Posted on 02/21/2006 8:26:10 AM PST by george76
Federal investigators are zeroing in on why city officials hired young building inspectors, including the 19-year-old son of a top union official, as the federal Hired Truck probe continues to broaden...
Agents want to know what role the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs played in getting a job for Andy Ryan, who was hired in 2004 when he was just 19, despite the city requiring all inspectors to have completed a four-year apprenticeship and have two years work experience.
Ryan is the son of Tom Ryan, the secretary-treasurer of Carpenters Local 13.
The union was Mayor Daley's largest campaign contributor in 2003.
Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin first reported Andy Ryan's hiring in September 2004.
The mayor blamed Building Commissioner Stan Kaderbek and publicly humiliated him, calling the hiring of Ryan an "embarrassment," a "dumb mistake" and an "insult to everyone."
The importance of having qualified building inspectors has been underscored in recent years due to several tragedies, including a porch collapse in Lincoln Park in 2003, in which 13 people were killed and dozens injured.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
44 people have been charged in the federal government's investigation of Chicago's Hired Truck Program, including 26 city workers.
29 of them have pleaded guilty, including 16 city workers.
21 have been sentenced to terms from 3 years of probation to 7 years in prison.
Corruption and nepotism in Chicago? I am shocked.............
waddidey probe??? his?
Da mayor of Da city of She-cog-go!
Hizzoner.
And I'm appalled. (Now all we need is "deeply saddened.")
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