A federal judge approved Friday a plan to end political patronage hiring at Chicago's City Hall after modifying it to require officials to log all contacts about hiring from aldermen or the mayor.
U.S. District Judge Wayne R. Andersen also warned city officials that court-ordered monitoring of their hiring practices will not end until they stamp out the tradition of giving city payroll jobs to campaign workers.
"Court oversight will continue until the city is in substantial compliance," Andersen said in his eight-page order.
Patronage -- the practice of giving city jobs to doorbell-ringing precinct captains who get out the vote for the mayor and his allies -- has been part of Chicago politics since anyone can remember. A court decree banning it has been in effect for decades but has been all but ignored.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Chicago judge OKs plan to bar political patronage hiring
ABC TV Chicago reports:
