Chicago Sun-Times: Daley defends city's suit over porch collapse

[Tweed]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-porch06s1.html

"Mayor Daley on Saturday defended the city's civil lawsuit against two men it alleges were jumping up and down on a Lincoln Park porch just before it collapsed nearly two years ago, killing 13 young partygoers.

Daley said building owner Philip Pappas must shoulder some blame for the tragedy because he built a porch at 713 W. Wrightwood without a proper permit. But the mayor also said the men named in the lawsuit, John Koranda and William S. Fenton-Hathaway, should be held responsible for their role in the June 29, 2003, incident.

John Koranda's 23-year-old brother, Robert, a star Naperville North High School football player and Princeton University graduate, was killed in the accident.

Daley said city attorneys gathered enough evidence indicating the two men were negligent when they jumped up and down on the porch while dozens of revelers were standing on it."

Why would Mayor Daley even touch this?

[Southsideirish]

1. The city is going over all the porches and decks on the north side with a

fine tooth comb - even those that are relatively new. Ouch!

[Kingshakabobo]

2. Why would Mayor Daley even touch this?

It's Daley's M.O. to turn red face, go on the attack, and act more indignant than the next guy, especially when his administration is partially at fault.

My favorite display of his "indignation tactic" happened a couple years ago when a story broke about city ambulances being filthy and under-equipped. You would have thought someone tried to kill one of his kids the way he blew a gasket on the news. Never mind the fact that it was his cronies and appointees that were directly responsible for the conditions.