Connected Company?

Wow, this is a surprise:

• When Rahm Emanuel was a first-time candidate for Congress, Greg Goldner was behind him, quietly marshaling the patronage troops that helped get him elected. When Emanuel ran for mayor, Goldner was there again, doling out campaign cash to elect Emanuel-friendly aldermen to City Council.
  
  And when the rookie mayor was looking for community support for his school reform agenda, there was Goldner, working behind the scenes with the ministers who backed Emanuel's plan.
  
  Now, it turns out the longtime allies share another interest — the installation of automated speed cameras in Chicago.

But wait - it's all going to be fair now:

• Mayor Rahm Emanuel said today that a city speed camera contract will be put out to bid and indicated it won't be handed to a company represented by his longtime political ally.
  
  Emanuel said he has put in place the checks and balances to make sure the lucrative contract is awarded fairly. The mayor's comments came after the Tribune reported that Greg Goldner, a lobbyist and consultant with deep political ties to Emanuel, has been working as a consultant for Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., the company that currently has a city contract to install and maintain red light cameras. Goldner's responsibilities with Redflex include working to help the company expand nationwide.
  
  Appearing today with Gov. Pat Quinn at a news conference to announce a new building at Olive-Harvey College, Emanuel reiterated his position that the speed cameras around schools and parks are important to protect children. And he said his administration has made the city's bidding process more transparent so members of the public can be sure he isn't playing favorites.

And hey, if helping the children means Redflex makes tens of millions, some of which will undoubtedly find it's way into Rahm's campaign coffers for his expected Senate run, that's not a bug, that's a feature!

The odds of Redflex actually winning the contract went from 100% to 99.9% on this news.