The Prepared Truck Program is a Chicago-scandal-stricken program that involves hiring a private truck to do city work. It was overhauled in 2004 (and removed beginning in 2005) after an investigation by the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that some participating companies were paid to do little or no work, have mob connections (Nick "Tongkat" LoCoco) or tied to city employees. Truck owners also pay bribes to enter the program.
The Trusted Truck Program officially ends on Monday, September 18, 2006. At the end of the working day on Friday, September 15, 2006, the last eight Hiring Trucks are permanently dismissed.
Video Hired Truck Program
Clout on Wheels, Chicago Sun-Times Investigasi program
The Sun-Times Investigation began when a reporter, Tim Novak, spotted a red truck parked in the city block where he lived. This one red dump truck has a sign that says it's rented to the Chicago Hired Truck Program. The reporter finally stalked the city's water crew for five days, watching four rental trucks sit quietly for every eight-hour shift. Each truck taxpayer costs $ 50.17 per hour. During these investigation days Novak and fellow journalist Steve Warmbir commented that the only excitement this truck driver experienced was a lunch break to the local McDonald's.
Novak and Warmbir began researching the program, producing "Clout on Wheels" - a three-part series released by the Sun Times in January 2004. This ongoing series describes how Chicago spends $ 40 million a year on private trucking companies. The first section provides detailed information about the program, in which the second part sparks talk of mass bonding and the third part confronting the political relationship between the Trusted Truck Program and the current political power base.
Between 1996 and 2004, companies in the Trusted Truck Program provided over $ 800,000 in campaign contributions to various politicians, from House Speaker Michael Madigan to Governor Rod Blagojevich to Hispanic politicians. Mayor Richard M. Daley earned at least $ 108,575 and his brother, John Daley, and his environmental organization took over $ 47,500 from companies in the Hiring Trucks Program during the same period.
The scandal eventually triggered a Federal investigation into recruitment practices at the Chicago City Hall, with Robert Sorich, former chief of patron of Daley Mayor, facing allegations of mail fraud for allegedly cheating city recruitment to support people with political connections. On July 5, 2006, Sorich, 43, was found guilty of two counts of letter fraud for rigging the city's work and promotion. Nick "The Stick" LoCoco is also a major concern. He was found as a city employee whose main task was to determine which truck was used to work with the city's transportation department. LoCoco, the famous gambler, was later sued but unsuccessfully tried by an accident on horseback.
Maps Hired Truck Program
Political fallout
Despite the revelations in Sun-Times , the city defended the program. When the first indictment was issued from a Federal inquiry, Chicago City Corporate Advisor Mara Georges said the $ 40 million a year program is a good program that benefits both taxpayers in Chicago, saving taxpayer money, allowing the city to find work efficient. "This is the proper use of personal resources, as opposed to cities that must be involved in the use of their own resources."
The scandal damaged the then Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, whose brother sold insurance to three large trucking companies. In addition, 25 percent of all Hired Truck money was sent to companies from Daley's Base 11 power base, collecting $ 47.8 million between 1999 and October 2003. In addition, $ 108.575 in campaign contributions flowed into the mayors of the companies in the program started in 1996.
In February 2005, Daley denied involvement in an ongoing scandal that said, "Anyone who believes that my interest in public life is enriching my family, friends or political supporters does not know or understand at all." My reputation and well-being of this city more important to me than election. "
In February 2006, John Briatta, whose sister married Regional Commissioner Cook John P. Daley, the mayor's brother, pleaded guilty to taking at least $ 5,400 bribes to direct Hired Truck's work to the trucking company.
Litany of bribery cases developed to include former City Officer James Laski, who was indicted in January 2006 by taking bribes and blocking justice after a federal agent arrested him with a ribbon that prompted witnesses to lie to the jury and denied that they had given him $ 500 to $ 1,000 a week in a bribe of cash to continue getting business from the Hired Truck program. Laski resigned from her work worth $ 135,545 per year and submitted her legal license. In March 2006 he pleaded guilty. Laski came to the office as a reformer after his predecessor, City Officer Walter Kozubowski, was found guilty of a ghost pay scheme for paying a total of $ 476,000 to six "ghosts" for little or no work for a dozen years. Kozubowski was sentenced to five years in prison. In June 2006, Laski was sentenced to two years in prison.
It was also revealed that the ton of asphalt paid by the city was stolen by truck drivers in the Hired Truck program. Asphalt is then used for personal work.
References
External links
- "Chicago Hired Truck Program: What's a Scandal!". The people of Chicago. 2004-10-24. Archived from the original on 2006-06-20 . Retrieved 2006-07-11 .
- Dan Mihalopoulos, Laurie Cohen and Todd Lighty (2006-04-11). "Details of the US cover up the city". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2006-07-11 .
- Sam Charles (2017-02-05). "Former city worker, convicted on Hired Truck, given a pension". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 2017-08-06 .
- TEAM NOVAK AND CHRIS FUSCO (2011-06-13). "FROM DRY TRIP TO HOMICIDE: MAYOR TIME TIME OPENED IN 2004 WEEK YEARS TO SECURITY". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 2017-08-06 .
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments