Noted
Thursday, Jun 7, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The significance of Tim Mapes’ ouster as Speaker Madigan’s chief of staff cannot be easily overstated. He dominated just about every aspect of Statehouse life. A few telling tidbits from today’s coverage. Tribune…
One longtime political operative recalled Wednesday that Mapes had a sign on the wall of his statehouse office referencing a line from the “Wizard of Oz”: “Nobody gets in to see the wizard. Not nobody, not no how.”
The diminutive Mapes played an outsized role in controlling the flow of legislation on the House floor as he stood at the side of Madigan and top Democratic leaders when they presided over the ornate chamber from the speaker’s podium. Mapes accumulated power over the years as other key Madigan confidantes left state government and lawmakers and staff privately grumbled of Mapes’ condescending and abrasive style.
* Sun-Times…
State Rep. Litesa Wallace, D-Rockford, tweeted out a simple “Noted,” in response to Mapes’ resignation.
Lawmakers said that was Mapes standard reply to hundreds of emails he received. Wallace — who penned an op-ed in November describing a culture of sexual harassment towards women in government — said “there was nothing comical about that” tweet.
“That was me noting the resignation,” Wallace said, adding she wasn’t surprised to hear of the resignation.
People would write a ten-page analysis that they’d labored on for days and he’d reply “Noted.” It was, to many, a passive aggressive trait.
* WBEZ…
Timothy Mapes, Madigan’s chief of staff since 1992, has been a state employee for 40 years and until his firing was paid at a rate of $17,332 per month, state records show. That equates to an annual salary of nearly $208,000.
Mapes is 63. Because of his age, long tenure in state government, and his high rate of pay, he qualifies for a state pension exceeding $125,000 annually based on calculations by WBEZ.
- Blue Bayou - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:40 am:
We see what you did there, Rich.
- Because I said so.... - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:41 am:
As a 40 year state employee, he has earned his pension.
- Colin O'Scopy - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:42 am:
One word to sum up his ego: “bloated”.
- Soccermom - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:43 am:
I was trying to explain Mapes’ resignation to my husband, who is a civilian. It was a challenge…
- Colin O'Scopy - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:44 am:
=I was trying to explain Mapes’ resignation=
Forget explaining the resignation. Try explaining Mapes, the man.
- Downstate - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:50 am:
I’m not familiar with the inner workings of Springfield. So, I’m intrigued by the “piling on” of Mr. Mapes following his ouster. I realize that it is easier to criticize once he is no longer a threat.
But, it makes me wonder what types of stories will emerge once MJM is no longer in control.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:52 am:
Mapes power was derivative; it came from Madigan.
I’ve never bought the fiction that Madigan runs the state from the House floor, but he certainly runs the House staff and the Illinois Dem Party. He’s responsible and accountable for those operations.
Hampton, Cassidy, Garrett — these are all Democrats calling him out.
The Madigan crew is an anvil around the neck of every Democrat running for office. Who’s going to tell him it’s time to go? Because it is.
- City Zen - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:53 am:
==As a 40 year state employee, he has earned his pension.==
Guessing the public’s perception on this matter will differ slightly.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:54 am:
The salary of the Governor of Illinois is $177,412
The salary of Speaker Madigan’s chief of staff (not including health care and pension benefits) was $208,000?
No wonder he has blocked Senator Cullerton’s pension reform that passed the supermajority Democratic Senate and has the support of at least 25 Republican House members.
That is the reason for the budget crisis in Illinois, it is not in his self interest to fix the problem.
- SSL - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:56 am:
That Tim Mapes, some kind of wonderful isn’t he.
The fact that this type of individual sustained employment as long as he did, speaks volumes about his boss. The most controlling individual in the history of Illinois politics didn’t know what little Timmy was up to right? Wrong.
And people wonder why many Illinois residents despise the pensions these lowlifes receive.
It will be interesting watching JB and Madigan dance going forward. Something tells me this isn’t the last of the charges against the culture Madigan fostered. How long can JB last before he has to call for Madigan to resign?
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:57 am:
He made some bad moves as outlined by the press conference yesterday. However, he did put in countless hours of service. He was very much responsible for many of the decisions in the restoration of the capitol. He has earned his pension. Power is a dangerous thing when unchecked.
- cdog - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:08 am:
It’s important, as stated above, to realize this is happening from inside the Democratic structure and culture.
Reminds me of a passage I came across, recently…….
“Domination can be overcome from the outside, Hegemony can only be inverted, reverted, (liquidated), from the inside.” Baudrillard’s “Agony of Power.” pg.34.
- One of Three Puppets - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:23 am:
WBEZ is just lazy in their calculation. I think they need to read who can participate in the General Assembly Retirement System and then calculate the pension off of the Tier 1 GA benefit structure that also includes a 3% compounded COLA for anyone that is 55, has 20 years of service and is still in active service. They say the maximum annuity is 85%, but the 3% wrinkle makes it much higher
- One of Three Puppets - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:26 am:
So, 85% after 20 years+3% for years 55-63= another 24%. Add the two and you get 109% of his compensation.
- One of Three Puppets - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:28 am:
But he may have not elected to participate. Who knows…… Maybe WBEZ could make one call and do some work.
- Thoughts Matter - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:28 am:
I’m not an insider. I don’t personally know now have I ever been in a room with any of these people. Nor do I know anything about the truth of the allegations. Having said that, various commenters have said this is all well known about Mapes. You don’t allow someone to work for you( the state) for 40 years, behave a certain way… and then yank his pension at the end of his service for behaving that way. He’s resigned. That’s enough at this point. The truly appropriate thing would have been to corral his bad behavior at the earlier possible moment. Its too late for that.
- Because I said so.... - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:33 am:
====As a 40 year state employee, he has earned his pension.==
Guessing the public’s perception on this matter will differ slightly.=
I don’t disagree with your statement one bit. I’m just saying, he may be guilty of bad judgement and behavior but he didn’t break the law. Therefore, he is entitled to his pension.
- One of Three Puppets - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:34 am:
Not arguing the point of yanking a pension but rather calling out lazy journalism.
- I don't have a job - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:42 am:
== He dominated just about every aspect of Statehouse life. ==
What a sad commentary. He was a staffer for crying out loud. Despite his God complex he was shown the door, for cause, in just one day. Goodbye. Think of all the times Timmy treated you like excrement on the bottom of a hot boot and then think, if I had just come forward, he could have been gone years ago.
- Dorothea L Dix - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 10:51 am:
No person in State or local government has worked hard enough to “earn” a $3,000,000.00 annuity.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 11:00 am:
One of three, you clearly know very little about State pensions if you think the AAI plays a role in the initial benefit calculation as your post suggests. Keep your day job.
- Juice - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 11:10 am:
Arthur Anderson, as Clerk of the House, Tim is a member of GARS, which does have the accrual that One of Three was describing.
From their website.
The 3% increase also accrues each January 1st for GARS members who remain in service after age 55 with 20 years of credited service. These increases are payable on January 1 or July 1 following the first full year of retirement at age 60.
Example:
Using the table above, a member retires at age 60 in December 2001 with 25 years of credited service. On January 1, 2003, the member would receive a pension increase of 18%.
However, since most of his time would be based on service in a reciprocal system (SERS), I’m not sure how it would be applied.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 11:33 am:
I’m not disputing that Mapes is in GARS if he so elected. I am disputing the ability of commenters with limited practice and incomplete information to assert complicated pension calculation information.
Juice, the AAI information you post proves my point-it’s not included in the pension calculation.
- Ugh - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 11:40 am:
An individual needs to serve as Clerk for 10 years in order to be eligible to elect to participate in GARS. By my count, Mapes did not have 10 years and is therefore not eligible to elect to participate in GARS.
AA is right, commenters probably should not be engaging in back of the envelop calculations and passing it on as fact.
- We'll See - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 11:46 am:
-SSL @ 9:56-
“Lowlifes” you casting that net on all state pensioners?
- SSL - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 12:16 pm:
We’ll See - in a word, no.
My earlier response ended up in the cloud somewhere.
- Fixer - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 12:19 pm:
LO, again, for the upteenth time, that bill has not been taken up as it will most likely be found unconstitutional. Update your programming please.
- City Zen - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 12:34 pm:
Mape also appeared at random times on the payroll of Friends of Michael J. Madigan, Democratic Majority, and the Democratic Party of Illinois PACs:
https://bit.ly/2JqgLQk
Make no mistake: Mapes will keep every penny from his pension and Madigan side jobs. We will hold his bag.
- Mama - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 1:36 pm:
I find it extremely hard to believe no Republican leaders harassed their staff or lobbyist.
Are the women harassed by the Republicans to afraid to speak up?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 1:40 pm:
Bogus Envy…
$208,000 per year
Bruce Rauner’s 2016 income $91,000,000.
If you think you helped paid the first and didn’t contribute to second, I think you might be the kind of person who doesn’t believe in “negative numbers”.
Few would turn down a $3 million dollar pension. But consider Rauner “earns” 30 Mapes pensions every YEAR. Government policy isn’t responsible for constructing a system that enables massive incomes?
Yes, the same goes for JB, but he didn’t run for office veiling his Scott Walker agenda from the public like Rauner did.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 1:51 pm:
Word nails it!
@AA- I am not going to venture into the formula and calculations, that is one of your areas of expertise. I have a question, it is my understanding that at a certain point in terms of years of credit the calculation for retirement changes. I think it is called accrual but could be wrong. I had a teacher with 44 years of service and his annual pension payment was actually hire than his last years salary. Does that ring a bell? Is this what they are referring to for Mapes?
- low level - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 1:55 pm:
There’s a problem w the word “noted”? I noticed he did have a habit of actually getting back to people, which was refreshing. Sheesh.
As for pension, you can deduct a certain number of years for the total he went off state payroll to the aforementioned DPI payroll. That was - what - 4 months every two years? Not that I expect anyone to feel sorry for the guy but any calculations as to what state may be contributing to pension should be offset by some amount.
- Sonny - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 2:07 pm:
Here’s a Wizard of Oz reference for him, one I hear pealing from every corner of the state, ding dong the witch is dead.
- Liandro - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 2:11 pm:
“if I had just come forward, he could have been gone years ago”
I don’t think you understand this moment very well.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 2:34 pm:
== No wonder he has blocked Senator Cullerton’s pension reform that passed the supermajority Democratic Senate … it is not in his self interest to fix the problem. ==
Any pension reform.would not apply to existing employees, including him. So there would be no self interest involved.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 2:44 pm:
Re the pension … Without knowing the amount in of actual service under the multiple twtirement systems he probably participated in or knowing any recipricoity choices he could have made, I’m not even going to try to SWAG his possible pension.
I’ll just look it up after he starts to collect it.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 3:11 pm:
JS Mill, what you’re thinking of is the actuarial, or “money purchase” benefit formula. It’s a combination of member contributions plus an assumed State match recalculated into an annuity (and no, I can’t do it by hand.) It’s paid in TRS and SURS if it provides a higher monthly pension than the 2.2 formula. For quite some time, most SURS retirees got this formula because the SURS Board determined the interest rate to be used in the calculations, and it was generous. In contrast, TRS’ rate was set in statute at 6 percent. Filan saw all of this and got the SURS article changed to make the State Comptroller set the interest rate. About a fourth of TRS’ current retirees get this formula, and I don’t know about SURS. It primarily works for teachers with periods of inactive service or extraordinarily long active careers, like your 44 year teacher.
I don’t think SERS or GARS has this provision.
- Lt Guv - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 4:15 pm:
Having done the bounce between state & political payrolls many times myself, “low level” hit the nail on the head and said what I was thinking as I read through this thread. Given that, an exact calculation of Tim Mapes’ pension is very difficult unless one is inside the pension agency with all of information in front of them.
- Mouthy - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 5:09 pm:
He gets a GARS pension. Look at the law that includes Clerk and asst clerks in the house and the equivalent in the Senate in the GARS after I believe 6 years in one of those positions. Law was passed by George Ryan for his clerk Tony Leone…
- Mouthy - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 5:14 pm:
Why do you think he took the job of Clerk and kept the Chief of staff position too. It was for the pension..
- cc - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 6:12 pm:
Noted: ‘Truly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.
- Ugh - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:05 pm:
Mouthy, the law (40 ILCS 5/2-105) requires 10 years of service as clerk in order to be eligible to elect into GARS, he did not have 10 years as clerk.
- ANALYST - Thursday, Jun 7, 18 @ 9:22 pm:
In career terms, Tim Mapes has served the IL House and the State of IL very well. I commend him for his professional achievements and hope that he can move forward knowing that his lifelong Legislative career made a positive difference.