The Capitol Fax Blog » Moving Illinois Forward

Monday, Sep 18, 2006

For the second Sunday in a row, the Tribune has a front-page story on Gov. Rod Blagojevich. This one is not at all surprising.

Skirting state hiring rules, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration gave jobs to at least 360 people whose applications were sent through back channels by the governor’s office and other political heavyweights, a Tribune investigation has found.

More than 70 workers with political pedigrees were hired through internships meant for college students–even though all were older than 35 and a few were in their 60s.

In addition, Blagojevich’s administration nearly doubled–to more than 740–the number of high-level state jobs he can fill without following hiring rules. […]

In one case, an internship went to a longtime Springfield lobbyist who acknowledged the help of Gianulis and Blagojevich’s chief lobbyist Joseph Handley.

Go read the whole thing.

- posted by Rich Miller

51 Comments

- larry - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 9:35 am:
What is going on? Are people simply unaware of the pending hammer to drop on Blago or do they just not care? Are we in Illinois so used to our officials being corrupt that we now expect and except it? I am disguted! How can he be so far up? A sad state of political & criminal affairs in Illinois…….

- Bill - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 9:36 am:
Ho Hum!
Consider the source.

- larry - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 9:37 am:
And I am disgusted as well :-)

- Wumpus - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 9:38 am:
Wow, at least he should get the AARP endorsement with these “old” interns. $45000/yr for an intern, that is a nice gig.

- Wumpus - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 9:39 am:
What Bill, not the NYT?

- Anonymous - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 9:44 am:
this is by and large recycled news that has been printed by the AP and other downstate papers. The good old Tribune is trying to play catch up… in the post-Labor Day environment, when they know it counts.

- Cassandra - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 10:15 am:
One hopes that at least some of the 300 or so positions which Blago converted to at will (remember, all non-unionized private sector employees, that is, most of them, work at will)
Rutan-exempt positions were four year terms. Four year term positions or contracts are usually worth a minimum of $500,000 each of our money. And during their terms, incumbents have civil service protection which means, in practical terms, they can’t be fired even if they do nothing for their $500,000+ package. Converting those jobs to at-will is a favor to Illinois taxpayers, however small. Four year terms are such a gift to the incumbents, though, that I find it difficult to believe Blago isn’t keeping a few, quite a few, for cronies.

- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 10:57 am:
I think Real Clear Politics has a good illustration regarding Blagojevich today. He is a pinata. The pounding he is getting from federal investigators and the press will continue until the truth spills out. If not before the election, then it will be after.

What is sad is the number of partisans who just don’t care. Blagojevich can be the disgraced reformer who became Public Official A. They only care about if he can win. Unlike Ryan, Blagojevich has a prosecutor saying in writing that there is credible evidence against him. Considering that he was elected to reform our state, his failure to not only not run an ethical administration is inexcusable to most voters. The very idea that he is the target of several federal investigations is sickening. How could he even be renominated? He made us a laughingstock.

It will be a sad day for Illinois when Blagojevich is indicted. Even sadder if he is the current governor at the time of his indictment. Lets hope that doesn’t happen, because after Ryan, Blagojevich’s indictments will definately make Illinois the corruption capital of the US.

I remember one blogger, responded cynically that “our crooks are better than yours”, as if this was so kind of respectable position to take. But this is a case of a governor not just turning out to be a scoundral, but a governor claiming to be a rescurer, turning out to be just another perpetrator, abusing us after we trusted him to do what is right. To run as a reformer, and stabbing us in the back instead is especially disgusting. To accept this because of the little (D) next to his name is outrageous.

- Concerned Voter - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 11:12 am:
I just wish all this news would reflect in poll numbers better. I can’t believe there is such a difference between Judy & Rod, with all the investigations, allegations, & scandals that have popped up under Blago.

- Mr. Ethics - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 11:48 am:
Shame on all the deaf, dumb, and blind voters in Illinois who are going to re elect this man, at least according to the polls. The only news here is how the ethics laws are being totally ignored by these so called reformers, and why the inspector generals are nothing more then marionettes.

- One Man Can Make A Difference - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 12:01 pm:
This allegations in this story have been a major complaint of the employees at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Division of Child Support Enforcement and I’m sure other agencies as well.

Questions:

1. What does Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn have to say about this? Do he still believes that the Governor does the right things all the time?

2. How did the Tribune get a copy of the current Executive Inspector General’s report when they by law are confidential? Has James Wright joined in the fight to “root out corruption” in the Office of the Governor?

3. What did the Governor do with James Wrights findings in the report? Did he discipline himself and the officials named in the report? Does his report not support the allegations of the Defraities? Should not the two employees be immediately reinstated by the Governor since he does the right things all the time?

4. How much longer is U.S Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald going to allow this continue before the people see resolutions or see it’s gov’t work for the people of this state?

5. What does U.S Senator Barack Obama have to say about all of these damning reports of corruption in Rod Blagojevich’s administration? Or are the newspapers making all of this stuff up?

IT’S TIME FOR SOMEONE TO BRINGS RESOLUTIONS!

- Niles Township - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 12:10 pm:
What high level foreign official visitng the Thompson Center today under heavy protection from secret service, state police, Chicago police and diplomatic security. Might it be that the official is from a country that the US isn’t on such a friendly basis with? Is the Governor playing with foreign policy? Just a few questions…a lot of hush hush around the building today.

- roadkill - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 12:34 pm:
I’m surprised someone hasn’t taken a closer look at the changing of job titles before now. One example is the new org chart now in place at IDOT. Bureau and section chief jobs that once required a professional engineer’s license are now labeled as managers, allowing the administration to put any bumpkin they want into the job even though they have no technical knowledge of what their bureau or section is supposed to be doing.

- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 12:55 pm:
Look at the S-T poll numbers. Why change, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

- Big W - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 1:25 pm:
What happened Rich? truth hurts or what? LOL

- Wheres the leadership??? - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 1:40 pm:
Casandra, once again you talk as if you really know the truth about state jobs, it is apparent you don’t. Not all the 4 year term jobs are worth the money you say they are. I was in one of them and made 65k per year. I had 60 employees which were mostly union and the all but 6 union employees made more money than I did (without counting Overtime). My group worked our tails off, and thanks to this administration I am no longer in that position, they converted my position to a non code position and I found a new job. They then proceeded to hire 3 people making substantially more than what I did to do my job.

I would really like to know where you get your information, because it is not very accurate.

- Big W - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 2:10 pm:
The “Jaws” music seems to be getting louder, and an indictment is just around the next interview or interrogation…….oh, this is getting exciting! Fitz is closing in!

- Niles Township - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 2:19 pm:
I take back my earlier posting….found who the foreign official was, and contrary to rumors in the building, it was not a high-level Syrian official…it was the president of the Dominican Republic. Sorry for trading in this false rumor.

- Shelbyville - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 2:28 pm:
Niles, It was a good rumor - while it lasted. :)

- Little Egypt - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 3:01 pm:
Can you all say Good Afternoon Governor Quinn? If Elvis wins the election, he won’t be governor for long. Ba ha ha. Can’t wait for the indictments to be announced. The sooner the better.

- Big W - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 3:03 pm:
Elvis can you sing the Jailhouse rock?

- Angie - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 3:07 pm:
Someone stated, “What is sad is the number of partisans who just donâ€™t care. Blagojevich can be the disgraced reformer who became Public Official A.”

That’s why the Illinois Dems refuse to support upping the standards in the lousy public school system. So far, it is a benefit to the Dems, because these crummy schools turn out a lot of really dim future voters who keep going for Dems, no matter how corrupt.

Something must be up, though, because the Topinka campaign is awfully low key lately. I mean, besides the bus tour and the light ads they finally started running.

Something must be up, and they must know that it is only a matter of time.

Rod voters? I would stay home come election day. Who wants to run around in public going, “Yeah, I voted to elect Rod again, and then this here in the paper hit the fan.” I mean, who??? You’d have to be utterly clueless. You’d have to have flunked your way throught the Chicago Public Schools!

- DOWNSTATE - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 3:07 pm:
Maybe when they indict the governor they will indict the state employee that ran over Cassandra’s dog and she will get some closure on state employees.

- Gregor - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 3:26 pm:
My kids went shopping at a halloween costume store that just opened this weekend. One of mine brought be an orange jumpsuit labeled DOC an Elvis wig, and a gray wig and said “Look, I can go as a governor!”
“So many choices!” I replied.

- HUMPS - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 3:59 pm:
BACK TO BEING SERIOUS; AS FOLKS THIS IS.MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF YOU ARE A DEM OR A GOP’ER. IF A SEATING GOV. IS BROUGHT DOWN, ITS ONE MORE NAIL IN THE COFFIN FOR FUTURE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT REALLY BE QUALIFIED AND JUST MIGHT THINK OF RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND THEN, STOP AND THINK, WHY IN THE WORLD DO I WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN SUCH A MESS AS IT IT IN THE GRAND STATE OF ILLINOIS? SAD. MORE AND MORE YOU ARE SEEING SOME NAMES SLOWLY MOVE FROM THE HIDDEN BOTTOM TO THE TOP OF THE LIST OF CONNECTED INSIDERS. JUST WAIT. THERE’S ARE FEW MORE FROM MACON COUNTY YOU’LL BE HEARING ABOUT AS THIS MESS MOVES ALONG.

- Bubs - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 4:24 pm:
The steady drum of scandal is no longer the most crucial issue - it will not only continue, it will get much, much louder in the months to come.

A majority of Chicago voters do not believe Mayor Daley when he says he knew nothing of Hired Truck. I’d wager a majority of Illinois voters would say the same about the Governor and his various scandals. Yet each man holds a sizable lead.

Answer why that is, and you hold the key to this election in Illinois.

“We have met the enemy, and he is us!” - Pogo

- Big W - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 5:07 pm:
I think I have the answer Bubs. Chicago does’nt care, they are used to it, and the people who used to care downstate are so tired of the corruption and lies quit voting

- Justice - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 5:16 pm:
The majority of the people see only a headline or two out of the corner of their eye. Most totally disregard the huge amount of political spin that swirls about just before an election. A promise of wonderful thing to come hits the headlines, then the actual requirements and cost for these wonderful things catches the fifth page. Most of us are very busy with our private sector jobs and see very little of the madness of the internal political fray going on in Springfield and Chicago. We see health insurance for our kids, we see better and broader medical coverage for the elderly, we see free flu vaccine from England and cheaper drugs from Canada. We rely on the promises of cleaning up corruption and we see a prior Republican governor going to prison for his misdeeds. We ignore the warning signs, we hate Bush and the war, we are Democrats and that is the way we will vote. Nearer our Rod to theeâ€¦â€¦say, why is the ship listing? No money for the kids, no drugs from Canada, no flu vaccine from England, all lies, all liesâ€¦.â€ Somebody tell me it ainâ€™t so. Blogo take my $1,500â€¦please, I need a jobâ€¦.please. Screw a veteran and get me a job!!! I really donâ€™t want to show up if thatâ€™s okayâ€¦.okay?

- Bubs - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 6:20 pm:
Could there be more to it than mere ignorance? But I do see Justice’s point when the public is handed nonsense like this, in response to Hynes’ report of today that Illinois in deep fiscal trouble over the next five years:

“We’ve proved that by keeping new spending down, reducing the size of government and creating new revenue streams, we can address challenges facing the state without having to raise taxes,” - Becky Carroll.

This statement from the GOVERNOR’s OFFICE is so intellectually dishonest it is staggering.

- Disgusted - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 6:27 pm:
Hiring scandals, pay to play, financing a campaign literature with state taxpayers dollars (the scandal about to hit the media), having ne’er do wells as friends and campaign workers, establishing programs with no money to back them up, lying to the applicants of All Kids, and on and on.

If anyone in the suburbs of Chicago, the collar counties and especially anyone south of I-80 votes for this piece of work, then you all deserve the government you will get.

- Cassandra - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 7:07 pm:
Most term positions are higher-level management positions and $65,000 seems low. My guess is the median is far higher. And $65,000 doesn’t include lavish health and pension benefits which add 1/3 to 1/2 again the salary to the total compensation package. A $65,000 salary equals at least an $85,000 compensation package. Talk to your pals in the private sector who have to pay
big bucks for their health coverage and who have no pensions, only 401k’s. $65,000 and free health care and low-cost pension would look pretty good to them.

I am sure there are state employees who work very hard. But it’s their choice. If they don’t care to work much, they can’t be fired during their term or ever, if they are civil service.
Only if they are convicted of a crime.

Union employees likely are overpaid in relation to the market. But look at the big automakers.
That is changing. And it should.

- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 7:26 pm:
I agree some state positions are cushy compared to their private sector equivalents, and the state is at a disadvantage in getting rid of mopes who don’t produce. But riddle me this, Cass- why are so many engineers and technicians leaving IDOT and those seemingly lavish wages, pensions and benefits, and going to work in the private sector? Many are cashing in their pensions as a lump sum and rolling them into 401k’s, rather than leaving their money in the system. At some levels and positions, the grass truly does appear to be greener on the other side.

- Buck Flagojevich - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 7:26 pm:
Cassandra,

“Civil Service” is a load of crapola. If they want you gone, they will squeeze you until you shout out Uncle! I have been there. An employee’s complaint will get tossed for any reason they want to make up, then poof, no more complaint. Then your only recourse is to hire an attorney to try to save you behind. In the long run you end up spending a lot of money to keep your job. Of course if you stay, the terrorizing and harassment just gets worse and worse and worse…

- Chitown is my town - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 7:39 pm:
When will you suburbanites and hillbillies figure it out no one care what you think. Blago is taking care of his base. Me CHICAGO that is why none of your little gossiping about scandals will matter we have more voter and that is why you or should I say Y’all don’t matter. so go back to whining that the Gov. doesn’t live in Springfield I don’t blame him the place is a dump and there is no good restaurants. What job he gave his nanny doesn’t matter what his friend gave his child for her birthday doesn’t matter who got what jobs how doesn’t matter. what matters is we are Big (Chicago ) and you are not (rest of IL.) so suck it up and get on with your lives. Oh by the way we will have the Treasurers office in Nov so it will be a clean sweep for Chi town my town

- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 8:37 pm:
Thanks for joining us tonight, Gov. Blagojevich.

- heeellllllllllllllllpppppppppppmmmmmmmee - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 8:56 pm:
What could be taking the U.S. Attorney soooo longggg????????? I am losing hope.

- to chitown is my town - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 8:58 pm:
get an education bubba and learn proper english

- Angie - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 9:32 pm:
Chitown must’ve graduated from one of the Chicago Public Schools, no doubt. The utter lack of ability to express himself or herself in clear, concise, and grammatically proper prose gives it away.

- Anon in BB - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 10:08 pm:
Fine Chitown. How about we cut off Cook County from the rest of the state? Call it the Peoples Republic of Cook.

“I hold it that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms are in the physical.” - Thomas Jefferson

- BREAKING NEWS - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 10:14 pm:
this just in….Federal Jury finds top SoS official guilty. Cecil Turner, Dem activist and director of building services for Jesse White, found guilty of federal charges in payroll scandal in SoS office.

White’s office says “It’s George’s Ryan’s fault.”

- Disgusted - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 10:19 pm:
Nice attitude, Chitown. My husband, a born and bread Southsider has more class in his little finger than you have in your whole body. You and your ilk are why we have the kind of government we have. Let’s hope the Sears Tower never takes a hit because you’ll be on your own, buddy.

- Disgusted - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 10:20 pm:
Oops, that “bred”, not “bread”.

- Gregor - Monday, Sep 18, 06 @ 11:16 pm:
I think Chitown was being ironically facetious, or he’s a troll. If he’s for real, he represents exactly the attitude of the current people in charge, I kid you not.

- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 19, 06 @ 6:15 am:
I’m not 100 percent sure, but I believe that “Chitown is my town” is a troll. Either way, he/she/it is now in comment moderation.

- OneMan - Tuesday, Sep 19, 06 @ 7:27 am:
On one level the troll as a point. As long as the governor wins Chicago big enough he can ignore the rest of the state to some degree.

- killer - Tuesday, Sep 19, 06 @ 7:57 am:
Blago doesn’t need a single vote from downstate and he’ll win and you all know it. Judy will not be governor if illinois and you all know that too.

- Juice - Tuesday, Sep 19, 06 @ 8:02 am:
Rich, I don’t understand something. Chitown is simply stating his view and because you disagree he is in comment moderation? Is this like detention? Please explain because this worries me.

- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 19, 06 @ 8:13 am:
Juice, I looked up his/her previous comments in making the determination that this person could be a troll. There are lots of people in moderation. Most of their comments get approved, but they’ve crossed the line in the past (usually it’s profanity or overt weirdness) and I don’t trust them.

Once again, this blog is not a public park. It’s a private business.

- Wheres the leadership??? - Tuesday, Sep 19, 06 @ 9:03 am:
Cassandra, once again you speak what you don’t know about. If you want to see LAVISH pensions look no further than the Legislators, State Police and Corrections. Illinois ranks near the bottom compared to other states.

The average term position (prior to BLA BLA) is around 70k, far from Lavish.

Once again, don’t speak about what you don’t know.

- maggiemae - Tuesday, Sep 19, 06 @ 11:57 am:
Again, Cassandra sounds like an ex-state worker that got fired for firing off her mouth. And it sure sounds like Chitown needs to go back to grammer school, preferably not one in Chitown.

- Criminal Enterprise Called Illinois - Wednesday, Sep 20, 06 @ 2:08 am:
I can’t believe that Becky Owens let herself be slotted as an intern. She’s been around the action for years and should know better. What a farce! Another pawn in the Blago machine finds themself in trouble, while he sits idly by. Despite all her work for the Dems over the years, Blago will let her twist in the wind, per usual. Resign now while you can, Becky.

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