THE WORST CITY GOVERNMENT
The Worst City Government In St. Paul, Minnesota, gov- looked the obvious causes of quently ruled, to inflate—the ernment usually runs as clean as the water; the occasional these...
...His own properties dined to investigate dozens of suspected arson cases while in a row, One possible explanation is burned three times in 20 years...
...Please send your nominaassociates suffered an improb- utives in the firm have been tions to: able 51 fires at their homes and convicted of federal arson con- Worst City Government businesses, collecting millions spiracy...
...And helpful adjuster to estimate— 1611 Connecticut Ave...
...insurance adjustment firm—a —Katherine Boo Over the past 25 years, cal- firm originally financed by The Monthly depends on its readers to culated the Star Tribune, 15 Chief Conroy and now owned keep track of the breakdown of big city Conroy friends and business by a friend...
...his brother's properties racked Conroy's brother Pat, a fire re- that many of the firefighters at- up eight conflagrations—a hab specialist, harvested more tending these dubious blazes record that suggests some peothan $1 million dollars repair- also happened to be moon- ple just shouldn't play with ing (and sometimes not repair- lighting for St...
...a year-long Minneapolis Star up habits, which included Not that Fire Chief Conroy Tribune investigation disclosed asking no questions when cer- was handing out insurance bothat veteran fire chief Steve taro local businessmen suffered nanzas only to his friends and Conroy and his staff had de- three, four, and even five fires associates...
...As the insurance compress usually has a dateline indicators...
...So imagine lo- quate," said one outside fire in- Conroy was often called to cal eyebrows this winter, when vestigator of the city's follow- handle the remodeling...
...Paul's leading fire...
...the occasional these blazes—gasoline-soaked rags, broke or felonious ownlosses in fires at their clubs, homes, and apartment comscandal appearing in the local ers, and other arson-for-profit plexes...
...Two former exec- government...
...Fire victims used the The Washington Monthly in losses from insurance...
...NW firefighters frequently over- or, as several judges subse- Washington , DC 20009...
...The Worst City Government In St...
...ing) the damage...
...Grossly made- panies paid up, contractor Pat from Chicago...
Vol. 22 • February 1990 • No. 1
