Shaw twins robbing Dolton taxpayers

There doesn't always seem to be news coming from Dolton, Illinois but then again I'm not in the loop. The Shaw brothers have been political players for years. They were the powers that be on the far south side of Chicago then they moved to the south suburbs in recent years.

I was surprised to see Carol Marin write about their shenanigans in Dolton. See Robert Shaw ran for mayor of South Holland and lost and lost his seat on the Cook County Board of Review then his brother William (Bill) the mayor of Dolton named his brother inspector general in Dolton. A real interesting column, Marin believes these long time pols aren't exactly thinking in the best interest of the citizens of as Marin puts it, "mostly African-American suburb of their hard-earned tax money."

Check this out from Carol Marin...

It's time to see them for what they are: Frank and Jesse James in bad wigs. They are bank robbers. That bank belongs to the poor, put-upon taxpayers of south suburban Dolton.
...
They are what they have always been, a two-man political tag team grabbing with four hands.

Their latest outrage was made public nine days ago when village trustees hired Bob to be Bill's -- I can barely type this out -- inspector general.

Question: What does an inspector general in Dolton do?

Answer: Nothing, if his name is Shaw.

Mayor Shaw would like us to believe he had no involvement in the hiring of his brother. That the decision was the brainchild of civic-minded, independent trustees who sit on his village board.

Unfortunately, you and I weren't in the room when those righteous village officials gave Bob Shaw his marching orders. But I imagine his instructions went something like this, listed in order of importance:

1. Collect $70,000 annually.

2. Accept a village car, all expenses paid.

3. Take full advantage of a complete health insurance package, even though you are an independent contractor and not a village employee.

4. Fearlessly investigate corruption wherever you may find it, but please note two important exceptions.

5. Those exceptions: us and your brother.

Yes, Bob Shaw is the new corruption-busting Inspector Clouseau of the south suburbs but forbidden by an amended ordinance from investigating the offices of mayor or village trustee.

And also look at the mentality that Marin touches upon here...

I want to be fair here. The Shaws long ago learned government from the pros. After all, Bob was a member of the Chicago City Council, where the notion of an independent inspector general sent them into gales of laughter. That's why even today, the city's new impeccably credentialed inspector general, David Hoffman, and his stellar team of former FBI agents are not allowed to investigate the aldermen. The aldermen passed an ordinance that says so.

...In 2004, he lost re-election to the county's Board of Review. (Not, however, before voting to give his brother Bill a big tax break on his Dolton home, saving Bill about $1,200 a year while neighboring houses, for some strange reason, weren't so lucky.)

Check this out. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. has been feuding with these twins for a while. Robert Shaw lost two elections to candidates who has some support from Jesse Jackson Jr. I suppose the same can be said about Rev. James Meeks who won his state senate seat from Mayor Shaw he is aligned with Congressman Jackson. Another colorful story from that part of town in the last election cycle the Shaws attempted to run another Jesse Jackson against Congressman Jackson. And check out this dirty trick from the recent primary directed against state Rep. David Miller.

So Marin closes this column with this...

I see it as kind of a justice issue.

Stick up a 7-Eleven and grab a small handful of cash and you will go to jail. Stick up the citizens of Dolton and you know what you get?

Seventy grand and a car.