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Friday Afternoon Diversion
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It seems like just yesterday we were talking about Daley's public support of under-fire Police Superintendent Jody Weis...because it was. Behind closed doors, however, it's a different story entirely. Mayor Daley reportedly raked Weis over the coals in a closed door meeting over the alleged mistakes made during the Taste that led to violence and the overall rise in the city's violent crime this year. One source told the Sun-Times, "It wasn't quiet."
Weis was "searching for reasons other than police work" for the violence and, what patrons have called, an "intimidating atmosphere" at this year's Taste that threatens to destroy a marquee event and burst Daley's Olympic bubble. "He was trying to say, 'We did everything we could' to control the problems. The response [from Daley] was, 'Like hell,'" the source said.It's no surprise that Daley has kept criticism of Weis private and supported him publicly. Daley circumvented the Police Board by rejecting all three of their proposed candidates and hired Weis on his own, giving him a contract through the 2011 election with a $310,000 annual salary. Part of Weis' salary covered his being the city's chief emergency officer. Daley, however, has other plans now. Yesterday, the Mayor relieved Weis of this duty and appointed Fire Commissioner Ray Orozco as head of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Deputy Fire Commissioner John Brooks will take over Orozco's old role and become Chicago's second-ever black Fire Commissioner.
"OEMC has always been in charge of disaster scenes," the mayor said, arguing that the embattled Weis would focus on "terrorism and other issues."We're guessing Weis could use a hug right now. [Trib, S-T]"Any time there's a major incident, Ray is in charge. The Fire Department is in charge. He's done a tremendous job in the Fire Department, so I really wanted to move him over to OEMC because first responders are usually the Fire Department. ... You have to have someone who understands the Fire and Police Departments in that position."
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So, let me get this straight: The mayor went out of his way to pick this guy, ignoring other suggestions and input, as the mayor typically does.
And now, mere months into this guy's tenure, the mayor is pissed at his performance, and effectively takes away some of his responsbilities in emeregency management?
Can someone please explain, once more with feeling this time, why anyone who is not insane, retarded, a Daley family member or part of the Machine thinks our dear mayor even resembles an effective manager?
I am starting to think Daley could barely manage a McDonald's, and that is meant as no insult to the hard-working professionals who actually do a good job of managing their fast-food joints.
Actually I totally agree with the Mayor on this one!
Weis should one have taken the 14th police disrict( my district) and assigned it to work the Taste. Logan Square could have done with out those Officers!
I'm sure the Taste didn't already have its share of officers in the first place. I'm sure other nieghborhoods didn't suffer from the lack of service. Perhaps the taste is just to freak'n big and perhaps given the rising gang population in Illinois we just need to cancel the whole thing. But to blame Weis, especially by a man with the intellect of a camquat is STUPID
This sh*t is so insane!
It sounds like the problems at the Taste were management related. The other day on SCC someone posted:
"in previous years the entire July 3rd event was run by a lieutenant. Deputy Chief Radke may have been on scene, but it was (Lieutenant) EFB's event and at (his) 200 plus cops from SOS, 200 from Summer Mobile, one or two tact teams from every district, CTA Special, and a host of other cops, probably 1,000 to 1,200 in all. And the crap never got too deep because as soon as the crowd thinned out, you had 200 or 300 cops clearing each and every corner until past midnight. Now, SOS is gone, Summer Mobile is gone, Tact is running short handed, no one works CTA on 03 July, TRU ends up in Area Two five nights out of six and the solution is 75 recruits from the Academy?"
Interesting?
ps That was my editing, not the guy's post that resulted in some grammatical awkwardness.
Well I'm just not ready to blame Weis. Yea SOS is gone because they proved to be little more than thugs themselves and I'm certainly not willing to provide police from my hood to be on Taste detail and remember Taste detail is the whole downtown area. Heck maybe Daley should have called out the National Guard. Daley is just mad that this is a mark against the Olympic Games
There's still a management issue going on. Being head of a large urban police department is vastly different than anything else he's ever done before. Someone should have been asking the question, "how do we usually handle the Taste?" It's not like this is a new event, it's been going on for years.
It seems like Weis got more than he bargained for when he came here in terms of a learning curve, and unfortunately for him, his mistakes and perceived mistakes become public fodder.
The whole issue does beg the question that if you can't manage the crime issues of a major city event that has gone relatively smoothly year after year until "you" step in, how can you handle a untested event (the Olympics). I have to wonder if some of Daley's directives to Weis may have inadvertently undermined him. Moving so many command posts around had to change communications to the city about events like this.
So does this mean that Weis loses the money associated with the EM director position? It was over $100k per year if I'm not mistaken.
Or is this one of those situations where he's relieved of the "duty" but gets to keep the paycheck?
This is all theater. Daley mouthpiece Fran Spielman gets all the scoops by kissing up to the Daley Administration and writing puff pieces on slimy hacks like Alderman Ed Burke.
After just 5 months I am not ready to lay all the blame on Weis. He has been set up to fail a severly undermanned department with morale at an all time low that has been working without a contract for over a year. I dont think the citys garbagemen would be showing up for work without a contract. Im guessing Weis made some enemies in the city council when he cleaned house and got rid of some of the old guard patronage hacks and then didnt bow down to the alderman as to who's brother or cousin or nieghbors should be promoted Weis just needs to remember in Chicago clout rules and he didnt give the mayor and alderpimps the respect they want but dont deserve.
Like most of Daley's recent moves Weis's appointment was entirely about the Olympics. By appointing an FBI guy Daley wanted to show the IOC he was taking a hard line against terrorism so athletes would be safe.
If Daley gets his Olympics look forward to another eight years of decisions geared entirely toward the Olympics and not necessarily for the betterment of Chicago.