Rules don’t apply
Friday, Feb 22, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Considering my own experience with unjustly showing up on a “clout list,” I always take these breathless revelations with a grain of salt. People sometimes wind up on these lists without reason. The authors of the lists are not always reliable.
So, with that caveat in mind…
“Clout lists” that tracked politically backed job seekers to Gov. Blagojevich’s administration have surfaced in the case of indicted businessman Tony Rezko, with Rezko’s lawyers arguing the documents shouldn’t be allowed as evidence in his upcoming corruption trial.
The lists, which total 26 pages, offer yet another glimpse into the administration’s hiring practices shortly after the governor took office in 2003. They include dozens of recommendations made by Rezko, other Blagojevich fund-raisers, members of the General Assembly and lobbyists for full-time jobs and seats on unpaid state boards and commissions.
* Political types make recommendations to governors. That practice is as old as the Republic itself. Older…
The appointment list indicates that dozens of Democrats, including presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and even eventual Blagojevich adversaries House Speaker Michael Madigan and Rep. Jack Franks (D- Woodstock), made recommendations for posts.
But powerful Republicans also show up as patrons, including House Minority Leader Tom Cross and former Kendall County GOP Chairman Dallas Ingemunson.
* And, like I noted at the top of this piece, the lists are often inaccurate or misleading…
David Blanchette, a spokesman for the capital board, said: “Executive Director Jan Grimes knew nothing of this list and was surprised to find out that she was on it.”
Andrew Sosnowski, an Elgin attorney who worked at the Department of Children and Family Services from 2001 until 2004 said he has had no relationship with Rezko.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” he said. “I have never met him, don’t know him, have never talked to him, haven’t spoken with him. I have never heard of him.”
* And while this may also be misleading, it’s quite interesting [fixed link]…
“They might have put my name down there because I’m a woman who takes in children with disabilities,” Jackson said. “I sold Tony Rezko his first condo, when he moved to Hyde Park. I’ve known him for years and years. He’s known about my work with disabled children.'’
The Wondisfords hired Jackson’s company, MetroPro Realty, to sell their mansion and the adjacent lot [to Barack Obama and Tony Reko’s wife]. Several people wanted to buy the lot without the house, but Jackson said the Wondisfords “insisted these two properties close on the same day.'’
* And, finally, here is an excerpt from that column I wrote years ago after I appeared on one of George Ryan’s clout lists, which were written by Scott Fawell…
I remember another conversation with Fawell, from a year or so before. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was pushing the Illinois General Assembly to let him build a humungous land-based casino. A huge team of lobbyists was working on the project, and some of them put together a list of legislators with comments about how each legislator could be “convinced” to support the casino. The list was leaked and much embarrassment ensued.
Fawell ridiculed the “idiot” lobbyists for putting their thoughts on paper. ”The first rule in this business is ‘Never write anything down,’”Fawell said at the time.
And the same thing goes for the Blagojevich administration and whomever wrote and kept that clout list. Rules don’t apply to them. They thought they’d never get caught. And the tragic lessons of Ryan’s administration were never learned.
Idiots, all.
- cynically anonymous - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 11:21 am:
“Idiots all.” Amen, brother, amen.
- A Citizen - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 11:25 am:
Rich, I think I’ll apply for a state job, highranking of course. May I use you as a reference? I don’t necessarily want the job, just think it might be fun to experience the “process”.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 11:31 am:
The apparent recklessness, arrogance and greed of the Blago Team in this era of Big Heat has been stunning. Was there no one warn them? Would they have listened?
- Squideshi - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 12:21 pm:
Bottom line here is that I don’t believe that Blagojevich appoints/hires only on merit, regardless if he’s actually seen this particular clout list.
For me, the quality of a candidate/elected official is not only in WHAT they do but also in HOW they do it; and as far as I can see, there aren’t many Democrat or Republican candidates openly and fully committed to things like merit, consensus, and/or proportional representation.
- Leave a light on George - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 12:24 pm:
Well they are about to be caught in spite of what they thought. George Ryan’s mistakes are so recent you can’t even consider them history lessons to learn from. Fawell and Ryan’s trial happened right in front of them. Their own Inspector General, Z. Scott told them to cut it out. Blago and his idiots are arrogant fools.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 12:31 pm:
Creating the list isn’t totally stupid - if people are asking for things, you’ve got to keep track somehow, if for no other reason, to remember what they’ve asked for. It’s USING the list that is a problem.
Also, perusing the list, I suspect that Rezko acted as a sort of “bundler” on some of these requests. In other words, people might legitimately deny they “knew” Rezko, but someone they DID know and ask then asked Rezko and the request went in under Rezko’s name.
- Reddbyrd - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 1:45 pm:
When you look at the number of folks who drew blamks you understand why the Blaggo lst term motto was “we don’t know and we don’t care”
Apparently they did not read the Scooter Fawell clips before openig up their check out lanes.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 2:45 pm:
Ryan never promised us ethics or reform. He promised to make things work - and they kinda did.
After Ryan, Blagojevich promised ethical government and a clean sweep with reforms. He said he would change he way business was done in Springfield. He was elected on the spirit of reform and change. He knew we needed this, and ran as the guy to do it.
Now we have this. There is simply no excuse justifying half the crap this administration has done. Arrogance? Yes. Reform? No.
So who’s worse? The governor who promised to keep the state functioning and revealed to be a scandalous pol, or the governor who promised to clean up our government and revealed to be a scandalous pol?
Illinois really gets itself some real geniuses for governors, doesn’t it?
- Frank and Honest (Abe) - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 3:21 pm:
The “Juan” mentioned on the clout list is Juan Ochoa, head of McPier, Scott Fawell’s old job. He recommended many more people for boards, commissions and jobs than listed and who were based on fundraising dollars for the Governor. Ochoa used to head up the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, whose own budget ballooned with State grants and contracts during the passed six years, while their PAC raised money for Rod. All this, while the Ryan and Fawell trials were going on. How dumb can they be!
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 3:49 pm:
So, is anyone proposing we fill political positions based on merit?
Rich seems to be encouraging government to be even more secretive about political appointments (or at least not write his name down). Who thinks more government secrecy will help Illinios’ reputation for corruption?
- The Mad Hatter - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 4:04 pm:
“No more business as usual!” That was (Unindicted Official) A-Rod’s shout the night he won his first gubernatorial election. Clout lists and pay-to-play would seem to belie those shouts. Ooops! Did I just call A-Rod a liar?
- Squideshi - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 4:32 pm:
Anon wrote, “So, is anyone proposing we fill political positions based on merit?”
YES. I am proposing that; and in fact, Rich Whitney indicated, as part of his campaign platform in 2006 that he would use an independent hiring commission.
- zatoichi - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 4:35 pm:
I did not see my name on the clout list. … “I coulda been somebody! I coulda been a contender, instead I am a blogger.”
- Simply Shocking.... - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 4:51 pm:
…that folks who end up on these lists are ’surprised’ that they are on one. Know what? I’ve worked for the State and I’ve NEVER been on one and neither have any (non-political) co-workers (professionals) I’ve worked with.
- In the Sticks - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 6:24 pm:
If someone looked - the Chairman of the Capital Development Board (responsible for Jan Grimes employment), has some connections to Mr. Rezko. She must know that.
- Clean as a Whistle...? - Friday, Feb 22, 08 @ 6:35 pm:
You know what, Simply Shocking? Don’t insult anybody.
If it’s governmental, it’s political. No one walks in from off the street, including Assistant US Attorneys (gasp) and federal judges themselves (double-gasp).
Maybe some hires are more political than others. Requests from Tony Rezko to “create a position” are bogus on their face (worse if complied with).
I spent years hearing the denials of people in government saying that they “didn’t know anybody.” That’s old-school herd mentality.
Dig deeper and look in the mirror.
I am sure you are “professional.” I am sure your co-workers are “professional.”
But so are a lot of people. And most decent state jobs are not in the want ads, regardless of the smokescreen of online postings.
- A Working Stiff on The Road - Tuesday, Feb 26, 08 @ 9:11 am:
If you work for the state, simply put, noone and I mean NOONE related to you in anyway should be employed by the state. EVER.
- A Working Stiff on The Road - Tuesday, Feb 26, 08 @ 9:15 am:
My mother is getting jerked around by the State of Illinois right now. She is a Specilized RN with well over 15 years of experience and they keep delaying her fulltime employment at St. Johns Hospital. She has seen sevral nurses with less exp getting fulltime status, while she lingers in the PT limbo of state employment. Even the doctor she works for(no name droppin here) was freaking out when she told him she a was leave to finda real FT job. If only the best get FT why was this Doctor so freaked out when a PTer was gettign ready to walk?
- A Working Stiff on The Road - Tuesday, Feb 26, 08 @ 9:18 am:
my point smiply is this totaly open application process for ALL STATE JOBS. anyone found GIVING JOBS FOR FAVORS/cash = 50 years in prison. General population and no parole. and voter fraud needs to be a Death Penalty.