Monday, January 11, 2010
Politics / Clout City The Pharaoh Smites Again
Posted by Mick Dumke on 01.11.10 at 06:54 PM
Over the weekend Mayor Daley announced that he was punishing yet another aide for yet another screwup uncovered not by his staff but by the press that he likes to blame for his political problems.
Fleet Management commissioner Michael Picardi has been sent to his room without supper—or pay—for the next three months, the mayor's reponse to a revelation by the Sun-Times that a contractor convicted of fraud two decades ago has since received millions of dollars to fix city vehicles.
It's the kind of swift, decisive action we've come to expect from the mayor when he's presented with evidence that the public has learned about corruption and mismanagement on his watch.
As with previous scandals and embarrassments, it doesn't mean that anything has actually been done to address the problem.
The mayor told reporters over the weekend that the situation with convicted contractor John Szybkowski is "unacceptable." He also added that "Someone should have had knowledge of this."
Apparently that someone is Picardi.
I have one quick question—and pardon me if it's a minor detail. Was Picardi actually the one responsible for enlisting or overseeing the services of the ex-con? The Sun-Times reports that Szybkowski has been getting city business at least since 1993. Picardi has headed the Department of Fleet Management since last summer. He also held the job from 2002 to 2005.
In other words, if Picardi did know what was going on—or if he didn't but should have—he's not the only one.
The mayor also told reporters, "We're still getting down to the details." It would have been nice if he'd promised they'd investigate until they found out what those details really are.
Then again, why wait for the facts? It's not necessary when you've got heads available for rolling.
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I believe a recent column by Neil Steinberg said it best.
Although about Michael Scott, these are interesting excerpts from a recent column of his:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/1899170,CST-NWS-stein23.article
“......Not so simple. The mayor sure doesn't respond that way. No matter how often he's kicked, he's still here, alas. Daley just squeegees the slime from the latest scandal off himself, wipes it onto whichever cringing underling is designated to take the blame, and soldiers onward, the Energizer Bunny of Urban Politics.”
“.......Not that Daley cares. He'll happily throw a hardworking public employee under the bus to try to make a point. If Michael Scott was Daley's friend at the end, it just meant that it was never politically convenient for Daley to cast him aside. No wonder he's upset.”
At some point the lemmings and sheep that work for this man should come to realize that it is only a matter of time before there is a place under a bus in their future.
my mom knows him since hs and she said he has always been a crook. he is even trying to hook up with her and get me together with his son who whores around at u of I. total jerks in that family
my mom knows picardi since hs and she said he has always been a crook. he is even trying to hook up with her and get me together with his son who whores around at u of I. total jerks in that family. these bellas are playin the play-as!
my mom knows picardi since hs and she said he has always been a crook. he is even trying to hook up with her and get me together with his son who whores around at u of I. total jerks in that PIG-CARDI family (thats what we call him in our house! bellas playin the play-as!
