Rauner wants IDOT workers fired now
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The IDOT hiring scandal continues to brew. Sun-Times…
Rauner also called on Quinn to “take action” on alleged patronage jobs within the state Department of Transportation.
“Gov. Quinn does not need to do another review. He needs to take action and actually follow through on his word,” Rauner said. “Pat Quinn has not taken action. They are still inside the government, dozens and dozens of them. My question to the governor is ‘Why are these folks still on the payroll, illegally taking money from the taxpayers?’ Who is he protecting. What’s he hiding?”
A report by the state executive inspector general released last month questioned the hiring of hundreds of staff assistants with IDOT.
“Unlike Bruce Rauner who takes no responsibility for fraud and mismanagement happening right under his nose, Gov. Quinn has already acted to reform the agency, appoint a new secretary and make sure everything is being done right,” Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said. “Bruce Rauner takes the money from fraud happening at his own business and then goes home quietly.”
* Crain’s editorialized on it as well…
Lately, however, Mr. Quinn looks like just another standard-issue ward heeler, overseeing a department handing out jobs to cronies like candy to Halloween trick-or-treaters. The state’s top investigator reported late last month that IDOT improperly hired more than 250 people in the past decade, and the practice accelerated under Mr. Quinn.
Investigators found no evidence that Mr. Quinn or his staff members were aware of impropriety, but former IDOT Secretary Ann Schneider, whom Mr. Quinn appointed in 2011, said recommendations for agency hires came from the governor’s office.
Perhaps it was too much to hope that Springfield was ready to be cleaned up. But it was nice to think that if anybody was going to try, good ol’ Pat Quinn would.
Now he has handed another self-styled reformer, Bruce Rauner, a ready-made cudgel, which the Republican gubernatorial candidate has been swinging gleefully at Mr. Quinn on the campaign trail. And Illinoisans are left with just that much more reason to doubt that anyone who promises “reform” will ever deliver.
* From the Rauner campaign…
“Pat Quinn doesn’t need another review; he needs to fire those who were illegally hired. My question to the governor is this: who are you protecting and what are you hiding? We need a new governor who will follow through on his promises.” – Bruce Rauner
On Friday, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was confronted about dozens of illegally hired patronage cronies who remain in state jobs. Instead of promising to fire them, Quinn said he would order another “review.”
When asked to respond on Friday, Bruce Rauner correctly pointed out that Quinn had already claimed he conducted a review and that the Inspector General presented his findings to the governor – a long with the list of 250 illegal hires – back in June. Watch the clip.
Who is Quinn trying to protect? The governor does not need to do another review – he needs to take action and keep his word.
Discuss.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 9:55 am:
Great hit by Rauner Crew.
The practicality of doing all that without lawsuits, and nut just bad press for Quinn, but state issues in general is a nightmare. That is the box Quinn finds himself, all fair game.
- Leprechaun - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 9:58 am:
He had two choices as I see it and here lies the dilemma. One choice fire them all and look like he really is a true reformer. That choice however will destroy him with those he needs to help get him elected ( the clout kings ). The second choice ride it out and say I can’t do anymore till my legal staff says we can.
What he can for sure take to the bank it’s not going away for a very long time.
- Anon - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:06 am:
If Rauner is elected, we’ll see how strongly he opposes patronage at IDOT. His opposition will crumble if he emulates the track records of the last three GOP governors.
- Leprechaun - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:10 am:
Here is another thought. Most if not everybody thinks the race will be decided in Cook or at least Suburban Cook. You can bet the farm those still working are from those City or Townships that he needs huge numbers from. Imagine him telling Daley, Zucharelli, Burke or Barrios that I need to fire your guy. They would all look him in the eye and say WRONG not my Guy.
- Mason born - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:12 am:
If Rauner can use this to dominate the September cycle this is going to hurt. Makes Quinn look shifty as heck. Then in October the feds come out with NRI results. Quinn better make Rauner loom like Lucifer quick.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:15 am:
What Quinn needs to do is turn this around on Rauner. Use the outsourcing bit. Or paint him as cold, firing people without care to there families not even knowing if they do quality work. I can already see the ad in my head. Republican Bruce Rauner, cynical billionaire casting people he doesn’t even know out into the street.
Rauner could have over played this….
- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:19 am:
You can’t claim to be a reformer, and do this too. Did Pat Quinn just imagine that this will just be overlooked? Was he really interested in running again this year and just didn’t care?
This was so avoidable.
What Rauner is going is soft selling himself with warm and fuzzy television ads and ensuring that the network news of the election is discussing Pat Quinn’s predicament. In another couple of weeks, this thing goes nuclear and Quinn will look very bad.
Illinois voters don’t want another gubernatorial felon after the last two. They’ve seen this game played out before and won’t support a governor under investigation as they had in the past, and got burned doing it.
This crap writes itself. And this crap has been in bold face type across the walls in Governor Quinn’s office. Shame he couldn’t read.
- AC - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:19 am:
Blagojevich also fired IDOT employees and that didn’t end well for the state. Rauner’s suggestion might have some political benefit, but as a practical suggestion it could open up the state to more liability than keeping them employed. Some of these illegally hired folks might actually be doing a good job. It’s hard to put the genie back in the bottle…
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:23 am:
“self-styled reformer, Bruce Rauner”
Now if that line doesn’t get a laugh, I don’t know what does.
- mcb - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:23 am:
Rauner needs to focus on the veterans angle. Go meet some veterans unable to find work. Point at that they could be working for the state right now, instead hired political cronies.
Veterans, veterans, veterans!
Got to find a way to get the word “veteran” into the article.
- Former Staff Assistant - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:28 am:
I was hired as a staff assistant and have absolutely no political alliances. I have never campaigned and I have no relatives or friends who are politicians of any sort. I am not from Illinois and none of my family lives here.
I submitted my resume and got an interview. He wants us all fired, but he doesn’t know us and he doesn’t know any back story.
- Leprechaun - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:37 am:
I’m not from Illinois and I don’t have friends or relatives that are politicians. I applied and was hired. Now that is by far is the funniest comment of the day.
- Former Staff Assistant - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:40 am:
I am glad the truth amuses you.
- Anonymous - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:40 am:
IDOT. NRI. It’s a one-two punch that Quinn can’t survive unless Rauner says something monumentally stupid between now and Election Day, which is abundantly possible. At this point, Rauner’s handlers need to keep him as quiet as possible while Quinn stews in the juices of his self-made political poison.
- Mason born - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:44 am:
Former
Considering Rauner seems to be referring to those 250 hires pointed out in the IG report, you would not be one of them.
- Very Fed Up - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:49 am:
State jobs should be given out based on qualifications, not how close you are to Quinn/Madigan.
As long as there is a slush fund for rewarding his buddies Quinn’s argument for needing the tax increase to continue is null and void.
- Leprechaun - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:51 am:
Hey former if you really are one of them and now you have been fired then that’s the point. In Illinois no clout no job. Or as Hawk would say He Gone.
- Toure's Latte - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:55 am:
The boat left the dock for Quinn on this one. As soon as it broke he needed to get in front of it and he didn’t. That said, with 99% of the voters, it’s not a factor. Now? Toss it to Lisa for an investigation, call for some resignations, start “reforming” the IDOT now and make some campaign lemonade for when Quinn finishes mowing the lawn.
- A guy... - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 11:50 am:
This one gets the “breath of life” breathed into it for still another week. The only thing Quinn could do to help more is to start firing them one by one on television. OY.
- Downstate Doris - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 12:05 pm:
Good zinger by the Rauner guys. They are absolutely right. Can’t say that often, but they’ve got Quinn hook, line, and sinker on this one. Every day Quinn lets these things go by is another day that people are getting pissed off. If he fires the IDOT workers, he might take some heat from the public sector, but until he does what he said he was going to do, he turns people from the private sector every single day.
- steve schnorf - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 12:27 pm:
My best guess is you can’t legally “just fire” most of them that have moved into other positions, because those positions have civil service and probably union protections. It’s a real problem for the Governor, but I don’t see any easy solution. Candidate Rauner should not advocate violating the law or union contracts at will. That would be very Blago-like.
- Pyrman - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 12:57 pm:
These people were not hired illegally, they were used inappropriately. This is a civil violation of Rutan. The OEIG report never uses the term ” illegal”.
- Cassiopeia - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 1:12 pm:
Quinn needs to let these people go now or their names, along with their sponsors, will be trotted out for the next several weeks.
Quinn can’t win on this issue, no matter what he does.
- Sir Reel - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 1:22 pm:
Steve is correct. These employees were hired under suspect circumstances then moved into positions covered by contract. They can’t be simply fired now.
That doesn’t mean Quinn bears no responsibility. His administration let this scheme proceed to this point.
The time to summarily fire them is past.
- low level - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 1:32 pm:
Pryman is correct. They applied for the positions and did the jobs they were assigned to. A Rutan violation.
I’m sure Rauner wants to fire them. That’s his solution to everything, as he continues to enjoy $100K bottles of wine.
Bozo Bruce at it again. Driving his trash van. Right Bruce.
- walker - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 2:15 pm:
The obvious political demand. It will hurt Quinn.
The fact that he probably cannot legally fire these folks is irrelevant. A lot like the fact that the governor cannot legally “freeze your property taxes.”
It works politically.
- A guy... - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 2:46 pm:
You want to see people reach a whole new level of beserk? Watch what happens when PQ explains why he can’t “just fire them” now that the shift from political to untouchable has been completed.
Yeah, that will be some theater.
- Aaron62287 - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 3:20 pm:
Here’s a wild idea, let’s reduce state compensation to market rates and we won’t have an issue with politics in employment. The state currently has a turnover rate of close to 0. Rauner, hopefully will make it more comparable to private sector employment.
- How Ironic - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 3:31 pm:
@Aaron62287- Great idea. Making state compensation ‘market rate’. So in other words your suggesting a 20% increase in compensation? You are aware, of course that comparable jobs in the ‘market’ pay much better than state wages right?
Awesome idea dope.
Fire, ready aim!
- How Ironic - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 3:35 pm:
@Aaron62287 - Just for reference here’s one example: http://www1.salary.com/Budget-Analyst-I-Salary.html
A budget analyst 1 for the state of Illinois makes around $40,000 plus benefits. The ‘median’ salary in the private workforce is $50,000.
I sure would have liked the extra $10,000! I think every state worker applauds your idea to finally match stated compensation to that of the ‘market’.
- Gone, but not forgotten - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 3:48 pm:
Most of the IDOT workers make much, much more when their unjustifiable, unwarranted overtime is added into their salaries, making them way above the ‘market’ — solution? Stop the overtime!
- How Ironic - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 6:11 pm:
@Gone
Really, could you offer up some concrete examples of ‘unjustifiable, unwarranted overtime’ please? I mean really, if it’s just out there, put it out there.
Who, what, when, where? Do you have any numbers to justify your empty talking points?
- Arizona Bob - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 9:03 pm:
This is such funny stuff. Does anybody REALLY think that the juiced in employees will really lose in this deal?
Here’s how it works, folks. Just as in City of Chicago work, like a stair collapse of some other calamity, a scapegoat is found, everyone associated with the scandal resigns, and THEY MAKE OUT LIKE BANDITS!
LEt me share what happened to an aquaintance of mine. He worked for a politically driven department in chciago, and there was a problem with employee fraud and felonies. He resigned, “fell on sword’ and he was taken care of.
Within a week he was working for an engineering consulting firm, and the frim was given a “time and material” no bid contract for “checking” vacant home that would eventually be knocked down for O’Hare there were many homes he had to check once a week. The firm was paid $1,000 per house per month for a LONG time before the city decided to knock them down. The guy was making six figures, and after the first few weeks we never saw him in the office.
The juiced in firm made out well, the “disgraced employee” made out like crazy, the politicians feigned holding employees “accountable”, and we poor stupid jamoches bought it and paid the freight.
Pols ALWAYS win in Illinois and Chicago, taxpayers always lose. And the voters keep electing the people who do this to them and say “thank you sir, may I have another?”
- Arizona Bob - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 9:14 pm:
@HOW Ironic
=Really, could you offer up some concrete examples of ‘unjustifiable, unwarranted overtime’ please? I mean really, if it’s just out there, put it out there.=
Who, what, when, where? Do you have any numbers to justify your empty talking points?=
Take a look at the pay for the chief CPS Building engineers at Crane HS during their boiler replacement project. The juiced in chief, demanded, and GOT, paid whenever the contractors were on site doing work. Funny thing. Everytime we needed something from him during the working hours, he was never there. He was only available by cell phone, but you can bet he was getting paid.
Five years running he was the highest paid engineer due to OT.
A few year ago there was a nurse at Stroger Hospital who was paid over $200K in a single year due to getting paid for MASSIVE amounts of overtime. Why was she so “blessed” with this OT for time that no reasonable person could perform? Gee, think she had a clout heavy sponsor?
Check out the State Police, Chicago Streets and San, and CPD OT numbers. See who was getting the OT, and you’ll see the problem.
I’d LOVE to hear your defense of OT policy in the state, Chicago and Cook employees,Ironic.
- low level - Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 6:19 am:
Bob - first please take a stress pill. Your overuse of CAPS is distracting.
Please note also that, the facts that fly in the face of your hyperbole is that OT is impossible to get for the vast majority of city workers & has been for over 10 years now. What is occurring is more work with less staff as people retire and are not replaced. The “more with less” mantra eventually gets you less as is occurring.
People are working longer and longer days who are on salary. That salary is pretty much lower than the comparable rate in the private sector. I know it’s popular to bash Govt workers, but save that for the Phoenix Tea Party meetings. It ain’t gonna work here!
- DuPage Grandma - Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 7:33 am:
I don’t understand how Quinn can fire the 250 without cause. The staff position was eliminated opening the door to cutting those who held that position. Unfortunately, some like Former held jobs that were correctly defined as Rutan exempt. I believe about 55 of the 58 were Union and the Union has started legal action on their behalf. Quinn is wise to wait to see how this goes before firing the 250…Not easy to do with a contract….
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 8:15 am:
did rauner fire his hand picked team when things went south or give them a legal aid?
- Late to the Party - Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 8:29 am:
He wants the employees fired. What about the people who had the clout to get them hired? Any punishment for them? I am not referring to the folks at IDOT who did the hiring (although they may be culpable). Let’s prosecute the folks who actually said (or at least implied) “Here is my buddy; give him a job.”
Remember the scandal about the U of I and the clout that legislators brought to bear on the administration to get some students a free ride? And who got punished? The administrators. Talk about blaming the wrong guy.
- steve schnorf - Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 11:33 am:
there’s absolutely no Rutan violation in someone saying to a state official “Here is my buddy; give him a job”
- Mister M - Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 11:59 am:
== “there’s absolutely no Rutan violation” ==
If positions are created with false information to claim exempt status,…there’s a Rutan violation.
If positions that are not “high ranking” are given Rutan-exempt status…there’s a Rutan violation.
If positions are created and ranked without the proper process,…that’s a Rutan violation.
If appointees get in under a Rutan-exemption guise and then are put to work in the manner used to justify the status…there’s a Rutan violation.
When interviews are held, if the interview process is manipulated to favor clouted individuals…you just might have a Rutan violation.
If the selection process is manipulated so that the ‘right” persons are selected, it’s pretty sure there’s a Rutan violation.
If reorganizations and “material reorganizations” are put in place without the processes that were developed for Rutan compliance,…’ya think there is a Rutan violation?
If interviews are omitted or rigged to allow clouted individuals move from position to position to “hide”, …it sure looks like a Rutan violation.
If things don’t comply with the letter and intent of the Rutan Decree, it’s a Rutan violation.
- Mister M - Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:05 pm:
Corrected
== “there’s absolutely no Rutan violation” ==
If positions are created with false information to claim exempt status,…there’s a Rutan violation.
If positions that are not “high ranking” are given Rutan-exempt status…there’s a Rutan violation.
If positions are created and ranked without the proper process,…that’s a Rutan violation.
If appointees get in under a Rutan-exemption guise and then are NOT put to work in the manner used to justify the status…there’s a Rutan violation.
When interviews are held, if the interview process is manipulated to favor clouted individuals…you just might have a Rutan violation.
If the selection process is manipulated so that the ‘right” persons are selected, it’s pretty sure there’s a Rutan violation.
If reorganizations and “material reorganizations” are put in place without the processes that were developed for Rutan compliance,…’ya think there is a Rutan violation?
If interviews are omitted or rigged to allow clouted individuals move from position to position to “hide”, …it sure looks like a Rutan violation.
If things don’t comply with the letter and intent of the Rutan Decree, it’s a Rutan violation.
- Gone, but not forgotten - Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:19 pm:
Thank you Mister M! Very well stated!
@How Ironic: As to my “empty talking points” — if you want “who, what, when, where” find out yourself. You’re the Budget Analyst!