City workers with political clout claim to be injured at a rate that far exceeds any occupation tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times that raises questions about whether all those city workers really were injured, and whether the city adequately investigates workplace accidents.The Sun Times has a nice pix of a "disabled" city worker doing yard work at home. "Buffoonery" and "statistically improbable" says an independent expert. Related stories here and here. Of course well-connected lawyers are involved. And a few who have landed in prison, like John "Quarters" Boyles, are still pressing claims. The Sun Times continues:
"I can't say any individual is faking it or is not disabled, but patronage operates by rewarding favored employees who do political work or make financial contributions,'' said Michael Shakman, an attorney who has fought patronage hiring at City Hall for decades. "Therefore, the fact that 20 percent of the people on the clout list are taking advantage of disability leaves or workers compensation benefits . . . one has to wonder if they are not just getting another form of political payoffs in return for doing patronage work."And these payments come right out of taxpayers' pockets, with money for questionable disabilities coming tax free. Of course a disproportionate number of the already improbable numbers have ties to politicians and/or "reputed" mobsters and/or union bosses. In some instances, practically entire families are disabled.
You'd think they worked for a circus or something--a Circus Maximus of clout.
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