Submitted by lorinpda on Fri, 07/23/2010 - 12:36

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by Lorin M Klugman

Anger is increasing, as more bad news and law suits linked to Mayor Daley are announced. The latest news involves another victim wrongfully convicted through torture.  Michael Tillman named Mayor Daley in a civil rights law suite. This is the second victim to name Daley in the torture scandal. In the same week, Daley's "Education CEO" is carrying out firings of Chicago school teachers to pay for his own gigantic pay raise. 

A second torture victim announced on Thursday July 22, 2010 he is suing Jon Burge and Mayor Daley (source Chicago Press Releases ): 

Recently convicted former Chicago Police Cmdr. Jon Burge and his henchmen from the Midnight Crew at Area 2 are once again being sued by yet another innocent man whom they tortured and wrongfully sent to the penitentiary.

 

Michael Tillman spent 23 years five months behind bars, for his wrongful conviction, until he was released from prison in January of 2010 and later declared innocent of the charges by the Criminal Court of Cook County.

Meanwhile, Kari Lydersen writes for In These Times Friday July 23, 2010: 

Chicago teachers who spent time training their own replacements are among hundreds who received layoff notices this week. In all, up to 1,500 Chicago teachers may be laid off by the time the new school year begins. The newly elected Chicago Teachers Union leadership and about 30 rank and file members are meeting with school officials Friday afternoon.

 

The 600 lay-off notices sent out this week went to 400 teachers and 200 staff at elementary schools which start in early August. On June 30, 239 teachers who were not assigned to a specific school were laid off. The union has demanded they be hired back before any new teachers are hired.

The Chicago Reader reported in early April that Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman is being rewarded with a $13,000 pay raise. The teachers who have been fired have no discretion over their employment status. However, the Chicago school budget actually gave Huberman a $26,000 raise. Huberman can decide to forgo a portion through unpaid furloughs (i.e. unpaid holidays). Thus Huberman's office is spinning the raise as only $13,000. 

Ben Joravsky writes in the Chicago Reader:

In effect Huberman and these other bureaucrats got their salaries jacked up to insulate themselves against any voluntary pay cuts they might take. It's like the department store that doubles its prices and then announces a half-off sale.

Chicago radio WBEZ reports on July 9, 2010:

Chicago Public Schools' budget woes are causing a growing number of teachers and parents to pressure Mayor Richard Daley on TIF funding for schools. TIFs are the city's tax increment financing districts. And they collect about $500 million in property taxes a year. Mayor Daley has the final say in how the money is spent. But the Chicago Teacher's Union and a group of mostly north side parents say TIFs are siphoning away millions of dollars from Chicago Public Schools--money that would help balance the books.

All this, as both small businesses and workers are still stunned at the welcoming of Walmart into the city of Chicago. Walmart is the worlds largest union busting retailer. Walmart openly refuses to recognize worker's right to organize.  The right to organize and form unions is a  basic human right declared by the United Nations. See our story "A Shameful Day for Chicago" for more details.

Chicago is ready for reform.