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* Long-ago Statehouse political reporter Mike Lawrence compares Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of legislative salaries to Quinn’s old boss Dan Walker…
For a governor facing a steep re-election climb and taunted as inept and irrelevant by lawmakers, it was both a payback and a ploy to build his sagging poll numbers.
He cast the move as policy driven, arguing it would jolt lawmakers into helping him fix what Quinn rightly portrays as a grave threat to the state’s viability. However, petty revenge rarely begets positive results, as Walker and constant cycles of vengeance dramatically illustrated four decades ago.
“The free ride is over.” That 1973 quote is from Walker’s inaugural after he won the office by casting himself as a white knight and verbally lancing primary foe Paul Simon as a puppet of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley despite the downstater’s good-government record. Few, if any, phrases uttered by a new governor have been so long remembered. When his administration strayed from the righteous ride he had promised, his credibility suffered. At the same time, most Democratic and Republican lawmakers took the rhetorical flourish as a call to war.
They rejected key gubernatorial appointments. He often flew to media markets throughout the state to denounce what he colorfully painted as their profligate and corrupt ways. They slashed funding for his staff to deplete it. He responded by sneaking aides, including Quinn, onto the payrolls of state agencies to which they had little or no accountability as the aides did his bidding.
Walker nixed funding for pet causes of uncooperative lawmakers. They responded by shooting down his high-flying infrastructure initiative amid a chorus of dive-bomber whistles that reached a surreal crescendo when one of the legislation’s chief sponsors urged colleagues to join him in voting against it.
* A 1980 Illinois Issues story explained the above mention of Quinn’s ghost payrolling for Walker…
During 1975, Quinn was considered one of the infamous “ghost payrollers” of the Walker administration. The former governor placed dozens of assistants on agency payrolls where the employee did little or no work and did not report to supervisors there. Walker was accused of attempting to disguise how he had expanded the number of employees in the governor’s office because of his campaign pledge not to do so.
Quinn was one of those employees. He was hired in January 1973 as an $18,000 a year assistant and was given a title indicating he would be a liaison to the public. The following year, he was given a pay raise to $20,000. The next year, he was shifted to the payroll of the Illinois Industrial Commission and received a raise to $23,000. At that point, Quinn became the target of legislative inquiry. Legislators, many in open confrontation with Walker, grilled agency directors about their payrolls when they appeared before appropriations committees. The chairman of the Industrial Commission, during one question session, admitted Quinn did not work full time for the agency. The lawmakers also accused Quinn of being “in conflict of interest” because he telephoned legislators seeking support for proposed constitutional amendments while on the commission payroll.
Just prior to that charge, however, Quinn resigned from state government, returned to law school and remained politically active by forming a group known as the Coalition for Political Honesty in Oak Park. The coalition has been fueled by individual contributions and money from Quinn’s pocket and kept alive by the help of several dozen volunteers.
“It’s so ironic,” said Rep. Anne Wilier (D., Western Springs). “Here’s a guy who not only was a double-dipper himself, had conflicts of interest and received pay for a job some people say he didn’t do - he has turned around to stir up the public a few years later to get them to oust legislators who are double-dippers, have conflicts of interest and who vote themselves pay raises. I think Pat is very intelligent. But I’d say he is nothing short of a hypocrite. What I resent most about him is he knows better. He knows because he’s been here himself.”
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 11:28 am
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Thanks for reminding folks. Pat Quinn is Dan Walker. Dan Walker’s “reform” work was phony. Pat Quinn’s “reform” work has always been phony.
Comment by Keyrock Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 11:34 am
Quinn is still doing that. Run the names of the people working in his legislative office and 90% are paid by agencies not out of the governors office payroll.
Comment by Spliff Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 11:36 am
Well said, Keyrock.
Comment by Stones Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 11:39 am
WOW.Reminds me of that Dan Hynes ad featuring Harold Washington. Yeesh.
Comment by Boone's Is Back Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 11:45 am
Quinn has always been a phony. I’m surprised it has taken so long for somebody to start bringing this up. He handled patronage for Walker.
The media should really look at what he did with the funds left over from his US Senate race in 1996.
Comment by Cassiopeia Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 11:45 am
I think for most of his tenure Quinn has tried to be responsible, if not always effective, with a GA where he really has no allies.
The tax increase was passed. Budgets have been cut. Full pension payments have been made. Old bills have been whittled down. Civil unions was passed. The death penalty was abolished. So things of substance have happened.
But when the going looked tough a few weeks ago, with very low approval ratings and Lisa looking to enter the race, he played the desperation card of vetoing salaries to buck up his re-election chances. And it sure has been popular, even in the ivory towers of the editorial boards.
It’s very disappointing, because I think he’s had to struggle to resist his worst instincts up to now.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 11:47 am
==Quinn is still doing that. Run the names of the people working in his legislative office and 90% are paid by agencies not out of the governors office payroll. ==
Earlier this year, ITAP showed Abdon Pallasch as being with the Department of Revenue. It’s been changed, but whether that was a correction or a change in whose budget was paying him, I don’t know.
Comment by Anon. Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 12:23 pm
Word. You didn’t mention all of Quinn’s lies. You know he lied about the tax increase, he lied about the death penalty. He lied to unions about protecting their jobs after taking 50k ” campaign donation”
Comment by Fed up Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 12:30 pm
==Quinn is still doing that. Run the names of the people working in his legislative office and 90% are paid by agencies not out of the governors office payroll. ==
Every Governor since Walker has done this. Walker got into heat because he was the first (or simply the first to get caught). Ryan, Blago and Edgar all did it. To what degree they each did it, i don’t know.
Comment by Blah Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 12:44 pm
Oh for heaven’s sake, Cass. There was no “money left over.” There was just a big old stack of credit card debt.
Comment by Soccermom Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 12:44 pm
===Walker got into heat because he was the first (or simply the first to get caught).===
Walker got heat because he was so sanctimonious about “reform.” A holier than thou attitude, when you’re doing the very thing you accuse the other guys of doing, will bring you a lot of heat. Rightfully so. Nobody likes a hypocrite.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 12:47 pm
23k in 1975. To show how much that was, I graduated in 1981, with a degree in engineering, got one of the top offers of my group. it was 23.5 k. lots of inflation between 75 and 81.
some populist.
Comment by Pat C Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 12:48 pm
Anon @ 12:23 -
ITAP is frequently outdated. Try this route:
http://www.ledger.illinoiscomptroller.com/ledger/?LinkServID=FE9E015C-98F4-1A25-5DEBA12C76AA8F38&Issue_Year=2013&EmpId=Ht3MzNcbXSg%2FnOaXgme3oA%3D%3D&Agency=ALL%20REMAINING%20AGENCIES&Last_Name=PALLASCH&First_Name=ABDON&Position=&BegRange=&EndRange=&StartRec=1&EndRec=20&Groupby=Last_Name
If he was DOR, then a change was made before Dec. 14.
Comment by Dirty Red Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 1:30 pm
Despite his past, I was more than willing to give Quinn the benefit of the doubt when he took over as Governor. That’s how much damage Blago had done.
Quinn has long ago squandered that benefit. His mode of operation is to pull these populist stunts to cover-up his incompetence and enable him to get re-elected.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 1:32 pm
I believe the GA will fix this loop hole that allowed the salary withholding in the next session. In the meantime, don’t kid yourselves or anyone else. It’s not just the ivory tower press, the people largely like the move too. That’s why it’s a dangerous precedent. That’s been the populist solution on social media for a few years now: quit paying them and they’ll get down to business. Heck, there are even a few legislators saying (not publicly of course) that they don’t deserve their salaries if they don’t get the work done. Quinn’s a bumbler, no question. I don’t think he’s a phony. He knows what he’s doing and believes in it and has created a huge dilemma for the GA. Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day. How about the arrogance of the people now lining up at the Credit Union with the 0% interest loans not believing he’d do it. There’s plenty of backsplash on all of this for everyone. To think the public will hold him responsible for this is nuts. If it works, they’ll canonize him. If it doesn’t, they’ll blame someone else. Not too stupid at all.
Comment by A guy... Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 2:02 pm
Quinn is the only person in Illinois to petition as a young civilian loner 28 year old a constitutional amendment on the state which passed. Love or hate him he is one of the most brilliant organizers and strategists in Illinois political history. I remember when Ralph Nader endorsed and embraced Quinn for starting CUB. He inherited a mess and has done a good job in a perilous predicament. Glad he signed medical marijuana bill. Do u think Brady would have?
Comment by Frank Zappa is a genius Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 2:09 pm
Yup, Quinn the phony reformer proposed and passed the Cutback Amendment, giving all of the power to the leadership and eliminating most of the reform bloc (yes children, there was a reform bloc) from the General Assembly.
Comment by Keyrock Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 2:26 pm
Quinn compared to Dan Walker and called a hypocrite and ghost payroller - all in the same post. Must be some serious heartburn for Brooke Anderson today.
Comment by Raymond Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 2:39 pm
This has nothing to do with Pat Quinn, but if you have spare time, pick up Walker’s book. While it was interesting for the historical perspective, I can’t remember reading a more defensive, self-congratulatory political memoir, though I can think of a few that will likely emerge once certain people are no longer guests of the Federal Government.
Comment by Bill F. Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 2:53 pm
Bill F, Rod’s Governor book fits the bill…
Comment by OneMan Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 3:21 pm
Both Quinn and Madigan are tax attorneys. Quinn is more of an exhorter than an executive admin. His populism has that Blagoyevich flavor. At least, he shows up. Years ago, I saw Dan Walker while at ISU. All I remember are the denim and the kerchief.
Comment by Emily Booth Friday, Aug 2, 13 @ 3:55 pm