56 Comments - Cassandra - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 8:18 am: Sigh. Here we go again. Do the rules permit the hiring of interns on a political basis. Are they Rutan-exempt? If yes, then we, not the bipartisan combine, are at fault, and not the politicos for taking advantage of this loophole in our allegedly politics-free civil service state hiring. I have an idea for the budget though. Why not abandon the pretense of a politics-free civil service and let Blago simply sell all the state jobs. Put them all up for sale. A lot of people would probably pay good money for an easy job, no accountability, lifetime job security and almost-free benefits. Then they wouldn’t have to raise our taxes and we could save the money for our (pensionless) retirements. - Walking Wounded - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 8:34 am: Selling state jobs isn’t a new idea, Cassandra. Under George Ryan’s tenure, the more money an employee “donated” the better job they received. In viewing the report on GRod’s intern program, not a lot has changed. - DOWNSTATE - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 8:41 am: Here we go again on Ryan.HEY THIS GUY PROMISED HE WOULD NOT DO THESE THINGS IT IS NOT ABOUT PAST GOVERNORS IT IS ABOUT LYING,CHEATING BLAGO. - Skeeter - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:21 am: The Pre-School reaction was entirely predictable. For all the “pro-life” talk we get from Republicans, when they have a program that actually will benefit childrena and will have the long term impact of reducing abortion, they line up against it. - Beowulf - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:23 am: A couple of comments regarding Ron Gidwitz. I knew very little of Ron Gidwitz prior to his linking up with Steve Rauschenberger after Steve decided to drop out of the race for governor and instead, he decided to run for lieutenant governor. All that I ever heard about Ron Gidwitz was the negative comments about Gidwitz from the city manager and mayor of Joliet, Illinois concerning his ownership in the Evergreen Terrace Apartment complex across the river from Harrah’s Gambling Casino in downtown Joliet. I had the opportunity one evening to talk to Gidwitz and his wife at a political gathering in Chicago. I previously had a somewhat negative impression of him based on the negative statements thrown at him in the media by the city of Joliet officials. I asked Gidwitz why he chose not to respond to the accusations made against him by Joliet city officials? He told me that since there was ongoing litigation taking place regarding the Evergreen Terrace Apartments, he was advised by his legal counsel not to respond publicly in order not to jeopardize the ongoing case. He said that he would love to respond to these one sided accusations but he felt it appropriate to listen to his attorneys advice. I asked what percentage of ownership did he “personally” have in this Joliet apartment complex? He said that he personally owned only 2/10ths of one percentage point of this apartment complex. However, since he had the most “name recognition” amongst the other investors, the Joliet city officials decided to single him out for the “tar & feather treatment” in order to achieve their objectives. Joliet city officials felt that if they attempted to smear his reputation during his gubernatorial campaign, Ron Gidwitz might beg the other investors to capitulate to the Joliet official’s demands. The Joliet city officials are attempting to force the current owners of this apartment complex to sell it to the city of Joliet for approximately 1/2 of it’s appraised value that it’s investors had it appraised for. Gidwitz told me that he is not the type of person that will allow himself to be intimidated nor bullied into a course of action that he knows to be wrong. He also said that he truly cares about what happens to and where the displaced low-income people living there would go to live. He will not allow these economically underprivileged minority residents to be displaced in order to accomodate the whims of a few Joliet city officials who normally get their way by bullying and intimidating others. Gidwitz also brought forth another good point that evening. He stated that when HUD had approached his investment group years ago to take over this already crime-ridden and run down low-income housing complex, they did and they spent a great deal of money to improve it for it’s residents. They currently have an additional $4-$5 million dollars that they were going to invest in this apartment complex to improve the security and safety of it’s residents but the city of Joliet officials have got them legally tied up in litigation whereby they can’t use it for the benefit of the poor people living there. I have watched these Joliet city officials over the years condemn other Joliet senior citizen’s homes in order to accomodate their desires to “beautify” the City of Joliet and make it more attractive for the visitors that come to Joliet’s gambling casinos. Personally, I feel that this flagrant use of condemnation proceedings by the City of Joliet officials to fit their whims of what is beautiful and desirable is morally and ethically wrong. At the end of the evening after having spent about 20 minutes talking to Ron Gidwitz and his wife, I came away with a totally different opinion of the man than that which I had previously gone there with that evening. Would he make a good governor? Should you or I vote for him on March 21st in the Primary? Is Gidwitz the best GOP choice for governor? I don’t know. But, what I do know is that (assuming he was telling me the truth that evening in Chicago when our paths crossed)he is his “own man” and he does not bow down to threats and intimidation by others. He impressed me and I did not think that he would. I was wrong and I will admit it when I am wrong (accept to my wife). His wife, Christina, was lovely. She showed me that Ron Gidwitz is (if nothing else) a smart man for marrying her. She said that she knew Maggie Daley and formed a friendship with her from serving on charitable functions with her. Hence, her husband Ron was introduced to Mayor Daley via the two wives and their mutual friendship. It does not mean Ron Gidwitz is a supporter of Chicago or Cook County Democrats. Another mystery solved. Like I said, will I vote for Ron Gidwitz? I am still undecided but I could now easily accept the fact that he is quite capable of acting with honor and integrity as the Governor of Illinois. That is not to say that I would have a problem with Jim Oberweis or Bill Brady either. We have some good men running for this office within our Illinois Republican Party. I only wish to comment that if you consider yourself as a moderate Republican and yet, have a problem voting for Judy for whatever reason, Gidwitz might be a a good alternative for you and other moderates. I consider myself somewhere in between moderate and conservative. Gidwitz seems to fall into this “magic middle” when it comes to labeling a candidate. - Defensor Pacis - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:24 am: On the preschool issue as a means of revving up the religious right: It strikes me that this would be relatively easy to sidestep if the plan either explicitly exempted or created a special status for home-schoolers. - Reddbyrd - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:24 am: Apparently a lot of non-readers in the audience this a.m. The story sez 2/3rds have no ties…that is the news. Also sez GRod hired less George or Jim the Messiah Edgar - Walking Wounded - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:29 am: Well, “two thirds have no ties” and GRod claims he’s hired fewer interns than George and Jim. I guess if I read it in the news and on the internet, it must be true. - roy slade - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:30 am: The public should be outraged- but I guess everyone comes to expect this from our current Governor. He says one thing “no more business as usual” but keeps doing the other “pay for play”. The fact is, he is hiring individuals in such a manner to go around the Vets preference and to exclude any current state employee from accessing those jobs. I am shocked that the media is reporting that only 1/3 of the interns are “political”- in fact, I believe the number to be much much higher. They just didn’t dig deep enough. Every personnel move done by this administration starts and ends with “how can this help the Governor and the Democrats”. I also find it hard to believe that the Vets and the various unions continue to allow this administration to “get away with it”. But, they brought this on to themselves, with their support three years ago. - tough guy - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:36 am: Your point is right on target Redbyrd. A similiar story was done regarding democrat county chairman which found, I believe, 13 out of 102 county chairmen on the state payroll. What the story failed to mention was how may were already state employees nor did it mention how many republican county chairman are still on the state payroll. But I guess that wouldn’t make a good story. - SenorAnon. - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:43 am: Senor Anon’s Monday morning shorts: “Fry ‘em”… Rich, an homage to Sneed? Cash Dash… It is a little amusing that the press and blogocracy criticize the guv and others for using their office and the news media for campaigning, but the new Cash Dash articles over the weekend (in at least the Sun-Times) have yet to raise a hackle. Which makes me wonder what exactly her opponents are doing. A horse by committee… Anyone see the spiffy new Gidwitz-Rauschy ads? How about the tagline: “Experienced Leadership We Can Trust For A Change.” WOW. That monstrosity is what you get when you allow a roomful of consultants to come up with your tagline - a sad amalgam of every political cliche all shoehorned into one tag. Yeesh. - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:47 am: SenorAnon, since the cash dash stuff happens regularly, regardless of the campaign calendar, i doubt it would be a story. if this was the first time, then, yeah, story. - Norseman - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 10:35 am: Tough Man, repeat to yourself - “new way of doing business,” - Smitty Irving - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 10:39 am: DOWNSTATE - If Blagojevich operated like his three immediate predecessors, there already would have been a MASSIVE tax increase and all 11,000 employees who left under King George IV’s “Knucklehead Enrichment Act of 2002″ would have been replaced by kindergarten classmates of Illinois County Democratic Party Chairmen, with the lion’s share going to Sanagamon County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Timoney. That’s one HUGE difference. - Skeeter - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 10:49 am: Defensor Pacis - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:24 am said: “On the preschool issue as a means of revving up the religious right: It strikes me that this would be relatively easy to sidestep if the plan either explicitly exempted or created a special status for home-schoolers.” Response: The proposed bill does not require children to attend. It gives then an opportunity, but does not require that they take advantage of that opportunity. Parents are still free to keep their children home, let them spend all day watching TV, feed them junk food, or read them The Collected Works of Jill Stanek. Parents are still allowed to all of those destructive things under the proposed law. The law just gives the parents and children a real chance to get ahead, to compete in school, to avoid a life of poverty and to reduce the number of abortions. It is too bad that the far right would prefer to provide children with a life of ignorance and poverty, despite all their “pro-life” rhetoric. - tough guy - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 10:55 am: Norseman-Fewer state employees, more money for schools and no sales or income tax increases. Thanks for reminding me of the “new way of doing business”. I’m sure the “old way” was much better. - gopartisan - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:03 am: SenorAnon, The pull-out section regarding Cash Dash in my Sun-Times did not have the name “Judy Baar Topinka” anywhere on it, did yours? - DOWNSTATE - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:04 am: smitty irving you missed the point .He promised that it would not be business as usual and it has been - DOWNSTATE - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:14 am: I might add that a lot of the appointed state jobs where people were let go were filled with party chairman and several new positions were created for Blago’s special friends it is a matter of record.This goes beyond these interns and the fact that they have violated the veterans preference law by bringing people in as interns.Another state law violated and die hard Democrats give them a pat on the back. - Walking Wounded - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:23 am: Mr. Irving, there haven’t been massive tax increases YET, because GRod has been “balancing the budget” by borrowing/raiding from funds, including the pension system. By the time a tax increase is established to pay for all the debt, he will be long gone. Right now, it’s all smoke and mirrors for this administration. - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:27 am: “downstate democ” try that again without the over the top harshness. Thanks. - Bubs - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:44 am: Is there no end to the lengths to which this Governor will go to fill the pockets of his Pay to Play buddies and spend his way (more like pander his way, since none of it can be funded) into re-election? He is absolutely shameless! 267 days and counting down, Rod Boy. - SenorAnon. - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:48 am: Um…gopartisan… Aurora Beacon News: Treasure buried in Sunday’s Beacon There might be riches waiting for you in Sunday’s Beacon News. “It’s definitely worth your time to see if your name appears in our latest listing,” said State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.. Sun-Times: State got your money? Check it out: 108-page list tells who owns share of millions in unclaimed cash Chicago Sun-Times (IL) February 12, 2006 Author: Shamus Toomey; The Chicago Sun-Times Estimated printed pages: 2 Here’s how: If your name is on the list, mail a written inquiry to state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka’s office… - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:51 am: Sorry, I still don’t get why you think this is newsworthy. - ISU REP - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 12:09 pm: Cash Dash ads have been run periodically in the newspaper ever since the program was conceived. It targets those who aren’t “internet savvy” and can’t go to the website and look. At least this program didn’t come out of nowhere unlike Rod’s who all of sudden has all these GREAT ideas and no way to pay for them. Also have to love the tollway paying more for concrete looking bricks, wonder how much the brick layers union pumped in the Blago campaign - SenorAnon. - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 12:19 pm: Rich (and others), I don’t think “Cash Dash” is newsworthy - which is why I found the accompanying news articles (not ads or pullouts) notable (admittedly, marginally so). And I responded because gopartisan asked - I really hadn’t intended to bring it up again (and from here on out, won’t). I don’t think it an especially big deal - but figured it might at least raise the dander of some in the news-starved GOP field. - gopartisan - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 12:24 pm: SenorAnon, I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same thing here. I don’t think there is anything wrong with an elected office (even our dear Governor) giving a quote, or being quoted in press releases or news stories about programs managed by their office. That is part of their job, to inform the public about the government services available to them. What I object to is the gratuitous and unnecessary display of an office-holder’s name – like “Governor Rod Blagojevich” on an I-Pass lane sign, or a brochure promoting “Governor Blagojevich’s AllKids” (http://www.capitolfax.com/finkl.jpg). Dismiss this as a matter of degree if you want. But I think the distinction between a press release and a giant road sign or a brochure giving the impression that the program is being presented by the official him/herself is fairly significant to me. - She's a Brick House - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 12:25 pm: The tollway brick deal must be one of Rod’s marketing teams’ great revenue schemes: buy a brick to help pay down the deficit. Each brick gets a logo. I’m all for the unions, but it seems pretty transparent what’s going on here. What happened to responsible fiscal stewardship? This wouldn’t behappening if engineers were in charge of IDOT and the tollways, instead of political hacks. - Bill - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 1:02 pm: Judging from all of the whining and complaining I read here it is clear that Rod has changed business as usual and has rocked quite a few worlds. Bring it on, if possible. - Smitty Irving - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 1:07 pm: DOWNSTATE - Again, if it were business as usual, there would have been a tax increase and all 11,000 employees would have been replaced. Not doing so is a break with business as usual. - steve schnorf - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 1:17 pm: The hiring of Public Admin Interns is not a violation of the state’s veterans preference laws. - Anon - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 1:51 pm: So Oberweis DID advocate bringing back the electric chair! Daily Herald over the weekend. Who advises this guy anyway?! Archie Bunker? Bringing back corporal punishment, bringing back the electric chair, race-bating with the immigration issue? Is this 2006 or 1956? At a time when the GOP in this state is struggling to keep the Dems in sight, Oberweis wants to drag the party back to the 1950s. Wonderful. I can’t believe he can garner 10%, much less any 17% the Chicago Tribune showed. How embarrassing for the GOP. - Walking Wounded - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 1:54 pm: Rich, on a different topic, thanks for noting the NRA safety rules. The shooting incident involving the VP makes me wonder where the heck his security team was. They should have been aware of everyone’s location during the hunt. Sounds like remedial training for all involved. - Cassandra - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 1:56 pm: For a take on government employment that certainly supports my take….read Garrison Keillor’s Rebruary 8 column Join the Government and See the World. The part about young Republicans enjoying an easy government service ride is right on for young Dems in Illinois. It’s a bipartisan game, with the taxpayer as the vicitm. - Anonymous - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 2:32 pm: Gidwitz is making a killing on ET and he refuses to release any investor information. Whoever talked to him was fed a bunch of hooey. Every African-American leader down there is against Gidwitz. He is fighting for his investors, not the city, nor the residents, nor the African-American community. People are getting raped and killed at that place and Ron cares more about his investors. He has all kind of PR and big time help on this. Mr. Clout is acting like an outside. PLEASE! - Papa Legba - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 2:56 pm: Walking Wounded - I think the VP’s security detail was probably hitting the deck when they saw the barrel of that shot gun flying around. Didn’t Cheney have a simular hunting accident a few years ago? I can’t remember, but I think he did. - Papa Legba - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 3:06 pm: “The hiring of Public Admin Interns is not a violation of the state’s veterans preference laws.” While true it is a way around the veterans preference laws, it is still a way to reward unqualified supporters with obnoxiously large, undeserved salaries while bypassing hiring preferences. - Krenzler - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 3:09 pm: Skeeter, I think the real question about the preschool idea is will it actually go anywhere, or jsut be another empty program provided by Rod, like his Rx program and All Kids. - anonymous - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 3:30 pm: Every student intern is eventually (within one-two years, sometimes less) moved into a permanent position with full civil service status. If they weren’t being filled by the interns, these positions would have to be offered to veterans in the overwhelming majority of instances. So whether it was intentional or not, Rod’s hiring of all these interns has royally screwed over lots of veterans. - cynically anonymous - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 3:31 pm: I didn’t do all the reading, but in my 20+ years of working for the state, the interns our office saw were generally college juniors or seniors - and yeah, some of them were politically connected, but internships were summer deals. I’m guessing from the comments that this is another thing that our beloved governor has changed. - Mr. Ethics - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 4:03 pm: What if the poor hunter had accidentally shot Mr. Chaney? That would sure get a different perspective. Just hope the anti gun people don’t get carried away. The VP was careless no doubt. Can he admit a mistake? Let’s hope he publicly apoligizes to everyone on earth on how to be in control of your weapon. - World Not Rocked - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 4:06 pm: I agree with Steve that the use of the Public Admin Intern title all by iyself doesn’t run afoul of vets preference, at least as it was back in may days working in Code agencies. I will agree with the other posters that at least “one-third” of the PAI’s around my agencies back in the day knew someone to get their position. As I recall, they were also Rutan-exempt. All our PAI’s started at the bottom in salary, pay grade, and assignment until their term was up or they were promoted into a position off an eligible list or received an exempt appointment, mostly the former. What seems to have changed under the “new way” is that either the rules have changed or they’re not being enforced. How can an agency head, or the Director of CMS for that matter, credibly sign papers that say an “intern” is serving as the HR manager for an agency? I agree with Rich-O’Connor is one of the best, but I think the story here isn’t about clout, it’s about further abuse of vets bypass and the Personnel Code. - Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 4:13 pm: To the victors, and their benefactors, belong the spoils. All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall. - Norseman - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 4:25 pm: Tough Guy - You mean fewer front-line employees and more upper-management Blago sycophants. Just ask AFSCME or citizens who face delays in state services. I’m unimpressed by limited increases in K-12 education funding that don’t address the systemic problems facing Illinois schools. I’m also concerned his shortchanging higher education during these last few years. I’m unimpressed by his “puffery” promise on no increase in 2 types of taxes while a myriad of others were raised under the rubric of “fees.” The people expected that “new way of doing business” meant that state government would be run like a business and not like a fiefdom for lobbyists and political friends. What they got was a “new” set of winners and political friends and the sacrafice of government service on the altar of enhancing the Governor’s image. - Anonymous - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 4:58 pm: The Gidwitz article in the Daily Herald does explain some things. He married a model and sold a company for $700 million. What a drag. The GOP primary for Gov should get interesting if the Daily Herald is going to start all its background pieces on the candidates by delving into their dating histories for the last 30 years. - Reddbyrd - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 6:08 pm: Hey! Those RonnieG/SenWhinenberger Ads are a hoot. Hard to believe RonnieG can spend so much and bore so many. Are all the Good GOP (as in MOPE) media consultants afraid to come to IL? - Jane B - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 7:08 pm: Is the rumor true? Mr. Gidwitz and Rauchenberger are moving into Evergreen Terrace together to prove it is not a “foul place”. I am sure the residents will welcome them with open arms and closed fists. - steve schnorf - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 8:40 pm: Believe me, not all PAIs get permanent full time state jobs when their internship ends. - southernilrepub - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 8:55 pm: At the risk of offending many people, I will make a brave statement. Veterans are very important to our nation and for that I respect them greatly. However when it comes to these policy making positions that are in question. I would perfer someone who has a college degree in the related field vs. just veterans perference. Sometimes the Vet’s perference can weigh too much. In defense/safety fields hands down a veterans place should take perference. If I was to apply for a Public Admin type job, it would be my hope that my master’s level education would at least give me a level shot with the veteran. - Glen Wood (D-Chatham) - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 9:21 pm: You missed this one. Patrick Fitzgerald makes the Observer’s magazine. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,1707291,00.html - anon in central illinois - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 10:10 pm: Do we even still have a working electric chair in Illinois ?? & beating kids with boards great idea … & you want to be what ??? What next Brother Puritan Oby the stocks for mis-demeanors & the dunking stands for unbelievers?? What the hell is efficient about “old sparky” … don’t tell me he did a study. zzzizz,crackle,hiiss,ziiz - roy slade - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 10:51 pm: Steve- the “types” of new employees that this current governor has hired in the Public Admin Intern truly is different than what has been hired in the past. In my agency, not one of the PAI’s have been “non-political” and all have been hired to skirt the vets preference and/or to simply hire some Democrat’s close friend or relative. They have taken this to a new “high”- or “low”- however you wish to describe it. When you hire a legislator’s or party activist’s wife/ daughter/ son/ etc. in a PAI position, it is simply for expediency’s sake. It simply allows them to hire whomever they want, wherever they want, and at much higher wages than people that have worked in various administrative positions for years. The worse part- is when they don’t know *how* to do the job- or don’t care. That’s is what we see, and what gets us upset. - anon - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 10:52 pm: Anon in CI. Sparky still resides at Stateville Prison. No word on when it was last tested for “working condition.” - Former MC - Monday, Feb 13, 06 @ 11:04 pm: I admire the defenders of the governor who, despite story after story about pay-to-play politics, continue to defend him. You’re true partisan loyalists. If this was the only story that’s been printed about pay-to-play practices, I’d say maybe this story could be discounted. But there’s simply too many of these types of stories about purchasing jobs and capitalizing on insider deals (Wyma and Petrovich come to mind). And there’s the Public Official A and the alleged fund-raising shakedown story; DCFS, Corrections and IDOT hiring practices; CMS healthcare contract irregularities, connections between tollway contracts and campaign contributions, and the recent $100,000 contributions from heathcare entities who contraqct with HFS. And I’m sure I missed a couple. If there had been one or two stories, then I’d be likely to have more faith in him. But after the tenth different pay-to-play news item, a pattern emerges. I’m not so blinded by partisan beliefs as to ignore it. However, as I’m sure someone will point out, no indictments yet, so we must presume innocence. Maybe, but I certainly don’t have enough faith in him to vote for him again. - heet101 - Tuesday, Feb 14, 06 @ 1:45 am: Looks like Rep. Phelps’ family members were pretty well taken care of last year. In a district where unemployment is a problem, I’m glad there is plenty of room on the state payroll for his relatives. - Reagan Democrat - Tuesday, Feb 14, 06 @ 6:09 pm: anon I like the way you put out a question then answer it as another anon. Wow. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.