Partisan rollcall saves Transportation Secretary.
The Illinois Senate on Thursday approved a second term for the secretary of transportation, despite Republicans’ concerns about mismanagement within the agency.
Tim Martin narrowly was confirmed to continue running the Transportation Department on a 31-18 vote, with eight senators voting “present.”
He needed 30 votes for approval. […]
Dillard, who voted “present” on Martin after supporting him in a Senate committee earlier in the day, said Martin told him he was making changes.
“I think you’ll see Secretary Martin watching what goes on in his agency much more deeply into the agency than he probably did his first couple of years,” Dillard said.
LIVE session coverage...
- db - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 7:20 am:
Don’t be surprised to see more of the same out of his administration. Somebody’s getting thrown under the bus for the audit, and he’ll keep rolling along.
- Anon - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 7:39 am:
I am totally disgusted that anyone would vote to confirm this arrogant buffoon! Ask anyone at IDOT, he could care less about our roadways.
- DOWNSTATE - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 7:51 am:
Does he get to keep his job if he gets caught up in this mess at IDOT and there is an indictment with his name on it.This is one of the reasons,one of many,that we need to get these Democrats out of office.They are totally destroying this state.
- Cat - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 7:53 am:
If you thought Illinois government/politics was bad before, with this infusion of the Chicago ’style’ if will only get worse. Few professionals will work for this type of person, and IDOT continues to lose qualified, credentialled personnel because of the lack of professional treatment and lack of promotional opportunities offered by Martin and his band of thieves. It is a sad demise for what was once a premier agency in the nation.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 7:54 am:
Mighty big of Dillard to vote “present.” (insert rolleyes emoticon)
- the Patriot - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 7:58 am:
Write his name down, it will be eventually appear in articles followed by defendant, and then witness. They flipped people on George Ryan. People who George stood by and had spent years building relationships with. If you think these hacks won’t give up the Gov for a reduced sentence your crazy. Rod is already letting these guys take his bad press, not a way to build loyalty. Not it looks like he may even be Ryan to the clink
- Swami - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 8:28 am:
I can’t believe Martin has been confirmed. Emil Jones pushed it because Martin has placed many of Jone’s people in IDOT. I’m waiting for the Personnel audit of IDOT’s hiring practices to come out. How long will this take? Martin should not have been confirmed until all the audits are completed. I can hardly wait to hear the words “your services are no longer needed.”
- Backyard Conservative - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 9:40 am:
http://backyardconservative.blogspot.com/
2006/03/business-as-usual.html
- Team Sleep - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 10:41 am:
IDOT should be run by engineers and MBAs. Period. None of this BS when it comes to hiring cronies and hacks. IDOT, Public Health and IDPFR are agencies that really need to be staffed with industry-experienced professionals rather than friends, family members and donors of state reps, senators and constitutional officers.
- IDOToldtimer - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 12:30 pm:
The most incredible part of this was a comment in the Trib this AM by Senator Adeline Geo-Karis, a Zion Republican who co-chairs the appointments committee and who voted for Martin.
Her comments, at least as quoted left the workers in Springfield incredulous.
She says ” “He’s not a thief,” she said. “He should be given a chance to clean up his department.”
Good lord, he’s the one who’s screwed it up. All the politicals hired with zero knowledge of highways or government operations and with his blessing. A lot of which have now ended up as DUI’s.
Gimme a break !
“Cat’ said it very well above, we’re going down the tubes while these people give out shirts, pens and tattoos and do their little PR work.
PR is all the counts there now, not the actual accomplishments.
Although to be fair, we do have the cleanest rust-free wooden salt domes in the nation thanks to one of his qualified wonder-hires !
- Six Degrees of Separation - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 12:58 pm:
Rumor was that Martin was going to be leaving IDOT about now, following his buddy Jack Hartman out the door. His confirmation has lagged so long, he’s about ready for retirement. Sorta like the guy who backed up Bradshaw for the Steelers, he was eligible for his NFL pension before he’d ever played a down in a real game.
- Wumpus - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 3:07 pm:
You go Senator Blowhard! His whole grandstanding around the Jack Ryan fiasco was appalling. I’m not excusing Jack Ryan’s appalling behiavior either.
- NIEVA - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 8:19 pm:
When Sec. Brown ran IDOT you never read his name with headlines like the ones Martin is getting. I say keep him in place. It will give Judy an extra ten points in the polls!!!