out for them. It is truly amazing.
All the bad press seems to bother the mayor, but he continues to try and fix things, and just when it seems things are working better . . . another scandal.
The last two weeks have seen three separate scandals. Two involving the water department and another problem in the building inspectors office.
Last week, a hidden camera showed several water department employees punching co-workers in and out for work. One of the nine workers involved is the brother-in-law of the mayor. What the hell was he thinking?
last weekend an poorly constructed railing collapsed on a South Side house killing a young girl. A city inspector visited the property on Friday and filed a false report indicating he did a full inspection. He is now going through the dismissal process.
Today's latest problem may be the icing on the cake, at least for this week.
FBI agents arrested eight people including two employees of the water department on heroin-trafficking charges.
George A. Prado, a water department hoisting engineer, was charged as the mastermind of the heroin-selling ring. His brother-in-law, Anthony C. Ritacco, and water department worker Michael D. Hart were charged with being members of the ring.
U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said water department workers "were engaging in this kind of conduct during weekdays, during workdays, when they should not have been."
During the arrest FBI agents confiscated 35 pounds of cocaine, about a half-pound of heroin, a gun, and $50,000 in cash.
While the mayor is not involved in any way with the scandals, it certainly reflects poorly on his legacy and the people he hires to hire city employees.
The mayor has yet to comment.
Feds Charge Heroin Ring in Chicago Dept. - Yahoo! News
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More tomorrow.
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