Zekman, Follow This

So when Ed Burke is out golfing and his bodyguards are sitting around doing nothing for 5 hours except waiting for him to return, couldn't they come back to the city and write tickets for 3 hours and justify their Sergeant pay?

Or maybe Ed could pay for his own transport and bodyguard detail out of that "war chest" of his?

If you haven't noticed, we're a bit busy out here. We could use the bodies.

Sue the City?

Serious question.

Is there any reason that a concerned member, perhaps even a concerned Board Member, can't file a lawsuit against the City of Chicago for failing to live up to its pension obligations as per state law?

We recall a few months ago that an actual Pension Board (perhaps in New York?) either sued or won a judgment against a municipality that said the Defendant was in violation of a contract and the law by not fully funding its obligations.

We don't see how the City keeps getting away with underfunding all these pensions for years, even decades, in violation of who knows how many rules that exist to prevent such an occurrence.

We'd happily kick in to fund that lawsuit. So would a bunch of almost-retirees who are nervous about whether or not the pension will exist in under 10 years. So would a bunch of retirees who aren't looking forward to eating cat food the rest of their lives.

Puede fallar (vol.6)

Capítulo semisexual de la benemérita sección para responder a tres preguntas.

¿Debe ser amonestado quien exhibe su pene en un partido?
¿Vale distraer al arquero bajandose los pantalones?
¿Se le pueden bajar los pantalones a un triste lineman?

El chino Luna: bajo la lupa

[Pedro Molina]

Tigre le ganó injustamente a Godoy Cruz en Mendoza (0-2), se acerca a la clasificación de copas y el chino Luna volvió a mojar después de meterle dos a Colón (2-1) en Victoria la semana pasada. Washington Cucurto tituló su nota “Nace un crack” y el hombre de la lupa - Pedro Molina - intenta despejar dudas analizando su partido de doblete frente al sabalero: ¿Es nueve de área o mediapunta? ¿Juega mejor solo o acompañado de Lázzaro?

PRIMER TIEMPO
No hay dudas que los primeros minutos de Carlos no fueron del todo buenos. Su movimiento por la derecha, chocando permanentemente con Goux le generó un malestar que lo tuvo mascullando bronca gran parte de la primera etapa. Se dedicó a bajar pelotas, a chocar contra cualquier sabalero que se parara entre el delantero y la pelota. En una jugada, por cuestión de suerte quedó enfrentado a Pozo tras recibir un pase atrás, dentro del área grande, sacó un derechazo al bulto de Pozo que la mandó al corner. Una sola vez tocó la pelota detrás de mitad de cancha y como muestra el gráfico, gran parte de su juego fue por la derecha y eso que no tenía un centrodelantero. Suárez no solo no es eso, sino que sorprende la cantidad de pases que le hizo a su compañero de ataque (dos) en todo el partido. En un tiro de esquina desde la derecha, saltó cerca de Pozo sin cometerle infracción, el uno sacó con los puños, pero sus defensores se durmieron en la segunda jugada y el Chino convirtió con un cabezazo de pique al suelo. Pudo aumentar con un cabezazo a la carrera que le ganó a Garcé y el arquero de Maradona voló espectacularmente para enviarla al corner. Sobre el final tuvo otra, pero le pegó muy débil y encima se desvió.

SEGUNDO TIEMPO
Con el resultado a favor, la función del pelado se modificó. Su juego dejó de ser tan vertical, se empezó a mover por todos lados –empezando de atrás- y su participación fue menor ya que el rival no le permitía demasiado. Cambios de frente, centros para nadie, toques cortos y de primera, era evidente que no era lo mismo, y no por motus-propio, sino por circunstancias del partido. Hasta Goux había quedado atrás, ya que dejó de ir siempre por la derecha y los roces con el lanudo dejaron de ser tan repetidos. Lo mejor y la coronación llegó sobre el final. Con un jugador más y cerca de terminar, le tiraron una pelota larga (¿la debió devolver porque Fuertes estaba en el piso?) que la punteó y luego lo atropelló Pozo en un penal bastante dudoso, por cierto. Él mismo se hizo cargo de mandar la pelota mansita al fondo de la red desde los doce pasos. A los cuarenta y ocho, con el resultado puesto (bah, faltaba el gol 99 de Fuertes), salió para recibir una ovación merecida del gran matador.

CONCLUSIÓN Con el resultado 0-0 se movió por el centro haciendo de nueve ya que era necesario, sin embargo a mi parecer donde más cómodo se siente es sobre las puntas, sacando ventaja desde su potencia y velocidad. Para cerrar debemos hablar del compañero de dupla y más allá de la victoria, aparentemente con Suárez no se entienden del todo bien y la culpa que el tándem no funcione no es del “oriental” sino del otro, que no da pie con bola…

This Could Be Fun

Going back a rumor or two...

• Daley has asked the exempts for 20, count them, 20 days w/o pay. Source says they have 10 days to decide whether to accept or resume civil service rank. Equivalent to a 7% pay cut.

Let's look at the last sixteen months of Department history:

• J-Fed arrives. He knows almost no one, just Peterson if the rumors are true. He then changes 90% of the command staff with input from whom? There's only one person who could or even would allow him to do this - Shortshanks;
• The current unpleasantness begins and continues;
  
• Now Shortshanks is prepared to return any exempt who won't play ball with his 7% givebacks to their career service rank and grab the next sucker in line who's willing to give up 7% of their salary to run Districts, Units and Areas. Their primary qualification is going to be that they were willing to take a $10,000 or more hit?
  

And this is going to happen right before the killing season heats up? Summer festival season? The Third of July? Not that we're looking to drum up any sympathy for J-Fed, but how the hell is he supposed to run a Department with this amount of interference from Shortshanks? J-Fed has made any number of truly boneheaded moves, but this one by Daley takes the cake. He should be counting himself lucky that some exempts (and there are a few) who are trying to make a difference and address problems by working 60 and 70 hours a week for free.

Someone asked if Car 47 would be taking the 20 days off. We heard he offered to take 30 days off because everything he's made over sergeants pay for the past few years is just gravy anyway.

Someone else asked if the civilian exempt who was running around with a member of the "Policy Group" while illegally carrying a firearm would be adding the 20 days off to his expected suspension time. We still aren't sure if J-Fed is maintaining the separate tiers of discipline for the "Friends of J-Fed" and the unwashed masses. Time will tell.

Nice Pinch

Quick action and a bit of luck:

• An armed robber who held up a downtown 7-11 was arrested within seconds this morning by two marine unit cops who'd stopped for coffee, police said.
  
  Elgee Burdine, 32, of the 6100 block of South Ingleaside Ave., was charged with armed robbery and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon following his arrest at 5 a.m. outside the convenience store at 71 East Monroe Street, Chicago Police spokeswoman JoAnn Taylor said.
  
  Sgt. Robert Fitzsimmons and officer Raul Echevarria--who normally work on water with the Chicago Police Marine and Helicopter Unit--say they grabbed Burdine as he fled the store with $226 cash and a loaded shotgun stashed in his bag.

And about two weeks ago, the Mounted Unit grabbed another armed robber downtown. And another Marine Unit officer nabbed a third armed robber just before that?

Nice jobs Officers.

Not Good

Again? Seriously?

• A car driven by an off-duty Chicago police officer struck and killed a 13-year-old boy early today, then drove off, officials say.
  

Whatever. Let the investigation takes its course.

We're still waiting for the day the media writes "off-duty janitor" or "off-duty doctor" for some of these instances. An off-duty cop doesn't represent the City or on-duty Officers any more than an "off the clock trucker" represents the Teamsters Union.