Mainstream Media – Actually On a Case?

In the previous article in this series, we provided a brief review of the long train of corruption cases in Chicago and Illinois, and how they provide valuable perspective for some compelling national and international issues. 
Earlier this week, we had two indications that some elements of the City that Works may actually be working in a good way, and on matters related to international terrorism, drug trafficking, corruption in the city, state, and federal governments, and even the events of September 11, 2001.

On November 1, the Chicago Tribune reported how the City of Chicago’s “Corporation Counsel,� Stephen Patton, responded to a question about a dispute over the authority of the City Inspector General, Joseph Ferguson.  Ferguson has faced noncompliance with subpoenas he has issued to the city.  New mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Corporation Counsel has argued to the State Supreme Court that the city has the authority to enforce these subpoenas, not the inspector general alone, and the city also holds sole authority to hire outside counsel in matters at issue. 

This article did not identify any of the specific cases for which subpoena demands had been rebuffed.  But the fact that the City Inspector General has been issuing them is alone room for optimism. Read more È

The Ultra Secret FBI Criminal Files in the Chicago Field Office

In the first edition of their series of reports on corruption in Chicago, University of Illinois professors Thomas Gradel, Dick Simpson and Andris Zimelis included a good discussion of the evolution of machine politics over time.  They looked at the period with Mayor Richard J. Daley (1955-1976), as well as an equally-lengthy interval with his son, Richard M. Daley, serving as mayor (1989-2011).  The earlier regime drew its authority primarily from entrenched ties with ethnic communities, while the latter evolved a more sophisticated set of relationships with a variety of supporters including unions, corporations, and other special interest groups.  The report from the University of Illinois professors was written in early 2009, on the heels of the indictment of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.  And after listing a long train of successful convictions, they concluded simply that “corruption continues unabated in city, county, suburbs and state today.� 

The authors have gone on to write four more updates to this report, which are all available here.  The fourth edition was released in early 2011, following the last Daley term and the passing of the torch to new Mayor Rahm Emanuel.  This fourth report listed over 340 city officials convicted in public corruption cases in the past few decades, with little sign of any slowing in recent years.  The authors listed cases of “bribery, patronage, contract rigging, conflict of interest, nepotism/family ties, clout, and theft,� noting that they were pervasive across a range of agencies.

Chicagoans can be thankful for some prosecutors, but the “City that Works� and the state and federal government functions dealing with it haven’t earned a presumption of innocence.  A careful, cautious and even cynical perspective is warranted when considering the prospects for reform under new Mayor Rahm Emanuel, especially in light of the strong ties that helped lay the basis for his political career in recent decades.

And while thinking about the Chicago political environment and its relevance for the case of Sibel Edmonds, it is useful to be careful about distinctions between the two main parties in our political system.  We have Democrats and Republicans, on the one hand, and the rest of us, on the other hand.  The long train of scandals and convictions such as those laid out by the University of Illinois professors have entrenched bi-partisan roots, with Democrats as well as Republicans breeding disenchantment and suspicion.  The Edmonds case reaches across party lines, as well. Read more È

The Star Power of Chicago: A President, a Chief of Staff, a Governor, a Mayor, a Criminal Convict Creamer, a Dumb or Charlatan Congresswoman, a Political Fundraiser, a Political System Termite…What a Play this would make!

Chicago’s governing style and practices have been consistently characterized as criminal and corrupt since the days of the prohibition-era gangster, Al Capone. Last year Daniel Elgber wrote an interesting piece on this same topic titled ‘Why is Chicago so Corrupt?’

Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan received a sentence of six and a half years in prison on Wednesday, after being convicted on charges of racketeering, mail fraud, filing false tax returns, and lying to investigators. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that in the last three decades, at least 79 local elected officials have been convicted of a crime, including three governors, one mayor, and a whopping 27 aldermen from the Windy City. What makes Chicago so corrupt?

Elgber then goes on to provide some context, historical background, and past parallels with other cities. He points to a few possible factors behind this windy city’s continuous struggle with chronic political corruption:

In Chicago, corruption persisted, to some degree because the city never had the benefit of a reformist mayor like New York City’s Fiorello LaGuardia, who had political ties to FDR. Instead, Chicago moved towards a one-party system that made it even more vulnerable to corruption: The city’s last Republican mayor left office in 1931. Today, not even the Democratic primaries are competitive—for the most part, once you’re in office, you stay there. The weak campaign finance laws in Illinois probably helped to stave off competition in recent years.

The star power of Chicago politicians may also contribute to the city’s continuing problems with corruption. Incumbents tend to be big personalities who get celebrity coverage in the local papers—which sometimes translates into ethical leeway from voters. (In cities like Los Angeles and New York, local politicians take a back seat to the media celebs.)

Lastly, Elgber talks about corruption measurement and relevant points. This is a very interesting and obviously still relevant and applicable piece, so I suggest you read it in its entirety here and check out the links provided.

The media has long been reporting on Chicago’s corruption related scandals, and the intensity and frequency of these stories have increased tremendously in the last few years. So why am I so interested in this windy city of Bears?

Those of you who know me and/or are familiar with my case know the answer: Could it be the Political System Termite Dennis Hastert? Could it be the case of still under question marks Jan Schakowsky and the clear-cut record of her convicted husband? Could it be the Turkish criminal operatives with their HQ in Chicago since the early 90s? Could it be that Chicago was one of the two centers of the FBI’s nearly decade-long espionage and criminal investigations?

Well, the answer to all those ‘could it be’s is a firm yes, with more answers still buried somewhere in Chicago…For now let’s look at a small gallery of a much bigger gallery on recent key political personalities who happen to be connected to each other in more than one way and with more than a tie or two. Treat it as you might an exhibition room in a museum showcasing a series of relevant portraits all set against the same windy city background. Or if you wish, which I hope you do, go even further and add your points and possible interpretations for each portrait.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

I am starting with Rahm Emanuel since he prompted this piece on Chicago Politics’ Figureheads in Corruption. I know what you’re thinking, and no I am not going to walk down the same path and talk about the creepy odd personalities making even a creepier and odder couple. Catch my drift? While the outcome of that marriage may end up interestingly, the marriage is not as advertised. It is not far left with far right, but purely and simply a good example of in-breeding: when the byproducts of the same establishment couple with each other…In ordinary life the off-spring sum up the result. In the murky, smoke and mirrors, basically plain swampy and dirty world of partisan politics the outcome is what you watch on Fox TV, or the like.

Okay, so while the latest with Rahmie prompted this piece, the reasoning and the points herein have nothing to do with that. After all, Rahm Emanuel’s past record has always been out there for anyone who wanted to look, to see, to know about: his father’s Ziono-Terrorist background, his own active duty with Israel’s military, his dual citizenship, his highly questionable loyalties, his even more questionable financial gains from swampy financial institutions’ practices, his connections to the corrupt and criminals, his dirty mouth, his dirtier deeds in the campaign finance area…That’s right. All this has been known for quite a while. Somehow, the far left, while advertising for and promoting Obama, chose not to see their man’s choice of White House Chief of Staff, and worked very hard to hush anyone who did. Now that their con man of choice is secured in place, combined with only God knows what agenda, they choose to mumble about him. Read more È