GET REAL!!!!

"The taxpayers have been very, very good to public employees….Your neighbor-he or she is out of a job. Their son and daughter graduated from college [and] cannot get a job…This is a very tough economic time and public employees have to understand that. This is the real world."

Get something straight Mr. Mayor, it is not the taxpayer that the rank and file has a problem with. No sir! It is you! How are your neighbors and friends doing Mr. Mayor? I know some of them are in prison but what about the others?

Like Walsh Construction?

As for the $12.3 million, $5.5 million of it will be used to replace concrete pavement on Runway 10/28. The remaining $6.7 million will pay to widen and relocate Taxiway M, which runs parallel to O’Hare’s busiest runway.

The project is shovel ready because it’s already been bid. The lowest responsive bidder was Walsh Construction, a politically-connected company with two generations of ties to the Daley family.

Walsh was chosen earlier this month to build the third and final runway in Phase One of the O’Hare expansion project. That $79 million contract brought Walsh’s share of the O’Hare expansion gravy train totalled nine contracts valued at $372.6 million.

The taxpayers, that would be us, have provided the revenue so that the city is able to build new police stations and buy new police cars. The replacement of an aged fleet is not done as a favor to the police officer but has economic justification. The maintenance of an aged fleet far out weighs the cost of purchasing new vehicles. The building of new police and fire stations is done in most cases to replace 80 and 90 year old buildings. Maintenance and operation cost of these museums cripple the budget. And since we need to replace these buildings I'm sure a well connected or two construction companies lands a lucrative contract. Now why don't you get real?

VEBA

In case you have not seen this email. I'll leave out the name of the sender.

Hi,

I urge you to not vote for VEBA. The City is the only one making out on this health plan, in my opinion. It is the City's way of getting out from paying for a health plan when you retire. The plan will be funded by you and those that follow you. There is no guarantee that the hours that you are required to contribute to the plan will not go up from 40hrs. to an even higher percentage later. There is no guarantee that the pay percentage, 1.5%, that you are required to contribute will not go up - remember that our present health benefits started under a $1 and look what it is now. There is no guarantee that the plan fee paid to Nationwide will not go up also.

The Lts. and Capts. are already voting on this measure. Please read the attached files. Two Lts. offer some valid points that does not make this plan by the City a good deal for them (Lts. and Capts.) or us (Sgts.) as all three ranks would be bound by the same agreement, if agreed to. I made notes in the margin of one document as to what I thought; you may or may not agree. Remember it is not the majority of participants in each rank that determine if each rank will participate in the plan, but a majority of those voting. If you don't vote, you have no say. I repeat, if you don't vote, you have no say.

In my opinion there are other points to consider: The plan is based on the hours set forth as written now and the number of participants. What if the City decides to cut back on the number of participants in each rank? Will that mean that the rest of the participants will have to make up the difference with higher contributions, due to either attrition or not filling vacancies? This of course is not addressed. And just what is the City's contribution during the life of the health plan on a monthly, quarterly, yearly basis or on a participant's involvement? Does the City make a blanket contribution or a contribution based on the salary level of the participants? Remember also that you will need 40hrs. now in the bank to pay for this plan on a yearly basis. If you are one of those sergeants that has very few hours on the books because you may take off for a variety of reasons, you will be forced to burn Baby Furlough Days and Personal Days to take off till that 40hrs. is contributed. Why has the City unilaterally decided who will administer this plan and not allow the participants have input as to what entity should administer the plan? Why hasn't the City offered the Capts., Lts., and Sgts. the opportunity to seek other similar plans that are on the market? If you like dealing with BC/BS or HMO, how much more fun will it be dealing with Nationwide and the IRS? This health plan proposal was left over from the previous contract. Why did it take the City so long to bring it up again and why is the City in a rush to get it finalized?

Please take the time to read the attachments and ask questions to make an informed decision should you be asked to vote on this proposal.

I feel compelled to give my opinion on this one. The negatives, as I see them, are more glaring than the positives.
I am a person who holds hundreds of hours in comp time as opposed to a person who holds thousands of hours. Some may view this as a higher initial cost to the person with thousands of hours and others may view it as a bigger opportunity to save. Each and every one of us would be impacted differently.
keep in mind that there are no guarantees that your contribution of comp time and or payroll deduction will not increase.
The city does not contribute one penny but decides who manages your money.
If you die and have no qualified dependants ( you are divorced/widowed and children are grown} your money will be placed in the fund. No beneficiary can be named.
There is nothing voluntary about this plan, once in, there is no way out.
Thanks but no thanks.

PRAY FOR THEM

Sgt. Ervin Romans, Sgt. Daniel Sakai, Sgt. Mark Dunakin and Police Officer John Hege.

FOP PICKET

FOP Lodge 7 to picket city hall Thursday 2 APR 09 when IOC members arrive to visit the city. Transportation will be provided. Click link for more info.

Transportation will be made available for all members who wish to attend this rally. All buses are scheduled to leave the listed locations on Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 9:30 am.

006th District 016th District - Habetler Bowl
008th District Area 3
022nd District Area 4
Area 5


Chicago Police officers will picket City Hall during International Olympic Committee visit
Sun-Times

OUR MONEY

Michael J. Lazzaro


Via Sun-Times

Pension funds may not cooperate on subpoena

At their last meeting, trustees for the police fund voiced opposition to the subpoena. They're meeting again today. An attorney for another city pension fund has contacted Inspector General David Hoffman's office to say its trustees also plan to refuse his subpoena, according to sources who would not identify that fund.

Many officers and detectives are outraged by the investment, which they view as a political favor to Daley's family. Officer Mike Shields was recently elected as a trustee on a platform criticizing the deal.

At the last trustees' meeting, he supported cooperating with Hoffman, pointing out that the pension is funded with officers' salaries and taxpayer money. But fellow trustees strongly disagreed, sources said.

Care to explain Sgt. Lazzaro? I would love to give you the opportunity to explain why you feel that the investigation by Hoffman should be stonewalled. Why does the trustee for the patrolmen, Mike Shields, have no fear in opening up the books to the IG?

UPDATE: In the comment section Sgt. Mike Lazzaro gave his explanation as to why he did not believe Hoffman had any legal standing in subpoenaing the funds records.

IMPORTANT INFO FOR SERGEANTS

From the PB&PA site

Proposed Post Retirement Medical Savings Plan

The City of Chicago has proposed a VEBA (Voluntary Employee Benefit Association) Plan for all Active Sergeants, henceforth, referred to as the "Plan". The purpose of this Plan is to provide members an opportunity to pre-fund the costs of their health care during retirement. This proposed Plan is exactly the same plan that has been presented to the Captain's and Lieutenant's for their consideration.

In order for this Plan to be implemented it will require the approval of the active membership. Each active sergeant will have the opportunity to cast their vote to either approve or reject the Plan. Ballots will be mailed to each member's residence. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ISSUE AND YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT. This Plan will either be approved or rejected based on the majority of votes cast from the ballots that are returned. This Plan, if approved will make it mandatory that all active sergeants participate. IF APPROVED, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPT OUT OF THIS PLAN. This Plan has financial requirements and each active sergeant needs to evaluate how it will affect them and their families.

Please review the attached files carefully so that you will be able to make an informed decision. If you are not able to download the documents or would prefer a hard copy, please contact any elected representative of the Chicago Police Sergeants' Association. You can also contact the C.P.S.A. at 773-376-7272 and request a copy.

I have outlined some key points of this proposed Plan. Please refer to the attached documents for more detailed information.

The City's Benefits Committee has selected Nationwide Retirement Solutions as the vendor to provide recordkeeping, investment, claim payment and related services to the VEBA.


The City will not be making an employer contribution at this time.


The proposed Plan is entirely funded by the employee.


Contributions go in on a tax-free basis and are disbursed for qualifying expenditures on a tax-free basis.


If the Plan is accepted, participation is mandatory. In other words, everyone is required to be in the plan year after year.


The proposed Plan has three major components.
A mandatory payroll deduction equal to 1.5% of the employee's annual base salary will be deducted on a pre-tax basis each pay period.
Beginning 01 January 2010 each employee will contribute an amount equal to the value of the first forty (40) hours of accumulated non-FLSA compensatory time that the employee earned during the prior calendar year at the employee's hourly rate at the end of the prior calendar year. Additional restrictions apply. Please refer to attached PDF titled "Final Second Amended Memorandum of Understanding", Section 5 (ii).
The hourly equivalent of ten percent (10%) of the employee's accumulated non-FLSA compensatory time as of 31 December 2008 shall be frozen and moved into the VEBA account in two equal amounts. This is a one time provision at the time the Plan is implemented. Additional restrictions apply. Please refer to attached PDF titled "Final Second Amended Memorandum of Understanding", Section 5 (iii).



Upon the member's termination of employment or retirement, the member may use his/her account assets to pay for qualified health care expenses incurred by the member or his/her dependents. If a member dies without legal dependents, the assets in the account will be treated as investment earnings that shall be allocated to the accounts of all other participants in a non-discriminatory manner. You cannot designate a beneficiary under the Plan. The City will provide all members with the option of purchasing additional group term life insurance separate from the Plan on an employee-pay-all basis. This term life insurance will be provided through Prudential Life Insurance Company.
In the upcoming weeks we will hold informational sessions at the C.P.S.A Office located at 1616 W. Pershing Road. The times of these sessions will be staggered with morning, afternoon and early evening hours so as to provide an opportunity for any member to obtain answers to questions they may have. I will post the dates and times of these sessions on this site as soon as they are scheduled. I will also post a notification when the ballots are mailed out.Once again, please take the time to evaluate this proposed Plan and how it will impact your financial future.

Sincerely,

John Pallohusky
President - CPSA

Please read the above info carefully and make an informed decision.

FINALLY!!!!!!!

A press release from the southsideirishparade.org

For Immediate Release 25Mar2009

For confirmation contact Mary Beth Sheehan (773-393-8687)

RE: SOUTH SIDE IRISH ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE PLANS FOR 2010

Let this release serve as notice that the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is not planning to stage a parade in its present form in March of 2010.

This decision was not arrived at lightly. For 31 years, this parade was a staple of the Beverly/Morgan Park and Mt. Greenwood communities – a celebration of faith, family and heritage that was cherished by thousands. Founded in 1979 by the Hendry and Coakley families, it was intended to instill in this community an appreciation for the Irish heritage that so many of its residents share.

This parade was an eagerly anticipated annual event which celebrated families, many of whom have created decades long traditions that we hope will endure. But what began as a neighborhood parade is now an event of international proportions. More than 300,000 people typically flock to the Beverly area each year, and the sheer volume has become more than the neighborhood can reasonably accommodate. With these numbers comes a collection of issues that strain both the host community and those individuals charged with effectively managing the crowds. Additionally, the amount of resources required to launch the event has become overwhelming to the community.

The Committee would like to thank the tens of thousands of parade faithful who supported this event for more than 30 years. The multigenerational families who turned out along Western Avenue each year, along with the fine organizations featured in the Line of March, were the essence of what made this parade so special. We would also like to thank the Chicago Police Department for the effort they put into managing the ever-growing crowd while working to maintain the dignity of the event.

While we regret the need to alter such a fine tradition, the Committee feels that suspending the South Side Irish Parade in its present form is the just and responsible thing to do. It is our hope, however, that this will not mean an end to the neighborhood’s annual celebration. The Committee will work to create a series of alternate events that will return us to what the parade’s founders had in mind – a neighborhood-friendly celebration of Irish heritage. Please look for news of our plans later this year.

Thank you for your support,

The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee

Common sense has finally prevailed. A commenter on the previous post had a hard time with those who felt the need to rid the south side of this parade. He referred to an opposing commenter as a "pud" and anyone who didn't want to attend as one less asswipe that he had to worry about. According to your logic the whole committee must all be puds and we as a community have several thousand asswipes we don't have to worry about anymore.

IN LAST PLACE?

Chicago Olympic Bid Slips To Last Place

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Hopes and preparations for the 2016 Olympics have been dominating public discourse and city planning for more than two years, but now, the latest ranking of the four finalist cities for the games shows Chicago has now slipped into last place.

And then this...

Tokyo Continues to Lead Tight Race: GamesBids.com's BidIndex
Chicago recorded the only BidIndex decline since the last update in November allowing Madrid to leapfrog ahead into third. Both are very close to the leaders and remain important factors in the race. Madrid scored 58.73 (up 0.10) while Chicago tallied 58.37 (down 0.41).

“This is an exceptional race. For 2016, BidIndex hasn’t revealed any clear division between the candidates. It seems that all four bids are equally qualified to come in first – as well as last place in the voting”, explained GamesBids.com Producer Robert Livingstone.

For the previous 2012 Summer Games bid, BidIndex scores clearly illustrated a division between the frontrunners London and Paris (London beat Paris on the final ballot) and also-rans New York and Moscow (both eliminated on early ballots) – reflecting reality.


While hundreds of factors are combined to determine a city’s BidIndex, Chicago’s recent decline could be blamed in part on record-high estimates for sponsorships, especially during the current economic crisis when sports sponsorships are on the decline. This combined with the fact that Chicago is the only candidate without 100% public government guarantees, might make the city a tough choice for the cautious.



Additionally, the recent reshuffling of United States Olympic Committee leadership might leave an IOC member or two feeling alienated in a campaign where personal relationships are extremely powerful. It’s likely that ballots will be won or lost on margins of just one or two votes.

FOP PRESS RELEASE

Read Mark Donahue's press release concerning "No Confidence" vote on Jody Weis. FOP PDF

SOUTHSIDE IRISH PARADE

A heads up from a reader for those who intend on attending this years parade.

Sunday is the Southside Irish Parade. Oak Lawn and the Ill State Police will have a DUI checkpoint on 111th st between Pulaski and Cicero. The surrounding Suburbs (Evergreen Park, Alsip, Blue Island, and Oak Lawn will have will have approximately 50 to 70 Ill State Police working DUI enforcement in the area. I can not give exact numbers because I don't want this coming back to me. As we know many Officers and their families go to this event and indulge in a "POP" or two. People need to keep in mind that with the new changes in DUI laws, a refusal to blow is an automatic one year suspension. For the Police that means no-pay status for that year. This info is not being given out to help anyone who decides to drink and drive avoid a DUI, but rather to hopefully avoid a big mess for themselves, their family and the department. Please leave the car at home and avoid being headline news monday.

I have no way of confirming this but if the end results are less drunk drivers then BRAVO!

Last year I made it no secret that I have finally had enough of seeing drunks pissing on lawns, girls squatting in alleys and 16 year olds toting coolers of beer as if this was "their" right of passage. Granted the east side of Western is suppose to be for families, however the sights and smells of the west side of Western can still overwhelm. This parade was created years ago by local kids riding their bikes through the neighborhood and over the years it has degenerated to a public display of bad drunken behavior. 20 years ago this didn't bother me but then again I didn't have small children. No, this Irishmen and his children will not be partaking in this years festivities along Western Avenue.

I hope that all of you that do attend have a wonderful time and please be responsible.

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Mayor Richard Daley and his wife went to Singapore in 2006 on a private jet furnished by a student loan charity that provided funding for Maggie Daley's employer at the time.

According to CBS News, the Daleys were frequent passengers aboard the jet that belonged to EduCap, a Washington-based, not-for-profit loan group.

Federal tax records show that EduCap donates millions of dollars a year to the Academy of Achievement, a non-profit group that paid Maggie Daley $100,000 in 2006 and $50,000 in 2007. Tribune

That reminds me, I just received my Board Of Ethics 2009 Statement Of Financial Interest form in the mail. Go figure.

IPRA WEBSITE TO POST SHOOTINGS

Posting shooting investigation results moves the agency's actions even further into the public view, especially because cases that are not sustained against officers will be included, IPRA officials said. The reports also will be more detailed, including a summary of the incident, evidence and witnesses accounts.

Names will be withheld.

The first postings are expected to go up on IPRA's website as early as Thursday, IPRA officials said.

Sun-Times

US MILITARY IS NOT THE CAUSE OF AMMO SHORTAGE

An increase in the use of “patrol carbines” in law enforcement

Some agencies prefer to call them “patrol carbines”; others refer to them as “tactical rifles.” But whatever you call them, rifles based upon the AR-15 are becoming increasingly common as a weapon deployed to police officers outside of SWAT units, for some very logical reasons. AR-type rifles extend the range at which patrol officers can engage armed criminals, and because rifles have more practical accuracy than pistols, they can potentially reduce the number of shots fired to neutralize a suspect. Paired with the right kind of ammunition, the .223 Remington/5.56mm caliber rifle also has surprisingly less over-penetration, theoretically reducing threats to civilians who might be downrange. Each of these weapons will also require officers carrying them to fire hundreds of rounds in training each year, and in a city that rotates rifles from one shift to another among their patrol units, this can necessitate tens of thousands of rounds of training ammunition.
The whole article via Pajamas Media............