POLITICS AS USUAL: The Drip

Contributing Correspondent: Maze Jackson

I was not sure if I heard it the first time, I just wasn’t sure, but I thought it sounded like a drip hitting the pan. When I heard the second drip, and I definitely heard the second one, it confirmed that the first drip was what I thought it was - a drip. I heard the first two drips and I anticipate many more over the coming years.

What is this drip that I'm referring to you ask? The drip is the steady flow of information that will slowly be revealed as the skirt is raised on the Daley administration. The drip will get louder and faster as the Rahm administration, reporters, and investigators begin to take a hard look at how the 'City That Works', has actually worked over the last twenty years under Mayor Daley. And I'm willing to bet it isn’t going to be pretty.

But I’m sticking to my earlier premise, “to the victor goes the spoil.” I think the things we'll find out over the next few years will only prove that Mayor Daley agreed with my premise. And the first drip that I wasn’t so sure, was the story of David Koschman and R.J. Vanecko and the infamous “punch on Division Street.” If you're not aware of the story, the Chicago Sun-Times and various witnesses alleged that Daley’s nephew, R.J. Vanecko was involved in a verbal altercation while bar hopping on Division Street.

It's alleged that at some point he threw a sucker punch at a much smaller gentleman who hit his head on the sidewalk and eventually died from the injury. With the CPD dismissing the case without charges being filed, and without debating the right and wrong or the guilt or innocence in the matter, I’d like to focus on the drip.
When the story first broke, I was puzzled. Who would release such a story? Why would they release it? And why now? All of those questions made me suspect this might be a drip, but I couldn't be sure if I actually heard it. I decided to pay closer attention and listen harder next time to confirm my suspicions.

Then I heard it hit the pan distinctly. Plain as day, it was definitely a drip! OK a drop, but my suspicion was confirmed when 'The Watchdogs' of the Sun-Times reported that then Mayor’s son, Patrick made a little over $700K on an O’Hare Airport Wi-Fi deal, even while members of the Daley administration explicitly denied the younger Daley’s involvement.

Mayor Daley himself was not accused of lying, and I'm not alleging that anything illegal was done. Remember, to me I believe to the victor go the spoils, and that $700K makes me want to be victorious! But I think this confirms my drip theory.
Think of it like this…as the skirt on the Daley administration is raised, there'll be more questions asked and more answers will be demanded. I’m willing to bet those answers will begin to sound like drips in a pan. It'll be interesting to see how many drips it'll take to make the pan overflow.

Maze, political consultant, partner / The Roosevelt Group, co - founder / Next Generation Leadership Council (NGLC). Can be reached at maze@mazjac.com or facebook.com/mazjac