Wednesday, October 8, 2008

City Workers Loaf on the Job

I've done a few stories about this and I'm watching it happen today in the 1200 block of West Lunt.
Of the 145 laborers whose daily movements were tracked in 10 different wards, investigators "did not see a single laborer doing a full day's work," according to the report. The worst ward had crews slacking off for an average of two hours and 28 minutes a day. In the best-performing ward, laborers were paid to do nothing for one hour and 38 minutes. Source.
Paid to do nothing. Nothing changes.... Even today.

27 comments:

Unknown said...

Kind of like paying our alderman to stand around offering donuts, but not actually providing any ward services.

It's the Chicago way!

Man On The Street said...

It's Seinfeld Politics...

I live here too said...

I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you. Waste and inefficiency in the City payroll, who knew?

Vote NO MOORE in 2011

billyjoe said...

Wow. Complaining that "city workers don't work enough."

Very original.

Show me one US city or state government whose workers are an exception to this tired, oft-used stereotype.

Here's some more shocking news: Politicians have friends and family members on their payrolls.

Really? Outrageous!

floss said...

...and "trimming the fat" comes in the form of eliminating police or bus routes to the scare us.

Anonymous said...

why dont you do their jobs than? you know how hard their jobs are,all of that hard labor,, stop complaining all the time, why dont you move to iraq if you dont like rogers park ! see how u like it over there

Craig Gernhardt said...

Costing the taxpayers at least $14.3 million a year...

Yeah, you're right. This is nothing.

Edgewater Crime Blotter said...

Yes, "move to Iraq if you don't like Rogers Park." Totally rational argument there.

presstoe said...

I've worked in a few different office settings as a temporary and permanent staff member. I saw people shopping on the internet, having 30-40 minute personal phone calls, starting their 30 minute lunch break after they'd taken the elevator ride downstairs and gotten outside, and most shocking, someone who admitted to me that he spent half the day looking at porn and that he was in counseling for his sex addiction (as if I needed to know this). Looking at porn for hours while he was supposed to be working... and he sat in the cubicle across from me- GROSS!

When I supervised people I felt so uncomfortable having to talk to grown people about extra 20 minutes they added to their lunch everyday, as if they thought no one would notice! When I worked at Misericordia (which is so "prestigious"- right) I had to coach almost all of my support staff to continue working or they would just sit there when they were supposed to be teaching!

It's everywhere. I'm not downplaying the loss of taxpayer's money- but it's EVERYWHERE, just not everyone works out in public where you see it. I'm never going to manage people again because the constant LAZINESS drove me batty!

BillyJoe'sBrain said...

Hey billyjoe

latinking is making a strong push to unseat you as the dumbass of the blog. You both suck hard at trolling and all, but at least you can express yourself in complete sentences. Don't get me wrong, you're still a hard-on. Just not a big, raging one like latinking.

Tom Mannis said...

You get paid to do nothing Craig, so what is the difference?

sandy said...

Maybe they should book a weeks vacation at a Luxury Spa in southern California, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,How is the economy going to get better if anyone making less than $50,000, a year, (which is 3/4 of the population), doesn't even qualify for a car loan or a credit card at Target, ha, ha, ha, ha, How the H#$@ is the economy going to get better? Macy's and Robs BMW can't keep the economy going. It takes the income from the little guy who's income, doesn't qualify him for anything. Yea, the economy is going to get better.

billyjoe said...

billyjoe's brain: Thanks for the backhanded compliment.

But what are we supposed to conclude from your constant phallic references like, "Don't get me wrong, you're still a hard-on. Just not a big, raging one like latinking?"

presto: "It's everywhere. I'm not downplaying the loss of taxpayer's money- but it's EVERYWHERE, just not everyone works out in public where you see it. I'm never going to manage people again because the constant LAZINESS drove me batty!"

Exactly the point Im trying to make. Why are loafing city workers viewed as more offensive than the guy viewing porn in the cubicle next to you? As you point out, the behavior is endemic, not limited to City of Chicago workers.

BillyJoe'sBrain said...

billyjoe

The constant phallic references are used because you're such a, well, cock. Embrace your phallusness.

Hugh said...

"Wow. Complaining that city workers don't work enough. Very original."

it's news when your home town's inspector general writes a report that says it


" ... tired, oft-used stereotype."

it may be a stereotype but it's also a documented fact thanks to our IG

Waste and Falsification in Bureau of Sanitation

mcl said...

I wonder how many property tax payers in Chicago are aware that the city (Mayor Daley) provides 'free' garbage pick up to all religious groups and organizations (churches & faith-based NFP's). This would seem to be in clear violation of the State Constitution ("ARTICLE VIII
FINANCE SECTION 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS (a) Public funds, property or credit shall be
used only for public purposes. (b) The State, units of local government and school
districts shall incur obligations for payment or make payments from public funds only as
authorized by law or ordinance. (c) Reports and records of the obligation, receipt and use
of public funds of the State, units of local government and school districts are public
records available for inspection by the public according to law.")

Somebody ought to do a study to determine how much this illegal 'service give away' is costing property tax payers.

I live here too said...

Presstoe,

There is a fundamental difference between the experience you relate to the case of municipal workers. I PAY the municapal workers via my outrageous taxes. I do not pay the people in the private or non-profit sectors. BIG difference. If I pay you, I have a say in how you are doing your job. Period.

Vote NO MOORE in 2011

Craig Gernhardt said...

If the inspector general wants to make a larger impact, follow the street repair workers around too.

Also they should investigate the park district workers. I've seen them do nothing too.

Don't just limit this investigation to the garbage slackers.

Clark St. said...

The pothole patchers may be the worst of all.
They have been known to just dump their entire truckload of cold patch asphalt onto empty lots & then goof off all day. or they pave unpaved streets & alleys with it. It takes very little time to spread an entire dump truck full of the stuff on one alley & roll it down, compared to filling pothole after pothole at varying locations in their district.
Then they just go to a bar & finish out the day.
I can remember stories on this 30 years ago.

floss said...

The price for asphalt has soared as it is derived from petroleum

Hugh said...

" ... the inspector general ... should investigate the park district workers ... "

good idea but the parks are out of the IG scope

CrimeStopper2 said...

Hey Craig,

Looks like Tom has finally admitted nothing gets done in Rogers Park without the help of your blog or campaign donations. Sorry for the link to his site.
http://morosehellhole.blogspot.com/2008/10/giant-sinkhole-closes-lunt.html

billyjoe said...

"The constant phallic references are used because you're such a, well, cock. Embrace your phallusness."

Well, at least we know what's constantly on your mind. You must be an avid reader of Craig's gay rag.

BillyJoe'sBrain said...

billyjoe

Have I called you a peckerhead yet?
And I'm into chicks-ask your moms. Snap.

billyjoe said...

"And I'm into chicks-ask your moms. Snap."

Could have fooled me. You come off as if youre suppressing your true homo tendencies.

BillyJoe'sBrain said...

billyjoe

Stop projecting. What are we supposed to conclude from your constant gay references? See how I just paraphrased one of your earlier posts, sausage?

Craig Gernhardt said...

Okay, I'm bored. Comments closed.

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