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Citing a recent county ordinance encouraging contractors to give ex-convicts a second chance, two county employees with criminal records defended their jobs. James D'Amico is responsible for maintaining county buildings, and Myron Colvin is a grant writer for the county's scandal-plagued job training program. D'Amico pleaded guilty to making threatening phone calls during a charged political race in 1996, and Colvin pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assault after a club fight in 1989. Both chalked it up to being young.
Besides being ex-cons, both are connected to state legislators: D'Amico is the brother of Chicago state Rep. John D'Amico, and nephew of 39th Ward Ald. Margaret Laurino, and Colvin is the brother of Stroger's best friend, Chicago state Rep. Marlow Colvin. Stroger spokesman Eugene Mullins defended the hires, saying that they are qualified for the jobs, and that they work in exempt positions, jobs that Stroger has the freedom to fill with whomever he chooses. "Anybody who we hire, [critics] seem to have a problem with," Mullins told the Sun-Times. Jay Stewart of the Better Government Association doesn't see it that way. "It is clear that he isn't going to reach beyond his inner circle" to fill important jobs, he said.
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I dated Ald. Laurino's niece. Does this mean I can get a politcal job?
@matty -- Unless you and Ald. Laurino's niece were the Bonnie and Clyde of the 39th Ward, you might not be qualified. I'm just saying.
I'm not a fan of Stroger or his hiring tactics, but this stuff--at least with respect to Colvin--seems a bit weak. Colvin pled quilty to misdemeanor assault for what apparently amounts to a bar fight as a young adult, not excatly weighty criminal stuff. Did he ever even serve jail time for it (the article doesn't say)? If not, why is he being considered an ex-con? I pled guilty to two misdemeanors in college--underage drinking and having a fake ID. Would the BGA have a problem if Stroger hired me?
D'Amico's threatening phone calls raise a few more questions regarding his qualifications, but the Colvin stuff seems a bit silly to me considering he was hired to be a grant writer.
I think it goes back to clout and there family connections because the criminals charges against both are minor and old.
Kevin perhaps a journalistic retraction is in order for calling Myron Colvin an Ex con?
Don’t you think that we criminalize enough African-Americans with out tossing around the Ex con label like so much chicken feed?