Da’ Mayor Says He’s “Sorry” … Boy, He Sure Is
The week after Commissioner John Daley tried to attack Commissioner Peraica for fighting for lower taxes and a streamlined budget in Cook County … his brother, Mayor Richard Daley, turned an otherwise boring press conference (below) on home foreclosures into an absolutely surreal event (even by Chicago standards).
He read a prepared statement expressing that he was “sorry” about the hiring fraud scandal in city government - and then preceded to angrily reject the media’s pleas to ask questions about the statement and/or scandal.
A “sincere” apology and the city is magically reformed, right?
It kind of reminds us of the scene in “The Naked Gun” when Lt. Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) assures the gathering crowds that there is “Nothing to see here!” as the fireworks factory continues to explode behind him.
It strikes us as funny that, while everyone accuses Blagojevich of being detached from reality - this mayor has somehow avoided this same accusation.
The Case against the HDO
The Sun-Times reports this morning that federal prosecutors issued a 49-page filing in its case against former Chicago Streets and Sanitation chief Al Sanchez - the former leader of the Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO).
To land a job or promotion in Streets and Sanitation, supporters of former commissioner Al Sanchez had to go little beyond mailing a resume to City Hall, according to prosecutors. Some threw a party in the name of Sanchez. Others allegedly cleared his sidewalks, washed his windows, mowed his lawn or showered him with gifts and cash.
The allegations came Monday in a 49-page filing by prosecutors against Sanchez, who faces federal charges he traded jobs, promotions and other tax-funded perks for political volunteerism in Mayor Daley’s Hispanic Democratic Organization.
Hmmm….where else has the HDO been in the news recently? Oh, that’s right - two HDO operatives helped emcee a fundraiser for then-State’s Attorney candidate (and supposed reformer) Anita Alvarez.
Is it any wonder the feds - rather than the State’s Attorney - are once again prosecuting a corruption case in Cook County?
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