Burke: We're doing best we can

Fires back at Daley administration about workers comp claims

With the Daley administration pointing the finger at Ald. Edward M. Burke for the extraordinary rate of injury claims filed by patronage workers, Burke fired back Friday, saying his staff has "done the best that it can" to prevent abuse and fraud.

"There is no excuse for anyone who is trying to abuse the system," said Burke, chairman of the City Council Finance Committee, which processes and pays all workers compensation claims filed by city employees.

"I have confidence that the staff of the Committee on Finance has done the best that it can in an admittedly very difficult system," he said. "If somebody has a better way to do this, then I welcome that information."

Burke's comments came amid a Chicago Sun-Times investigation that has found: •  •  One in five patronage workers named on a secret clout list kept by Mayor Daley's then-patronage director filed workers compensation claims, an injury rate far greater than any occupation tracked by the federal Labor Department. Those claims have cost taxpayers more than $38 million.

•  •  Half of those patronage workers filed at least two injury claims, with a few filing a dozen or more.

•  •  An estimated 91 workers have been cleared to return to work but are sitting at home, collecting disability checks -- sometimes more than $40,000 a year -- waiting for the city to find them a less physically demanding job. Many have political connections.

This was Burke's first comment on the Sun-Times investigation. He was interviewed at an unrelated public event.

Rather than meet with reporters in recent weeks, Burke's staff asked for a list of written questions, which the Sun-Times submitted Sept. 18. Burke's staff haset to respond.

As part of those written questions, the Sun-Times asked Burke's staff to discuss any investigations they conducted to determine if the employees were really hurt, why employees remain on paid disability leave for years while their cases languish, and to identify the law firms Burke has hired to defend the city.

Burke's committee settles most workers compensation cases with the employees and their attorneys, presenting the settlements to the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission for approval. The Finance Committee has overseen workers compensation claims since 1913.

tnovak@suntimes.com