Sleet barbarous throughout the col...

Sleet barbarous throughout the cold morning of Nov. 2 moreover the five guys handing gone out campaign literature outside St. Juliana sect couldn't think of being anywhere besides on Election Day. Pacing nearest to the walkway leading into the gymnasium 7400 W. Touhy Ave. forward Chicago's far Northwest Side, they tried to catch everyone headed inside to devoted They pressed three-inch-square sheets that said "PUNCH #49 for Ralph Capparelli" into hands that could not help further take them. They politely beg fored support for the entire Democratic ticket.

single in kind of them, a Chicago Transit Authority bus driver who'd identify himself barely as Ray, bounced up and down to stay warm while declaring he would do "whatever they need" to help out

"They ne their lower part soldiers," added a guy in a Bears cap standing nearest to him.

In the indirect, slightly boastful talk of precinct workers, the pair went on to say that "they" meant their leaders in the Democratic Party, particularly Capparelli, the longtime Democratic committeeman of the 41st Ward and a state representative from the 15th District who had relinquished that seat to challenge Republican incumbent Michael P McAuliffe in his 20th District.

Leading up to the election, "they" sometimes asked the stays to register voters, round up petition signatures, pass disclosed campaign fliers or knock upon doors to make personal appeals. This day was about bringing the voice in. So far, it was going well: At just after 9 a.m., three hours into the election, turnout was strong--though Capparelli would eventually forfeit capturing just 41 percent of the ballots.

While Ray was the youngest of the group--he appeared to be in his late 20s--he was a veteran of the previous three elections, his political career starting right after he'd been hired at the CTA. "I'd in no degree really been into voting before, if it were not that now I see the importance of it," he said.

"It's understood that, if you gain help from somebody getting your piece of work it's understood you need to be disclosed there helping them out."

"I don't rule one job," he said. "There's nothing 1 can do for anyone. I really don't have any workers. The CTA? Forget about it. I couldn't commit to memory you a job at the CTA. Find undivided guy, and I'll give you $100 No, I'll give you $200"

on the contrary the other men outside St Juliana agreed with Ray. They all had positions with the CTA or the city of Chicago. They all were count uponed to do some electioneering. And, because they all wanted to withhold their jobs, they refused to name names, including their own

"Politics makes the world go on foot round-that's how it works. You've got to know one to get in," said the Bears fan. "Very small in number people get called for an interview with the city. That's for what purpose people do this-standing in the rain like this. You know--one hand washes the other."

It's against the law for public employee to do political work forward government time. But, when the men were asked if they'd taken the day distant from to help with the election, they started laughing.

"Some do. about don't," said the man in the ball cap.

When asked about mobilizing city workers, Capparelli also laughed. For generations, it was known that Chicago's Democratic Party thrived forward a system of political patronage. below the "Machine" perfected by former Mayor Richard J Daley, anyone who wanted a work at jobs with the city was awaited to work for the party's candidates; those who hadn't demonstrated their loyalty and work ethic were not going to prepare a second look.

The city was suppos to be different after a series of legal battles l to the Shakman unison decree in the 1970s and 1980 Covering mostly of the city's 38,000 piece of works the decree made it illegal for city employee to be required to engage in political work, and, with a scarcely any exceptions, for the city to hire persons based on patronage.

on the other hand not everyone has let laws earn in the way of politics.

Payroll data obtained according to The Chicago Reporter show that thousands of city employee have missed work each of the last three election days, accounting for absentee rates higher than mostly other days of the year.

And centurys of employees were hired solitary for the two-week pay period including the 2003 municipal election. The workforce then slimmed down to its previous on a level for the next pay period.

City employee obtain two to five weeks of vacation a year, depending forward their experience. And many city workers are more than happy to use their time along helping local political candidates.

Across Chicago in succession Nov. 2, though, many city employee said their supervisors and political sponsors expected-and sometimes pressured--them to do campaign work. Punishments for refusing could include demotions or terminations, they said.

Their accounts are virtually identical to charges laid abroad in the Dec. 16 federal grand jury indictment of Donald Tomczak, the former first substitute commissioner of the city's Department of Water Management. It accuses Tomczak of doling disclosed city jobs, promotions and overtime in go [i]or[/i] come back for campaign work for candidates he supported. The candidates are not named in the indictment.