Latest news with #OBM
Chicago Tribune
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: CPD brass accuse Johnson's budget office of delaying paychecks
Good morning, Chicago. Chicago Police Department brass accused Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration of deliberately slowing down paychecks for dozens of employees this summer in a fiery email that warned the city was jeopardizing its compliance with the federal consent decree. Police Department Deputy Director Ryan Fitzsimons emailed multiple officials in Johnson's budget office June 2 to alert them of the department's overdue A-forms, paperwork required to process paychecks for new hires and promotions. After following up the next day to confirm that police recruits were not getting their first paychecks, he sent an additional message June 10 saying Johnson's budget office was purposely sitting on the forms. 'Given that we discussed at length via email and on our meeting on May 8th the need for timely approval of A-Forms, it would appear that OBM is pursuing a pattern of practice to delay the approval of A-Forms with the functional result of not paying employees on time and delaying compliance with the Consent Decree,' Fitzsimons wrote. 'What is OBM's plan to systemically approve or deny A-forms?' Read the full story from the Tribune's Alice Yin. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: what Gov. JB Pritzker said at a climate change conference, why aldermen are debating gambling in Chicago's neighborhood bars or international airports and how Dennis Allen's defense is coming together as Bears training camp opens. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Gov. JB Pritzker shared his fears about the future of climate policy under President Donald Trump — and his thoughts on how Illinois can stick to its climate goals amid federal funding cuts — at a climate conference last night in Chicago. Gambling could soon come to Chicago's neighborhood bars or international airports as aldermen eye legalizing video gambling machines as a way to add tax revenue. If Ald. William Hall gets his way, the gambling machines will be broadly legalized across the city next year, popping up in places like bars and restaurants to help address the city's budget woes. A Cook County jury convicted a man of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Chicago police Officer Andrés Vásquez Lasso following a weeklong trial marked by difficult body camera footage of the 2023 slaying. Longtime criminal defense attorney Thomas Anthony Durkin, known as a tireless advocate for his clients who enjoyed holding the government accountable for overstepping authority in everything from terrorism investigations to electronic surveillance, died yesterday after a brief hospitalization. He was 78. On this day in 1934: Chicago was in the grip of a weeklong heat wave, and the mercury that day reached 101. Twenty-three people died of the heat, but the death that drew the most attention was that of John Dillinger — a 31-year-old Indiana man who, on his birthday a month earlier, had been declared Public Enemy No. 1 by the FBI. In the heat of that July, movie houses advertised that they were 'air-cooled.' Perhaps that's what made Dillinger decide to take a prostitute named Polly Hamilton and Hamilton's landlady, Anna Sage, to the Biograph Theater (now known as Victory Gardens Theater) at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., to see 'Manhattan Melodrama,' a gangster movie starring Clark Gable. It wasn't a massive overhaul, but the Bears made a few key changes on defense heading into 2025. General manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson focused much of their effort on the trenches, adding two starters to the defensive line. With the Bears starting training camp, the Cubs at home against the Kansas City Royals in the heat of a pennant race and the White Sox on a rare three-game winning streak, yesterday was one of those days that reminds us why we never can leave. While we await the next heat dome, Paul Sullivan has some other observations on the world of sports. Amy Lechelt is a sort of modern-day Eliza Doolittle, the flower girl of 'My Fair Lady.' She is in the same business and has had, so far, a full, interesting and rewarding life, writes Rick Kogan. She is part of the city's floating outdoor economy, which includes, most obviously, food trucks, but is nowhere near the vibrancy and variety in such places as Paris or New York. About a month after her top-three finish on Bravo's 'Top Chef,' Bailey Sullivan, free of cameras and in her comfort zone, was back to working as executive chef at Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio. For the past few months, diners at the West Loop restaurant have received their bill with a glowing portrait of Sullivan, celebrating her appearance on the show. Sullivan's personal style is memorable — ever-colorful hair, large glasses and rotating patterned bandanas. It seems to tell you everything about her on first look: quirky and easily creative. But that belies a scholarly understanding of Italian cooking history, techniques and terminology, and a serious competitor. In this one-woman play, British writer Dennis Kelly (a Tony Award winner for the book of 'Matilda the Musical') manages a tricky balancing act, tackling an extremely dark subject in almost surgical detail while softening its harshest blows for the audience and maintaining some sense of hope in humanity. Oh, and the show is also hilarious, writes Emily McClanathan.
Chicago Tribune
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Police Department brass accused Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget office of ‘systemically' delaying paychecks
Chicago Police Department brass accused Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration of deliberately slowing down paychecks for dozens of employees this summer in a fiery email that warned the city was jeopardizing its compliance with the federal consent decree. Police Department Deputy Director Ryan Fitzsimons emailed multiple officials in Johnson's budget office June 2 to alert them of the department's overdue A-forms, paperwork required to process paychecks for new hires and promotions. After following up the next day to confirm that police recruits were not getting their first paychecks, he sent an additional message June 10 saying Johnson's budget office was purposely sitting on the forms. 'Given that we discussed at length via email and on our meeting on May 8th the need for timely approval of A-Forms, it would appear that OBM is pursuing a pattern of practice to delay the approval of A-Forms with the functional result of not paying employees on time and delaying compliance with the Consent Decree,' Fitzsimons wrote. 'What is OBM's plan to systemically approve or deny A-forms?' The unusually contentious email noted, 'CPD is committed to paying our employees on time. It is one of our most basic requirements as an employer and is also required by law. OBM's delay to sign A-Forms is exposing the City to increased legal risk along with diminished morale and increased attrition of our recruits.' A joint statement last week from the mayor's office, the Office of Budget Management and Chicago police acknowledged that about 60 police academy recruits saw late paychecks, along with six Chicago Fire Department employees. The response cast the snafu as an 'administrative' error that has since been rectified. 'We acknowledge that administrative delays affected recently hired and promoted employees, and we have taken corrective steps to ensure the payments were made,' the statement said. 'The City is continuing to evaluate ways to improve internal systems — such as A-form processing and hiring workflows — with a goal of reducing administrative delays and supporting public safety staffing needs.' While the city said the lag was less than a week, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara noted the 54 recruits who started in May only got their first paycheck last month after he spoke with WMAQ-Ch. 5 to sound the alarm. And former city Inspector General Joe Ferguson, who has authored reports on the city's complicated hiring process, argued 'you shouldn't have that situation at all.' 'It appears to be just another manifestation of the general practice in which OBM is actually closely holding their hand on the checker in order to find nickels, dimes, dollars for costs,' Ferguson, now president of the Civic Federation, said. 'It's beyond my imagination to even come up with something (that) looks like … from the perspective of liability and responsibility, a practice that takes this budgetary control mentality to a new extreme.' Johnson is not the first mayor accused of employing budgetary tricks with A-forms in times of austerity. The budget office has traditionally leaned on slow-walking filling vacancies as one of its few tools to free up money, and the city ended 2024 with a $161 million deficit and expects a more than $1 billion gap next year. But delaying A-forms for entire academy classes or police supervisors who have already begun their new roles is an atypical move, Catanzara said. 'We are talking about a guy who bragged about being on payment plans with utilities and not paying his own water bill for years, so I guess it shouldn't be anything new,' Catanzara said, a reference to Johnson paying off thousands in outstanding water and sewer bills during his 2023 campaign. 'There was always some little one-offs here and there, but they were literally one person had an issue, and it was dealt with. This is mass incompetence.' Fitzsimons' email exchange also revealed that the Police Department is now under a hiring freeze until September 'to assist OBM in managing expenses,' which Catanzara said was also the union's understanding. The city and Police Department did not address questions about the pause in new recruits. The Police Department has historically exceeded its annual spending plan thanks to runaway overtime and misconduct settlement costs. 'No, it's not acceptable,' the mayor told reporters when asked about public safety expenditures blowing past budgeted costs by $207 million last year. He blamed police overtime spending on large events and said 'some innovative element' has to happen to drive those numbers down. In his June 2 email, Fitzsimons also asked Johnson budget officials Jonathan Ernst and Joseph Sacks for the status of A-forms for three other groups: youth employment, civilian employees and promotions. It is unclear how Johnson's team responded. For the last category, which concerns officers being promoted to sergeants and lieutenants, Fitzsimons warned, 'These A-Forms are directly tied back to paragraphs 249 – 264. Promotions have already occurred and members have begun to grieve.' The paragraphs he was referring to concern the federal consent decree that the Police Department has been under since 2019. The court order was meant to reform Chicago police after the murder of Laquan McDonald, but progress has lagged, including within the section on recruitment and promotions cited by Fitzsimons. Improving the supervisor-to-officer ratio has been a goal of Johnson's and is part of ensuring compliance with the consent decree. Fitzsimons reminded Johnson's budget officials in his email that the department had to brief the judge overseeing the mandate that month on A-form approvals. The city and CPD joint response did not answer questions on how many police supervisors saw their raises lag as a result of problems with the A-forms. The youth employment A-forms were needed to fill two Police Department jobs, while the civilian A-forms focused on staff that would help implement the consent decree, per Fitzsimons' email. He said Johnson's 2024 budget, which civilianized about 400 sworn positions, netted $8 million in savings and the department wants to hire more consent decree staff as a result. During the past budget cycle, Johnson landed in hot water with police reform advocates and the Illinois attorney general for proposing a spending plan that nixed 162 consent decree vacancies. He later restored them. Figures provided by the budget office show that of the total 439 Police Department positions tied to the consent decree, 222 remain vacant. Some of the largest gaps are in the training officer and victim specialist roles, which are 57% and 50% vacant, respectively. 'CPD remains focused on filling both sworn and non-sworn vacancies while maintaining compliance with the consent decree,' the joint city-Police Department statement said. 'We are continuing to assess resource allocations and hiring procedures across departments to ensure operational continuity and to address the evolving demands of public safety and reform implementation.' Meanwhile, Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 President Pat Cleary said three ambulance commanders, 15 engineers, 44 lieutenants and 29 captains temporarily suffered incorrect paychecks too. The budget office confirmed six Fire Department employees were paid late but did not address whether supervisors did not receive updated paychecks after being promoted. Ferguson said the promise of Johnson's first budget, which was lauded by policing and fiscal experts for converting sworn positions to civilian ones to cut spending, fell flat because of bureaucratic snags such as this recent A-form problem. He doesn't blame the freshman mayor for inheriting a sluggish hiring process that often takes several months, but Johnson's budget office isn't doing itself any favors, he said. 'There's this game going on in which OBM is managing (A-forms) purely for purposes of other budgetary needs that are not known to anybody, and for which there is no transparency,' Ferguson said. 'One hand is holding back the other hand in what is an octopus-like structure, and this does not serve any of us well.'
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Climate
- Express Tribune
100 boats deployed for monsoon emergencies
Rescue officials ferry stranded villagers to safety as floodwaters engulf low-lying areas near Narowal amid relentless monsoon rains sweeping across Punjab. PHOTO: ONLINE Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) is on high alert to respond to any untoward situation during the ongoing monsoon and flood emergencies, Emergency Services Secretary Dr Rizwan Naseer said while addressing a press briefing. He said Rescue 1122's flood response units, including over 100 boats, 312 trained rescuers, OBM engines and emergency equipment, have been deployed in vulnerable and low-lying areas across the province. Dr Naseer urged citizens to monitor rooftops and surroundings during rainfall to avoid loss of life or property due to water accumulation. He said 1,594 people have been rescued during the current rain spell.
Scoop
07-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
East Makira Constituency Delivers Livelihood Assistance To Empower Rural Communities
The East Makira Constituency (EMC) office has successfully delivered the remaining Constituency Development Fund (CDF)-funded livelihood assistance and projects to recipients across EMC. This initiative underscores the government's ongoing commitment to uplifting rural communities and fostering sustainable development, especially in EMC under the leadership of the Member of Parliament and Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Honourable Franklyn Derek Wasi. From May 21st to 25th, 2025, EMC Constituency Development Officer (CDO) Mr. Timan Tauni facilitated the distribution of these vital projects to beneficiaries in their respective communities. The assistance is part of a larger $3.7 million livelihood support program delivered to communities and churches in East Makira Constituency earlier this year. Key highlights of the livelihood assistance include: Solar Energy for Vulnerable Groups: A total of 227 solar sets were distributed, with 114 sets allocated to Ward 12 and 113 sets to Ward 17. Priority was given to older adults, widows, and people living with disabilities, ensuring they have access to reliable lighting. "Solar lights are transformative for rural communities. They enhance safety, improve health, and enable economic activities after dark, all while being environmentally sustainable," Mr. Tauni explained. Boosting Fisheries and Transportation: Four fishing boats equipped with outboard motor engines (OBMs) were provided to support local fisheries. A transportation project and a fuel depot project were also delivered to address logistical challenges in the region. Edward Kwasi, a fishery project recipient from Santa Catalina Island, shared, "This OBM will help my family expand our fishing business, meet school fees, and improve our livelihoods. Fishing is our way of life, and this support is a dream come true." Fuel Depot for Reliable Energy Access: Mr. Chris Wago, a fuel depot recipient from Natorara Village (Ward 17), emphasised the project's importance: "Fuel shortages have long hindered our fishermen. This depot will ensure a steady supply, support local businesses, and help families like mine thrive." All recipients signed the 'Recipient Agreement' under Section 19 of the new CDF Act 2023, formalising their commitment to maintain and utilise the projects for their intended purposes. Mr. Tauni urged beneficiaries to safeguard these assets, stating, "The sustainability of these initiatives lies in your hands. They are not just for personal benefit but for the broader development of East Makira." Meanwhile, recipients expressed deep appreciation to the national government through EMC Office and Honourable Franklyn Derek Wasi for their unwavering support. "These projects are more than just assistance—they are opportunities to uplift our families, communities, and the entire constituency," remarked one beneficiary. The CDF program, facilitated by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), continues to drive social and economic progress in rural Solomon Islands by funding income-generating projects, infrastructure, and essential services.
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Operation Bunyanum Marsoos to operation economy
Listen to article The Operation Bunyan Marsoos (OBM) concluded with a decisive victory for Pakistan. The armed forces' zeal and unwavering commitment to protecting the motherland thwarted all attempts by adversaries (India and Israel). Pakistan has once again demonstrated its ability to be a formidable power, possessing both the will and the capacity to safeguard its sovereignty and interests. This reinforces the fact that in challenging times, Pakistan achieves remarkable feats, and Pakistanis are a steadfast and resilient nation. The Pakistani nation has demonstrated this repeatedly, from the 1965 war to the 2022 flood. Thus, no one should doubt the ability or resolve of the people and the State of Pakistan to defend its sovereignty and interests. However, the zeal and commitment were not without wisdom. It is apparent from the decision-making, observance of merit, appointment of the right person for the right job, and establishment of the chain of command. for example, the army, air force, and navy are always led by professional and brilliant soldiers from their respective fields. it never happened that a navy sailor led the air force. the observance of merit and commitment to the right person for the right job has turned the armed forces into a formidable power and contributed to remarkable achievements. Pakistan needs to carry the same mentality, policy, strategy, and commitment to turn around the economy. Firstly, apply the policy of the right person for the right job. In pursuance of this policy, Pakistan needs to entrust economic planning and management to economic professionals with brains. They are trained to formulate and oversee economic strategies. A bird's-eye view of global economic institutions, as well as national ministries and departments, clearly indicates that economists lead the charge in driving economic progress. Unfortunately, in the case of Pakistan, the situation is quite different. Economists are often sidelined, while those outside of the field frequently manage economic affairs. The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) serves as a prime example in this regard. SIFC is an excellent and timely initiative; it was much needed. However, its execution falls short. Policymakers have overlooked the importance of selecting the right people for the right jobs. SIFC has been staffed with bureaucrats and military personnel who possess little or no understanding of the economy or its dynamics. Consequently, after more than two years, aside from a few projects, SIFC has struggled to deliver on its perceived objectives. The finance ministry offers another prominent example. It is often led by chartered accountants and bankers who are not trained to plan or manage the economy. Second, indigenous wisdom and local experts, who are working within the system, should lead the development of economic policies and plans. They may not be good at speaking English or giving fancy presentations, but they know the economy better than anyone else. They have devoted their lives to understanding and operating the economic system during its most challenging times. They are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of Pakistan's economic system. Unfortunately, the Pakistani elite do not like them and discourage them. The elite enjoy listening to fancy presentations and fluent English and are impressed by international organisations' tags, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Thus, they love to import expats and consultants. The expats and imported consultants do not fully understand the ground realities, weaknesses, and strengths of Pakistan's economic system. They only give fancy slogans or do marketing for foreign companies. They are selling false dreams of entering the tertiary economy by bypassing the secondary economy, which is not possible. Unfortunately, our elite is happy with such slogans. Third, before devising any policy or plan, policymakers and planners must have a strong understanding of the ground realities. It must be a prerequisite for policy development. For example, these days, every expat and imported consultant is talking about technology and urging Pakistan to venture into it and make it a leading area of work. There is no second opinion that Pakistan must venture into the technology field; however, it should have a place on the priority list, given its role in the economy and Pakistan's economic status. There is no harm in dreaming big, but we must also remember that the execution of policies and plans is done based on ground realities, not fancy slogans. The ground realities indicate that Pakistan is not a major producer of technology, especially as it lags in the production of hardware such as machines, laptops, satellites, or mobile phones. Pakistan is only a consumer of the technology, and expats and consultants advise them to buy technology from global companies. Furthermore, the analysis of ground realities suggests that, at present, the strength of our economy is based on agriculture, minerals, livestock, tourism, and defence products, among others. Thus, we need to focus on modernising agriculture, developing an agricultural and livestock value chain, and building markets for defence products. Simultaneously, Pakistan needs to work towards transitioning to a secondary economy by fast-tracking industrialisation. The transition will also give an impetus to technology development. Unfortunately, we are not doing it. We are blindly running after the fancy slogans raised by expats or imported consultants. Thus, if Pakistan wants to grow, Pakistan needs to change. If Pakistan successfully changes, then Pakistan can turn around its economy. Fortunately, we have an excellent opportunity to do so through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The CPEC has all the ingredients that can help Pakistan revive its economy and pave the way for sustainable development. Following the successful completion of the first phase, CPEC has now entered its second phase. The long-term document of CPEC shows that industrialisation and agricultural cooperation would be driving forces during the second phase. Moreover, Pakistan and China have strengthened their science and technology cooperation to create and enhance Pakistan's technological base. These three areas of collaboration can fast-track the transition to the secondary economy and pave the way for the tertiary economy. However, to fully benefit from the CPEC and leverage our strengths, Pakistan must address the areas discussed above. Let's try to understand the importance of these areas or required interventions through an example. For instance, consider a scenario: can Pakistan appoint a skilled doctor to the post of air chief marshal instead of a professional soldier from the Pakistan Air Force? If Pakistan had appointed an engineer as air chief marshal, what would have been the status of Pakistan in the recent war? During the recent conflict, the air force was led by a career soldier who dedicated his life to the Pakistan Air Force. Now, imagine another scenario: was it appropriate to hire a foreign consultant, such as someone from the American Air Force, to lead the Pakistani Air Force by arguing that he leads the most advanced and largest air force in the world? No, not at all, because he does not understand the Pakistani Air Force and lacks the passion to serve the country. The same is true for the economy. In conclusion, based on the above discussion and examples, three suggestions can be listed: hiring the right person for the right job, stopping the import of expats and consultants, and making decisions based on ground realities. THE WRITER IS A POLITICAL ECONOMIST AND A VISITING RESEARCH FELLOW AT HEBEI UNIVERSITY, CHINA
