“The migrants want everything in a dish ready to eat,” said Ruth Diza, a Mexican-American immigrant who’s been in the country for 33 years. “Why do they get off so easy?”
Diaz said to The Chicago Tribune that she owns a grocery store. She is working hard to send her daughter to nursing school. The sign that she held in Spanish said “Protect Our Community. ”
Mrs. Diaz is against the plan of the city to house 2,000 migrants in two large winterized tents located in a Chicago parking lot.
Video of a large protest against a proposed migrant tent city near 38th and California: https://t.co/GQTJj5d0o6
— 16th & 17th District Chicago Police Scanner (@CPD1617Scanner) November 11, 2023
Hundreds turned out in Bright Park a protest and march Friday afternoon over plans to build a base camp for Chicago migrants there. https://t.co/LW9EUqoalS
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) November 11, 2023
Why Brighton Park specifically? Discover the complex web of corruption between corrupt politicians, corrupt contractors, and plain crooks in order to find out how they can remove city contracting laws when they wish.
County property records show the Brighton Park site is owned by Barnacres Corp., a Markham-based company helmed by Otoniel “Tony” Sanchez. Sanchez is the president or manager of several other businesses registered to the same Markham address, including Sanchez Paving Co., which offers concrete, as well as asphalt paving, patching, and overlay, according to its website.
Chicago’s paving business has corrupted the politics of Chicago for many years.
It’s interesting to learn that Mr. Sanchez gave $1500 towards the current Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign.
That’s not a lot of money. You can still get a city contract.
Bill Neidhardt claimed in a Friday statement that the $1500 donation made by the city worker who was scouting locations did not know about it. The city received an “unsolicited” inquiry about Brighton Park.
Unsolicited does not necessarily mean anonymous. The source was known.
Neidhardt said that the mayor did not request this contribution and was unaware of it until this parcel was returned to him this month. The parcel was sent as a result of an unsolicited, inbound inquiry made by city staff who are tasked with identifying properties. They did not know about the small campaign contribution.
Mr. Sanchez is a man with many connections.
Sanchez also appears to be involved in MAT Asphalt, another asphalt company. Michael Tadin Jr. is the son of Michael Tadin Sr. This long-time contractor had connections with former Mayor Richard M. Daley and his companies received tens of millions of dollars in city contracts. In 2006, the program was halted after city officials and trucking firms were charged with massive bribery schemes.
Johnson is returning about $46,000 in illegal campaign contributions, including the donation from Mr. Sanchez. As for the son of the crooked trucker: “That property has nothing to do with me or any family member of mine,” Tadin Jr. said about the potential base camp site. “We don’t own any properties together.”
In the byzantine world of Chicago politics, that’s not likely.
