76 Comments - Paul Simon Museum Guy - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:04 am: Thanks for posting the entire list…. I was looking for it also. Long live pay-to-play! - heet101 - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:09 am: Rich- The page I opened doesn’t show column titles. What is the second column of dollar amounts? Is that how much was donated to his political campaign from the sponsor? - anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:11 am: Who is “MH”? He supported a few folks. - Peoria Gridrion - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:11 am: Rich… I’m also interested in the column headings. - anon - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:14 am: MH is not a he. She’s listed elsewhere on the list. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:14 am: There are no column titles in the copy I received. - Levois - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:21 am: Egg on the face? - Wumpus - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:21 am: I knew Brenda Hull had to be on there! My goodness, St. Obama’s name is on there. Well, this looks like the list Scott Fawell had. Anyway, all gov’s get to appoint thier own people to positions, but that is business as usual. I thought Blago the Great put an end to that. - anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:24 am: So who is “MH”? Pingback Reverse Spin » Barack Obama on Blagojevich “favors list” - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:53 am: […] For the first time, the entire Blagojevich favors list has been published. Rich Miller of Capitol Fax has it. Barack Obama is on it, as well as other interesting names. […] - annoyed all the time - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:57 am: What is wrong with knowing who recommended who for what? With 1000’s of employees i think it’s right to know who recommended them. Anyone ever hear of a regular think on a resume called references? When Rod came in he had 1000’s of positions to fill… positions that were once occupied by 1000’s of republicans from prior Governors for how many years? positions that Governors have always filled with their own people. Positions he was allowed to fill with people who represent his policy as he was elected our Governor and should have employees who reflect his ideals. I don’t even see pay to play, there is nothing indicating dollar amounts of contributions… I know alot of these people. They are hard workers and shouldn’t get slammed for this. the first column seems like it’s their salary, the next 2 look like it’s the range of salary or something to that affect… - Just Curious - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 11:59 am: Speaking of the “clout list”…what’s going on with the Illinois Hospital Association’s quarter million dollars of contributions to the Govenor’s campaign? Know anything about this? - anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:01 pm: There are some talented people and some true blue political hacks on this list. It’s a real blend to put it mildly. “MH” is probably Margaret Houlihan, former Madigan and Durbin staffer who has clout with Blago’s folks. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:03 pm: “Annoyed all the time,” are you billing your client for these posts? - the Patriot - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:07 pm: The problem with the clout list is: 1. Governor says politics does not play a role in hiring-list proves outright lie. 2. Some people on the list may be qualified for their jobs, but why did they need the “clout” if they were the “best” person for the job. The ones that are clearly incompetent, and overpaid will be the fun ones. 3. It is a piece of the puzzel in per se corruption. Yes, a governor can fill some positions as he sees fit. The problem is when there is a quid pro quo for a job. When they put this list together with campaign donations and the money was directed to the campaign 60-90 days by the “clout” prior to the hiring, it makes a strong argument for per se payoffs. There is only one reason for the list, to track who is being $loyal$ and to ensure those who are are rewarded $properly$! - Shelbyville - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:09 pm: There were not 1000s of positions to fill. There were career people to fire and political hacks in be put in those positions. I doubt that all of these folks are highly qualified. And think of the jobs that were specifically created for some of these people. I doubt that many jobs are going to any old Joe that walks in off of the street. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:23 pm: That’s what all the hu-bub’s about? Big deal! A good number of the people are no longer with the listed agencies. Some are no longer with the state. The Topinka supporters should keep their mouths closed on this one. Judy was listed on Fawell’s list 12 times. If I recall correctly, a few other interesting names appeared on Scott’s list, too. - Inquiring Mind - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:24 pm: So who was hired into Rutan exempt and non-Rutan exempt positions off of this list? The list should certainly not have been used to avoid or manipulate the interview process in the latter. If it was a high percentage, the inference would be that it was used for that purpose. Also, how many jobs were “created” for these people? What are they being paid? What does their job description say they are supposed to be doing, and what are they actually doing? What is their political affiliation as shown in voting records? Or can we just assume that? - Political Junkie - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:25 pm: Who is JPC? - RFK fan - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:34 pm: Just another request for the column titles. - anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:38 pm: Some of those were blatantly created to fill with political hacks. Take IDOT and DOC. There is a young woman named Anita Decker, for example. A campaign worker. They created a position at DOC and stuffed her into a parole office in the Quad Cities. Then when investigations started they took her off state payroll and onto their campaign payroll somewhere downstate. Not sure where she ended up. Don’t try to humor us about how qualified and unpolitical all these positions are. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:42 pm: Annoyed all the time, I too know some of the names on this list and several had nothing on their resumes to indicate they could do the job they received except for the “references”. Sure, it’s nothing new, and probably wouldn’t even have been a story if the Governor hadn’t claimed this sort of thing doesn’t happen. Credibility, once it’s lost, is hard to regain. - B Hicks - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:45 pm: Tom Cross is on the list. He needs to step down from his position in the house. Wouldn’t you all agree? It’s the right thing to do, right? I wondered why he was being quiet about the list. - scattered - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 12:50 pm: A lot of jobs come down to who you know. - the Patriot - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 1:04 pm: If particular interest to me is the number of jobs in DOT and DNR filled. These have been areas of highly public layoffs and a source of investigation for the Governor. It will be interested how this ties to that department. The governor has made numerous comments about cutting the size of the government. Has anyone seen any numbers on an apples to apples comparison on the the number of state employees pre administration and now. I would also be interested in seeing the total salaries of the state employees then and now and see if it outpaces the cost of living. It is often commented many of those positions deleted by the governor were later filled by two people making more money. Has anyone seen actual numbers or do we have to wait for the indictments? - Shelbyville - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 1:06 pm: My father worked in state politics all of his life and has been deceased since 1970. He was Republican. When the office changed parties, he cleaned out his desk. I have no problem with politics being politics, but let’s call it what it is. There is either favoritism for party workers or there is not. The problem isn’t with who is recommending them for the job. If someone asks me if they can put my name down, I say (said) “sure.” The problem is the Governor’s people made a stink about patronage hiring and said it wouldn’t exist. Didn’t this present administration learn anything? History continues to repeat itself. - zatoichi - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 1:09 pm: Quite a few names of people who have come and gone quickly. Since the dates are mostly early 2003, just wonder if there is another version floating around. Some of these these are good people who are qualified for their spots. Others simply have good contacts. Most are unknown to me. Throw this into Excell and start sorting. DCEO and CMS must really blow through people. Mell and RFM pop alot. Most have been the celebration days. Still there is a need to track this stuff on the personnel side. Nothing really surprising here, but I would rather not see my name here and catch some of the crap that will follow by anyone looking for the master conspiracy. - Wheres the leadership??? - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 1:54 pm: My question is why are some of these guys leaving 200 + thousand dollars a year jobs to take a 100K job with the state. I am not a rocket scientist but that is stupid, and don’t say to “Give back” that is garbage. - Wheres the leadership??? - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 1:59 pm: Column Headings Last Name, First, Agency, Start Date, title, $ position paid (under Ryan), Titles Current Pay, NAME’s Prevous salary (in old job), %difference between previous and new salary, Sponsor - ONE MAN CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 2:38 pm: MITCHELL SHNEARE DCEO 5/19/2003 ASSISTANT TO CHIEF OF STAFF $38,000.00 $34,600.00 SENAOR OBHMA Of course that should read “Senator Obama”. Is this why Obama has been holding out on the Governor’s Office cause he owes political favors since they hired a friend of his. Has anyone contactED BO and asked him how did he oversee ethics legislation in Washington when he appears on a “clout list” in Illinois and Illinois is refusing to enforce its own ethics legislation. I guess we can give up on assistance from Mr. Obama. And they talked about George Ryan-all of them! Looking at this makes you say business as usual will remain business as usual so anyone trying to change the “business as usual” —————— GIVE UP! - WP - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 3:17 pm: Anon 12:38 Anita is now working for Senator Obama in Springfield. The MH is Margaret Houlihan - annoyed all the time - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 3:31 pm: Funny guy Rich… just having an incredible interest in what’s going on today… don’t worry, i am not on state time… - Hard Working Taxpayer - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 3:31 pm: The blaring question I see is: Since these hires are all from 2003, what are their current salaries and how about an updated list! It will be interesting to see what these individuals make today, as merit comp employees have only received a 4% increase since our Govenor took office….Also, I don’t believe this is a current list as I am sure there has been many more hires from a favor’s list. How do we go about getting that info? - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 3:34 pm: Just checking, annoyed. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 3:38 pm: If I were making $50K a year and was offered $40K from the state, why wouldn’t I take it? The benefits, vacation package and no real overtime make working for the state a nice consolation prize. This list proves what’s wrong with state government. You want to hire a few of your campaign workers? Fine. You want to hire a couple of life-long pals? Okay. But the notion of every new hire having to be sponsored for his or her job is silly. And this is the list we know about! Who’s to say that each state agency doesn’t have an Excel spreadsheet similar to this? This list proves that Blago’s defense of giving jobs to the most qualified applicants is a lie. He can no longer run on reform and a new way of business. Blago is no different and, save for the six Willis children, may be worse than Governor Ryan. - anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 3:56 pm: Are all of these folks now being investigated? - ChicagoCynic - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 3:56 pm: Looking at this list in its entirety, it’s far less impressive than I was expecting. Many of the people have nobody listed as their sponsor. Others, like Jack Hartman, were merely recommending people to fill their own agency. In situations where there was quid pro quo or where unqualified people were hired or where they are not Rutan exempt, I see the issue. But where that doesn’t exist, other than the PR problem and the stupidity of doing it following the Fawell list, I’m still not sure if I see the problem with it. Everybody who has ever had to fill a lot of jobs gets recommendations from people they know and from people who have been supporters. Support and familiarity (and contributions) mean access. It’s true in business and true in politics. Obviously Joe Schmoe off the street has less of a chance to get in the door. Please tell me how that is different from giving a job or an interview to your client’s kid. Don’t get me wrong, Rod has been a total hypocrite on most of the reform stuff and may very well have big legal troubles because of some of their hiring practices. But this particular list just doesn’t get me too hot and bothered. - scoot - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 4:00 pm: B Hicks…where are you at on the list?? - B Hicks - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 4:24 pm: You’re the smart guy, scoot. Figure it out. - Statehouse Cynic - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 4:40 pm: Wait. Are you telling me Anita Decker worked for the governor’s campaign, then Department of Corrections, then the governor’s campaign, and now is with Senator Obama? And she’s on the list? Ouch. Wouldn’t want to be in her shoes right now. - Emily Booth - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 5:05 pm: I love the internet! Boy, does Ronan have clout! I remember when he wanted to balance the state budget out of our purses. When we had layoffs a year ago, people like Grace Hou kept their jobs. - DuPage-Moderate - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 5:15 pm: ZZZZZZ….how boring is this list. I was expecting something earth shattering…interesting….at least mildly interesting. So some people called about jobs, so what? How many people were sponsored for jobs that did not get them? Are these people unqualified? I need some more info before this is of any real value….. - JoeGovernment - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 5:16 pm: Hey Patriot, Do you have proof of imprpriety. Is it not common to hire off of recommendations? From Aetna Insurance to Walmart, employers ask for references. Anyone who suggests these people aren’t qualified or that there is a tie to political donations is going to be in court the rest of their life. - DuPage-Moderate - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 5:19 pm: And if Rod’s people had any brains, or an iota of foresight, they would have slipped a JBT or two in there to neuralize this whole thing. Remember, the only reason we are hearing about his now is because it is campaign season. To the feds, this is apparently old news. (And as an aside, if it had any criminal value, they would have leaked it) - Swami - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 5:34 pm: There must be another list - this list is old as Scott Doubet is at IDOT not DOC. Several political hacks hired on at IDOT have bragged who their “juice” is. I would give to a “reward fund” for someone to submit an updated listing. - girl friday - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 5:48 pm: This is to “annoyed all the time – 11:57am post”: I know SEVERAL people on the list and guess what, not ONE works hard (for the State that is). One is at work only part of the time (but he receives full-time pay), but you can hardly blame the poor guy. He still holds down his previous job (however, he did cut his hours back) and he just opened his own business, so he has to be at the other place (while he is still on State time). Another one (a retired plummer)is so busy, I mean between sleeping and reading the paper he hardly has the strength to sign out early and sneak out the side door. Another one with a GED (no longer employed with the state) took the place of a licensed professional engineer and could not figure out how to turn her phone off in meetings. Also, she did not know which District she worked for – she had a District 9 map and was looking up road projects that was to be completed in District 8. Yes, the joke is truly on us, considering the salaries I see these people are making. - I’m disappointed – not appointed - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 5:52 pm: I don’t believe this is the entire list. At the state agency that I work for we have at least 40 political hacks. The top ‘political’ dogs are on the list, but there are a lot of little ‘fishes’ that have come on board and are not listed. One was hired about a month ago and blatantly stated that he got his position because he knew the administrative manager (who did the hiring for our state agency and is on the list – one of Sam Flood sponsors). - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 5:59 pm: Rich, We’re glad that you informed us that “media outlets” never make mistaKes! - cosmopolitan - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 6:32 pm: This is not Illinois or federal practice, this is a world wide practice - to hire “one of your own”. There are some outstanding people working for the State, and there are hacks with no skills whatsoever; they don’t even want to develop any, so when Judy wins in fall, republicans can fire everyone that they don’t like and spend a fortune by hiring outside counsels to handle litigation of “lay off” matters or investigations by feds, exactly what this adminstration is doing. Taxpayers money pays the bill, nice. - FourEyes - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 6:34 pm: From what I hear, Joe Cini, the Guv’s Director of Intergovermmental Affairs (aka “patronage chief”) also was sponsosred by the Guv’s feuding father-in-law, Alderman Dick Mell, before “the feud” ever began. He worked for Mell, and before that, as a fundraiser for Mayor Daley and failed Guv candate Dick Phelan. With all that behind him, he should be quite an “expert” patronage boss. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 7:22 pm: Yes, Joe, but Aetna is a PRIVATE company that does not collect tax revenue and then hire buddies to fill spots. These jobs are tainted by the fact that anyone with a “R” by their name or any poor schmuck who doesn’t know anyone or has no real connections will never get a state job. Testing for CMS, interviews and quotas for state agency hirings are all bull because this list proves that all you need is a “sponsor” to get a nice state job. Also, recommendations in the business world often typically based on what someone has done, not just who you know. Do connections help? Sure, but connections help in every way of life. And you know, Bush is no different. His offering of Harriet Meiers as a Supreme Court nominee is bad enough, and supporting other pals for big jobs is bad as well. - JoeGovernment - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 7:29 pm: You tell’em Team Sleep. If self rightousness were the protocol for getting a state job you’d be at the head of anyone’s list. I’ll repeat it for you…….if you can substantiate that any of those recommendations resulted in an illegal hiring…….bring it public. Get back to your filing job. - Mr. Ethics - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 7:53 pm: Required state employee ethics training makes it your responsibility to report all unethical conduct to the ethics officer, otherwise you too may be in violation. - the ole precinct captain - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 8:25 pm: I wish I could find out who to blame for my job with the State. I did not make the list so I may never know. - Navin Johnson - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 8:28 pm: When I read the Sun-Times original story on the clout list it was clear that the list they had was “created and stored” off state property. Thus, Ms. Ottenhoff’s statements the list “didn’t come from our office,” that “somebody created a document” and that the somebodys were “terminated employees making wild allegations” after being fired following allegations of corruption may be perfectly accurate but not necessarily dispositive of the issue of whether the list is accurate or not. Maybe the “somebodys” (I’m assuming they are referring to DeFraties and Casey) kept the list for the same reasons Andrea Coutretis’ husband kept the Fawell list, leverage if things go down the tubes. Maybe the list is just a fake document as Ms. Ottenhoff suggests. The problem is that the Governor has no credibility left and even if he is right no one will believe him. P.S. Chuck Goudie should have said that this blog is read by political junkies AND many reporters who rely on Rich to do a lot of the heavy lifting for state politics stories. - anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 8:36 pm: Who is JPC???? - =bubba - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 9:35 pm: Understand this is a drop in the hiring bucket!!I know of several people that were hired and they are all connected. This adm. is hiring temps. for highway jobs so they can go around Rutan and the vet. law. Temps are covered under Rutan and are not supposed to be hired through politics. O well another day another crooked dollar. - larry M - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 10:12 pm: I suspect that past administrations created lists of this kind. However, the real story is the fact that the Reform & Renewal machine Since Jan 14, 2002, oh ’bout 2:30 pm, team reform proudly proclaims that it is firing a small group of people who were “political hacks, Cronies, George Ryan henchmen & unqualified” etc. etc. Then nearly immediately, Governor Rod Blagoyevich and his reform team began to break personel rules, rig test exams & otherwise the rig hiring proccess in complete disregard for the SUPREME COURT OPINION that is RUTAN. All while holding press conferences bragging about making his state employees take a 2 minute ethics test. But wait it gets even better…. WAGES are frozen for the minions, the little people, then their salaries are reduced by 4% to pay additional into the pension system. “We must do more with less” Rod states proudly. Unless of course your Rod’s press secretary who gets a 15% pay raise cause shes working hard….Then low and behold we have a clout list that indicates that if your on the Rod campaign or sponsored by a judge or campaign contributor like Papa Tony Rezko your then you are suddenly specail or as Chuck Goudie put it, Spesshilllllllllllllllll! IF your special and you skirted hiring rules and were unqualified, you can get a 356% pay raise or perhaps a 110% raise or 88% or 56% etc. etc. you get the picture. Quite the hipocrasy that is Rod Blagoyevich. BTW-how’s papa tony doing in the pizza business? - Disgusted - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 10:23 pm: Annoyed all the Time: I hope that most of those people on the list don’t “share his [the Gov’s] ideals. We can’t afford any more of his “ideals.” The state is already broke and headed for bankruptcy which our children will have to bail us out of. - anon - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 10:27 pm: Clout listers Dawn DeFraties and Mike Casey are appealing their terminations to the Civil Service Comm, whose Exec Director is fellow clout lister Dan Stralka. I’m sure they will get a fair hearing….. - anonymous - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 10:36 pm: I think what’s most telling are the names of qualified Democrats not on the list. I know dozens of very talented Democratic staff types throughout the state whose names aren’t on the so-called clout list. What made them so smart and perceptive to avoid serving in this administration? What gave them that wisdom? That is the real story here. - GeeWizGee - Tuesday, May 23, 06 @ 10:42 pm: JPC I would assume is Joe Cini. JAH I assume is Joe Handley. MH I would assume is Mike Hoffman, Emil’s former chief of staff. Those with no sponsors may be sponsored by one of the sponsors just above or just below their name. Those without sponsors might be the most interesting to look at b/c it might mean someone really doesn’t want the connection to that person made. Just my perceptions of a list that most of your average voters aren’t going to have a shat over. Topinka doesn’t and, in my opinion, won’t have the cash to make very many things issues in the media that will drive this campaign. She’ll continue to keep her rep as a cashless accordianess. At least, though, it’s made for interesting blog dope. - tistophone - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 12:01 am: Lets see…The Governor cut the number of state workers drastically and filled appointed positions with folks that were recommended by people that shared his ideals and he could trust. Hmm? I do not understand what the story is? The real story is why are there so many Ryan hacks still in jobs making more money than the folks that will actually vote for the current Administration. - ironman - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 1:28 am: I should create my own list gary farley (D) dan reitz step brother-in-law diane farley (D) dan reitz half sister and their daughter all work at chester mental health gary rowley (D) glen poshards buddy sta I to maintence engineer at: 33.75/hr brian thomas facility director at 6668/mo from a unit manager rick schrader from STA I to maintenance engineer New hire as of May 1st: tim walls from STA I to stationary engineer only 18 interviewed internally and most qualified booted other jobs at chester mental health: brian price carpenter (D) prect. comm stan eggemeyer carpenter (D) New electriction doug rickenberg A non-qualified painter brian grevy received union card from union district head ? Regan Anna, il unit managers wayne laramore from STA II to unit manager husband of randolph Co. clerk gary hand from STA II to unit manager sponsor dan reitz ruel smith from STA I to unit manager (D) sponsor dan reitz rhonda wilson from nurse to Q&A STA IV’s john bohnert todd brooks The facility director was removed from his post last week and is being moved to rushville sex offender facility. STA IV brooks will be traveling to rushville. STA V mike brown, who lives in MO, could be moving to rushville also. or is going to be moved into a slot at choate mental health as the OIG supervisor Let’s goto Choate mental health.. Jan farmer has no qualifications for facility director friend of jerry costello’s office help, who is a friend of hot rod blago. The list of unit supervisor will come later, i am tired of writting for now… P.S If rod blagovich gets re-elected Dan reitz will step down and run his shooting complex in sparta. then the Randolph county democrats will place barb brown into the house spot. Since she can’t win an honest race…. - angry and outraged - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 4:55 am: If Blago wants to go on the premise that this list has been fabricated by disgruntled employees then he needs to tell his patronage to keep their mouths shut!!! We have a never ending parade of talentless hacks coming into a very public lobby every day for RUTAN jobs that were never posted boasting about who their clout is!!! - I’m disappointed – not appointed - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 6:25 am: What – you have got to be kidding!!!!!! Now they are trying to say that “Blago had nothing to do with the list”. Does ‘spokesperson X’ realize ‘spokesperson Y’ already admitted that they keep a list? Do they talk to one another or read the current papers? Next thing we will hear is that Ryan did it. When will this administration ‘Butch-up’ and admit that they ‘messed-up’. - Master of the Obvious - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 7:14 am: This should serve as a prime example of what is wrong with the hiring system…less than 300 jobs on a “clout list” obviously established during transition while the state had approximately 70.000 jobs on the roll. And unlike previous administrations, this list was not generated on state time (re: Fawell et al.) GOPers get a state job pre-Rutan, get locked into their jobs, and then want to sabotage any executive that doesn’t share their personal political belief. Instead of just going away with their head up, these people lurk in the shadows and try to stick it to their bosses, snug in the knowledge previous GOP administrations have written the rules so they can’t be fired, and they try to wait it out…Remember the former hack that said he derseved more money for getting buried in the mailroom at Revenue? One example of many. Tell me, was Jim Edgar’s relative truly the best qualified equine investigator for the state, or did he get the job based on a connection? Oh you didn’t know? Howsabout the twenty-something year old appointed deputy director at natural resourses–what was his qualification for that high-level position at a tender age, other than doing advance for the former comptroller and being related to a high ranking labor leader? But he was deemed qualified to make over 100,000K, and had plenty of “fringe benefits” on the side… The job titles on the list appear to be administrative/management jobs, most receiving less pay than the hack they replaced. Positions such as Personnel liaison, Legislative liaison, and deputy directors/administrators(which make up the vast majority of the list) SHOULD be loyal to the administration. Do you really believe the previous incumbents of these positions should keep their policy making positions while not being loyal to their chief executive? The criminalization of politics is freaking amazing. What is wrong is that it is perceived the governor should not hire people that share his idiology, but he has to retain those obviously against it because they wrote the rules. CMS needs to be blown up, and a system needs to be in place so that there can be patronage, civil service, and veteran preference positions. The GOP established a system so that the average Joe that does help with the campaign canot get a job without it being a “policy making” position. This is the consequense. - Larry Mullholland - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 9:02 am: Master of the Obvious …..your a partisan D with your head in the sand. Your clueless. It is wrong under any administration. Blago said he’s better cleaner and different…remember when he felt proud of “reform & renewal”? Well not only did they not reform they were conspiring (say RICO) to circumvent a Supreme court order in order to deny the average veteran a fair chance at a rutan job all while giving away 356% pay raises. He said he was different but it is clear now that he was worse then ever before. AND he did it while the feds were snooping around. Complete ignorance or arrogance your can choose! - FORMER STATE EMPLOYEE - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 11:30 am: Ironman, in your list of all the Choate Mental Health staff who are clearly “connected”, but not necessarily qualified - you forgot the greatest patronage gift of all in the DHS Division of Mental Health - the Division Administrator, Lorie Stone Jones (as in wife of Emil Jones) CMS even reset the salary to range up to $180,000 a year when she was promoted into that position last fall - Crackhead Obama - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 11:32 am: How do I get on the list? I want a $100,000/yr job for which I am not qualified. Better yet, I want a Chicago ghost payroller job. Where is the outrage? - Swami - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 6:33 pm: Didn’t Blo-puffer-vich issue a hiring freeze executive order when he first came into office? - FourEyes - Wednesday, May 24, 06 @ 7:00 pm: JPC=Joseph Patrick Cini, Guv’s Director of Intergovermental Affairs (i.e., Director of Patronage) - Anon - Thursday, May 25, 06 @ 9:48 am: If the Governor’s office did not influence hiring at various agencies, how did Brice Sherff get hired at DNR as a deputy director and then go to DOT in a newly created position as chief of operations. How does a state employee, so unqualified for those positions, go from $32,000 to over $90,000 in the time our Governor has been in office. Maybe we should ask JH! - seamo - Friday, May 26, 06 @ 9:27 am: This list is very partial, and quite biased. Ron Stephens (R-Troy) still has a $100k annual salary from a no-show position given to him by Gov. Ryan. - Eye in the sky - Friday, May 26, 06 @ 9:35 am: Did anybody notice the Ed Smith connection? Is he still ISEA? I noticed Michel Stout is on the list recommended by Ed Smith. Stout used to work for ISEA and received a nice state job back in ’03. For those of us that know about the whole ISEA, Ed Smith, and Michael Stout union push back in 2003 it sure does stink of political payoff. Pingback Options for Illinois « The 12 Angry Men Blog - Friday, Oct 19, 07 @ 10:40 am: […] 19, 2007 Options for Illinois Posted by Angry Political Optimist under Angry Political Optimist Rants , Blagojevich , Government, Politics , Stupid Politicians   The time has come and gone when humor is the best approach to the current Illinois Budget Fiasco. The previous page in this epic tome of unreality had the State Legislature passing a budget (Senate and House) and forwarding it to Rod Blagojevich for signature. Rather than sign the budget bill, he held it for almost 60 days (after which it would have become law) before line-item vetoing expenses he didn’t like. Now he wants to use the funding he vetoed out for those programs he does want—like universal health care and loot for his union buddies. Various opinions as to the legality of this have been expressed, but this is a typical Blago approach to doing business. If you can’t get a consensus on your program, ignore the legislature and use executive powers to do what you want. Clearly, even the Democrats who run the State understand that the Governor’s position on new spending is a losing proposition. […] Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.