Pritzker explains his hiring
Monday, Mar 11, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Pritzker as quoted by the Dispatch-Argus…
“I’m being very careful about (hiring) the people that run agencies. But I did not show up as somebody’s political organization guy.
“I came into office with the belief that we can hire great people who know how to run these agencies and have real experience, who is not somebody’s political suggestion. Therefore, we can run government better. The people I picked to lead are the very best in the state; I am very proud.”
Your thoughts?
* Semi-related…
* Gov. Pritzker: Future of SIU system should be decided locally: Ultimately, sources indicate that Pritzker is planning further replacements and an adjusted balance on the board, with three Carbondale-affiliated trustees, three Edwardsville-affiliated trustees, and one trustee from Springfield, where the SIU School of Medicine has its headquarters.
- PublicServant - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:24 am:
Sometimes political suggestions are good choices…I’m assuming he isn’t ruling someone out simply because a politician recommended he/she for the job.
- Baloneymous - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:27 am:
This is the kind of comment that will come back to bite him once he makes “political” hires or a “hiring list” is found. Silly comment
- Not It - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:31 am:
Rauner didn’t take political suggestions (from anyone in state government) believing that anyone entrenched in state government was corrupt. Look at how that worked for him.
- Not a Billionaire - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:32 am:
I read it if SIU ditches Carbondale it’s their decision not mine. He appointed the new board members there. I know there were some good potential board members interested in Western . My concern is the delay there isn’t the gov but they may have looked under the hood.
- {Sigh} - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:39 am:
=not somebody’s political suggestion=
Here is my advice to every candidate running for office: Be in compliance with the Ethics Act, BUT never forget the individuals who believe in you and gave up time with their families to volunteer for your campaign.
NEVER forget who helped you along the way. {Sigh}
- My New Handle - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:40 am:
“…the very best in the state…”
Does those people become TVBINTS ™?
- Geesh - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:40 am:
So 2 months in… so what Gov Agencies still don’t have a director?
- JS Mill - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:41 am:
At least he didn’t call them superstars?
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:44 am:
I wonder what he plans to do about the Gaming Board,
- Jibba - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:48 am:
I think we can do better than just meeting the Ethics Act. People running our agencies need to be experienced, not just put in place to pay back favors. That’s patronage.
I read his statement as meaning that he wasn’t just looking for somebody that somebody sent. Clearly, some hires will be and have already been politicians, so politics is involved, but his hires have been received well so far. Keep it up.
- Lack of New Ideas - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 11:52 am:
Yet the Rauner political hires are still employed and working in exempt positions that are key to advancing Governor Pritzker’s agenda.
- Annonin' - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:01 pm:
His notion about hiring quality people is a good.
His thoughts on SIU solving problems locally may be ignoring the fact that most of the problems spew from local decision making.
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:05 pm:
I think it’s important to remember that there are very qualified and competent people who are already working in state government. The key to success at the agencies may be looking at people who have been there for years. It seems every new administration comes in and overlooks the jewels that are sitting right in front of them, because of politics and politics only.
I also think some very qualified and competent people were let go when the new administration came in because of politics and politics only. Not because the people couldn’t do the job.
- A guy - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:13 pm:
==best in the state==
BITS.
He’s hiring bit by bit.
- Really? - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:16 pm:
Having political savvy is often how difficult things are accomplished. That being said, if we take him at his word, please explain this: What makes the fact someone served as a senator, rep or couldn’t get elected as a congressman the very best choice? Nope, he has picked nobody like that or has he? Keeping Rauner people is even worse. Perhaps an experienced political person needs to explain that to this Administration. There are real reasons these jobs are appointed.
- Executive I - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:21 pm:
“and have real experience, who is not somebody’s political suggestion.”
So JB chose Harris without political consideration and with no real experience or job history in taxation?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:21 pm:
===TVBINTS ™? ===
Maybe TV-BINTS™?
Or, there was Wordslinger’s suggestion from the other day.
- Shevek - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:21 pm:
The appointments I know of have been of people who are 100% politically connected. That does not mean they are not competent. But come on, let’s be real.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:22 pm:
===no real experience or job history in taxation===
Hey, he voted for a tax hike. /s
In reality, the guy knows a ton about budgeting and revenues from his many years in the GA.
- A Non - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:36 pm:
“I did not show up as somebody’s political organization guy.” -JBP
“I’m nobody that nobody sent.” -BVR
- wordslinger - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:48 pm:
–Any decisions about the future of the (SIU) system “should be made locally,” Pritzker said, by its board of trustees.–
No, it should not. That’s far too an important decision to be made by appointees.
The decisions need to be made in Springfield by the GA and governor. The buck stops there.
- IllinoisFirst - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 12:49 pm:
Hahahahaha, that’s almost as rich as him. lol.
- Dem4ever - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 1:22 pm:
His comment totally contradicts his actions, or his staff’s actions. If he wasn’t so concerned about political hires, why is he still staffing Rauner’s patronage staffer in the office of the Governor? You will never get elected to a second term when you lie to your constituents about “changing” things when you in fact change nothing.
- Merica - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 1:25 pm:
By pretending that politics don’t play a necessary part in state government operation s,JB is allowing the agenda and personal networks of mid-level HR employees and managers to control the hiring process, to what will be a bad result.
The hundreds of political hires by governor Rauner placed in protected And unprotected postitions
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 1:36 pm:
==If he wasn’t so concerned about political hires, why is he still staffing Rauner’s patronage staffer in the office of the Governor?==
Who is still with the Office of the Governor? That’s a serious question that I would like to know the answer to. Also, it seems to me that if Pritzker kept someone from Rauner’s administration, maybe the person or people are actually qualified and can do the job despite “politics” and Pritzker’s comment applies here.
- Dem4ever - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 1:59 pm:
- Anonymous -
Her job is to hire patronage staffers. If she was in a non political position it would be protected by the code. I am sure she is just as qualified as every other exempt staffer in his office. It looks bad when you have nothing but negative things to say during the campaign but once you are in office your tune changes and you really don’t know what you are doing. Some people have to learn the hard way.
- Anon - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 2:23 pm:
=== the guy knows a ton about budgeting and revenues from his many years in the GA.===
Whether or not Harris has public budgeting experience doesn’t change that ideologically for more than three decades he has had very public positions that are out of lock step with Pritzker’s stated policy goals.
In the land of public administration, having an agency head — or the folks that agency head decided to keep around instead of kicking to the curb because he has better relationships with folks that have good relationships with the super minority caucus — could prevent a lot of Governor Pritzker’s ambitions from actually making it into implementation.
The positions are exempt because the Governor — needs — to appoint individuals that share his vision, and not just on one area of policy.
If you keep senior staff around for decades and tell them to do something different without planning on checking to see whether or not they did it, don’t be surprised when your administration makes no impact on the bureaucracy.
The state rots top down.
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 3:04 pm:
Dem4ever, maybe this person was one of the Quinn holdovers that Rauner kept? I can actually appreciate any administration that keeps people on board based on ability instead of politics. Believe it or not, not everyone who works in the governor’s office plays the partisan game. They are just there to do the job required of them.
- Anonymous - Monday, Mar 11, 19 @ 3:39 pm:
Ha Ha Ha Ha I’m not part a a political organiaztion. Ha Ha Ha give me a break Rich.