DOES CHICAGO HAVE SCANDAL FATIGUE?

daley + tristan = tru luv 4 eva

Check out this great post at Gapers Block - Homero Tristan and Scandal Fatigue:

But, as always, it's important to know exactly what happened, before a scandal turns into A Scandal, where everybody knows the personalities but not the facts. Tristan's resignation and reporters' questions about it caused much Mayoral huffing and puffing, with the Mayor claiming Tristan had done nothing seriously wrong, and insinuating that the IG was running wild

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It is important not to play into that interpretation of reform by unreasonably blowing ethical lapses and transgressions into world-shattering "scandals". This isn't a scandal on par with Hired Truck or dozens of yet-unreported scandals we may soon learn about O'Hare contracting or in the Water Department. We joke about "scandal fatigue" but it is a real problem, and one that has probably unnaturally elongated the life of a political establishment that should have collapsed years ago.
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True, Homero Tristan shouldn't be burned in effigy as a machine hack out to clout jobs for the connected--at least, that's not what he was accused of and there's no evidence that that's what he was doing. At the same time, we shouldn't go ahead and start attacking the motives and character of an Inspector General just doing his job, and trying to make sure that the letter of the federal order is followed exactly. There's a reason the order errs on the side of less discretion for the city in these kinds of situations; it was that very discretion that allowed for shenanigans. Accusing the IG of hating democracy and holding bizarre potlucks in support of Tristan sends the message that "community groups" supposedly in the business of advocating for the people are opposed to independent oversight of government affairs.

If you read this blog regularly, you know I don't suffer from Scandal Fatigue. But I know many Chicagoans do. It's a big reason Daley is still the mayor of Chicago after 20 years of corruption, waste, clout, crimes, tyranny, and greed. Mayor Daley can count on people getting sick of hearing all about his corrupt bullshit. "Oh well, big surprise, it's just the Chicago Way." And they just forget, stop paying attention, or don't care.
















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