US judge orders hiring monitor at IDOT
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Uh-oh…
* Bruce Rauner’s campaign was quick with a response…
Bruce Rauner, who for months has called on Gov. Pat Quinn to allow a federal hiring monitor at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), today issued the following statement after a federal judge confirmed that Pat Quinn cannot be trusted:
“A federal judge just confirmed what we’ve known all along – Pat Quinn is corrupt and cannot be trusted to clean up state government. Pat Quinn is a phony reformer and a federal judge just confirmed it. I applaud today’s decision and commit that my administration will work closely with the federal hiring monitor to root out Pat Quinn’s patronage and corruption.”
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:26 am:
Where will Bruce get the money to pay for the hiring monitor? I don’t see it anywhere in his phony budget plan.
- walker - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:26 am:
Perfect timing.
- VM - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:29 am:
” my administration will work closely with the federal hiring monitor to root out Pat Quinn’s patronage ”
Umm, yeah. But what will you do to keep patronage out of your administration?
I know, I know: hypothetical, since it doesn’t look much like there will be a Rauner administration.
- 618662dem - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:29 am:
In private business you never hire friends or people that have done you a favor. I am sure Bruce Almighty, given the chance wouldn’t even try to scratch a back.
- Toure's Latte - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:30 am:
The ad in 3,2,1…
- Nonplussed - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:31 am:
The judge’s appointment expires on 10/29/14. Wonder if he got official word of his reappointment before he made this decision?
- Illannoyed - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:31 am:
Ooof! October surprise.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:33 am:
I guess when you get called phony for months, you use phony when you can.
Maybe the Parliament of Owls will know the appointee?
“Who…who…who…who”
To the Post,
Timing is brutal for Quinn. If the Rauner Crew leaves it as a stand alone for point, even more brutal…
Don’t pick at the wound, let it fester, like repeating your release, don’t delve into each point that led to the action….
- downstate hack - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:33 am:
This is important, but how do you get average voters to understand this? IMHO not a game changer.
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:33 am:
The Return of Michael Shakman.
As I understand it, this is in response to Shakman’s civil suit. With no further discovery, the monitor will just be working from the inspector general’s findings.
Sound right?
Could be worse. It ain’t a criminal investigation.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:38 am:
“Pat Quinn is corrupt”
Right now Gov. Quinn is as corrupt as Gov. Christie. Both men are innocent until proven guilty.
Isn’t Rauner going to appear at a campaign event with Gov. Christie? Is the irony lost on people?
Plus, New Jersey has been having pension payment problems and has weaker job growth than Illinois. What kind of message does that send to Illinois voters–campaigning with a governor whose staff apparently engaged in wrongdoing, and who is presiding over a state with weak job growth and pension payment problems?
- Hacksaw Jim - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:40 am:
=== With no further discovery, the monitor will just be working from the inspector general’s findings. ===
Once federal monitors are appointed, they generally do not go away for a number of years. They immerse themselves in government agencies, and review every aspect of office hiring and employment - no matter how benign. This may not ultimately hurt Quinn, but it will certainly burden IDOT and its budget. Those monitors are very expensive.
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:41 am:
idot aint ready for reform.
lets face it, quinn got his start as walkers patronage guy. (remember walker, the anti machine reformer?) CUB and downsizing the GA are quinns claim to the reform mantle, but how long ago was that, and is it relevant to todays voter?–no.
quinn became the accidental governor. if he wanted to initiate reforms, he could have started by fumigating blagos most dubious appointments. but he did nothing.
idot and NRI, among other examples, show someone who is plainly inept as an executive and comfortable with patronage. as trotter said years ago, it is easier for quinn to be throwing stones from the outside, than trying to run things from the inside.
so a monitor is appointed. ho hum. it wont matter to the average voter, esp someone just making up their mind now. both candidates are caked with mud.
- Team Sleep - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:42 am:
If - and this is a big if - Rauner can do this right, this is like the NRI that actually happened.
A federal judge essentially told the Quinn Administration to knock of the personnel shenanigans. That is a big deal.
- walker - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:45 am:
Is it a “monitor” to make sure current hiring is done properly, and fix broken processes as necessary, or is it an “investigator” to uncover past wrongs?
It sounds like the judge supported the investigative functions and results of the current IG.
- Very Fed Up - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:48 am:
What this state needs more than anything else is a non-partisan AG that would be relentless in rooting out corruption and patronage.
- plutocrat03 - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:53 am:
nothing to see here, nothing is new. The party faithful will pull their levers to keep the status quo… with dreams of a few crumbs falling their way.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:53 am:
Yes this is a big deal and for sure its in the game changer cateogory.
Oops forgot we are talking Rauners campaign consultants!
With those armatures running the show, it won’t make one bit of difference.
- John A Logan - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:55 am:
I think Rauners misadventures in business resonate with independents more than Quinn’s misadventures with IDOT hiring. Not a game changer.
- walker - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:57 am:
Could Shakman’s firm get the gig?
- Ahoy! - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:00 am:
Voters understand a US judge intervening on hiring practices at a State Agency. It’s harder for voters to figure out corruption surrounding a program they never heard of (which is why team Rauner should have played the incompetence card instead of the corruption card).
In the end, this is a tough blow to Quinn at a perfect time for Rauner, although they have not been running a good campaign, so they might not be able to capitalize on it.
- ??? - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:02 am:
Grandson of Man - while you may be right about Chris Christie, I doubt most Illinois voters are paying that much attention or know too much about Christie’s record to be able to see the irony.
- Carl Draper - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:17 am:
This is a big development. I think that Cynthia Rutan and Mary Lee Leahy would be happy to see this news. Mary Lee was friends with Shakman and would have loved to have had Rutan turn into a similar decree. It will be interesting to see if a monitor can get patronage under some degree of control before a new inauguration date in January?
- Ms Anon - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:35 am:
I hate to break it to folks, but there are certain at-will positions in government. The governor should be able to appoint his people to these positions. To the victor, go the spoils. A “monitor” was more needed under Thompson and Edgar.
- Mister M - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:37 am:
It is ironic that when the processes that were put in place for all agencies were developed, much of it was modeled from what IDOT had in place back when technical professionals were running things, and now that political types have broken down those systems, IDOT is the poster child for wrongful state patronage.
- Louis G Atsaves - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:38 am:
Move over lead lice and nursing homes. This one will be played up huge on every newscast and media outlet tonight.
Judge finds sufficient fraud to warrant monitoring of hiring at IDOT over the objections of Governor Quinn. Reformer Shakman . . . (insert his history here and the suit history)
The story is practically writing itself.
- Responsa - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:42 am:
==I think Rauners misadventures in business resonate with independents more than Quinn’s misadventures with IDOT hiring. Not a game changer.==
Not sure about that. It is very late in the game and you may be correct it is not a game changer. I do think though that some independents or undecideds who are wavering exactly because they DO see issues with both Quinn’s and Rauner’s ethical standards, may in the end decide that the smell coming from their state government into which their tax dollars flow concerns them more than Rauner’s private sector business dealings and mistakes.
- Both Sides Now - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:44 am:
Mmmm, what do you think will resonate more with voters:
1) Quinn linked to patronage in IDOT (like every Governor before him including plenty of “good” republicans like Edgar and Thompson) OR
2) Rauner can’t name one of his companies that increased employment; Rauner’s companies poisin children, kill elderly, outsource jobs, and ignore workplace violence and intimidation; all while he vacations in one of his 9 homes on his tax exempt bank account in the Cayman Islands.
- Anon - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:50 am:
This will have no effect on the election.
I know many state employees that read this blog every day, who cannot explain to me in simple language what the IDOT issue is all about.
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:57 am:
Louis, “huge” on local news? We’ll see.
But I really don’t see how you work footage of an out-of-state car chase or a water-skiing squirrel into this story.
Footage first, always.
- anon - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:58 am:
The judge did not appoint a federal hiring monitor. He wants to appoint someone to investigate decisions made after hiring. That isn’t a hiring monitor, and that isn’t an acknowledgement of corruption.
Rauner throwing words in a judges mouth. That’s smart.
- Will P - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:03 pm:
It is unfortunate that this is not a game changer. It seems that most voters don’t hold the executive accountable for the actions of his people…unless it is in the private sector.
Quinn’s record shows that he surrounds himself with incompetence…But he is such a likeable guy, no one wants to hold him accountable for the decisions of his agencies.
- Chris - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:07 pm:
“In private business you never hire friends or people that have done you a favor.”
In private business, you are spending “your” money, not the public’s money.
In private business, there is no law that says you can’t hire your kid, or your golf buddy’s kid, or your mistress.
GOVERNMENT IS **NOT** PRIVATE BUSINESS!!!
- A guy... - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:08 pm:
Sometimes it just is, what it is. This is one of those times. It just is.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:10 pm:
Ten minutes into the noon news on WGN, this hasn’t been mentioned at all.
- Mouthy - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:12 pm:
“Not a game changer” says plenty as they whistle past the graveyard..
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:14 pm:
===but how do you get average voters to understand this?===
Federal judge.
Court order.
Corruption.
Illegal patronage.
Shake up Springfield.
- Down Here - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:18 pm:
This won’t even cause a ripple in this election. Illinoisans are not shocked that Governors of either party may reward their political supporters with state jobs. In the mind of the public, it’s happened for years.
With yesterday’s revelations on top of the prior ones, Bruce is making Mitt look like an amateur when it comes to ruthless heartless venture capitalism. THAT is something which will affect this election.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:19 pm:
Great point Rich! Even a campaign that was run properly would have hard time, so what chance do these guys have?
ZERO that’s why it won’t matter one bit!!!
- Ghost - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:21 pm:
Had their been a hiring monitor all of these staff assistants would still have been hired. The jobs as written were properly ritan exempt. The problem was the assignment of duties outside of the job duties of the position. A hiring monitor would not impact that at all. So another waste of taxpayer funds for something that won’t do anything but create unneeded hiring delays
- Mister M - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:30 pm:
= “I know many state employees that read this blog every day, who cannot explain to me in simple language what the IDOT issue is all about” =
It’s about…
* The Supreme Court Rutan Decree limiting political considerations to all but a few high-ranking, policy-making, confidential & spokesperson positions.
* The Governors have issued Executive Orders to support compliance.
* The State put in place processes to comply with the Decree.
* Under Gov’s Blagojejich & Quinn, political loyalists have taken full control of the personnel processes. Dangerous.
* The processes have been systematically manipilated, bypassed and otherwise ignored to support an extensive growth of patronage employment into all sorts or positions that defy the letter and intent of the Rutan Decree.
* The manipulation of personnel processes has been used to power the movement of patronage apointees (Up, Sideways and DOWN) into positions that are Rutan covered, many of which were or became covered by union representation as well.
* Many of the original improperly-filled positions had, or attained, union coverage.
* In the meantime, high numbers of real technical positions have been left un-filled.
* All of this is wrong.
That’s what it’s all about. Does the US Supreme Court Decree mean anything, or does it not?
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:52 pm:
== political loyalists have taken full control of the personnel processes.==
Hi. My name’s reality. What’s yours?
That happens with any administration. Doesn’t mean they shouldn’t follow the rules. I get that. But to suggest it’s some big issue is absurd.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:56 pm:
The hiring process is impossible now. It takes months to get through it. I’m sure this just added a few months to the process at IDOT.
- SkeptiCal - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:00 pm:
If Rauner wins election, he may regret his public support of Shakman. As others have noted, this is not an issue that separates R’s from D’s. It is inherent in wanting political power.
- Black Ivy - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:12 pm:
#cleanidotup #itsabouttime
- Mister M - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:27 pm:
= “But to suggest it’s some big issue is absurd.=
To suggest that it’s just business as usual indicates an acceptance of corruption that is what this bad behavior relies upon. Moreover, since Blagojevich, it has been business much more than usual, at least at IDOT, and that’s the reason it’s in the news - again.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:41 pm:
==indicates an acceptance of corruption==
I’m not accepting corruption. I hate it when people suggest that when somebody simply points out the reality of the situation. There’s a difference between pointing out reality and accepting corruption. All I’m saying is that those ultimately in charge of the personnel process are going to be political appointees. They should follow the rules no matter who they are.
- seeking a little truth - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:55 pm:
although every Governor seems to have manipulated the hiring system for decades, the bigger issue with Quinn is how he has emphatically not been truthful(politely)by denying virtually any knowledge or involvement in the patronage system and especially the manipulation to later convert a great number of purposely created “staff assistants” to protected civil service positions. Everyone that I know who knows Quinn says he is a micromanager, as well as patronage supporter, and would approve most if not all of any hires be sent by the Governor’s office.
To blame it all on others, especially the department head ( a career state employee) and her staff is both grossly untrue and mean spirited to the people he has blamed.
Similarly on other reforms he used to advocate — graduated income tax, term limits, etc. now that he is inside, rather than just trying to get attention, he hasn’t lifted a finger or shown any leadership advocacy on either issue. Instead he has fallen into the nothing is more important than reelecting me mind set.
It seems to me the reformer stuff was only an attention getter, now that he is in the club and wants to stay there.
- Hacksaw Jim - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 2:38 pm:
=== In private business, you are spending “your” money, not the public’s money. ===
Mostly not true. Smart businessmen usually find a way to use OPM (Other People’s Money). Investors are usually not the ones making hiring decisions in the private sector.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 2:41 pm:
I could be wrong but if a US judge has gotten involved in this there is probably more than meets the eye than just hiring. Kinda makes you wonder if federal money wasn’t misused. I don’t think that a monitor will work unless it is done in every state agency. Certain state agencies are dumping grounds for the politically connected and just about everyone knows that. It will never be stopped because it’s how the connected get rewarded. And what is all the stink about corruption by BR. This guy is from Chicago and he wants to clean up the state. He might want to start in his own home town. And while I’m at it, Term Limits? Rauner needs to get real. It won’t fly because the elected officials will not vote themselves out of a job.
- Just Thinking - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 2:57 pm:
Bad news for PQ at least for today
- Hacksaw Jim - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 3:53 pm:
=== I could be wrong but if a US judge has gotten involved in this there is probably more than meets the eye than just hiring. Kinda makes you wonder if federal money wasn’t misused. ===
You are wrong. The federal judge is involved because there was a lawsuit filed in federal court relating to political hiring. This stuff isnt new. There have been federal monitors for the City of Chicago and a number of different agencies in Cook County.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 5:27 pm:
Hacksaw Jim I stand corrected. I should have my tongue.
- More dollars out the door - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 8:20 pm:
These monitors will drain the state drier than it is.
- anon - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 8:40 pm:
I would suspect less than 10% of voters knows what IDOT means. While Rauner’s camp tried to used this IDOT scandal to move voters this summer, it didn’t seem to work as Quinn began to close the gap during this period. Doesn’t seem like an effective issue that moves voters. Voters want to hear about real solutions and are worn out with all this IDOT stuff. Just saying.