Yet
that doesn’t mean the Annunzio name is gone from the local political scene.
Even if not in a prominent elected office, his descendants remained in place
even after he was gone (voluntarily, he didn’t seek re-election in 1992 to the
seat in Congress he held for 18 years).
WHICH
IS WHY the Annunzio name is back in the news these days. The Chicago Sun-Times
reported Thursday about the lawsuit the City Council likely will settle this
week.
One
caused because of the alleged behavior on-the-job of Joseph Annunzio – who thinks
of the one-time Northwest Side congressman as “Uncle Frank.”
Joseph
was a city Transportation Department staffer (a supervisor, to be specific) who
supposedly had a lousy temperament on the job – particularly when dealing with
female co-workers.
According
to the Sun-Times, Annunzio had slurs for women, black people and immigrants in
general.
I
DON’T FEEL the need to repeat his specific slurs – other than to say I have
encountered people who, when they think they’re in private moments, are more
than willing to express similar thoughts.
And
may well be reacting to this commentary now by saying that we’re somehow
letting “political correctness” run amok by censoring what this man is allowed
to think.
Which
is trite nonsense, of course. There is a degree to which people are entitled to
some general respect from people they deal with on the job, or in other
situations. It’s really just a matter of common courtesy. Of having some
manners, so to speak.
 |
| ANNUNZIO: What would he think of nephew? |
The
fact that Joseph Annunzio himself once said in a newspaper interview that he used
vulgarity to emphasize his point really comes across as someone who thinks that
everybody around them has to take his abuse.
IT
IS MORE a sign of having no class, and people engaging in such behavior really
are best ignored.
Except
when they can’t be, which is why several of the women who worked in the
Transportation Department office felt the need to file a lawsuit, which the
Sun-Times says will be settled on Friday when the City Council’s finance
committee is expected to approve a $560,000 payment to the women.
The
fact that the city will settle is to be expected. Officials probably figure
that a $560,000 payment now is cheaper than the court costs that would be incurred
if they fought the lawsuit to its conclusion.
Even
if the ultimate verdict was favorable to the city, it would be costly. And
money is something city officials would prefer not to spend, if they don’t have
to.
AFTER
ALL, MONEY spent fighting a lawsuit means less municipal funds on hand that can
be used to pay for contracts to politically-connected businesses – which means
less in the way of kickbacks (which doesn’t necessarily mean bribes) to the
government officials.
But
back to Joseph Annunzio, whom it seems goes around acting as though his Uncle
Frank is still a political power-broker – rather than just a name from the past
that many younger people probably wouldn’t recognize if they stumbled across it
on an old billboard or leaflet that somehow has managed to survive the decades.
Of
course, he no longer has that particular city job. He lost it as a result of
the complaints, and his attempts to sue to get his job were unsuccessful. Which
some might argue means he suffered a real punishment – unemployment stinks!
Personally,
I’ve never met the younger Annunzio. I don’t have any ill-will toward him. Although I wish he could have found a more impressive way to keep
the family name in the public eye.
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