Project: Michael Reese Hospital Campus
Address: 2929 South Ellis
Contractor: Brandenburg Industrial Service Company
Amount: $231,579.50 Reason: Multiple see below
Contract Number: 1490BE Date: 12/17/2009
Notes: Differing Site Conditions

Client Directed Change

Project: Michael Reese Hospital Campus
Address: 2929 South Ellis
Contractor: Heneghan Wrecking & Excavating Co.
Amount: $310,275.85 Reason: Multiple see below
Contract Number: 1490CD Date: 12/17/2009
Notes: Differing Site Conditions

Client Directed Change

Thank you for reading!

Now that the case was picked up by the media I guess people on the state level are supposed to start caring? Where was everyone for the last three years? Or since 2003 when the corruption started? People at the state level knew about this and did nothing. So before you start getting high and mighty about WYCC being tax-payer funded, think about all the institutions that are in place to PREVENT this sort of thing that looked the other way. Our taxes are going to them too. At least WYCC actually can produce SOMETHING.

Steve
408.431.5654

Please note, the Michael Reese project is allegedly a no change order contract. Given that the totality of winning bids was lower then estimated projections, please keep an eye out for any change orders which are granted.

By Cathy Santos

Mark Kirk said during his campaign announcement speech on Monday that restoring integrity to Illinois politics is one of the main reasons he\’s running for the U.S. Senate. Maybe Mr. Kirk should start with his own campaign.

According to reports filed recently with the Federal Election Commission, Mark Kirk accepted a donation on June 26, 2009 from Anthony Bruno, President of Illinois Development Services Inc.

Anyone truly concerned about Illinois corruption would know the name Anthony Bruno, especially since his name has been in the news again recently.

In January, Bruno was charged with filing a false federal corporate income tax return for allegedly under-reporting his firm\’s taxable income, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney\’s office. Bruno later pled guilty, admitting he falsely claimed losses of more than $100,000 for his Elmhurst-based business, Illinois Development Services, Inc.

In 1993, Bruno was disbarred after the Illinois Supreme Court found \"clear evidence of the manufacture of false documents…other misrepresentations concerning the status of his representation of clients and his repeated neglect of legal matters.\"

Bruno, a consultant on economic development matters for Cicero, Melrose Park and other suburban governments, earned some $400,000 providing PR services for a $42 million Melrose Park water project before word of a federal investigation shut it down. Bruno earned around $100,000 for similar work on a similar water project in Forest Park, before officials there backed off.

Earlier this year, Bruno - although not a candidate himself - became a target on political mailings during the Melrose Park mayoral race between incumbent Ron Serpico and challenger Jesse Martinez.

And last month Bruno appeared in the news again - this time in a Proviso Herald article covering Vito Scavo\’s federal corruption trial:

Prosecutors allege Cinemark agreed to hire security as a result of extortion, one of the charges Scavo faces. Although not charged with extortion, Montino was present during meetings with Scavo and Cinemark managers when village consultant Anthony Bruno threatened the opening of a Melrose Park theater if Scavo\’s guards were not hired, according to court testimony.

The Proviso Herald had more about Bruno back in April.

Like other nefarious political characters who\’ve contributed to the bi-partisan political culture of sleaze in Illinois, Bruno\’s reputation for influence peddling across party lines is well known.

Bruno, individually and through his companies, has contributed over $222,000 to elected officials, candidates and political action committees, according to state and federal reports.

Some people may be willing to brush off the acceptance of a contribution from the likes of Anthony Bruno as an honest mistake on Kirk\’s part. But recall the hissy fit Kirk\’s campaign and the Illinois Republican Party threw last year when Kirk\’s opponent, Dan Seals, was seen accepting an envelope from former Congressman and convicted felon Dan Rostenkowski.

Before hopping-up on his high-horse proclaiming he\’ll put an end to corrupt politics in Illinois - you would think that Kirk would have checked his own list of contributors first (especially after making such an issue in his last campaign about his opponent\’s contact with a convicted felon).

Anthony Bruno\’s name has appeared frequently in the news and he\’s been around Illinois politics for a long time. His contribution should have raised an immediate red flag.

Kirk tried to tell anyone who would listen on Monday that he needs to get to the U.S. Senate so that he can clean up corruption. Of course he\’s had nine years as a U.S. Congressman. What\’s he been doing all that time?

Well, during all the years that he served under his political Godfather Denny Hastert, Kirk never said a peep about corruption. Kirk has always been Mr. Go-Along-To-Get-Along when it came to wrongdoing by his friends.

In the wake of Hastert\’s sleazy land deal, the preying on teenage boys by a homosexual GOP Congressman (Mark Foley), and all of the other GOP scandals involving Hastert, Bob Ney, Randal \"Duke\" Cunningham, Tom DeLay, and Jack Abramoff - Kirk was always silent.

At home in Illinois, Kirk\’s closest allies like Hastert, Andy McKenna, Jr., Judy Baar Topinka and Jim Edgar wrecked the party and worked against anyone who wasn\’t part of their little pro-homosexual circle. Now in desperation, the old faces turn to this Democrat in Republican clothing to try and head of yet another disaster at the polls for the Illinois GOP next year.

It may already be too late. After nine years in Congress, less than 200 people cared enough to attend Kirk\’s campaign announcement in Kenilworth. That\’s pretty sad considering that wealthy suburb in the heart of Kirk\’s district is about as Kirk-friendly as it\’s going to get.

The wheels are already coming off Kirk\’s campaign. The GOP base was already fed-up with this Cap\’n Traitor. Yesterday it was revealed his campaign lied about his endorsers, and now today we find out Kirk has accepted money from a well known convicted felon. Couple all that with an apparent pay-to-play conflict involving one of his largest contributors and its hard to see where the \"reform express\" goes from here.

With Roland Burris not running for election, the open seat does offer an opportunity for Republicans. But we need a candidate who can compete statewide.

Mark Kirk is clearly not the guy. But in a state with over 12 million people, surely Republicans can find one real leader of integrity.

Milquetoasts and Go-Alongs-To-Get-Alongs need not apply.

Cathy Santos is a Republican political consultant.

Two weeks ago, I visited the Cook County Courthouse to conduct genealogy research. I brought with me two friends; one from Los Angeles and the other from Quincy, IL. We are all avid genealogists with roots in both Missouri and Illinois – and we were very much looking forward to doing research in Chicago.

To our horror and dismay – our visit was marred by one rude employee after another. In truth, the word rude isn’t strong enough to convey the horrible, despicable behavior that we observed from one public servant after another. It was truly appalling. Even though two weeks has passed since my visit — I am still furious about it.

In my ten years of doing African American research in counties all over the state of Missouri, I have NEVER, NEVER been treated as poorly and as rudely as I was at the Cook County courthouse and city hall. It seemed like the people working in every department (with the exception of the Archives and Research Room & one very nice lady in Recorder of Deeds office ) took a hate pill before coming to work. I have to point specifically — an exceptionally rude employee — Quinton who works in the Deeds office — he should be fired right away. Even the police officer that we approached for directions; was borderline impolite.

The animosity towards customers is nothing like anything I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. Most of the employees we dealt with never said Good Morning, Thank-You, Have a Nice Day – not a single, basic & polite greeting was extended to us. I was so furious so I finally asked to speak to a manager who apologized for what we had experienced. He said that what we experienced was not uncommon - -that there plenty of complaints. It was SOOO angry when I got around to talking to a manager that my hands were shaking. We couldn\’t WAIT to leave. The service was so bad; that other customers were assisting us and urging us to complain to someone. People in the elevator quipped about the service saying: Everyone is rude here.. that’s how it is! It was both intimidating and infuriating. I heard a story about a elderly man coming in for some sort of service and was so thoroughly harassed by the courthouse employees that he gave up and left. In response, the two employees celebrated by slapping their palms together for a high-five.

To make matters worse; we finally left that giant house of hundreds of people who can\’t stand customers to check out the Harold Washington Library. Same thing.. very, very, very rude people. Everyone acted like you were inconveniencing them if you asked a question. At one point a number of people working the checkout desk were arguing and swearing loudly at each other. I have NEVER been to a public library where such behavior was tolerated. What is wrong with the people who are managing the employees at the Courthouse and City Hall.

People were standing around, joking, swearing — and basically acting like they could not be bothered.

I know one thing for sure; there is a systemic problem in Cook County. I am not sure that customer service training would help the numerous hateful and rude people that we saw. But something desperately needs to be done - in my opinion — a lot of people should be simply be fired. Most of the public servants we had contact with gave every indication that they don\’t want to work and don\’t like dealing with the public.

Given the state of our current economy — there are lots of people desperate for work — who I am sure are more deserving than the fleet of ill-tempered denizens that overfill the courthouse and city hall floors.

Cook County needs to do more than reform; I say they need to do some serious house-cleaning.

I am proud to say; in my state — visitors to the Missouri State Archives or ANY courthouse in Missouri — will be treated with kindness and respect.

Traci Wilson-Kleekamp