MetroShadow Posted July 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Yikes... And I thought Philadelphia politics was a giant cluster-blank... An outsider needs a map just to figure out who the heck is in line for what in Chicago. Except the map will probably drive you back out of the state, if not off the Skyway Bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Except the map will probably drive you back out of the state, if not off the Skyway Bridge. I'm not sure you want your car landing in Northwest Indiana, which has its indigenous form of nepotism and corruption. Or even land in the Calumet River and float into NW Indiana or the Illinois south suburbs. Back to the topic, the Sun-Times has dueling versions of Quinn saying that the IG will take care of the investigation and Kirk Dillard saying that the feds should investigate. Since it undoubtedly involves FTA money and regulations, I'm sure the feds will, although the question is whether the feds come up with criminal charges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 You also have to think about Deb Mell spot on the committee There is a more direct answer to this question. Phil Rogers of NBC5 is on WLS Radio, and pointed out, "who gets to appoint the head of that committee if Deb Mell leaves? Mike Madigan." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted July 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 IYCMI: The Memo in Question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkohut Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 There is a more direct answer to this question. Phil Rogers of NBC5 is on WLS Radio, and pointed out, "who gets to appoint the head of that committee if Deb Mell leaves? Mike Madigan." If this was WWE Wrestling Mike Madigan is probably the only person who can make Pat Quinn a fan favorite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 If this was WWE Wrestling Mike Madigan is probably the only person who can make Pat Quinn a fan favorite But, don't forget, Triple H is married to the bosses' daughter. Sort of like one of the guys at the RTA staff. And is challenger Bill Daley just another Uso {Fatu} brother?* *In fact, from the Daily Herald: ..leaving Quinn with a likely Democratic primary challenge only from former White House chief of staff Bill Daley, the brother and son of two longtime Chicago mayors... The Usos are Rikishi's sons. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 This gets curiouser and curiouser. Anyone who saw the released copy of the memo saw that certain parts, although not most of the damning parts, were blacked out, or in FOIA language "redacted." The Daily Herald now claims to have the unredacted version. Not clear where they got it, but it does explain a few things. In any event, since O'Halloran has again been proved to be a complete liar, I'm surprised he hasn't resigned already. Also, after the University of Illinois scandal when the governor told all the trustees to resign, Governor Ectoplasm hasn't told O'Halloran to resign, at least publicly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman8119 Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 What a clusterf@$#% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 What a clusterf@$#% It keeps getting better in the Daily Herald, tonight's installment is that the dissenting board member wants an accounting of all money Metra has spent in CYA. Of course, the Tribune is taking credit for breaking the story, even though the Daily Herald is still ahead of them. Update: But the Tribune just posted how Ward "who is no longer with Metra" got his state job due to an inattentive Gov. Ooze. Shoe seems to have summed up the PR agents. At least your @ symbol is no longer converting your comment to an e-mail address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctrabs74 Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 It keeps getting better in the Daily Herald, tonight's installment is that the dissenting board member wants an accounting of all money Metra has spent in CYA. Of course, the Tribune is taking credit for breaking the story, even though the Daily Herald is still ahead of them. Update: But the Tribune just posted how Ward "who is no longer with Metra" got his state job due to an inattentive Gov. Ooze. Shoe seems to have summed up the PR agents. At least your @ symbol is no longer converting your comment to an e-mail address. My favorite comic strip, I might add... So, from what I'm reading, it will take nothing short of a federal prosecutor with some, uh, stones (see: Chris Christie in New Jersey before he ran for and was elected governor) to actually clean up RTA/Metra? I can't fathom how people in Illinois continue to put up with this *redacted*... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 ... So, from what I'm reading, it will take nothing short of a federal prosecutor with some, uh, stones (see: Chris Christie in New Jersey before he ran for and was elected governor) to actually clean up RTA/Metra? I can't fathom how people in Illinois continue to put up with this *redacted*... It takes the federal prosecutor to put our politicians away (George Ryan, Milorad Blagojevich, Jesse and Sandi Jackson, Bill Beavers, and about 30 Chicago aldermen over the past 30 years), but nothing gets cleaned up, as indicated by Quinn not knowing that he gave Ward a job. The media went ape yesterday that Blago's lawyers filed an appeal (actually an appellate brief) at the last minute, but seemed to report that the only legal defense was that he was engaged in "politics as usual" as well as to attack the trial judge. As I noted above, Ms. "I suddenly realized I can't be governor if stepdaddy is still the House Speaker" Attorney General has never gone after corruption, including in this case. This certainly isn't limited to Metra, as the Tribune also reported last night that the county assessor, who is the head Democratic committeeman, engaged in violations of the Shakman decree, and the county (i.e., the taxpayers) now has to pay up. As far as FOIA being an oxymoron in the state, formerly government entities wouldn't release anything, but after the Tribune made enough of a stink, the law was amended so that denials could be appealed to the Attorney General's office. Same Attorney General, though. Yet, aside from John Kass, who has figured it out, I can't figure out why the Tribune loves the stepdaughter but not the stepdaddy. Anyway, someone posted "why aren't the feds looking into this?" The answer is that they probably are, but after the then U.S. Attorney said in about 1998 the Ryan was not a target, they pounce only when they are ready. I suppose, though, that in a few days, there will be a story that the FBI executed a search warrant on Metra headquarters and "hauled out boxes of documents." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 The earliest indication on Fox32 news (at about 9:40) was that the Metra attorney was telling Clifford to answer the questions. No indication in that report if there was anything new, other than a Hispanic legislator was asking for a job for someone in the family, and that Clifford reported that before the "allegations about Clifford' job performance" were raised.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted July 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 Shorter Article: Lots of finger pointing from the Ex-CEO to select members of the legislature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 Shorter Article: Lots of finger pointing from the Ex-CEO to select members of the legislature. Actually a more detailed one. Clifford's statement that there was nothing illegal because Clifford didn't follow through on the demands is the essence of attempted extortion, which is basically for a prosecutor to determine, but about half the counts on Blago. It didn't fail because Madigan or someone else didn't try. There was also on the Fox32 noon news an exchange where Gates was asking Clifford about being late on an audit, to which Clifford said Metra staff had kept the RTA informed. However, if that is cause for dismissal, Claypool should be dismissed for presenting the CTA President's Budget Recommendations a month late and expecting the RTA to approve them the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 19, 2013 Report Share Posted July 19, 2013 Today's development is that Patrick Collins is reportedly going to be appointed by the Metra board to investigate the mess. While Collins is clean, something about O'Halloran endorsing the move doesn't pass the smell test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman8119 Posted July 20, 2013 Report Share Posted July 20, 2013 Today's development is that Patrick Collins is reportedly going to be appointed by the Metra board to investigate the mess. While Collins is clean, something about O'Halloran endorsing the move doesn't pass the smell test. I thought exactly the same thing. At this point, why bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkohut Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 According to the Daily Herald.Monday meeting was cancel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkohut Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 Today's development is that Patrick Collins is reportedly going to be appointed by the Metra board to investigate the mess. While Collins is clean, something about O'Halloran endorsing the move doesn't pass the smell test. When you read the article in today Daily Herald it claims somebody did the work and of course foung nothing wrong.At lease other agency are still looking into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 When you read the article in today Daily Herald it claims somebody did the work and of course foung nothing wrong.At lease other agency are still looking into it. Not clear to what article you are referring, especially since there are two there. #1 is on the meeting being cancelled and speculation over the reasons.* #2 is the resigning Metra director from Kane County speaking up. Of course, settling the litigation is the only legal consideration for the agreement. I'm in no position to determine whether Huggins was trying to get Clifford to violate federal procurement guidelines, but I am sure that the FTA is going to investigate that. There was a report that the FTA has suspended Metra because of the Pagano mess, so I suppose FTA could do so again. However, it seems pretty clear that the proper thing for O'Halloran and Huggins to have done after receiving the memo would have been to recuse (disqualify) themselves, and appoint an "independent" performance review committee. __________ *Update: Tribune had the explanation, which was that the law firm had a potential conflict of interest, so Collins withdrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkohut Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Not clear to what article you are referring, especially since there are two there. #1 is on the meeting being cancelled and speculation over the reasons.* #2 is the resigning Metra director from Kane County speaking up. Of course, settling the litigation is the only legal consideration for the agreement. I'm in no position to determine whether Huggins was trying to get Clifford to violate federal procurement guidelines, but I am sure that the FTA is going to investigate that. There was a report that the FTA has suspended Metra because of the Pagano mess, so I suppose FTA could do so again. However, it seems pretty clear that the proper thing for O'Halloran and Huggins to have done after receiving the memo would have been to recuse (disqualify) themselves, and appoint an "independent" performance review committee. __________ *Update: Tribune had the explanation, which was that the law firm had a potential conflict of interest, so Collins withdrew. The more articles i seen on Metra its turning real ugly.According to the Sun Times the sob who Madigan ask Clifford to give a raise to is getting 2 pensions.Then to see a Metra Board member make 178,000 a year.Plus,gives a 1,000 donation for Preckwinkle.This is part of the reason why Illinois is broke. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/21558615-418/story.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 ...Then to see a Metra Board member make 178,000 a year.Plus,gives a 1,000 donation for Preckwinkle.This is part of the reason why Illinois is broke. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/21558615-418/story.html It wasn't a board member. The Board members get only $15,000. It was a deputy executive director. The executive director (Clifford) was making $252,000. As in the case of most Sun-Times revelations, this one itself doesn't show a conflict of interest. However, Madigan trying to get a raise for a $55,000 lackey who was already getting a $55,000 pension, and when that didn't work, a $70,000 state job, does show why the state is going broke. There is the other question, I raised elsewhere, how $15,000 a year is worth it to O'Halloran to have him say he is sticking it out, unless he is getting something else (which he probably is, but not from Metra). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkohut Posted July 28, 2013 Report Share Posted July 28, 2013 It wasn't a board member. The Board members get only $15,000. It was a deputy executive director. The executive director (Clifford) was making $252,000. As in the case of most Sun-Times revelations, this one itself doesn't show a conflict of interest. However, Madigan trying to get a raise for a $55,000 lackey who was already getting a $55,000 pension, and when that didn't work, a $70,000 state job, does show why the state is going broke. There is the other question, I raised elsewhere, how $15,000 a year is worth it to O'Halloran to have him say he is sticking it out, unless he is getting something else (which he probably is, but not from Metra). Thanks for the correction.The only way the entire truth is going to come out is US Attorney gets involve.Then the Joilet Prision is going to have to get rebuild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 28, 2013 Report Share Posted July 28, 2013 Thanks for the correction.The only way the entire truth is going to come out is US Attorney gets involve.Then the Joilet Prision is going to have to get rebuild. The feds don't send them there. It is usually Oxford, Wi or Terre Haute, In, although Blago liked Colo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkohut Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 Something is hitting the fan. http://www.suntimes.com/21589400-761/taxpayers-legal-tab-for-metra-mess-adds-up-to-more-than-250k-so-far.html http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130729/news/707299939 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkohut Posted July 30, 2013 Report Share Posted July 30, 2013 Any Predictions http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/07/30/lawmaker-seeks-wholesale-change-at-metra-after-latest-scandal/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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