Posted on 12/19/2008 12:25:19 AM PST by hoosiermama
Edited on 02/09/2012 7:04:21 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Crime in Chicago has been in the news lately, but it is nothing new. Historically it dates back over a hundred years. From the tale of the Gray Wolves
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/540.html
The 1890s Chicago City Council was notorious for corrupt political practices orchestrated by a faction of its aldermen known as the Gray Wolves. So named because they were viewed as preying upon the defenseless public, the Gray Wolves were led by First Ward aldermen “Bathhouse” John Coughlin and “Hinky Dink” Mike Kenna, and Johnny Powers of the Nineteenth Ward. These elected officials were not only skilled at trading votes for favors, but once in office they excelled in making municipal decisions to profit themselves financially.
TO the present, it is a compelling historical subject.
“Please post links and information, or connections of dots to this thread. Keep chit chat to the minimum or in Freemail. THANKS!”
Thanks to both of you!
ANOTHER POST ON AZELTURFING:
(Original post 90)
FROM:http://www.redstate.com/anonymous_14/2008/10/30/what-you-were-never-intended-to-know-in-this/
As part of my research duties, I scour right wing blogs and websites to get somewhat of a “feel” as to what is being talked about on the other side. Much of it is nonsense, but there are some exceptions which give the campaign jitters. A spirited campaign has been made to infiltrate many pro-Hillary sites and discredit them. A more disorganized, but genuine effort has also been made to sow doubts among the unapologetically right wing sites such as redstate.com. Don’t you guys get it? This has been the Obama campaign’s sole strategy from the very beginning! The only way he wins is over a dispirited, disorganized, and demobilized opposition. This is how it has been for all of his campaigns. What surprises me is that everyone has fallen for it. You may point to the polls as proof of the inevitability of all of this. If so, you have fallen for the oldest trick in the book. How did we skew these polls, you might ask? It all starts with the media “buzz” which has been generated over the campaign. Many stories are generated on the powerful Obama ground game, and how many new voters were registered. None of this happens by coincidence. It is all part of the poll-skewing process. This makes pollsters change their mixes to reflect these new voters and tilt the mix more towards Democratic voters. What is not mentioned or reported on is not the “under-reported cell phone users or young voters” we hear so much about. What is underreported is you.
RENDELL/RICHARDSON/RUBIN
FROM: http://www.thebulletin.us/articles/2009/01/07/top_stories/doc49643cc4b4c99010131027.txt
But the American Spectator magazine reported Monday that federal law enforcement sources told them that federal officials were also investigating others including Mr. Rendell.
The magazine’s Washington Prowler blog said, “It isn’t just Obama and Richardson that Rubin has ties to. According to federal law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation, federal officials are also looking into CDR’s political and financial ties to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, as well as to Democrat state and local officials in Illinois, California, Florida and Pennsylvania.”
The circumstances being investigated in the Richardson case are similar to transactions involving Mr. Rubin in Pennsylvania. During the period Mr. Rubin donated tens of thousands of dollars to Mr. Rendell, he received a contract from the Pennsylvania state government.Mr. Rendell’s spokesman, Chuck Ardo, said that the governor knew Mr. Rubin from his days as DNC chairman. He insisted there is nothing inappropriate about their relationship.
Stolen: It’s the CHicago Style.
(No link)
Jesse White aide claims cover-up - Ex-secretary says White took over firm under state scrutiny
Chicago Sun-Times - Sunday, January 20, 2002
Author: Tim Novak Mark Brown
Secretary of State Jesse White ‘s former secretary on Friday denied misspending at least $100,000 in state grants that White helped her get to train welfare mothers as office workers.
Donna Lumpkins Floyd insisted that her company, Infinity Cultivation Center, trained 350 to 400 people, but she said she is unable to prove that to state officials because White seized control of the company last spring and had the records destroyed when officials were trying to determine how the money had been spent.
” Jesse took over my company, all assets of my company, all documentation, all equipment during the last six months of its existence. People destroyed all the records,” Floyd said during a half-hour interview. “When Jesse got the business from me, he changed the locks. I had no access to the facility.”
Floyd ‘s allegations are “utterly ridiculous,” said White ‘s spokesman, Dave Druker. “Clearly, she’s become desperate, and it’s unfortunate that she’s lashed out against the secretary when her problems are with the departments of Human Services and Commerce and Community Affairs.”
The Chicago Sun-Times reported in Friday’s editions that state officials want Floyd to return at least $100,000 of the $175,000 in state grants she got while working for White because there is no evidence she trained people. But state officials said they had no idea where to find Floyd and that they may turn the case over to the State Police or Attorney General Jim Ryan.
Floyd called the Sun-Times from Arizona, where she said she has been living since September, after White had her evicted from an apartment in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood. Floyd said White arranged for her to get the apartment after she stabbed her husband in the leg a year ago. Druker said White did help Floyd get the apartment but that she was evicted for failing to pay rent.
“I think this is a political charge,” Floyd said. “Perhaps, probably I didn’t follow the [state] guidelines to a ‘T,’ but this is a political fight because of my relationship with Secretary White .”
Floyd , 29, said she had a personal relationship with White , 67, a relationship that helped end her marriage to a former member of White ‘s famous tumbling team.
(snip)
37 posted on 01/07/2009 10:14:46 AM PST by maggief
Floyd backed off the claims of a sexual relationship and destroyed files. Later Circuit Court Judge John Madden against Floyd in civil court, claiming $300,000 was “misspent.”
(No link)
White ‘s ex-secretary misspent $300,000 - Judge rules against Floyd after she fails to present a defense
Chicago Sun-Times - Wednesday, October 30, 2002
Author: Tim Novak
A Cook County judge has ruled that Secretary of State Jesse White ‘s former secretary misspent $300,000, including $175,000 in state grants that she got with White ‘s help to train welfare mothers to be office workers.
Circuit Court Judge John Madden ruled Monday against White ‘s former aide, Donna Lumpkins Floyd , because she never mounted a defense against the civil lawsuit Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan filed five months ago. Ryan’s lawsuit charged that Floyd wrote numerous checks to herself, spent $14,000 at two car dealers, and gave money to her mother, sister and ex-husband, a former member of Jesse White ‘s tumbling team.
(snip)
The state will now ask Madden to appoint someone to try to get the money back from Floyd . However, Perkins said, “The chances of us getting money from her was always questionable in our minds.”
Floyd could not be reached for comment. She has been living in Arizona since she had a falling out with White . Floyd had told the Sun-Times that she and White had a personal relationship, a claim White denied.
(snip)
White introduced Floyd to state Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago) and other legislators, who were asked to give her grants for her program.
Ping, I gotta read this. Use some of it in emails to Chambliss and that other head-in-the-sand-at-Hilton-Head Senator.
Real estate power broker dead of apparent suicide
cnn ^ | 1/07/08 | CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN)
FROM:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2160366/posts
The body of Steven L. Good was found in his Jaguar on Monday. The car was spotted in a parking lot of a wildlife preserve in Kane County, Illinois, just outside Chicago, authorities said.
No note was found, and police say they do not know how long the 52-year-old had been in the vehicle.
Good was the chairman and chief executive officer of Sheldon Good & Co., a major U.S. real estate auction company.
... In his role as chairman of the Realtors Commercial Alliance Committee,
Distributed by Press Release EMAIL ARTICLEPRINT ARTICLE
CHICAGO (Map) - CHICAGO, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ — The auction is going global in commercial real estate sales. Sheldon Good & Company Auctions International (www.sheldongood.com), the world's largest real estate auction company, and its Chairman and CEO, Steven L. Good, today announced the first of a series of auctions to be conducted under a five-year agreement between Sheldon Good & Company and the Urban Land Institute. The total auction series is slated to generate $100 million in sales.
Sheldon Good & Company Announces Exciting Global Real Estate Auction at the Urban Land Institute’s 2008 Fall Meeting and Urban Land Expo in Miami
Distributed by Press Release EMAIL ARTICLEPRINT ARTICLE
CHICAGO (Map) - CHICAGO, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ — The auction is going global in commercial real estate sales. Sheldon Good & Company Auctions International (www.sheldongood.com), the world’s largest real estate auction company, and its Chairman and CEO, Steven L. Good, today announced the first of a series of auctions to be conducted under a five-year agreement between Sheldon Good & Company and the Urban Land Institute. The total auction series is slated to generate $100 million in sales.
The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a non-profit organization with offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and London. Its stated mission is “to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.” ULI advocates progressive development, covering topics such as sustainability, smart growth, compact development, place making, and workforce housing.
The ULI was founded in 1936 and currently has over 39,000 members. More than 20% of the members work in government, academia, or public-private partnerships. Most of the rest are involved in the real estate and urban development industries.
The organization makes several awards annually, including the ULI Awards for Excellence, the Gerald D. Hines Urban Design Student Competition, the J. C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, and the ULI-Kenneth M. Good Graduate Student Fellowship
No link ...
Family fight demands some Good will hunting
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Author: David Roeder
Sheldon Good ‘s name is still on the door of one of Chicago’s top real estate brokerage and auction firms. But make no mistake—his son Steven is the guy in charge. It took a ruling from a Cook County judge to settle the matter.
The decision came down a week ago in a breach of contract case Sheldon filed against Steven. Sheldon lost on all counts. The decision should chase a cloud lingering over the firm Sheldon Good & Co. International, despite its substantial business growth of recent years. All that’s left to fix now is the broken relationship between a father and his son.
That’s liable to take more time than even a Cook County court case. Expressing sorrow over the dispute but showing little taste for reconciliation, Steven Good said the fight stemmed from his father’s opposition to a company reorganization. In 2001, the son bought Sheldon ‘s interest in the family-held firm and turned it into a partnership, allowing him to give ownership to executives who could generate business.
The approach has allowed the 39-year-old firm to grow beyond its traditional role of auctioneer into brokerage and to add specialties in the marketing of estates, resorts and timberland. Sheldon stayed on as chairman emeritus, drawing a salary of $158,000 a year not to compete against the company, according to court records.
(snip)
The contractual role of chairman emeritus, the judge noted, let Sheldon do as much or as little as he pleased. Steven Good said he was hoping for a little business here and there, but mostly wanted his dad to be a “goodwill ambassador for the firm.” He said that hasn’t happened.
Asked if his father is available for advice, he said nobody ever knows when Sheldon will be in the office.
(snip)
Latte anyone? LOL
FROM:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1365268,CST-NWS-inspect07.article
Chicago public school bureaucrats skirted competitive bidding rules to buy 30 cappuccino/espresso machines for $67,000, with most of the machines going unused because the schools they were ordered for had not asked for them, according to a report by the CPS Office of Inspector General.
That was just one example of questionable CPS actions detailed in the inspector general’s 2008 annual report. Others included high school staffers changing grades to pump up transcripts of student athletes and workers at a restricted-enrollment grade school falsifying addresses to get relatives admitted.
In the case of the cappuccino machines, central office administrators split the order among 21 vocational schools to avoid competitive bidding required for purchases over $10,000. As a result CPS paid about $12,000 too much, according to Inspector General James Sullivan. “We were able to find the same machines cheaper online,” he said.
.............
The grade-changing took place at an unidentified high school, where student athletes grades were boosted, then, after transcripts were issued for college admission offices, the grades were changed back. The culprits could not be identified because passwords allowing entry to the grading system were shared by a number of people, Sullivan said. A new record system has tighter security, he said.
At Carson Elementary, an overcrowded school in Gage Park where even neighborhood kids were restricted from enrolling, five lower- level employees got six relatives into the school by falsifying addresses. Sixty-nine students from outside the attendance area got in, but they didn’t even bother to lie about their addresses. CPS had to spend as much as $252,000 to bus kids who live in the neighborhood to other schools, Sullivan said.
(US Atty) Pat Fitzgerald Boots One (accidentally releases names of sources in fraud case
FROM:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2160584/posts
....
In announcing felony charges against two men for their roles in an alleged $15 million Ponziesque swindle, the spokesman for Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (he of Rod Blagojevich- and Scooter Libby-prosecuting fame) e-mailed reporters a 62-page U.S. District Court complaint filed against John Walsh and Charles Martin, principals of the now-defunct One World Capital Group.
....The inadvertent disclosure of the sources—former One World employees, customers, and “other” individuals who spoke with FBI and IRS agents—caused Fitzgerald spokesman Randall Samborn to send an urgent follow-up email asking journalists to destroy the complaint due to the “non-public information disclosing the identities of persons not named in the affidavit.”
Is this the same corporation? TIGER WOODS foundation
One World Capital Group. Small Ventures USA. Symantec Corporation .... Board of Directors. Richard Baily. Sandra Barry. Marian Bergeson. Raj S. Bhathal ...
Still looking into any OWCG connect to Tiger Woods Foundation -
However, grabbed notable grant recipients from TWF 2007 Annual Report
90 total grants awarded -
41 grants to DC-area agencies:
Adat Shalom Congregation, Bethesda MD
After School Alliance, DC
Amazement Square, Lynchberg VA
American Cancer Society, Vienna VA
Big Bros/Big Sis, Lanham MD
Cabin John Volunteer Fire Dept., Potomac MD
Capital Area Food Bank, DC
Catholic Charities Foundation, DC
Center City Consortium, DC
Commuity Preservation and Development Corp., DC
Dance Institute of DC, DC
DC Scores, DC
Education Africa USA, DC
First Book, DC
Food & Friends, DC
Good Shepherd Housing, Alexandria VA
Heads Up, DC
Heroes, Inc., DC
Higher Achievement Program, DC
Holy Cross Romanian Orthodox Church, DC
Hoop Dreams Scholarship, DC
Hospitality High School of DC, DC
Johns Hopkins Univ. Ctr. for Talented Youth, Baltimore MD
Kiwanis Foundation, DC
Low Vision Ctr, DC
Martha’s Table, DC
Mercy Health Clinic, Germantown MD
Montgomery County, Rockville MD — (they offered a grant to a county?)
Naval Academy Foundation, Annapolis MD
Norwood School, Bethesda MD
Operation Outreach USA, Natick MA
Our Military Kids, McLean VA
Perry School, DC
Reading is Fundamental, DC
Ronald McDonald House, Falls Church VA
Shakespeare Theater Co, DC
Starlight Starbright Childrens Fund, DC
The Connelly School of the Holy Child, Potomac MD
The House, Inc., Woodbridge VA
Smithsonian Anacostia, DC
Washington Jesuit Academy, DC
Wolf Trap Foundation, Vienna VA
Yellow Ribbon Fund, Kensington MD
International Youth Foundation, Baltimore MD
4 grants to Chicago-area agencies:
Cabrini Connections, Tutor-Mentor Connection, Chicago IL
Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation, Chicago IL
North Central College, Naperville IL
Partnership to educate and Advance Kids, Chicago IL
http://www.cftc.gov/customerprotection/casestatusreports/OneWorldCapitalGroup/index.htm
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced that on December 13, 2007 it sued One World Capital Group, LLC (One World) of Winnetka, Illinois, a registered FCM, and its President, John Edward Walsh of Lake Forest, Illinois, charging them with inability to demonstrate compliance with capitalization requirements and with failure to maintain required books and records.
On the same day the case was filed, the CFTC won an asset freeze and other emergency relief that will enable the Commission to freeze the assets of One World and safeguard the interests of its customers.
The complaint alleges that One World has been unable to demonstrate that it has maintained at least $1 million in adjusted net capital, the minimum requirement needed for FCMs that are Foreign Currency Dealer members of the NFA.
October, 2008: On October 30, 2008, a status hearing was held before Judge Lefkow: The Parties continue to work to prepare a complete customer listing for submission to the court. The next status date is set for January 8, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.
Only correlation identified - One World Capitol Group listed as a “Supporting Sponsor” of the TWF Endowment Fund in their TWF 2007 annual report.
BINGO!
(Nice work Friday!)
FROM:
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/burris-contracts-to-contributors.html
Monday, January 05, 2009
Burris’ contracts to contributors
By Dana Heupel
During Roland Burris’ first full fiscal year as Illinois attorney general, more than half of the money his office awarded for outside legal work went to campaign contributors, according to a book published by Illinois Issues magazine and the Springfield State Journal-Register.
In FY 1992, Burris’ office issued roughly $4 million in outside legal contracts to individuals and law firms, according to the book, Illinois For Sale, which was published in 1997. More than $2.25 million of that amount went to contributors to Burris’ campaign or to the main Democratic fundraising committee.
None of the outside legal contracts were required to be put out for bids by competing law firms. Burris’ office was allowed to award the contracts without consideration over whether the state received the best price for the legal work.
At the time, Burris’ office denied they were “pay to play” contracts.
(snip)
..
(no links)
Remark rocks gov race - Burris hit for `white boys’ speech
Chicago Sun-Times - Thursday, February 26, 1998
Author: SCOTT FORNEK AND MARK BROWN
Two Democrats running for governor lashed out at front-runner Roland Burris on Wednesday for a videotaped speech in which he appears to call them “ non-qualified white boys .”
“It’s outrageous,” said rival candidate Jim Burns, demanding an apology. “Race-baiting doesn’t belong anywhere in this society, and it certainly doesn’t belong in a campaign for governor.”
The remarks came in a speech that aired earlier this year over a local cable station and was replayed Wednesday by WLS-Channel 7. Burris, a former Illinois attorney general, was angrily rejecting any suggestion that he should consider dropping out of the race.
“I got 20 years’ experience in Illinois government, and some of those other non-qualified white boys ought to get out,” Burris appears to say on the tape. “They never held a public office before.”
(snip)
..
Win could be in the cards for Burris - $1 million gift might keep the odds in his favor—or stack the deck against him
Chicago Sun-Times - Monday, February 11, 2002
Author: Scott Fornek
In the high-stakes poker game of gubernatorial politics, Democrat Roland Burris could be holding his best hand ever—a pair of aces in his strong support among fellow African Americans and his potential appeal Downstate—as well as a gift of $1 million in chips to keep him in the game.
“Absolutely, it’s his to lose,” said Tom Carey, a Democratic strategist and adviser to the Burris campaign.
But with his primary rivals holding a few aces of their own, the former attorney general still must play his cards carefully if he hopes to win the pot.
Thanks to the record $1 million infusion of cash from firms tied to an Oak Brook businessman (Joseph Stroud), Burris started the year with $911,162 in his campaign kitty. That’s nearly 26 times the $35,111 he had at the same point in his 1998 bid in which he still managed to squeak out a second-place finish.
(snip)
..
IT’S NOT RACIST TO TELL WHY BURRIS IS GIVING DEMOCRATS THE JITTERS
Chicago Tribune - Tuesday, January 6, 1998
Author: John Kass .
If a white columnist criticizes a black politician by calling him a political hack, is that white columnist a racist? Just so you don’t think this is a hypothetical question, let’s be clear.
Am I a racist for putting the hack label on Roland Burris in a Dec. 24 column? He’s one of four leading contenders seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor in the upcoming March primary.
(snip)
Years ago, as South African leader Nelson Mandela was about to be released from prison, dozens of Chicago’s black political/intellectual elite were at a meeting on the South Side.
Present were the socialists, the black nationalists, the progressives and several political operatives and politicians. Burris was there in his three-piece suit, starched white shirt and power tie.
He was being asked whether the African National Congress should deserve any criticism. But the questioner didn’t use the words “African National Congress.” Instead, he used the letters, ANC.
“I don’t know if we should start criticizing the ANC, before we criticize CBS and NBC and ABC first!,” Burris said with emphasis. “Let’s take care of ABC and NBC. Then CBS. We address them, then we can pressure ANC. But go after the other networks first!”
After a moment of stunned silence—as if someone had passed gas at a quiet dinner party—the meeting was in an uproar.
Many were stunned that Burris thought ANC was a television network. Others thought he was doing an imitation of Las Vegas comic Norm Crosby, the king of malaprops. The consensus was that Burris should keep his mouth shut.
“We need a blackout on this guy,” said several at the meeting, only they used an ugly two-word slang phrase in place of “guy.”
(snip)
(LOL!)
35 posted on Thursday, January 08, 2009 8:01:36 AM by maggief
(no links)
AGENCIES RECEIVE UNEXPECTED CASH
Pantagraph, The (Bloomington, IL) - Friday, June 17, 1994
Author: STEVE ARNEY
Roland Burris , Illinois attorney general and the bearer of many nasty surprises such as lawsuits, enjoys pleasant surprises, too.
He convened an impromptu reception at Catholic Social Services in Bloomington Thursday to hand out three unexpected checks totaling $25,000.
Accepting checks were representatives from Women’s Counseling and Support Services ($10,000), BroMenn Home Health Care ($10,000) and John M. Scott Health Resource Center ($5,000).
“Everybody smile and say, `Money,’ “ Burris said as cameras clicked.
Then he was off to Champaign to distribute four more checks totaling $50,000.
(snip)
..
CHRISTMAS MONEY IN JUNE FROM SANTA ROLAND BURRIS
Pantagraph, The (Bloomington, IL) - Thursday, June 23, 1994
Author: bw
Editorial
EXCERPT
The money given to the Bloomington-Normal groups last week came from the status change of Personal Care HMO in Champaign-Urbana in late 1988 or early 1989, according to the attorney general’s office. The HMO had to pay $400,000 plus interest in eight annual installments.
Where the money comes from is important, Burris’ office said, because they try to earmark the money to similar charitable groups in the same region. In this instance, they reviewed the annual registrations required of charitable groups and looked for health-care related charities in Central Illinois, Burris’ office said.
Burris has handed out these funds since he became attorney general, but his office didn’t have a breakdown of amounts or recipients immediately available.
Handing out checks has to be pleasurable, and Burris doesn’t get many such jobs.
It’s hard to say anything bad about $25,000 going to three worthwhile area charities, but we think the law allowing such disbursements at the discretion of any single office holder ought to be examined.
..
BURRIS’ OLD LAW FIRM TOPS LIST OF MINORITIES HE AIDED
Chicago Tribune - Saturday, February 26, 1994
Author: Flynn McRoberts, Tribune Staff Writer.
Roland Burris has a quick response when asked about his former relationship with a Chicago law firm, which has won nearly a half-million dollars in state legal work since he became Illinois attorney general.
He says the work received by Jones Ware & Grenard, the state’s largest black-owned law firm, shows his commitment to opening state legal work to minorities.
“I have spent my whole life making sure that minorities . . . receive their fair share of contracts and business,” Burris said during Tuesday’s radio debate among the three main Democratic gubernatorial contenders
State records and interviews with minority-owned law firms indicate Burris accurately defended himself. The amount of legal work throughout state government that has gone to minority-owned firms has nearly tripled since Burris was elected attorney general in November 1990-an increase several firms attributed either directly or indirectly to Burris.
But those records also show that Jones Ware & Grenard or individual partners in the firm received nearly a third of the $1.52 million in state legal work awarded to minority firms from fiscal year 1991 to the present, according to an analysis of state records by the attorney general’s office.
(snip)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2160551/posts
Chicago Public Schools’ cappuccino bill: $67,000
The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 1-07-09 | BY ART GOLAB Staff Reporter agolab@suntimes.com
Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2009 5:13:45 PM by originalbuckeye
Chicago public school bureaucrats skirted public competitive bidding rules to buy 30 cappuccino/espresso machines for $67,000, with most of the machines going unused because the schools they were ordered for had not asked for them, according to a report by the CPS Office of Inspector General.
That was just one example of questionable CPS actions detailed in the inspector general’s 2008 annual report. Others included high school staffers changing grades to pump up transcripts of student athletes and workers at a restricted-enrollment grade school falsifying addresses to get relatives admitted.
In the case of the cappuccino machines, central office administrators split the order among 21 vocational schools to avoid competitive bidding required for purchases over $10,000. As a result CPS paid about $12,000 too much, according to Inspector General James Sullivan. “We were able to find the same machines cheaper online,” he said.
“We also look at it as a waste of money because the schools didn’t even know they were getting the equipment, schools didn’t know how to use the machines and weren’t prepared to implement them into the curriculum,” Sullivan said.
CPS spokesman Michael Vaughn said CPS plans to change its purchasing policy so that competitive bidding kicks in when a vendor accumulates $10,000 worth of orders, no matter how many schools are involved. One person was fired and disciplinary action is pending against three others, he said.
The grade-changing took place at an unidentified high school, where student athletes grades were boosted, then, after transcripts were issued for college admission offices, the grades were changed back. The culprits could not be identified because passwords allowing entry to the grading system were shared by a number of people, Sullivan said. A new record system has tighter security, he said.
At Carson Elementary, an overcrowded school in Gage Park where even neighborhood kids were restricted from enrolling, five lower- level employees got six relatives into the school by falsifying addresses. Sixty-nine students from outside the attendance area got in, but they didn’t even bother to lie about their addresses. CPS had to spend as much as $252,000 to bus kids who live in the neighborhood to other schools, Sullivan said.
Vaughn said the employees involved have resigned, been fired or will be fired.
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