* A predictable headline: Quinn hires aide who worked for Rezko, Blagojevich, and a predictable lede…
Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday installed as his chief operating officer an appointee of ousted predecessor Rod Blagojevich who also has close ties to convicted fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko.
The decision to name longtime friend Jack Lavin as one of his top aides raised eyebrows with some who said it might send a message of politics as usual in Illinois.
* People who believe that they’re reformers often don’t feel the need to explain their behavior…
Quinn spokesman Bob Reed brushed off questions about Lavin’s connections to Rezko, saying Quinn has the “utmost confidence” in his pick.
Brush off reporters like that and they’ll probably write stories about how close Quinn really was to Rezko. This is just a sample…
It was Rezko who recommended Lavin for his job as head of DCEO. Lavin previously worked as a financial officer for a Rezko company.
And while I defended Lavin’s choice to subscribers today, he wasn’t devoid of problems…
Quinn thinks Lavin did an “excellent job” running DCEO, Reed said.
But DCEO has gotten some unwanted attention as of late. Lavin was in charge when it mistakenly gave a $1 million grant to a private school when it lost its home after Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago burned in January 2006.
* Still, as I wrote earlier this week, we desperately need a governmental manager right now. For various reasons, mainly his close ties to Quinn, Lavin is probably the best we could hope for.
More from the Trib…
“Certainly he comes with some baggage that we have to be very sensitive about at this moment in our state’s history, but personally I want to work with everyone right now to make sure we get through the very serious problems we’re facing,” said Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont. “I can only hope the governor has fully vetted his association and knows full well that they won’t in any way, shape or form interfere.”
Me too.
* The rest of Quinn’s appointments from yesterday are here.
* Related…
* Quinn to open governor’s mansion to public
* Quinn expects no rescissions for UI in state budget
* Who’s running the lieutenant governor’s office? Who knows
LIVE session coverage...
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 11:31 am:
Quinn’s ties to Rezko go back over 15 years as I recall to his Treasurer days. Got a significant amount of campaign cash from Rezko and his friends. Sure, he was far from alone, but Quinn never really raised a bunch of money to begin with, so on a percentage basis the amounts seem more significant.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 11:31 am:
The pr is terrible. Is there really no one else who can run the office that isn’t tied to Blago, Rezko, tollways oasis, and Pilgrim?
- JonShibleyFan - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 11:42 am:
Lavin is a smart, decent, and most importantly, qualified guy.
- honesty in government - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 11:47 am:
Until the new Gov has hearings allowing honest hard working State employee’s to com forward nothing will change. Many of us had a party yesterday thinhking DCFS had got rid of their Chief of Staff “Ms. Staggers” only to go in today and see her. WHen is enough enough. Have heqaring and let the taxpayer see the waste in government and coorect it once and for all. It is not “one” man it is a system. He is pacing the same people back that did not have the intergity to follow the rules.
- Amy - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 11:54 am:
Lavin is smart. but i’m tempted to code name him Red Panda because, yes, the Rezko Panda Express days do disturb.
- Chanson - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 11:55 am:
If you lie down with the dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.
- Quinn T. Sential - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 12:19 pm:
{Quinn thinks Lavin did an “excellent job” running DCEO, Reed said.
But DCEO has gotten some unwanted attention as of late. Lavin was in charge when it mistakenly gave a $1 million grant to a private school when it lost its home after Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago burned in January 2006.}
If my age impaired memory serves me correctly, I don’t believe that it was ever “proven”, that this was a “mistake”. If I remember correctly, wasn’t Luanner Peters sent forward as the sacrificial lamb to face the inquisition on this? Didn’t Deputy Gov. Peters entertain the inquirers with her inability to explain how this came about; and the inability to identify who authorized and approved this grant?
Did Jack Lavin ever answer questions pertaining to this grant?
If not; then I think using the word “mistakenly” to describe this grant and its intended beneficiary and ultimate recipient is a gross mis-characterization worthy of correction. As a result I would recommend using the term alleged, or allegedly mistaken when describing how those grant dollars were distributed. At least until Mr. Lavin agrees to step forward and provide some more details; under oath, on how this grant was processed; from start to finish.
Given that there is the potential for criminal liability associated with that grant; and that Mr. Lavin would be entitled to counsel when answering any such questions, and on the advice of counsel could refuse to do so under the 5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, than I have to question the vetting process for determining whether to retain him in his original position, let alone offering him a promotion.
The failure to get to the bottom of this issue in the agency which was under his domain, is a principal factor why people could and likely will get the perception that this appointment is indeed just “business as usual”, and without answers from him to the appropriate questions I think he should have chosen somebody else.
- thursday morning quarterback - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 12:34 pm:
Given Lavin’s baggage, wouldn’t it have made sense for the Governor’s office to have put together a list of Lavin’s accomplishments at DCEO? At least there would have been something positive and tangible for reporters to include in the inevitable Blagojevich-Rezko coverage. Instead, all we get is a lame “utmost confidence” non-quote. Yeah. That makes me feel much better. At least he didn’t say “He’s always been a person who’s honest and one of integrity.”
- Cassandra - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 12:40 pm:
When assessing Ms. Staggers’ and others’ chances to stay in their lucrative state government jobs, it is important to know what the conditions of these folks’ employment are. Many high level Blago and Emil appointed government employees arranged to get themselves into four year terms and during their terms they can only be fired for cause. Others drop down into the bargaining unit once they get their feet into that state employee door because those jobs are forever for the vast majority of incumbents. Especially since another tranche of government employees, a big one, just entered the collective bargaining unit.
As to Mr. Lavin, I doubt Guv Quinn had a lot of options. He doesn’t have a deep bench to draw from, or apparently doesn’t think he does.
Let’s see how Mr. Lavin does.
- Just Because - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 12:59 pm:
I think lavin was a huge mistake. He is part of the problem. If he dont know the hows or whys about the grant, then he truely was part of the scheme
- Anonymous45 - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 1:16 pm:
I agree once again with Cassandra…Lavin is capable, relatively clean, and knows State government…maybe this appointment will chip away at Pat’s “gadfly” status…Quinn is not in the insiders club, but at least he realizes that access to that club will be essential to his efforts for the next twenty months…very calculating if you ask me, and in a good way at that…
- Quinn T. Sential - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 1:31 pm:
{As to Mr. Lavin, I doubt Guv Quinn had a lot of options. He doesn’t have a deep bench to draw from, or apparently doesn’t think he does.}
Casandra, there are some exceptionally talented people that are not yet of retirement age that have been laid off by their companies across the state who would be well qualified for this role. Just as importantly they would be “outsiders” and would demonstrate truth to word about the effort to “fumigate” our state government.
Many goevernment active participants or observers will claim that an outsider does not have the breadth of experience in state government to be effective in this role. In my opinion those holding this opinion are simply resistant to change and as a result are part of the ongoing problem rather than embracing what could be an integral part of the solution.
- Niles Township - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 3:41 pm:
Lavin is more than qualified for this position after serving as DCEO director and Deputy Treasurer. However, this is still a mistake by the Guv. I can see the ads now…first the 2006 quote, then he appoints a closer Rezko/Blago man his COO? Quinn is close to Lavin. He should have left him at DCEO and informally had him as a kitchen cabinet advisor. Making him COO is a mistake.
- Larry - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 3:41 pm:
What a disappointment in Lavin.
DCEO has become a laughing stock in the Economic Development & local development Communities.
DCEO is loaded with political hacks who think their political volunteerism satisfies their requirement to work for their public payroll dollars on a day to day basis.
Entrepenuership Centers? BLAGO/Lavin created these in regions througout the state. What a joke they are. Lavin hired most them directly from the Blago’s regional campaign teams.
Gov. Quinn or an aggressive reporter, I challenge you to to FOIA the regular reports the regional offices are required to file and attempt to validate that these regional reps are actually working 9-5. Entrepenuership centers are fraudulent and they are supervised by Jack Lavin.
I was expecting different from the “reformer” Quinn but instead we get more of the same. Very disappointing.
- Not Blue - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 3:52 pm:
Larry, It’s all a big smoke screen, reform in Illinois means that when the form falls apart you pick up all of the same pieces and form them back together - no change - just squeezing the parts back together in the same form and giving it a new name.
- Quinn T. Sential - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 4:26 pm:
What are the chances that the ‘Black Ministers” that previously supported Burris, but now plan to ask him to resign; will have any impact on him.
What brought them to their senses? Has a deal been cut with Quinn to appoint another African American in his place, should Burris heed their calling? Who’s on deck; Rev. Meeks per chance?
- Orange Crush - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 4:28 pm:
I get the name “Not Blue” and I know what you are talking about. Walker and Blago really screwed things up here at DOC. At one time I was confident that those in charge, who had advanced through the ranks, knew how to handle the daily problems that we face. The walk a mile in my shoes theory. But those people are gone thanks to dirty Illinois politics. The new bosses make no bones about it, they were hired after their political affiliation checked out. They like to laugh and poke at us lowly C/O’s because they are smarter than us. The political hacks were not required to go through and pass six weeks training at the training academy where they were tested every week,no firearms training or re-certification, no cycle training etc. These hacks even started at a higher rate of pay. People talk of reform, are they going to correct the errors and damage done by Walker and Blago ? No faith here, not on my gallery. Where I work the Walker/Blago Assistant Warden rented golf carts to drive the “Administration” around when they toured the joint and did I mention that the same person catered steak and shrimp in for the “Administration”? I didn’t eat lunch because we were short staffed, the dietary sent over some cold goulash and green beans so I ate lunch in the foyer while I counted the inmate meal lines as they left the building for lunch. If we are lucky Lavin eliminate the hacks or find some money to bring back some hope.
- vince glothor - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 4:30 pm:
Jack Lavn is a decent, competitent, and honest guy. He is more than qualified to handle that job and probably will come up with some ideas that are long overdue. Quit painting everyone with a wide brush. Remember reform in Illinois is basically “our guys are and your guys are out!”
- Slugo - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 4:31 pm:
Mistake for Quinn to hire Lavin, he went for loyalty over competency or common sense. His decision deserves the headline it got in the Trib…it’s the truth. Lavin dismantled a respected economic development agency under Blago. They got rid of professional economic development staff (the few remaining were marginalized) and spent millions outsourcing work to Blago’s contributors.
Quinn is setting the table for a strong case against his new way of doing business. This is transparent alright….
- ILPundit - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 4:33 pm:
Boy, Larry sure sounds like a disgruntled DCEO employee with an axe to grind, doesn’t he?
Lets not forget that before Blago, before Rezko, Lavin was a Quinn guy. By all accounts, they have remained close and have a trusting relationship. And by all accounts, Lavin has consistently been considered perhaps the most capable Agency Director the previous Governor had.
If I were Quinn, that’s exactly the type of guy I would want — someone who ran a good agency, someone who I trusted, who was respected by members of the General Assembly, and most importantly, who probably knows better than most the mistakes Blago made, and how they need to be fixed.
It’s going to be a heck of a difficult job for anyone. If Lavin isn’t up for the challenge, then I can’t imagine who else would be.
- Sworn In - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 4:47 pm:
Orange Crush, How can that be ? We (ISP) also require academy training and certification for entry. This also includes administrator positions which require inside advancements not from the outside. Think you need to speak with Mr. Fitzgerald….
- Cogito - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 5:00 pm:
I may be misremembering, but I believe that during the impeachment hearing the $1 million DCEO grant to the “wrong” grantee was brought up during the testimony of the Auditor General. The Auditor General was asked about the grant and said that he had been unable to make a determination in what had happened because the agency (Mr. Lavin’s DCEO) would not provide the information necessary. I interpreted that as saying that the agency had stonewalled the Auditor General.
Larry may be a disgruntled DCEO employee, but that does not mean his comments about the agency are incorrect. They are not.
Reform? We don’t need no stinkin’ reform.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 5:24 pm:
Whether Mr. Lavin is a decent guy or not, he has an OPEN political accouting which holds money from Rezko and others. Nothing something he closed or distributed: An open camapaign accout.
http://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetail.aspx?id=16243
- Swatchin - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 5:25 pm:
Give Lavin a chance, if I recall right, didn’t Lavin openly resist the constant presure of Blago’s crew to fire and hire based on political affiliation? Sure Walker’s a Blago hack but don’t tie Walker to Lavin, there is no connection.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 5:26 pm:
At the original Trib article, the comments are running about 100% negative. Much more divided response here.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-quinn-jobs-19-feb19,0,6468570.story
- Larry - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 5:34 pm:
To IL PUNDIT
==And by all accounts, Lavin has consistently been considered perhaps the most capable Agency Director the previous Governor had.===
That is an extremely low bar you set…Lavin- the best of all Blago Directors”
I am not an ex DCEO staffer but I do know that Lavin funneled BLAGO & Rezko hacks into DCEO many of whom have no clue what the agency is supposed to do. More of a concern however its been six years & they have not cared what their role is supposed to be. LAVIN has not provided good leadership a the agency.
- Orange Crush - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 5:41 pm:
To: Il Pundit - Get in touch with reality, it does not matter, this is Illinois politics. Quit believing that the masked man will arrive and save the day. Good leadership ? Come to work with me for about an hour and I will show you the real damage created by Blago/Walker administration and continued by this one… but who really cares right?
- Toast Man - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 6:41 pm:
Larry is quite correct in his assessment of Lavin and DCEO. He was nothing but a rubber stamp for Blagojevich’s “initiatives” (political hires, cash give aways, etc).
- Swatchin - The first thing Lavin did at DCEO, then DCCA, was to purge all the PSA’s he could, by any means possible. Those positions were then filled with Blago hacks, with salaries usually starting at $80,000.
DCEO went from marginally effective to a joke under Blago and Lavin.
- Toast Man - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 6:52 pm:
Gosh. Lavin made a $50,000 profit on a house he owned for 5 months, with a little help from Tony.
http://nalert.blogspot.com/2007/09/obama-patron-tony-rezkos-real-estate.html
Vetting anyone?
- DuPage Dave - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 6:53 pm:
Lavin may be a good guy- who knows? But he is a really bad hire for Quinn. It sends entirely the wrong message. Surely there are some competent people who don’t know Tony Rezko.
Also- the “mistake” of the $1 million grant(plus the pardon of the principal) regarding the Loop Lab School still stinks to high heaven. Sooner or later he will have to answer for that, and “I was only following orders from Blago” will just sink hime further in the hole.
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 7:12 pm:
What’s next? GOMB Director Filan?
- Swatchin - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 7:14 pm:
TO: Toast Man - OK I was wrong and you caught me. My daughter has a friend who works at DCEO so I called him after posting my message. I am trying real hard to have faith in Gov.Quinn. But you are right on the money, you must work there. I can only relate to this entire mess by what I witnessed when Blagojevich took over and appointed R. Walker as Director of DOC. I know that Walker was a political hack who conducted political hiring and firing, I did not know that most of the directors did the same. I keep my message strong to my grandchildren -never ever vote-ever. Because some day your vote will be used against you. I have more evidence to prove my statement than this world can counter.
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 7:47 pm:
Swatchin - I am glad you followed up with DCEO employees - Toast Man was correct - this guy fired all the “good guys” and replaced them with people that know NOTHING and do not care about government. The Lavin hiring is disappointing to say the least.
- Captain Flume - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 7:55 pm:
Lavin, like Filan and Ostro and a few others, will make the Quinn years an extension of the Blagojevich years without the enemy du jour that the ex-Governor used to throw sand in the face of responsible behavior. Too bad, but This Is Illinois, mate.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 8:44 pm:
Now, the more I think about it, was Schermer cover for this appointment?
I really don’t like it. If you’re going to clean house, clean house.
Quinn, I hope there are no surprises from this guy in your future. Because the way things are going, one surprise will be one too many.
- Marianne North - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 8:59 pm:
Do you know why state employment is bloated? The
Lt Gov had 7 assistants. The Lt Gov? Blagojevich had 3 deputy governors. Why? DCCA is all political hires because that’s where the federal $$ is.
What’s a tranche? BTW, Cassandra, I have never seen a higher up drop down into the bargaining unit. You’ll have to give real-life examples.
- Cassandra - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 9:42 pm:
Marianne–the public service administrators are the latest tranche? cohort? swathe? of Illinois state employees to go into the bargaining unit. Many are supervisors and low level managers; previously, they were covered under civil service rules.
Four year term employees have been allowed to
move from term jobs (senior public service administrators) to public service administrator jobs even before they went into the bargaining unit. I suppose now they’d have to ask for permission from the union, but that’s a very recent change. These would be folks in exempt or term that didn’t make the cut but the powers decided to be merciful instead of kicking them out. Or, it’s a way of circumventing Rutan.
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Feb 19, 09 @ 10:54 pm:
He’s not the best guy in the world, but he’s certainly not the worst. And while the outsider talk sounds great, government is complicated and with a 9 billion deficit, someone needs to know how to get things done. Jack is a pretty good guy for the job. Now we’ll see if he’s any good in his job.
- ILPundit - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 6:16 am:
Shorter Larry: “I have never worked at DCEO, but I know more about what goes on there than anyone else. And everything there sucks…oh, and no, I’m not biased”
Boggles the mind.
What I know about Lavin is that a lot of people I respect — including a lot of elected officials at both the state and federal level, think very highly of him, and recognize that he’s done some very amazing things at DCEO with little gubernatorial support or funding. In other words, he thrived in an environment that was practically rigged for failure thanks to the incompetence radiating from the previous Govs inner circle.
My guess is that Larry would have preferred Scott Fawell…but I hear he’s unavailable.
- career hunting uk - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 8:21 am:
Very nice.
- Larry - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 9:41 am:
Chicago Cynic says ==”government is complicated and with a 9 billion deficit, someone needs to know how to get things done”==
You are kidding right?
If you believe your own spin then please answer this question; IF you need people who know how to get things done, how can you defend LAVIN’S hiring all the political hacks at $80,000 grand who STILL do not know what they are doing at DCEO after six years? And worse, they don’t care to learn!
An honest answer would be appreciated.
- Old Guard - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 9:44 am:
If Quinn wants reform he needs to jump into DOC with both feet. You can’t swing a dead cat at any of these joints without hitting a Warden or Asst. Warden that could not handle passing out carts at Wal-mart. No experience, No training, No smarts, NO PROBLEM ! If the check clears, you can start on Monday. We have plenty of money at our joint. Our A/W paid overtime to have his office painted. He didn’t know that contractually he had to use the painter and not the pipe fitter to do the painting. So the painter got paid the overtime too, while he was at home.
- Larry - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 1:07 pm:
Cynic Spare us please.
You cannot deny verifable facts. It is quite clear that your own bias or arrogant stubbornness will not allow you admit the truth about what Lavin has done at DCEO. But please don’t take my word for it.
Instead, I refer you to the auditor General’sworn testimony before the house impeachemnet hearings. Or just read the volumes of audit findings from DCEO under Lavin.
Ps How do you defend Lavin’s work as CFO for Rezko when he & Lavin defrauded GE Capital for $10,000,000. You have yet to answer the questions.
BTW if your are trying to quote me then use my actual quotes.
- Larry - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 1:12 pm:
CYNIC,
One more thing: The “previous Governor’s inner circle” includes Jack Lavin. It is called a Cabinet.
Are you clueless about basic facts or just dishonest?
- Larry - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 1:14 pm:
Sorry;
The last comments were a response to IL PUNDIT not cynic
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 1:21 pm:
Larry, the GE Capital stuff as far as I know was about a 2004 attempt to defraud. That was after Lavin left.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 20, 09 @ 1:23 pm:
And, Larry, the Cabinet was not the governor’s inner circle. Don’t be clueless. His inner circle was the guys who worked in his office. His campaign office, that is.