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Now, I personally think it would be quite cool to get contract by faking being a minority of some sort, since I don't believe in such things.
But I know it's illegal.
The concept of a firewall between the pol and the person actually doing the dirty work has worked to the detriment of the citizens for many years. It was a novel defense to claim that malfeasance was not a crime if there was no personal benefit.
I hope that this will allow the real prosecutors (Fitz and company) to start charging the powerbrokers as well as the footsoldiers.
Exactly what is the threshold for criminal behavior in your book? Sorich's behavior has been found criminal in one court and affirmed in another. The conduct is no longer unseemly it is criminal.
We now need to follow up the feeding chain to charge Mr. Sorich's boss and bosses. With luck, they can share adjoining cells.
By the way, there are chills going down the spine of lots of folks, mostly in the hall.
If this opinion is the law, you would have to be clinically insane to hold public office or work in government. This decision strips away the necessity of proving that a benefit accrued to the "wrongdoer." In the wake of this decision there is literally no limit whatsoever on the federal government's ability to prosecute anything they deem -- in their infinite wisdom -- a "breach" of the duty of honest services. They don't need hiring. An expectation of VOTES would be enough under the "logic" of the opinion.
Obtaining "pork" for your constituents is now as clear a crime as the "criminal" hiring practices underlying the Sorich case.
Now that there is no law limiting the federal government's prosecutorial reach, the only limit is their own limitless resources. The Tribune and the Sun Times (as long as they're in business) can pick and choose who the government prosecutes next.
I'm sure they'll be happy to do so.
"...you would have to be clinically insane to hold public office ..." - Well I think we have more than adequately proven that case re: guv! But your point is well taken, politics as usual is becoming unusual and in all probability unlawful. That should make for a very successful business selling clocks that track the statute of limitations for the owner(s).
Easy to avoid problems, neutral highiring practices based on merit.
Suffice to say, lots of mild panic today. Anyone think someone(s) may be calling the feds today to try and get better seats on the bus?
Therein lies the brilliance of "Category Groupings" in state eligible lists. Everyone in the A category is the high grade. Only an A Cat. Vet trumps and there should definitely be investigations on the non-hiring track record for them.
I wish people would stop trying to defend the indefensible. All the proponents of Daley's patronage system are just going to have to figure more creative ways of scamming the system.
Nearly impossible with over 40,000 jobs. Unions would have to consolidate their small empires or you would have to conduct thousands of tests for eveerything from cement mixer to sign poster. Meanwhile, passing a test does nothing to ensure that people will actually produce at a higher level. The test eventually become so watered down that almost everyone will pass (e.g. fire department)
Federal, state and local governments are guilty of extreme arrogance. Whether people realize it or not, we are all losing freedoms daily. Do not questions those in prosecutorial authority or they will be knocking on your door next. The law in not evenly or fairly applied. So, life is not fair. What else is new?
ROBERT SORICH 18045-424 45 White M UNKNOWN NOT IN BOP CUSTODY
Thomas, the "G" doesn't have to suggest a replacement system, they just have to prove the current one is crooked.
"...Bobby Sorich is a decent guy who was just doing his job like he had been trained to do…like his successors had done before. He didn’t break any laws..." A couple of years ago I would have strongly agreed with you, however, watching the feds play out this line of prosecution successfully has left me bewildered at best. It is as if they are trying to outlaw the political process in Chicago and Illinois and that just goes against the grain of my experiences with both parties in power over the years. I'm with you, buddy, just hope we can have booze and lobster and steak smuggled in to us in the slammer!
Big brotherish? Bring it on. Any government official in this state -- particularly this state -- deserves all they scrutiny they get.
So, yeah, big brother? Over here. I'm sick of reading about Blagojevich and his tendency to ignore anything and everything that gets in his way. If anyone deserves a "big brother" it's Blagojevich. Daley, too. Madigan? Sure, bring it on.
But, please -- start at the top this time, Mr. Big Brother. Anyone who works with gov's office knows that they're a bunch of paranoid nutjobs -- straight out of a Thomas Pynchon novel. And believe me, when I say, "Paranoid nut jobs" I'm being kind. This is the reason why I left state employment. I was sick of dealing with gov's office, hearing about the gov's office, and fretting over attempting to deal with the gov's office.
So, yeah, bring it on. If anyone -- and I mean this -- if *anyone* deserves to have their spine shivered, it's Blagojevich and his inner-circle.
It is as if they are trying to outlaw the political process in Chicago and Illinois
Outlaw sleazy practices, yes. Outlaw getting around court decrees, yes.
Maybe you meant to say "outlaw sleazy machine politics". And the answer is indeed, yes.
You don't need any detailed methods to hire. Just be sure to accept applications from somebody that nobody sent, is all.
Easy Pat, please! Bill and I are over 50 and one of us over 65. We cut our eyeteeth on the sacred foundation of sleazy politics. It has been the "way things are done in Illinois" for over a hundred years. Pat, I would expect a bit more respect for your elders! Sheeesh!
After all, before you hire for the position you should know what qualifications you expect for the job, from there create your test and grading system.
SJR posted --
Blagojevich's state agency reorg plan gets cool reception
Last Updated 4/15/2008 3:38:58 PM
By DOUG FINKE
STAFF WRITER
Even before the plan gets a public airing, Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, said he wants to stop a move by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to reorganize state agencies.
Blagojevich filed an executive order Tuesday that combines common functions of various state agencies within "shared services" divisions in a handful of agencies.
Lawmakers were still trying to grasp all of the plan's implications, but Franks, a frequent Blagojevich critic, said he's already seen enough. He's filed a resolution that, if adopted by the House, would stop the governor's plan.
"I think the governor has been in so much mischief," Franks said. "This is one way to give him extraordinary power, to have people totally under his thumb, and then bring in outside consultants to increase our costs."
Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, said the plan may look good on paper, but may not work in reality.
"Everythign isn't ehs ame in every agency," said Risinger, a former Illinois Department of Transportation engineer. "People that work on environmental issues at IDOT may have a few different rules to abide by than some other agency, like Natural Resources."
Blagojevich's office did not immediately respond to questions about the plan or Franks' comments.
Many newspaper reports of that system show how it is manipulated by the Governor or other pols -- especially with the epar system.
The Rezko trial has an exhibit and testimony of the very kind of political sponsorship lists that were taken by Cini to the royal Rezko each Monday to review job applications. This is identical to what is reported in the Sorich opinion.
Setting up a true merit based system would be hard and I doubt that any politician is up to the task. Hopefully they will reign it in with the threat of prison time.
Time will tell.
One need to look no further than the scores of US Attorneys who were fired because the Justice Department felt they did not do enough to prosecute Democrats/Liberals/Anyone who didn't agree with their views.
And if those prosecutors were fired for not bending to the will of Bush and Co. (Fmr. Atty General Gonzalez' poor memory notwithstanding), don't you think the remaining US Attorneys (like Patrick Fitzgerald) would think it in their best interest to bring charges against people opposed by the Bush Administration (i.e. Mayor Daley, Gov. Blagojevich) in order to appease their superiors and move their careers forward?
The media does a poor job (to say the least) exploring the reasons why someone is being charged with a crime. If you want to talk about quid pro quo, let's talk about the relationship between prosecutors looking for media exposure to boost their careers (to the point of someday maybe running for office themselves) and the headlines these prosecutors create with their charges, which tends to sell newspapers like hotcakes.
This is not a comment on Robert Sorich's guilt or innocence, but a plea to the general news consuming audience to demand the media to be more clear on the possible motives of a prosecutor.
Two, on the day Sorich was convicted, Bush flew into Chicago to spend his birthday with Daley. They were all buddy-buddy at the Firehouse.
Three, Fitzgerald didn't seem to be cowed by Bush when he went after Scooter Libby.
There's no question this U.S. attorney is different from the previous ones we've had since Thompson, many of whom were Thompson proteges. Those guys cut at the edges of corruption -- aldermen, ghost payrollers, etc. -- while this guy is trying to drive a knife in the heart.
I don't think Fitzgerald wants to run for office, I don't think he wants a corner office at a LaSalle Street law firm, and I'm very certain he has no interest in playing ball and respecting the way things have always been done. He's a relentless prosecutor who likes to put the skins on the wall, the bigger the better. My advice is don't give him a chance. When he's done, I suspect he'll leave town and things will, over time, go back to the way they've always been.
Shared services is a joke. It's like a steamroller. Agencies continued to be impacted by shared services. Why not talk about how much money the so-called "I.T. consolidation" has cost agencies?
This OAS re-org will be a *nightmare.*
I can't believe more folks aren't writing stories about this stuff.
And hey: speaking of Rutan ... Anyone ever go to Rutan "training"?
Oy.
Sorich had his chance to cooperate but due to arrogance, a Bridgeport good ol' boy culture of keeping one's mouth shut, poor advice from counsel, or all of the above he chose not to. He gambled, lost, and now must serve his time.
Sorich was following orders but still knew what he did was wrong. The Feds need to climb the ladder and discover who gave Sorich his orders as there's no way he masterminded this scheme.
Yeah, all he got was Scooter Libby. Pretty weak...and suspicious if you ask me. If he's as good as he thinks he is, the Valerie Plame controversy should have resulted in the conviction of Karl Rove.
In response to everyone else...I know that Bush and Daley are not exactly arch enemies...but there are a bevy of Republicans that would like to see the man go down in flames...and I am sure plenty are chummy with prosecutors.
Everyone seemed to still miss the point, however, and maybe Fitzgerald was not the best way to illustrate it.
Would any one here agree that no one really asks the question of why prosecutors decide to bring charges against specific people? There are a lot of law breakers out there, so how does one choose? And don't you believe that it is possible that some prosecutors may have motivations based soley on their career ambitions?
Let's not forget that lawyers and politicians are regarded as some of the least trustworthy professionals. So why don't we start examining the other end?
I think we'll see the day when Patrick Fitzgerald's true intentions are revealed....Until then, I'll take your word that he's an upstanding individual.
Fitzgerald only prosecutes cases he's almost certain he will win. He probably felt uncertain of convicting Rove if he brought charges. He's also extremely meticulous, and some might say slow. He's just now going after Al Sanchez and then there are layers above him. At Fitzgerald's pace I think the next President will move him to Washington before he fries the truly big fish.
Examples of political prosecution are legion, and yes, you could be next if you are in government or tangentially connected if you are on someone's bad side, regardless of any actual culpability.
And, Levois, where do you get the idea that "Bush likes Daley too much."
The heat on City Hall started after Bill Daley stood on stage, election night 2000, and said "The Campaign Continues."
Not a coincidence and not a conspiracy theory.
The President's St. Patrick's Day appearance in '02 was another strike at the Mayor and his family. Presidents never marched in the parade before; possibly out of deference to the local leadership. All security and police arrangements had to be rearranged for this.
Three words by the Mayor's brother started the ball rolling on all this stuff.
"[C]hummy at the Firehouse?"
It's called keeping your friends close and your enemies closer...something the Bush family, like most political families, knows something about.
The Daleys miscalculated with regard to their post-election activities in Florida on behalf of the Gore campaign.
I find it almost unbelievable that this aspect of the relationship is almost never mentioned, either by the MSM or the new media, i.e. bloggers.
How about the benefit of collecting a taxpayer-funded salary? And benefits?
Without politically-rigged hiring and a vast patronage army, does Daley keep his job? Does Sorich keep his?
No, because the mere threat of being able to stack bodies five deep in every precinct in the city is enough to ensure Daley never has a serious challenger and Sorich kept collecting a paycheck.
That's the essence of the crime. Case closed, move onward and upward.
Big Brother is Google developing software that listens through your PC's microphone for background noise, so they can sell more advertising.
Big Brother is NOT a federal prosecutor -- confirmed by an elected U.S. Senate -- prosecuting public officials found guilty by a jury of 12 and upheld by a federal judge that was also confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
"Survivor Island" maybe, but not "Big Brother."
With tongue in cheek, consider this-does anyone know an assistant US Attorney who was clouted into his or her spot?
I don't see why patronage hiring is the end of the world.
If you screw up, they will can you. They cannot and/or will not with Civil Servants and Union employees.
The problem is if employees are doing political work on the city's/county's/state's dime or time; or if they get comp time for political work.
"Culture of corruption" is about as nebulous as "hope" and "change."
"Rutan Training", and what they tell you is that the interview matters most. You are not allowed to call former employers or references. If you don't get a job over someone else all they have to say is that "they interviewed better". They don't even have to give details, been there done that.
And trust me, they, of all governmental units, especially don't want nobody nobody sent, as we all know the sun rises and sets over the US Attorney's Office.
Again, I have no problem with this--these folks are more than qualified for the positions they hold. When hypocrisy is demonstrated, I take issue.
Wow, I also agree with YDD for the first time as well: It IS more like Survivor.
In more ways than one.
The lights will burn late in Democratic Machine offices tonight.
God forbid that the USA goes after some real criminals. That might be too much like work.
Now let's go look for a Mel-O-Creme.
2. Bob Sorich deserves every bit of it, and should have thought of his family before getting involved in this. He should think of his family now and start talking.
3. The only unfair part of is will be if the Sorich 4 do not see the people above them, who gave the orders and reaped the benefits, go to prison, too.
4. They are real criminals.
I agree with your analysis of the instant situation.
My disagreements were with your characterization of Blago as the greatest governor ever.
We should form a consulting outfit to guide these whippersnappers in the true path of "The Force". They obviously are naive and desperately in need of the true knowledge only we can provide.
The only "solace" for Sorich is that he had, for better or for worse, the built-in protections of our criminal justice system to fight what were essentially civil violations of a consent decree that should never been entered in the first place.
A lot of good that did him.
U.S.D.C.(N.D. Ill.) juries are, as a general rule, predisposed to believe whatever the Government says.
You don't get a lot of time to pick the jury in federal court, so the lawyers knock off all the social workers from Evanston and the cops from Mt. Greenwood, and cross your fingers on whoever is left.
At least it's the same for both sides at that stage.
There is at times an anti-Chicago prejudice stemming from the fact that the base of the venire goes all the way out to Ottawa and beyond.
There is also the general philosophy, that, if the feds are prosecuting, s/he MUST be guilty.
Finally, if the judge feels strongly one way or the other, the jury will take His/Her Honor's unspoken guidance. More than the attorneys, and worse, more than the parties--either government or defense.
Even though the pattern jury instructions usually say "nothing I say or do should give you reason to believe that one side or the other should prevail..."
Your equivocation in the guise of passive voice intrigues me and proves a point.
Pretty much anything is "mail fraud" and now RICO.
My biggest concern is that actual crime (like bribes or extortion) will be ignored or obscured by these "gimmees."
Is it more like Phil Esposito hanging out in front of the net the entire game or slam-dunking a Nerf in your toddler's basketball net?
When someone revered by the MSM (let's make up a name--Bill Ayers) gets whacked on one of these counts, we'll see the reaction.
"... #
With tongue in cheek, consider this-does anyone know an assistant US Attorney who was clouted into his or her spot? ... " AA, that is the MOST exclusive patronage club known to mankind! Do you know of any of them that did not get there but for recommendations from judges and other lawyers? That's just disgusting. The elitism is mind boggling.
Obviously you are witnessing the political hack process of blago's administration. True professional political admins do not operate that way. Oddly, it seems, the walker and blago "maverick" types never learned how to administer state gov,t. Cheer up, this too shall pass!
The labor relations were also different then. With the craft/trades guys, (some of the absolute best people to ever work with) they did not want the local to have a meathead in a building and we didn't want a boiler to blow up or have someone getting fried at a switch panel. If someone wasn't cutting it, they usually bagged the guy before we could.
Nothing like a box of donuts and a bottle of Jack to end a productive day.
For example, like him or not, George Ryan had all his peeps in place ready at the curb on Day One, and state government kept running. It was a relatively smooth transition; his downfall was by and large, if not completely, separate from the day-to-day operations of state government.
They have taken it to a new low by having the various (career) managers sign a form stipulating that "politics had nothing to do with the appointment of the new employee", when in fact, all of them play poker with the democratic county chairman each week. It is just a joke! If you contol the "process of hiring" (or contracts, purchasing, etc)- and control the budget- then you should be held accountable when laws are violated.
The Civil Service commission has personal interviews as an element of the hiring process. Magically the number or points the Commission awards based on the personal interview is large enough to overcome any deficit from the testing process.
They also make judgements based on who will 'fit in' to the current workforce.
Want to bet what the demographic analysis shows?
I lover hearing about the County hiring process as well. The story asserted that the application process is kept open until 7 people who meet the MINIMUM criteria apply. Clearly, that is not geared for the best quality individuals.
The citizens who pay for the services deserve better.....
"...When will the voters do thier part and fire that man. ..."
When Daley's son returns from the military in Iraq and can run for Mayor! Illinois, the Land of the Dynasty. And proud of it.