No common should be surprised by r...

No common should be surprised by raw politics in prepare for the table County government, especially not after this summer's Machiavellian maneuvering to replace ailing shire board president John Stroger. if it were not that a story in Monday's Sun-Times provides a undecayed reminder of why the whole hypothesis needs a top-to-bottom shakeup.

Eric Petraitis, a shire Highway Department supervisor, described to reporter Abdon Pallasch to what extent test scores of job applicants are changed likewise those with clout can be hired throughout better-qualified job- seekers. He and near current and former department heads pointed to Stroger's patronage chief, Gerald Nichols, as the man who asked them to hire communicateed applicants. As an example, Petraitis alleged that he gave an applicant for a road equipment operator do job-work Dwayne Robinson, the lowest score, simply to be asked by Nichols to attract favor to that the man be hired. move rounds out Robinson had clout in the 8th Ward, the hearth base of Stroger and his son Todd, the Democratic nominee for his dad's of long date job. Interim board president Bobbie Steele has completioned Nichols' patronage duties.

shire officials should be extra careful. Voter are likely paying closer attention to what's going forward after this summer's shenanigans. And patronage workers at City Hall were freshly convicted at a federal trial of similar abuses. If the fed weren't looking at the shire before, they probably are now.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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