A hiring settlement between the Cook County Forest Preserve and job seekers who said they were passed over for less-qualified, politically connected hires will cost taxpayers $555,772. more ›

Almost six months after voting to create a watchdog post in the City Council, aldermen have finally finished establishing a commission to pick the person that will hold the post. Five people have been invited to join a panel to pick three candidates for the job. The city council will then vote on which candidate becomes the legislative IG. more ›

By a 28-17 vote, the City Council approved a plan to hire their own inspector general to oversee aldermen and their employees. But the plan approved is being called "watered-down": for an investigation to begin, a sworn complaint must be signed by the accuser and approval must be given by the City's Board of Ethics. In fact, no one's happy about the whole thing. From the Sun-Times: more ›

It looks like more people are tattle-telling on Cook County employees. The Sun-Times reports that investigations into misconduct by county employees have spiked this year, with 44 new investigations between July and September. There were only eight new investigations during that same time last year. Joseph Price, the county's former inspector general who was replaced this month, began a total of 91 new investigations so far this year. more ›

In a 43-6 vote, the Chicago City Council voted to create a new Office of Compliance to police city hiring. Critics have charged that the new office will compete with, and therefore undermine the effectiveness of, the city Inspector General. Daley lauded the vote while reassuring critics, telling the Tribune, "it is the primary responsibility of the inspector general to investigate allegations of misconduct. ... At its core, this department is about assuring that the... more ›

- Our Litigious Society: Cook County resident Jose Trujillo files a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the company and exclusive wireless carrier AT&T misled iPhone buyers by not clearly informing them that the iPhone battery was sealed, and could only be professionally replaced. - It's Called the Hippocratic Oath: Atheist and agnostic doctors are as likely to provide care for the poor as religious physicians. - A Chicago firefighter is accused of criminal sexual... more ›

An interesting tidbit caught our eye in Friday's Tribune. After decades of patronage and questionable hiring practices in the city, Daley is now planning to outsource municipal hiring. Recent hiring scandals here have included the placement of a politically connected teenager in a building inspector position (which requires more job experience than he had working years). Along with this came the conviction in federal court of four close Daley aides for conspiring to rig the... more ›

Although the week is shorter, that doesn't mean that there hasn't been political news out there to round up! This week, we're making a special dedication to Chicagoist's favorite bad guy, the man that makes us the national butt of every political joke in town, the guy that represents everything that is wrong with our local political system, Todd "The Toddler" Stroger. Without further ado, let's take a gander at his follies and foibles, and... more ›

At Wednesday's first meeting of the newly installed Cook County Board, Todd Stroger kept his first promise of the new term — moving to appoint a tougher, more independent inspector general. Under a bill introduced by Commisioners Mike Quigley and John Daley, a new inspector general will soon have broader powers of oversight across all county offices. Assumed to be retired Circuit Judge Julia Nowicki, thanks to an agreement between the county and attorney Michael... more ›

The drama on the Cook County Board of Commisioners just got a little more interesting. Cook County commissioners approved a settlement agreement yesterday that will allow attorney Michael Shakman to approve the County Board president's choice for inspector general. Shakman is the man behind the Shakman Decree, the 1983 court ruling that makes it unlawful to take political factors into account in public hiring. He took the county to court in September after charges of... more ›

Yesterday a federal judge appointed lawyer Noelle C. Brennan to watch over the city's hiring practices to ensure they comply with the Shakman decree. Brennan will deliver a report to the judge on Sept. 6 advising the judge on what action he should take. The judge said that the recommendations could lead him to mandate that Brennan sign off on all city hires. more ›

(Thanks, Sam!) more ›