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| Those wouldn't be size 14s by any chance? |
Postage stamps. Crystal. Office chairs.
To Chicagoans of a certain vintage, the above miscellany should conjure up Dan Rostenkowski as clearly as if I had posted his photograph. The minor grafts that ruined him, the pebbles upon which the great chairman of the Ways and Mean Committee scuttled his career and sent himself to prison.
Not to single Rosty out. Corruption is always over petty shit, compared to the damage done. Ed Burke, off to jail for ... anybody? ... corruptly holding back a driveway cut-out exemption for a Burger King until his law firm got some business thrown its way. Mike Madigan mumbling the wrong phrase into a federal wiretap. George Ryan crumpling an envelope holding a thousand dollars in cash and jamming it in his pocket. Rod Blagojevich tossed to the wolves by his father-in-law, Dick Mell, over the governor shutting down a landfill owned by Patti's cousin. It would look ludicrous in fiction.
Okay, not always petty shit. Ed Vrdolyak went away for a significant chunk of cash — a $1.5 million kickback scheme. Although, compared to the billions the Vrdolyak Law Group rakes in on personal injury lawsuits, still chump change. As always, the crime is what's legal.
Into this pantheon leaps Mayor Unforced Error, Brandon Johnson, according to the Sun-Times, with his pathetic take of luxury goods — Hugo Boss cufflinks, a Montblanc Pen, handbags by Kate Spade and Givenchy. The usual baubles.
Not to suggest anything untoward. Perhaps everything is on the up-and-up, as the mayor insists with his trademark huff. Maybe his wife isn't carrying that Kate Spade purse. Maybe his failure to account for the gifts is just him being too busy doing important work, driving the city deeper into ruin. His blocking the inspector general from looking into the matter is due entirely to distraction. No time to follow standard ethical policy. Yeah, that's the ticket. Though the guilty flee where none pursueth, and were the mayor handling gifts properly, why did he do everything he could to keep prying eyes off the supposed trove? Why wax so indignant? (The answer to that could be, "Because he always does." Truly, the man bristles at a touch).
To Chicagoans of a certain vintage, the above miscellany should conjure up Dan Rostenkowski as clearly as if I had posted his photograph. The minor grafts that ruined him, the pebbles upon which the great chairman of the Ways and Mean Committee scuttled his career and sent himself to prison.
Not to single Rosty out. Corruption is always over petty shit, compared to the damage done. Ed Burke, off to jail for ... anybody? ... corruptly holding back a driveway cut-out exemption for a Burger King until his law firm got some business thrown its way. Mike Madigan mumbling the wrong phrase into a federal wiretap. George Ryan crumpling an envelope holding a thousand dollars in cash and jamming it in his pocket. Rod Blagojevich tossed to the wolves by his father-in-law, Dick Mell, over the governor shutting down a landfill owned by Patti's cousin. It would look ludicrous in fiction.
Okay, not always petty shit. Ed Vrdolyak went away for a significant chunk of cash — a $1.5 million kickback scheme. Although, compared to the billions the Vrdolyak Law Group rakes in on personal injury lawsuits, still chump change. As always, the crime is what's legal.
Into this pantheon leaps Mayor Unforced Error, Brandon Johnson, according to the Sun-Times, with his pathetic take of luxury goods — Hugo Boss cufflinks, a Montblanc Pen, handbags by Kate Spade and Givenchy. The usual baubles.
Not to suggest anything untoward. Perhaps everything is on the up-and-up, as the mayor insists with his trademark huff. Maybe his wife isn't carrying that Kate Spade purse. Maybe his failure to account for the gifts is just him being too busy doing important work, driving the city deeper into ruin. His blocking the inspector general from looking into the matter is due entirely to distraction. No time to follow standard ethical policy. Yeah, that's the ticket. Though the guilty flee where none pursueth, and were the mayor handling gifts properly, why did he do everything he could to keep prying eyes off the supposed trove? Why wax so indignant? (The answer to that could be, "Because he always does." Truly, the man bristles at a touch).
At this moment, what journalists are no doubt pawing over photos of the mayor, looking for him wearing a pair of Carucci shoes, whatever those may be. Careers have foundered over less.
Be wary of law firms that claim they obtained xx billions for their clients. I am pretty certain the disciplinary authority in Illinois does not fact check those claims.The IARDC seems to turn a blind eye…..
ReplyDeleteCan you zoom in on this picture and check out the cuff links?
ReplyDeleteSame old same old, they do it because they believe they feel entitled to, they aren’t paid enough, the job requires I look my best, so sad. “Be Best!”
lol! “Be best” hit be right in the funny bone!
DeleteI know a little something about high end shoes. Not enough to be dangerous. He wears a nice pair in the image Neil included. Certainly not bespoke. There's no hand carved mold with his name hanging in a musty London store room awaiting his next order. I can't tell f the soles are a Good Year welt construction That's a tell tale signal you're wearing $800+ stumps. (More like $1200+ in 2025.) They certainly might be size 14. Entirely possible. I see those shoes between $400 and $600. Nice shoes! We should all have such nice shoes.
ReplyDeleteJust what I expect from Mayor Conehead. A compulsive liar, who lives in Austin, says there are no good public transit options in Austin, even though the Lake St L goes right through it & he lives no more than a block from both the Central Ave bus & the Chicago Ave bus.
ReplyDeleteWe have an idiot for a mayor!
And the Austin bus 1/4 mile and the Division bus 1/2 mile. He's got the shoes for walking.
DeleteThe last mayor who rode the "L" was probably Jane Byrne.
DeleteAfter the CTA strike in '79. Or maybe Harold Washington.
It was Rahm. I have photographic proof, as I rode the 'L' with him.
DeleteWow. Never would've guessed it.
DeleteHe didn't appear to be the transit-using type.
That's one "L" of a surprise. Thanks, Mr. S.
He considered it a chance for ordinary Chicagoans to interact with their mayor — or that's what he told me anyway. When I pointed out that most people in the car hadn't looked up to notice he was there, he didn't seem to accept that. But it was true.
DeleteDon’tcha have to cut a bit of a break for a guy who has to walk around in size 14 feet?
ReplyDeleteMalania Trump was right
ReplyDeleteInstead of scores of reporters sticking a microphone in front of the Mayor's (or any other pol found taking expensive gifts) face trying fruitlessly to get an answer, for once I'd like to see a good reporter track down one of the givers of these items to get their side. Who's idea was the item? Did the mayor ask for it outright? Hint at it? Admire the cufflinks of the lobbyist? Or does the giver live in a world of luxury items and gives them out frequently? Or did they just tell an assistant to do something and the gift was the result. Inquiring minds want to know details about how many people/conversations were involved before the swag ended un in their office.
ReplyDeletewhy are we surprised? during the mayoral campaign he had outstanding debt for unpaid parking tickets and unpaid water bills. warning signs he was not able to handle anything to do with money and budgets - but he still got elected!
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, it would appear from that photo that the mayor has stopped using campaign funds on elite haircuts.
ReplyDelete
DeleteNo, you need to see him from the front to see the bizarre cone shaped hair, profile shots don' show that!
i realize i'm running against the tide here, but i'm not sure this is simply a story of sloppy record keeping and the the mayor whining about people being mean to him
ReplyDeleteI didn't vote for this mayor because of his link to the CTU. The statement in Neil's column that struck me is, "Yeah, that's the ticket." Why? Because that phrase made Jon Lovitz famous...and for good reason. If we could fast forward to today, that might be the most important and understated mantra in politics today.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Lovitz president of the liars club. There is a good documentary on Snl and the weird year when Lovitz joined the cast.
ReplyDelete