Chicago activist and blogger Mike Klonsky says that the biggest financial scandal in the city’s history could have been avoided by administering background checks for contractors.
The city’s superintendent is serving jail time for accepting bribes from a contractor. The contractor, Gary Solomon, is in prison too.
Had there been a background check, the city would never have done business with the contractor, writes Klonsky.
“Solomon, a former dean and teacher at suburban Niles West H.S., was accused by that district of sending sexually explicit e-mail messages to female students. Besides those messages, they said he attended a Cubs game with students during a school day when no field trip was planned. They accused him of keeping a journal on a school computer that described several unprofessional relationships with students.
“Finally, Solomon was forced out of Niles Township School District 219 under a cloud after he was accused by his bosses of “immoral and unprofessional” conduct, including allegations he kissed a female student, covered up students’ drug and alcohol use,and sent “sexually suggestive, predatory” emails to students, court records show.
“While no criminal charges were ever filed, Solomon was barred from ever teaching in the district again. Solomon resigned from his post as part of a settlement back in 2001 and began a consulting business with former Niles West student Thomas Vranas, one that also included a partnership with former Chicago schools CEO and current Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas.”
That partnership went on to win large contracts in New Orleans and Chicago.
Vallas pins the blame on Ram Emanuel.
Who performed a background check? No one.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The same thing can be said about Trump. If his voters checked the well documented history of his background, how many would have voted for him.
The Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton failed to educate all the people and reveal Trump’s long background of business failures to the tune of a billion or more, endless lies, fraud, thousands of court cases, cheating on all three of his wives and even cheating on his mistresses, bulling, links with the U.S. Mafia, links with the Russian Mafia, et al.
While Trump pounded Hillary repeatedly with his lies and unproven allegations, she seldom struck back.
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He is a masterful demagogue. On par with Mussolini and Hitler for his ability to mesmerize a crowd with lies.
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Using Trump’s words, he says he is a “stable genius”.
I prefer to think of Trump’s mind as the horse manure found on the floor in a “stable” full of horses.
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Back to Paul Vallas: he is running for mayor of Chicago, & should not be. He is being portrayed as a hero for his “missions” to Haiti; it is believed that he was there to “help” rebuild the education system. Sean Penn just donated $5K to his campaign; he was impressed by Vallas, & he put him on the board of his foundation (probably pro bono, but if something else hadn’t come up {Vallas was asked to run as Lt. Gov. by then-incumbent Pat Quinn, which helped Quinn lose: Quinn had already burnt his bridges w/his union base, & this more-than-poor choice for a running mate was the final stab-in-the-back for teachers, certainly; liken it to Arne leaving, & Obama appointing that NY favorite, John King}, one wonders for how long Paul would have been working for free.)
Certainly, Vallas took his opportunity at a money-strapped university: the Republican Gov., Rauner (named the worst governor in the U.S., BTW) appointed Vallas to “help”
straighten out Chicago State University, but Vallas didn’t remain an unpaid “appointee” for very long; he was hired on as salaried personnel, whereby he may have made as much as six figures (at a cash-strapped school!). But, alas, opportunity reared it’s head in the form of power (& $$$): Paul left C.S.U. to…run for mayor of Chicago! (Along w/11 other candidates.) Because he will, of course, be a so much better mayor than Rahm (“meet the new boss, same as the old boss”). Particularly, a Page 2 columnist (widely read) for the Chicago Tribune urged him to run, in two fawning articles (much like the 10/16 Chicago Magazine puff piece on Arne Duncan, “Can Arne Duncan Save Chicago?” {apparently not in this election cycle!}.) So, yes, Vallas is running, & no one/not many in Chicago (except for Mike, some others & the Chicago Teachers Union)
know that he ruined the public schools in New Orleans & Philly & would have done the same in Bridgeport, CT, had he the opportunity.
So–please–I would ask those who know–Mercedes, Jonathan & Helen: could you please write an editorial for the Chicago Sun Times revealing the REAL Paul Vallas?
He is truly the principal dancer in the Dance of the Lemons.
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