O’Hare International Airport is the jewel of the city’s economy. It pulls in billions of dollars worth of business each year. It connects Chicago to the world.
But after a series of scandals at O’Hare involving juicy no-bid political contracts going to mayoral buddies, City Hall figured out it had a public relations problem.
Which is why Mayor Richard Daley chose Mary Rose Loney to be commissioner of the Department of Aviation.
She had the experience because she worked at several top airports, and even took a pay cut to come back to Chicago. She has dealt efficiently and well with the airlines and the suburbanites who are fighting the necessary expansion of the airport.
Even the mayor says she’s doing a great job and says he supports her 100 percent.
But if O’Hare is so important and critical, like the mayor says, then why is City Hall loading it up over Loney’s objections with 11th Ward political hacks?
And why is Victor Reyes, the chief of intergovernmental affairs for Daley, pulling the strings by stuffing incompetent politicos into important jobs at high salaries? Who knows–is there an election coming?
Some of these guys have familial clout in the mayor’s office, like the janitor brother of Terry Teele, mayoral gopher, deputy chief of staff and top protege of influential mayoral pal Oscar D’Angelo, the business consultant.
Terry’s brother, John, just landed an $85,000 a year job and starts work Thursday morning as a deputy commissioner.
And others who have been fired for incompetence and worse from other city departments get hired at O’Hare, like Rick Santella, who used to run the scandal-ridden Bureau of Fleet Management until last week.
Loney was out of town last week when she found out–by reading the newspapers–that Santella was going to be working for her.
Reyes doesn’t speak publicly. He’s the errand boy for disgraced former Ald. Patrick Huels (11th), who is not supposed to be running things anymore.
But after talking to several officials and top sources, I’ve come up with my own reasons. It explains how Chicago works:
Loney made a political mistake by talking openly about putting those juicy no-bid contracts out to bid. That angered influential people.
So now Reyes’ stooges can keep an eye on Loney and make sure that the certain favored people aren’t hurt.
“They’re boxing her in, everybody knows that,” said one operative wise in the ways of O’Hare. “They’re building the box and the mayor’s letting them do it.”
These sticks of wood include Rich Manaccio. He is the new chief of staff at the airport, and he makes $106,728. He’s 29 years old and has no airport experience and no aviation background. In some cities, that might disqualify you.
But in Chicago it’s a plus, especially because Reyes told Loney to hire him.
Which meant that the top candidate, an admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard, with decades of experience in aviation, logistics, organization, and command, was sent packing back to Washington.
That’s right. A gray-haired admiral with qualifications was dumped in favor of a 29-year-old with no airport experience.
Don’t forget Santella, who was ousted last week as director of Fleet Management, which is under several investigations, and replaced by Bob Degnan, the brother of a mayoral adviser Tim Degnan.
Now Santella will make $75,000 a year as airport facilities manager. His boss will be John Teele, who up until Wednesday was a buildings maintenance supervisor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, a school where D’Angelo has supreme clout.
Terry Teele said his brother’s hiring started as a pure coincidence. Then he said it was Victor Reyes’ idea.
“You’re not going to believe me, but Victor said, `Give me his resume,’ ” Teele told me on Wednesday. “Victor had him meet with other people. I never talked to the mayor. Victor told aviation, `If you want him, talk to the mayor.’ I guess they did. I had no influence, but he starts tomorrow. That’s what happened. Honest.”
Dennis Gurgone, an 11th Ward precinct captain, is another politico who has been at O’Hare for years but listens to Reyes. He’s paid $106,000 a year to oversee all construction at Midway and O’Hare. He might not be a construction genius, but he’s got superb political credentials.
Gurgone proved his loyalty by spending years at City Hall, making sure the right people got building permits. Now he’s overseeing a billion-dollar O’Hare construction project by Daley buddies Pat Harbour and Ray Chin.
And there are many, many more. Boodle boys where top administrators should be.
Loney was cautious. She said she made the final decisions on hiring, but nobody at City Hall with half a brain believes that.
“Some of these people have been recommended, and I’m taking a chance on them,” she said. “But they’ll be held to the same high standards as everyone else. The mayor supports me. And if the day comes when I feel I can’t be effective at my job, I won’t be here.”
Daley talks often about responsible management. It’s his motto. If he would let Loney do her job, he’d prove it.
