Obama's Mentor Stirs Outrage In Chicago

The individual who launched The One on his star-like path toward the Democratic nomination, Emil Jones, has incensed Chicago voters and a look behind the headlines reveals some troubling details that might cause even more problems for the currently struggling Obamessiah, Nancy Pelosi's seemingly chosen one.

From Times On Line, March 2008:

Long before Barack Obama launched his campaign for the White House, when he was considering a run for the US Senate in 2003, he paid an intriguing visit to a former Chicago sewers inspector who had risen to become one of the most influential African-American politicians in Illinois.

“You have the power to elect a US senator,” Obama told Emil Jones, Democratic leader of the Illinois state senate. Jones looked at the ambitious young man smiling before him and asked, teasingly: “Do you know anybody I could make a US senator?”

According to Jones, Obama replied: “Me.” It was his first, audacious step in a spectacular rise from the murky political backwaters of Springfield, the Illinois capital.

The exchange also sealed an intimate personal and political relationship that is likely to attract intense scrutiny amid the furore over Obama’s links to some of Chicago’s most controversial political and religious power brokers.

Jones, now 73, won his recent primary and has only now decided to retire, putting forward his relatively unknown son to take his place. A move that all but guarantees him winning his seat. But that's not all.

Had he made his retirement plans known last year, real change could have taken place--a spirited Democratic Primary contest would have taken place.

Machine pol Jones knows that, which is why he's retiring now, and setting it up so his son can take his place on the ballot.

And there is a lot of anger about it in the Chicago area. Rep. Bill Lipinski (D-Chicago) pulled the same stunt four years ago, and Cook County President John Stroger was replaced on the fall ballot two years ago by his incompetent son, Todd "Urkel" Stroger. Obama had the audacity to call this hack, "a good, progressive Democrat."

The elder Jones isn't expected to leave public life and people in the know in Chicago peg him for an eventual spot in any prospective Obama administration. But one thing is certain - he won't need the money. He'll be living high on the hog at taxpayer's expense no matter his course. So, not only will his son now simply take his place, he'll be collecting six-figures at taxpayer's expense even if he just sits home. But I guess this is all just change - Chicago style.

With his current final salary, upon which pensions of those in the General Assembly Retirement System are based, Jones can expect to get $81,016 the first year, if he requests it right after his senate service ends, presumably next January. (85% times $95,313.)

Twelve months after his first check, a calculation called “accrual” by the pension administrators kicks in.

An additional amount equal to 3 percentage point times the number of years since Jones was eligible for retirement will be added to his annual pension.

His colleague and close ally State Senator Rickey Hendon revealed on TV that Jones had 36 years of pension credits. 

That seems to count each of his legislative years.

I heard that he was a city sewer inspector. If those years were before he served in the legislature, the number to be multiplied by 3 percentage points would be larger.

Anyway, at minimum, Emil Jones' pension would increase by 16 times 3 percentage points.

That's 48%.

So, the January after next, Jones could expect an extra $38,877 a year resulting from not having retired after twenty years employment in government.

Totaling $119,904 per year.

But it would really be a bit larger than that because next July 1st, Jones, along with all other public pensioners, will get their annual 3% “cost of living” increase.

Comments

[Darko von Hymen, M.D.]

Hope and change-the Chicago way.

[PA]

Selected, not elected.

[SacTownMan]

Annointed and appointed!

[seekeronos]

Ah, Barrack Hussein Obama (pbuh), the Caliph of the Islamic Republic of North America.

[Fred Beloit]

Sewers to Senate. (Rejuvenated and remunerated. Immunized and idolized. Weighed and paid. Uplifted and over-gifted. Curdled and cuddled. Hygiened and machined.)

[Gabriel Sutherland]

When ole man Daley finally hangs em up, the machine is going to eat itself alive. It's going to be ugly.