I just read - briefly - the matter of the $900,000 contract that was given to Mark Lundquist's firm for construction management. But I have to be really honest and get after the Tribune's Matt Krupnick and Thomas Peele for writing the article as if Harris was giving a contract to a friend, then benefiting from the contract himself.
I write that because the article states how Harris and Lundquist were involved in the ownership of a radio station, then wrote how much Lundquist made off the no-bid contract. Now, that I've written that, I'll explain this: anyone who can see knows that Mark and Elihu have known each other for years. But also it should have not been a "no-bid" contract and I think that's where Elihu screwed up. But to defend a man I worked for, I will write that Elihu works to hire good people and has little patience with job screw ups. He believed - I'm sure - that what he did was the right thing to do.
For those who may think Elihu's helping someone who's black, Mark's white. Moreover, Mark has very close friends who are black, and many people, including myself, know him and have for years.
I write that because the article states how Harris and Lundquist were involved in the ownership of a radio station, then wrote how much Lundquist made off the no-bid contract. Now, that I've written that, I'll explain this: anyone who can see knows that Mark and Elihu have known each other for years. But also it should have not been a "no-bid" contract and I think that's where Elihu screwed up. But to defend a man I worked for, I will write that Elihu works to hire good people and has little patience with job screw ups. He believed - I'm sure - that what he did was the right thing to do.
For those who may think Elihu's helping someone who's black, Mark's white. Moreover, Mark has very close friends who are black, and many people, including myself, know him and have for years.
Comments
The reason this is an issue is because the public needs to be able to judge for itself whether a public official is benefiting from such a deal. Without transparency, there's no way to make that judgment.