* AP…
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office has revised its plan to change state hiring to allay concerns of Democrats and unions.
* Um, well, maybe. Check out the Rauner press release…
Refusing to Reform: Democrats Also Walking Away from Fixing Illegal Political Hiring
“By protecting illegal political hires, Democrats are proving to the people of Illinois that they don’t care at all about reforming anything that’s broken in state government.”
– Lance Trover, Director of Communications
After walking away from compromise reforms to turn around Illinois’ economy, Democrats appear to now be blocking compromise reforms that will fix illegal political hiring in state government.
After Senator McConnaughay filed reform legislation last month, the Governor’s Office met regularly and frequently with leadership staff from each of the four legislative caucuses. As detailed below, the legislation has been significantly revised to provide a clearer, more tailored framework.
The Governor’s Office and the legislative caucuses also met with representatives of AFSCME, Teamsters, and Laborers. While there is general agreement that reforms are needed, labor organizations will not agree to reforms that impact positions already in the bargaining unit. Unfortunately, as evidenced in the conflict between the two pending lawsuits, the State must resolve the status of current employees too. Nonetheless, the legislation has been narrowed to minimize the adverse impact on labor organizations.
An amendment to the original bill has now been filed, which represents compromises that were negotiated. Despite this, Democrats are now refusing to support the reform bill.
I’ve asked various folks for comment. I’ll let you know.
*** UPDATE *** Statement from Michael T. Carrigan, President, Illinois AFL-CIO…
“Yet again, Gov. Rauner seems to be using the cloak of so-called ‘reform’ to attack union members. Our unions strongly oppose political influence in the hiring process and would support a good bill to eliminate it. But this legislation is a Trojan Horse the Rauner Administration is trying to use to limit all workers’ right to bargain collectively. He is intentionally using an ax for legislation that calls for a scalpel.
“We remain ready to work toward legislation that addresses the real problem—political influence in hiring—which has no relation to collective bargaining rights.”
- Unspun - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:20 pm:
“Represents compromises that were negotiated”.
That is the same line that the administration used in hearing on work comp this morning. Nothing could be further from the truth.
- anon - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:21 pm:
nothing here federal master–move along–nice try, Lance.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:28 pm:
Sonny Corleone.
Always looking to pick a fight, or escalate the fight he’s currently in.
Aren’t the Governor’s Crew tired yet?
- okgo - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:31 pm:
So… how many minutes passed between the filing of the amendment today and the press release blasting people for not immediately passing it?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:34 pm:
To the Update
I don’t think AFSCME trusts the Governor…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:35 pm:
Sorry AFL-CIO, my bad…
- Namaste - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:35 pm:
Rich, whats the bill number?
- Tournaround Agenda - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:39 pm:
Bill is here http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=981&GAID=13&GA=99&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=86426&SessionID=88
- #5 - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:40 pm:
OW - I don’t think AFSCME (or insert union here) does either.
- illinifan - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:46 pm:
Looked at the link provided by TA and it shows SB0981 and it changes one word in the language to address how a process or notice is served. Not sure that is the hill they want to die on?
- Bill White - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:49 pm:
illinifan - look at the amendments, not the bill
The original bill is merely an empty “shell”
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:07 pm:
Burnin’ Down The Bridge - Byrne, enhanced by VanillaMan
Watch out, you might get what you’re after
He’s not just strange, he is the strangest
He’s no an ordinary gov
Burning down the bridge
Hold tight, wait ’til the party’s over
Hold tight, we’re in for nasty weather
He’s a guy, demanding his way
Burning down the bridge
Here’s your ticket, pack your bags
Time for jumpin’ overboard
Budget impasse is here
Not even close, they’re way too far,
Lies are flyin’- it’s real bizarre
Fightin’ fire with fire, huah
You bet, hey here’s $400,000
Shakedown, right there in broad daylight
Three hundred, sixty five degrees
Burning down the bridge
This state used to be a place sometimes, they’d compromise among themselves
Now they all demand first place
Unions losing their rights to work say baby what did you expect
Rauner only works in flame
Go ahead
Burning down the bridge!
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:15 pm:
Trover’s release is clear as mud.
How could “Democrats,” or any legislators, for that matter, protect “illegal political hires” in the executive branch?
Going forward, isn’t it up to the current administiation to not make “illegal political hires?” They need legislation to not make “illegal political hires?”
- Kimly - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:16 pm:
Unions (and Dems that blindly support them) are underestimating the negative reaction from the public to blocking reform.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:28 pm:
- Kimly -
What is the reform, please be specific.
- zonz - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:32 pm:
it appears Rauner’s movement is no longer marching in lockstep
MICHIGAN:
May 27, 2015
Michigan’s Snyder clashes with fellow Republicans on union pay
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150527/NEWS02/150529847/michigans-snyder-clashes-with-fellow-republicans-on-union-pay
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:32 pm:
The union evidently has heard/read this widely repeated story:
“A scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry him on his back across a river.
‘Are you mad?’ exclaimed the turtle. ‘You’ll sting me while I’m swimming and I’ll drown.’
‘My dear turtle,’ laughed the scorpion, ‘if I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you. Now where is the logic in that?’
‘You’re right!’ cried the turtle. ‘Hop on!’ The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle resignedly said:
‘Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there’d be no logic in your stinging me. Why did you do it?’
‘It has nothing to do with logic,’ the drowning scorpion sadly replied. ‘It’s just my character.’”
Not working with the union is just not within the Gov’s character.
- Retired ISP - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:36 pm:
Refusing to Reform: Democrats Also Walking Away from Fixing Illegal Political Hiring
“By protecting illegal political hires, Democrats are proving to the people of Illinois that they don’t care at all about reforming anything that’s broken in state government.”
– Lance Trover, Director of Communications
Which is code for “We want to appoint our own political, inept hires”
Reliving the Thompson/Edgar years.
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:36 pm:
“Reform” has to be the most abused word in Illinois history. All manner of nonsense, mischief and skullduggery has been sold as “reform.”
The word has lost all meaning in the context of Illinois government.
- AC - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:47 pm:
Reform just changed meaning, it now means cut, destroy, obliterate or damage. For example, the grass is too tall, I need it to stop raining long enough that I can reform my yard. Pests are eating my garden, they need to be reformed. The shelf is too long, it needs to be reformed.
- Anonin' - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:09 pm:
Alert to SpeedTypist
Either there is agreement or not
There is no such thing as “general agreement”
welcome to the dimension where words have meanin’g
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:12 pm:
Word, the “R” word wasn’t heinously abused until the phony reformer, Blago, with his “R & R” blue backdrop, came to town. I wonder where that thing ended up.
- Anonin' - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:18 pm:
Oh BTW GovPeace now opposed to police reform, Medicaid, preserving 9-1-1, gaming expansion, ALPLM reform
So unnecessary police shootings, $400+ million health care savings, someone to answer emergency calls……are trashed
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:55 pm:
=== Word, the “R” word wasn’t heinously abused until the phony reformer, Blago, with his “R & R” blue backdrop, came to town. I wonder where that thing ended up. ===
Very good point AA. Rauner’s continued abuse of that word and the “corrupt” term reminds me so much of Blago. I was hoping I would be proved wrong, but alas he is who we thought he was.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:56 pm:
==- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:12 pm:==
So pre-Blago it was just abused, but not “heinously,” but that was okay? GMAB
- Nope, Nope, Nope - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 6:01 pm:
The governor has a lot more money than me, which means he must be a lot smarter than me, so forgive me for sounding dense, but wouldn’t “illegal hiring” by definition already be against the law?
- Skirmisher - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 6:11 pm:
Hey- A lot of people (Rutan and non-Rutan) have been unionized that had no business being unionized. In some case, supervisors and managers have sought security by joining the unions, when their job clearly is to serve management interests, not necessarily those of the union. This ludicrous situation has got to be rolled back for the good of state agency operations. The unions are of-course squawking, but if this is where the guv is going, then he is doing the right thing. Much ado about nothing (Again).
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 6:23 pm:
Skirmisher, what’s ludicrous is not giving these merit comp employees any increase in 9 years. What’s worse, these folks actually were forced to take furlough days. The only way to get an increase is to join the union or retire.
- Rt 66 - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 6:23 pm:
This bill raises a number of issues and therefore appears to invite a lot of litigation which could cost the taxpayers dearly:
(1) You have to void a pre-existing contract. Illinois courts have not been favorable to that.
(2) In principle any real ban on improper political hiring would punish the person doing the political hiring, not the person hired. By shifting the burden on the employee you create a burden that a Court will likely support.
(3) What evidence could they possibly use? Are a lot of improper political hires made by State email? If you are linkedin with a Republican lobbyist does that mean you were hired improperly?
(4) Improper political hiring isn’t limited to links to R’s and D’s. Blago improperly hired dozens of downstate Republicans as a favor to push his agenda.
(5) Just because an employee is “exempt” doesn’t mean they are a political hire. Employees who have professional licenses are exempt only because their license establishes their qualifications for the position and the State doesn’t want to go through the task of creating a testing regime for that position.
(6) How does a member of one party determine whether someone is a political hire? Shouldn’t this be determined by a board of people where both parties are equally represented?
The list goes on and on
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 6:27 pm:
@Skirmisher
Do you fail to notice why Rutan was implemented–by the same party pushing for the reforms in the first place? The “good of agency operations”. Good luck with that one. Remember the governor is the one who appoints the agency heads in the first place. Rauner better look in the mirror before pushing this one.
- Mama - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 7:31 pm:
Does this mean Rauner plans to fire all of his political hires with overly fat salaries?
- The Equalizer - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 8:06 pm:
So, the guy who hired a $30,000/month, no-contract consulting firm is worried about “illegal hires”? Hmmmmmmm.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 8:08 pm:
PC, actually, the word was lightly used, and seldom abused, until phoney baloney Blago showed up.
- Percival - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 8:13 pm:
It is striking that unions have virtually run this state for years, but now they and their supporters sound like union members are being shot at dawn, every day. Fear is a terrible thing, but when you have gotten used to total control even a small decline is scary.
- PoolGuy - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 8:27 pm:
Percival, are you quoting from a Lewis Carroll poem, because I don’t remember the part where the pension law, to name one example, as being controlled and signed off by the Jabberwocks.
- Truthteller - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 9:21 pm:
The collective bargaining law is clear. Hiring is not negotiable. So why would you need to amend the collective bargaining law to reform hiring ? Of course, you wouldn’t wouldn’t need to do it.This is not about reform
- The Dude Abides - Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 9:28 pm:
I remember when Blago came in they talked about “an exciting new way of doing business”. I have a bad feeling of deja vu here.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, May 28, 15 @ 7:44 am:
Rauner = Blagojevich
Same age, same morals, same hucksterism.
- CharlieKratos - Thursday, May 28, 15 @ 7:54 am:
Rauner is everything Blagojevich aspired to be.