Inside look at Mayor Daley Political Machine

The backbone of all Political Machines are city jobs. Mayor Richard M. Daley former patronage chief Robert Sorich and three other city officials are currently on trial. People with city clout, political groups, Aldermen and union officials went to Robert Sorich in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs when they wanted city jobs. The Chicago city officials allegedly fixed the results of job tests, regularly manipulated the interview and selection process for certain city jobs by conducting bogus interviews, falsely increase interview scores, and otherwise guaranteeing that certain pre-selected candidates who were favored by high-ranking city officials.

A witness testified Robert Sorich told him to destroy city computer files as the FBI was conducting a search. One of the files was a clout list kept by the mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs including the names of more than 5,000 people and their political sponsors vying for city jobs or promotions for their families, friends and supporters. An other witness testified she weeding out job candidates who lacked political clout.

What is Mayor Richard M. Daley in this corrupted scheme?

The five-time Democratic mayor has repeatedly said that he was innocent and had no knowledge of the scheme. "I don't play any role in hiring," he said at a recent news conference.

In a previous diary, I noted more than 1,200 city worker, most in jobs that are supposed to be free from political influence, belong to a select few groups that have supported Mayor Richard Daley, a Tribune investigation has found. Mayor Daley statement of not playing any role ringing hollow. It is a question of leadership and under the leadership of Daley corruption has become standard operating procedure while his associates are getting indicted.

A key supply of city jobs are in dump trucks in which Mayor Daley's administration spends nearly $40 million a year.

The city has a list of about 165 favorite truck companies to send to city work sites. Some owners have political clout, some are mob figures or their relatives.

Many do nothing but work for the city's Hired Truck Program, and often their operations are run out of the owners' homes. Six of every 10 aren't listed in the phone book.

But many are listed on campaign reports showing they contribute money to the mayor and other politicians -- in all more than $800,000 since 1996.

Chicago 11th Ward which is Daley family political power base benefits most from Hired Truck Program, which pays private contractors for the use of hundreds of trucks. The firms are hired without competitive bidding or contracts. Alleged mobsters or Outfit associates own one out of ten of trucking firms in Chicago.

This has to stop!

This diary only scratch the surface Daley Machine and the corruption that supports it. The Chicago Sun-Times has a detail account on investigation of the city’s Hired Truck Program, go give it a read. I’m a loyal Democrat, but corruption should not be overlooked even when it had a ‘D’ in front of it. An election for Chicago Mayor is going to be held in 2007, it’s time for Delay to hang it up before he is locked up. For the good of city and Illinois Democratic party, a new administration is needed.