"We Will Get Our Jobs Back
When Bobby Gets Elected"
This was the "battle cry" of former Berwyn city employees who had been fired in the months preceding the April 7, 2009 election. One such employee was fired in February 2009 (just two months before the election) after lengthy investigations and after admitting that he had routinely falsified entries on his daily worksheets regarding the amount of time worked including falsifying locations and the times that "breaks" were taken.
These were easy admissions in February of 2009 because the election was just two months away. Admitting fraud was not going to cost him anything because soon Bobby would be mayor.
Courage
Recently BRIC received (unsolicited) extensive documentation from sources deep inside city hall. These sources have put themselves at great political risk and the residents of Berwyn owe great tribute to those who risk everything to expose the truth. Among the reasons for providing BRIC with these documents is their belief that the current administration was arranging to have these records destroyed.
About The Documents
Our first inclination was to simply publish all of the documents as they were received. However, the collection was voluminous and to expect the reader to wade through so many documents simply was not practical or useful to the reader.
Furthermore the documents contained numerous names of individuals which, we felt, would distract the reader from the story that needs to be told and the issues BRIC would like to address. If you have not read our policy regarding the "removal of names", it is again presented at the bottom of this page.
The Investigation
We have turned these documents (the entire file without redaction) over to government authorities responsible for investigating matters of questionable legality and ethics. We are cooperating in every way possible with those authorities.
The Documents Chosen
We have, however, chosen a few of these documents to exhibit here. The documents were chosen because they present, in an efficient and readable manner, exactly what kind of behavior that is bred by the cronyism within an inherently corrupt politically controlled government. The employee's name is irrelevant and has been "blacked out" because the employee is NOT the issue. This is just one of endless examples that BRIC will use to illustrate why the majority of cities across the United States have rejected the archaic 19th century form of government Berwyn represents by adopting professionally managed "Council Manager" government.
Bullies In The School Yard
In reviewing the documents exhibited below, note the childish belligerence illustrated on the first two exhibits dated November 5, 2007 and March 3, 2008. I have witnessed this level of adolescent behavior from the Mayor's office on down.
The Costs Of Baby Sitting
The costs and work hours associated with having to babysit and monitor city employees on a regular basis creates an impossible challenge. In essence, you are paying two salaries for the same problem, one salary to watch the other salary do nothing.
However, throughout my tenure in office, these incidents of belligerence and incompetence were beyond anything tolerable. In an attempt to solve this problem, a "Street Supervisor" was hired to monitor employee conduct. This was a position new to Berwyn. Monitoring employee conduct had never been a priority in Berwyn city government. You earn your salary as long as you show up at campaign headquarters at election time.
You will notice the name of Kevin White in some of the documents presented below. His experience as a "Street Supervisor" is broad and deep which is why he was hired as Berwyn's first "Street Supervisor". This hire did not come until late in O'Connor's term. Unfortunately, for the first three years of the administration, the administartion was so pre-occupied with patronage hiring and, worse yet, actually taking the advice of patronage appointments like a former campaign manager and a political law firm, both of whom quickly became political liabilities. Therefore, real solutions to the city's problems were not seriously considered until the final months of the administration which, of course, was too late.
In a professionally managed government, priorities would have been much different.
Have You Checked The Children Lately
As you review the documents exhibited below, note also the itemized reports of actual time worked. On March 14, 2008 the employee worked 15 minutes during a two hour period. On February 4, 2009 the employee worked 23 minutes during a 3 hour and 21 minute period. On February 5, 2009 the employee worked 46 minutes during a 3 hour and 18 minute period. On February 12, 2009 the employee worked 46 minutes during a 3 hours and 18 minute period. While these reports relate to only one employee, the problem is far more pervasive throughout city government.
Of particular importance is the correspondence dated February 18, 2009 and February 26, 2009 where you will read the arrogant admissions by the employee that he routinely falsified entries on his daily work sheets. Based on these admissions and other reasons, he was fired. His efforts to obtain unemployment was also denied.
These were easy admissions in February of 2009 because the election was just two months away. Admitting fraud was not going to cost him anything because soon Bobby would be mayor.
Courage
Recently BRIC received (unsolicited) extensive documentation from sources deep inside city hall. These sources have put themselves at great political risk and the residents of Berwyn owe great tribute to those who risk everything to expose the truth. Among the reasons for providing BRIC with these documents is their belief that the current administration was arranging to have these records destroyed.
About The Documents
Our first inclination was to simply publish all of the documents as they were received. However, the collection was voluminous and to expect the reader to wade through so many documents simply was not practical or useful to the reader.
Furthermore the documents contained numerous names of individuals which, we felt, would distract the reader from the story that needs to be told and the issues BRIC would like to address. If you have not read our policy regarding the "removal of names", it is again presented at the bottom of this page.
The Investigation
We have turned these documents (the entire file without redaction) over to government authorities responsible for investigating matters of questionable legality and ethics. We are cooperating in every way possible with those authorities.
The Documents Chosen
We have, however, chosen a few of these documents to exhibit here. The documents were chosen because they present, in an efficient and readable manner, exactly what kind of behavior that is bred by the cronyism within an inherently corrupt politically controlled government. The employee's name is irrelevant and has been "blacked out" because the employee is NOT the issue. This is just one of endless examples that BRIC will use to illustrate why the majority of cities across the United States have rejected the archaic 19th century form of government Berwyn represents by adopting professionally managed "Council Manager" government.
Bullies In The School Yard
In reviewing the documents exhibited below, note the childish belligerence illustrated on the first two exhibits dated November 5, 2007 and March 3, 2008. I have witnessed this level of adolescent behavior from the Mayor's office on down.
The Costs Of Baby Sitting
The costs and work hours associated with having to babysit and monitor city employees on a regular basis creates an impossible challenge. In essence, you are paying two salaries for the same problem, one salary to watch the other salary do nothing.
However, throughout my tenure in office, these incidents of belligerence and incompetence were beyond anything tolerable. In an attempt to solve this problem, a "Street Supervisor" was hired to monitor employee conduct. This was a position new to Berwyn. Monitoring employee conduct had never been a priority in Berwyn city government. You earn your salary as long as you show up at campaign headquarters at election time.
You will notice the name of Kevin White in some of the documents presented below. His experience as a "Street Supervisor" is broad and deep which is why he was hired as Berwyn's first "Street Supervisor". This hire did not come until late in O'Connor's term. Unfortunately, for the first three years of the administration, the administartion was so pre-occupied with patronage hiring and, worse yet, actually taking the advice of patronage appointments like a former campaign manager and a political law firm, both of whom quickly became political liabilities. Therefore, real solutions to the city's problems were not seriously considered until the final months of the administration which, of course, was too late.
In a professionally managed government, priorities would have been much different.
Have You Checked The Children Lately
As you review the documents exhibited below, note also the itemized reports of actual time worked. On March 14, 2008 the employee worked 15 minutes during a two hour period. On February 4, 2009 the employee worked 23 minutes during a 3 hour and 21 minute period. On February 5, 2009 the employee worked 46 minutes during a 3 hour and 18 minute period. On February 12, 2009 the employee worked 46 minutes during a 3 hours and 18 minute period. While these reports relate to only one employee, the problem is far more pervasive throughout city government.
Of particular importance is the correspondence dated February 18, 2009 and February 26, 2009 where you will read the arrogant admissions by the employee that he routinely falsified entries on his daily work sheets. Based on these admissions and other reasons, he was fired. His efforts to obtain unemployment was also denied.
But, don't worry! He got his job back after Bobby was elected.
Editors Note:
Certain information in the "Notes From Supervisor" dated February 4, 2009 and February 5, 2009 has been removed from the following work records. Specifically, the employee's name has been removed and the details of the vehicle description have been removed. Again, this is in keeping with our policy of focusing on the issue by not including information which may bedistracting and irrelvant.
Certain information in the "Notes From Supervisor" dated February 4, 2009 and February 5, 2009 has been removed from the following work records. Specifically, the employee's name has been removed and the details of the vehicle description have been removed. Again, this is in keeping with our policy of focusing on the issue by not including information which may bedistracting and irrelvant.
A Little History - "Slush Fund Politics"
The history of political control in Berwyn (and other cities) is replete with examples of patronage, nepotism, pay-offs and corruption. As an alderman under the administration of Mayor Thomas Shaugnessy, the current mayor's political history is littered with a voting record transferring hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to failed businesses and business "acquaintances". BRIC will be doing extensive coverage of this form of "Slush Fund Politics".
As an obedient political insider, the current mayor has long supported patronage hiring.
Just A Couple Of Examples From The Treasure Trove
One long time Berwyn employee under the Shaugnessy administration who was notorious for having a full time position that required approximately two days work a month, is now retired with a comfortable city pension.
His real position was one of errand boy for the (Democrat) Organization. I remember with vivid clarity when, during Robert Lovero's campaign for Democrat Committeeman, a political loyalist was "spitting mad" and complained bitterly about the fact that this retired gentlemen was not working hard enough on the campaign. "Who does he think he is", said the loyalist. "We let him feed at the trough his whole life and now he doesn't need us".
Before this employee's retirement, I had pointed out to Mayor Shaugnessy the nature and extent of this employee's duties. Mayor Shaugnessy's response was one that will live forever in the history books of Berwyn's political culture. He said, "Well at least he shows up every day. Some of them don't even do that".
I have never heard a politician make a statement that sums up inherently corrupt political control more eloquently than this.
One More Quick Example
Another quick example is the one about the "city employee" with a position that paid over $30,000 a year plus benefits, had no office at city hall, did virtually nothing and was fired within hours after we took office in 2005. At that time, then Alderman Robert Lovero came to his defense by pointing out that this person wanted everyone to know that he had provided some legal advice regarding a certain issue at one time in previous years.
Not to worry, "we'll get our jobs back when Bobby gets elected". Under Lovero, this person is back on the city payroll. More on this in future BRIC articles.
Only In Inherently Corrupt Politically Controlled City Government
Can you imagine this type of employee conduct by someone in a privately owned business? How long do you think this type of behavior would be tolerated in a private business organized and operated in the free market system? Of course it would NOT be tolerated. In any private enterprise, your boss would fire you. End Of Story!
The history of political control in Berwyn (and other cities) is replete with examples of patronage, nepotism, pay-offs and corruption. As an alderman under the administration of Mayor Thomas Shaugnessy, the current mayor's political history is littered with a voting record transferring hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to failed businesses and business "acquaintances". BRIC will be doing extensive coverage of this form of "Slush Fund Politics".
As an obedient political insider, the current mayor has long supported patronage hiring.
Just A Couple Of Examples From The Treasure Trove
One long time Berwyn employee under the Shaugnessy administration who was notorious for having a full time position that required approximately two days work a month, is now retired with a comfortable city pension.
His real position was one of errand boy for the (Democrat) Organization. I remember with vivid clarity when, during Robert Lovero's campaign for Democrat Committeeman, a political loyalist was "spitting mad" and complained bitterly about the fact that this retired gentlemen was not working hard enough on the campaign. "Who does he think he is", said the loyalist. "We let him feed at the trough his whole life and now he doesn't need us".
Before this employee's retirement, I had pointed out to Mayor Shaugnessy the nature and extent of this employee's duties. Mayor Shaugnessy's response was one that will live forever in the history books of Berwyn's political culture. He said, "Well at least he shows up every day. Some of them don't even do that".
I have never heard a politician make a statement that sums up inherently corrupt political control more eloquently than this.
One More Quick Example
Another quick example is the one about the "city employee" with a position that paid over $30,000 a year plus benefits, had no office at city hall, did virtually nothing and was fired within hours after we took office in 2005. At that time, then Alderman Robert Lovero came to his defense by pointing out that this person wanted everyone to know that he had provided some legal advice regarding a certain issue at one time in previous years.
Not to worry, "we'll get our jobs back when Bobby gets elected". Under Lovero, this person is back on the city payroll. More on this in future BRIC articles.
Only In Inherently Corrupt Politically Controlled City Government
Can you imagine this type of employee conduct by someone in a privately owned business? How long do you think this type of behavior would be tolerated in a private business organized and operated in the free market system? Of course it would NOT be tolerated. In any private enterprise, your boss would fire you. End Of Story!
