Opposition? Competing
two party systems? No.
Negotiate?
Compromise? No.
Separation of powers?
Checks and balances? Maybe some
day.
It's one set of laws for the regular folk – almost no set of laws
for the inside folks.
Top salaries and benefits for the insiders. Pensions that would be the envy of any
taxpayer. And, if you are a clever
insider, why settle for just one salary and benefit/pension package when you
can get two or even three.
Barack H. Obama learned governance in this system. If you wonder why he didn’t show up for many
votes in the state legislature it was because he didn’t have to – passage of
the legislation was a given – as soon as the bosses decided what laws needed to
be passed – what taxes need to be raised – who was to get what in the spending
bills – it was a done deal. Debate? Not required.
Passage? Assured.
All three are broke – Chicago, Cook County and the state of
Illinois. When they arrive in federal
bankruptcy court, the court will have its hands full. No one even knows how much they owe – what all
those pensions will all add up to – what side deals lurk in dark corners. These people borrow 20 and 30 year money to
make payroll. They sell public assets to
put gas in the garbage trucks and their own limousines.
The bosses didn’t worry about a republican minority with
some constitutional standing so neither did/does Barack. Republicans don’t matter – no one votes for
republicans.
Here is a transcript from a recent deposition involving the
recent former boss of Chicago – Richard Daley.
He is being questioned about his knowledge of events involving contracts
and special (sweetheart) deals with a very expensive park and fancy restaurant built on city
lakefront property during his regime:
Novack (attorney): Do you recall Mr. Horan and Mr. O’Malley
coming to your office and showing you renditions of what the interior was going
to look like?
Daley: They could have. I wouldn’t recall. They could have.
Novack: Do you recall asking them to move the bar
from the front of the restaurant to the back of the restaurant because you
thought that would be more family-friendly?
Daley: I don’t recall.
Novack: Do you recall that you actually attended
the announcement of the opening of the restaurant?
Daley: I don’t recall if I did or not.
Novack: OK. I’ll show you . . . a picture of a
bunch of people standing in front of some buildings. Do you recognize yourself
in that picture?
Daley: It’s kind of blurry. I guess it’s me, if it is.
Novack: And you are there, aren’t you, for the
opening of the ice rink . . . and the restaurant being open for the first time?
Daley: I don’t know what it was for, but — I don’t recall.
Novack: In other words, is it your testimony that
the first time you knew that they [Horan and O’Malley] were associated with the
restaurant was that day?
Daley: I don’t know what I knew.
This is the testimony of a man who doesn’t care. He considers himself unaccountable; above
the law; just say you don’t know – don’t recollect – don’t care. Today many are trying to grasp what Mr. Obama
did or didn’t do; knew or didn’t know; said or didn’t say; meant or didn’t
mean. It is not a worthwhile
effort. Mr. Obama learned politics and
governance in Chicago, from a man who just doesn’t care.
Someone once said there are two types of people – those who
can learn and those who do learn. There
is a third type – cui curis.
Who cares?
Daley has left behind - in his city; his county and his state - more debt than can be calculated. His protégé, Obama, is doing the same to the United States. Detroit collapsed because of debt. The children of Daley and Obama's voters will either get to pay off the debt or default on the debt. Their parents don't seem to care either.
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