The only difference between a sociopath like Troutman and a sociopath like Shiller is that Troutman is too stupid to keep it under wraps. The aldermen that go down are always loud, obnoxious, accusatory, provocative (i.e. Troutman allowing her fugutive gangster boyfriend drive her $65,000 Cadillac around town). Shiller is smart enough to try to live under the radar - and that is exactly why UU and other community spotlights are so valuable.
Yes, I agree with chicagocitizen. I've only lived here a couple of years, am from a Metropolitan area that is full of liars and tax evaders soon to be announced, but what I think that is quite peculiar (and hilarious) in Chicago is that the liars are so used to themselves that they don't even TRY cover their tracks! The white collar swindler wannabe's in my own workplace (an out of state formerly successful company that is trying the Illinois thing in it's last ditch effort). It's funny here. Truly funny.
I sincerely doubt Helen Shiller will ever be convicted like Ald. Troutman. And it's not because she's getting away with anything other than pissing off some of her constituents.
I'm not sure what it is with this city that breeds this behaviour in it's elected officials. And the citizens enable them by constantly electing them into office. How long has Daley been mayor? Too long. Yet studies show that most people, while admitting that most politicians are crooked and deserve to be booted from office, believe that it is NOT their own candidate that is bad but everyones else's. I'm sure that philosophy more than abounds in Chicago. It's a city quite content with the status quo.
Is anyone else ready for term limits? These "leaders" get into office and the only way they leave is by indictment or death. Then they are usually replaced by a relative.
"These "leaders" get into office and the only way they leave is by indictment or death."
Well, in Shiller's case, you could hold out hope for retirement.
City employees fully vest after 33 1/3 years. Shiller was sworn in in Spring of 1987, that puts her vesting at Fall, 2010, next Fall!
If you retire before age 60, there is an "age discount" that dings ya, up to 15% off your monthly pension, but Shiller blew passed the big 6-oh last year. When a City employee sticks it out til age 60, they earn an automatic annual 6% increase in their monthly pension (if you retire before 60 your monthly benefit is fixed).
A financial incentive to sticking around is that your maximum monthly pension is 80% of your average monthly salary, averaged over the last 4 years of your service. So the automatic annual no-additional-vote-required "cost-of-living" increases the Aldermen set up for themselves means that every month they stay in office, their monthly retirement check goes up.
The only difference between a sociopath like Troutman and a sociopath like Shiller is that Troutman is too stupid to keep it under wraps. The aldermen that go down are always loud, obnoxious, accusatory, provocative (i.e. Troutman allowing her fugutive gangster boyfriend drive her $65,000 Cadillac around town). Shiller is smart enough to try to live under the radar - and that is exactly why UU and other community spotlights are so valuable.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with chicagocitizen. I've only lived here a couple of years, am from a Metropolitan area that is full of liars and tax evaders soon to be announced, but what I think that is quite peculiar (and hilarious) in Chicago is that the liars are so used to themselves that they don't even TRY cover their tracks! The white collar swindler wannabe's in my own workplace (an out of state formerly successful company that is trying the Illinois thing in it's last ditch effort). It's funny here. Truly funny.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely doubt Helen Shiller will ever be convicted like Ald. Troutman. And it's not because she's getting away with anything other than pissing off some of her constituents.
ReplyDelete=pissing off some of her constituents.
ReplyDeletePissing more than some of her constituents.
Like all but 600 that voted for her.
I'm not sure what it is with this city that breeds this behaviour in it's elected officials. And the citizens enable them by constantly electing them into office. How long has Daley been mayor? Too long. Yet studies show that most people, while admitting that most politicians are crooked and deserve to be booted from office, believe that it is NOT their own candidate that is bad but everyones else's. I'm sure that philosophy more than abounds in Chicago. It's a city quite content with the status quo.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone else ready for term limits? These "leaders" get into office and the only way they leave is by indictment or death. Then they are usually replaced by a relative.
ReplyDeleteLOL....Have fun!
ReplyDeleteIf we have term limits for the President we should have it for all elected positions.
ReplyDeleteBeing elected shouldn't be a life time job.
"These "leaders" get into office and the only way they leave is by indictment or death."
ReplyDeleteWell, in Shiller's case, you could hold out hope for retirement.
City employees fully vest after 33 1/3 years. Shiller was sworn in in Spring of 1987, that puts her vesting at Fall, 2010, next Fall!
If you retire before age 60, there is an "age discount" that dings ya, up to 15% off your monthly pension, but Shiller blew passed the big 6-oh last year. When a City employee sticks it out til age 60, they earn an automatic annual 6% increase in their monthly pension (if you retire before 60 your monthly benefit is fixed).
A financial incentive to sticking around is that your maximum monthly pension is 80% of your average monthly salary, averaged over the last 4 years of your service. So the automatic annual no-additional-vote-required "cost-of-living" increases the Aldermen set up for themselves means that every month they stay in office, their monthly retirement check goes up.
Municipal Employees' Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago
Member Handbook
"Then they are usually replaced by a relative."
ReplyDeleteI don't know about you guys, but this one keeps me up at night.
Be afraid. Be very afraid!
next Fall
ReplyDeleteshould be
Fall of next year