32 Comments - He Makes Ryan look like a saint - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 9:11 am: My only problem with this is someone in a lower position are not allowed to do this. If they are going to allow it, then allow it for everyone. - Just Wonderin' - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 9:19 am: Rich, I’m not an IDOT employee, but I believe that the one-year revolving-door rule should definitely apply to Tim Martin, or any other administrative type in a position of influence or regulatory authority. Are there no private sector jobs with companies NOT doing business with IDOT? - Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 9:46 am: #1. Martin did not sit on the IDOT consultant selection committee, he just signed the contracts after the consultants were selected. Absent any evidence he used his influence to steer contracts to his future employer, there is no apparent conflict of interest. #2. According to the attorneys I have talked to, the state has to walk a very fine line when administering a “revolving door” prohibition. Many attorneys think the whole rule would be thrown out of court if it were ever challenged, due to restraint of free trade and the right for a person to make a living. Thus, absent a clear case of contract steering or influence, it is not surprising that the review committee made the ruling on Martin’s behalf. #3. This rule is especially hard to enforce when the disparity between the private and public sector is so great for managers in Martin’s field. There are likely hundreds of mid-level project engineers at Illinois firms who make more in salary and bonuses than Martin did as head of IDOT. A CEO of a 6,000 employee engineering firm is likely a millionaire. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 11:03 am: I would think that Mr. Martin would be able to secure a position at an engineering firm, regardless of whether or not the firm did business with IDOT. How can the former IDOT secretary be that limited in his scope? What a mess. Perhaps Mr. Sees will start a trend of retirement-age IDOT secretaries will actually not work after their tenures at the Hanley Building. - I.D.O.T. Bleachers - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 11:19 am: Rank and file I.D.O.T. employees are just happy he’s gone. C.T.E. historically has been known to hire some real GEMS in the past. Maybe they could make him the Project Manager of the March Madness Pool. A real test of competency. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 12:01 pm: This administration set the ethics bar - we didn’t. So everytime someone slithers under it we should know. This administration is blatantly hypocritical when it allows this to happen. We need to know. - Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 12:06 pm: Team Sleep- If you excluded those firms that did business with IDOT, or that did business with development firms that required permits from IDOT (where influence might move some things along ahead of others), or firms that could not afford Mr. Martin’s reasonable salary expectations, the list of Illinois engineering firms would be very short indeed. - Huh? - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 1:09 pm: I saw it this morning while eating breakfast. Nothing like signing contracts for $10 mil and then getting a plum job. I like this line from the article “… A review by the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission, which granted Martin the waiver, determined that he followed the rules, insulating himself from discussions with companies competing for IDOT contracts and steering clear from decisions affecting or involving prospective employers. …” But it’s ok because he recused himself since the end of November. My wife and I were talking this morning about political clout and whether or not southern political clout was worse than in Illinois. My comment was better because at least in the south they are up front about it. Yeah, Billy Bob got the contract because of that big campaign donation and he was strongly recommended because he is a cousin of my dad’s sister’s grandma. Here in Illinois, we are told that Billy Bob got the contract on merits and that the big campaign donation and family connections had nothing to do with it. - Larita Cau - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 1:16 pm: Nothing but the best for Timothy Martin. I liked the previous secretaries…. - steve schnorf - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 1:28 pm: If we’re going to be intellectually honest about this, the lede should be “Revolving door law followed”. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 1:35 pm: Steve… Agreed, with one caveat. This is the Blagojevich administration we’re talking about. Still, without further facts, this story appears to be way overblown, to put it mildly. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 1:39 pm: “He Makes Ryan look like a saint” said, “My only problem with this is someone in a lower position are not allowed to do this. If they are going to allow it, then allow it for everyone.” If you waived everyone, then why bother having the waivers in the first place? - uncle timmy - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 1:46 pm: he can only get a job with a firm that he regulates and has a bed made for him because his professional reputation has been destroyed. he has no skills, he is an awful leader, and is looked at with disdain by 99.9% of the people he is to do business with in his new position. he is a bloated beauracratic welfare case. hopefully that isn’t to rabid. - Bill - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 1:51 pm: I think Larita Cau deserves a promotion or upgrade. - He Makes Ryan look like a saint - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 2:44 pm: Rich, Agreed, my point is if a middle manager (with an R after his name) puts in the same argument, they would be denied. If they are going to have it ENFORCE it for EVERYONE, otherwise remove it. - Bituminous Sludge - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 2:47 pm: Does he get office with a Lake Michigan View or a cubicle? - Papa Legba - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 3:46 pm: Rich, I know you were being snarky with this comment, “If you waived everyone, then why bother having the waivers in the first place?” You are correct though. Why bother with waivers if they are just a symbolic gesture that is followed indiscriminately? - Save a horse, Ride a Harley - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 4:50 pm: The same engineer who presided over the attempted “power washing of salt domes,” gets another job? They didn’t teach Timmy that salt and water don’t mix at the U of I? Me thinks something is rotten in Chicago. Waiver smaiver, it doesn’t pass the smell test. - Concern Citizen - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 5:40 pm: Each place Mr. Martin went he had trouble with minority contractors. During his tenure at I.D.O.T he had taken a professional engineering entity and destroyed it’s reputation. He pushed to have the brightest and best engineer’s to resign and work for consultant firms. These firms causing I.D.O.T. contracts to increase 10% to 20% more. He encouraged and signaled out minority contractors to run an obstacle course thus discouraging their participation. One only has to look on the Dan Ryan to see that the African Community is not represented. He allow ed Walsh to create super “questionable” DBE firms like Rohar along with millions in change orders. It is estimated that the project with be over double what it was original projected to be which CTE got over 60 million and counting. I wonder how going CTE explain who their V.P. screwed the Black company. Does this company think they can show their face in an African American Communities. With Martin at the helm. Finally he reckless nature has caused the State millions of dollars in force accounts & change orders. What one has to ask since we are forced to play 2.5 times what the Dan Ryan project will cost and see important projects through the State being cut will anyone want to use CTE or their new V.P when they have new projects. I guess it is only natural giving Mr. Martin a sweetheart position even though he is far from V.P. material. So next time anyone in the State of Illinois is wondering why that stop light wasn’t replaced in a dangerous corner or some road is full of potholes they should look up CTE number and ask Mr. Timothy Martin. - A Citizen - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 6:19 pm: The Ethics laws, as usual, do not apply to Blag’s friends and associates. Anyway, if the Inspector General looks into it we won’t see the report - it is secret (shhhhh!) too! Okay, Libby is toast NOW Fitzgerald can get down to business right here in Illinois! - Concern Citizen - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 6:21 pm: We can only hope - IDOT Engineer - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 6:28 pm: I would echo the comments of I.D.O.T. Bleachers, Uncle Timmy, Save a horse and Concern Citizen - except for Citizen’s claims about Mr. Martin’s problems with DBE firms. He made IDOT bend over backwards, sometimes in borderline illegal ways, to pander to minority contractors and potential minority construction workers, all the while adding not one whit to the agency’s actual mission or really helping those to whom these overtures were made. I think the reason he had trouble with minorities was the same reason he had trouble with everyone else. He is the most arrogant, incompetent, petulant, thoughtless and inconsiderate person I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. He is also the worst engineer I have ever met in over 20 years of professional practice. There was a pool within and outside of IDOT up to the day of Tim’s departure as to which firm drew the short straw and had to hire him. He had become such an impediment to any progress that he had to go somewhere, and CTE got stuck with him. Morale has improved markedly since he left, and some of us finally have some hope that what is left of our agency can actually be salvaged. So far as the waiver goes, it is a good thing so long as Tim Martin is finally gone for good. - Anon. - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 6:42 pm: I can’t believe he was granted a waiver. What the heck is wrong with the Ethics Commission? When Martin was quoted “I don’t want to leave state government and become a bank teller” I thought to myself “well Martin, neither did the many IDOT employees you fired for being repubulican.” Many fired employees with 25+ years of state service to your miserable 4 years with IDOT. I think he should work as a bank teller….or better yet, maybe Martin should drive around Chicago checking traffic signals to see if they are working. One thing for sure, what goes around comes back around. - Concern Citizen - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 6:43 pm: To IDOT Engineer look at the numbers. Blacks were screwed out of jobs and contravts. Take a ride done the Dan Ryan. Look at who got what. Blacks got nothing from him. LOL you sound like someone that had his head in the sand or one the the consulants that got big bucks contracts - Gregor - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 7:24 pm: Martin left IDOT in a hurry and under a cloud, with several scandals in the investigative stages, from the salt domes to the traffic light watcher and several in-between, plus he has history with blago supporters who themselves are under investigation or indictment. Gee, I remember when H.R. departments hiring would have a problem taking on a guy like that. It is from that background that I concur this job, while it may be technically legal, does not pass the smell test. My opinion is to make the law look like it really works, we need to ban him or any director from working with firms that contract with the state, in-state, for a year. That leaves 49 other states he could bless with his presence in the meanwhile. I’m sure a man of his talents will find something, and if not, what’s a year off to a guy making mad bank like Martin was? - Holdingontomywallet - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 8:46 pm: Great timing. Everyone will be talking about Blago’s budget proposals and where the $$$ will come from, so this will be a blip on the screen. Those ethics laws…they were for everyone else, not the B-team. I don’t think anyone is surprised - that’s the rub, everyone has become numb on these issues. It’s business as usual. - Cat - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 8:55 pm: I agree with IDOT Engineer - Martin was the most arrogant SOB! His lasting legacy at IDOT will be the cost of paying attorney fees for all the losing cases, and forcing out so many excellent engineers. Morale has improved during the last 30 days and employees just want to get the bad Martin taste out. Rich, employees may have complained during the previous Secretary’s administration, but in retrospect, every employee, despite political affiliation, would prefer Brown over Martin, every time. - n the Sticks - Tuesday, Mar 6, 07 @ 10:34 pm: This is just unfair to other state employees that are professionals. If fired, they cannot go to work for a firm which does work for the state - even if they had no ability to influence hiring or contract decisions. There are no waivers given for the rank and file - only those important Governor appointees. - IDOT Engineer - Wednesday, Mar 7, 07 @ 5:41 am: Concern Citizen: Why are you so fixated on what IDOT does or does not do for blacks? Nowhere in the agency’s mission statement does it mention pandering to any political constituency. I neither have my head in the sand, nor am I a consultant. IDOT is not a social service agency. We plan, design, build and maintain transportation facilities, essentially. I am simply a public employee endeavoring to render service to the public at large in what was once a pretty good agency. I, myself am a minority, or a member of a protected class. However, I am not one of the minorities (black, latino) favored for pandering by the current administration. Most of us here at IDOT all just want to do our jobs to the best of our abilities for all of the taxpayers of this state. Tim Martin was a considerable impediment to that. Good riddance to bad rubbish. - uncle timmy - Wednesday, Mar 7, 07 @ 6:51 am: idot people unite, call cte and tell them about uncle timmy the # is 312-938-0300 - Concern Citizen - Thursday, Mar 8, 07 @ 6:17 pm: Tell that to the community that expects IDOT to live up to Federal Regustaions that is tied to road money to is used to build these roads. - IDOT Engineer - Thursday, Mar 8, 07 @ 8:16 pm: Concerned Citizen: If you look at the Federal Regulations that you are speaking on, they do not set ethnic or gender specific goals. As an engineer, I am responsible for monitoring projects and ensuring that the workforce are diverse. Minorities are made up by four ethnic categories, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans. I also have to ensure that the DBE firms are performing the work that they are contracted on. If you have proof that the firms are fonts and can prove this, you should do so. As for setting aside jobs for Blacks, that is not right and as a minority we have to hold the unions accountable for not being inclusive and giving oppurtunities to all minorities and females. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.