Does the CTU Have an Ethics Problem?
By Jim Vail
The big problem in City Hall these days is ethics.
Alderman Ed Burke was indicted for shaking down a Burger King operator in his ward. Incredibly, he has two jobs - one as an alderman and one as a tax attorney who represents clients doing business with the city.
How in the hell is this legal? And it's been going on for quite some time.
Now the new mayor, just like the previous one, is going to clean up the town and introduce ethics reform. So politicians like Ed Burke can't hold two jobs that pose a conflict of interest.
But isn't this exactly how politics works? Quid pro quo, as they say. Get me elected and I get you the goods.
The Gov. J.B. Pritzker is calling for a ban on elected officials being paid to lobby other elected officials.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle - who the Chicago Teachers Union endorsed for mayor and donated $290,000 to her campaign- says she would rather operate behind closed doors to get things down, such as drafting ethics rules. She fired the chair of the county's ethics board who donated lots of money to her mayoral opponent.
The mainstream media is taking a closer look at the CTU's Brandon Johnson. Johnson was elected as a Cook County Commissioner, which is paid $80,000 per year. He also works for the Chicago Teacher's Union and is paid about $100,000.
Another Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin is a paid CTU lobbyist.
(Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski also doubles as mayor of suburban village McCook.)
This is exactly what the mayor and her ethics team is going after, making sure no aldermen or commissioners can hold a second job that can conflict with their job as a legislator.
Burke and others would say they would excuse themselves from votes, but their mere presence in the city government greases the wheels of their clients.
In this case, is Brandon Johnson's presence on the Cook County Board of Commissioners greasing the teachers union wheels. And if so, how?
By Jim Vail
 |
| Brandon Johnson |
The big problem in City Hall these days is ethics.
Alderman Ed Burke was indicted for shaking down a Burger King operator in his ward. Incredibly, he has two jobs - one as an alderman and one as a tax attorney who represents clients doing business with the city.
How in the hell is this legal? And it's been going on for quite some time.
Now the new mayor, just like the previous one, is going to clean up the town and introduce ethics reform. So politicians like Ed Burke can't hold two jobs that pose a conflict of interest.
But isn't this exactly how politics works? Quid pro quo, as they say. Get me elected and I get you the goods.
The Gov. J.B. Pritzker is calling for a ban on elected officials being paid to lobby other elected officials.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle - who the Chicago Teachers Union endorsed for mayor and donated $290,000 to her campaign- says she would rather operate behind closed doors to get things down, such as drafting ethics rules. She fired the chair of the county's ethics board who donated lots of money to her mayoral opponent.
The mainstream media is taking a closer look at the CTU's Brandon Johnson. Johnson was elected as a Cook County Commissioner, which is paid $80,000 per year. He also works for the Chicago Teacher's Union and is paid about $100,000.
Another Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin is a paid CTU lobbyist.
(Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski also doubles as mayor of suburban village McCook.)
This is exactly what the mayor and her ethics team is going after, making sure no aldermen or commissioners can hold a second job that can conflict with their job as a legislator.
Burke and others would say they would excuse themselves from votes, but their mere presence in the city government greases the wheels of their clients.
In this case, is Brandon Johnson's presence on the Cook County Board of Commissioners greasing the teachers union wheels. And if so, how?
No comments:
Post a Comment