* Gov. Pat Quinn has railed at politics eroding public confidence in the Chicago area’s mass transit agencies. Yesterday, he proposed a blue-ribbon panel to propose ways to clean things up.

But check out this fascinating twist from his recent appointment of Thornton Township Supervisor Frank Frank Zuccarelli to the CTA’s board…

Brad O’Halloran recently resigned as chairman of the Metra board, at least in part because of reports that he’d violated state law by accepting compensation both as a Metra board member and as an Orland Park village trustee.

But Mr. Zuccarelli is different. At least, so says Mr. Quinn’s office.

The state law establishing the CTA says that “no member” of the CTA board “shall hold any other office or employment under the federal, state or any county or municipal government except an honorary office without compensation or an office in the National Guard.”

But Grant Klinzman, a spokesman for Mr. Quinn, cites a different provision of law, which says: “‘Municipal’ or ‘municipality’ does not include a township, town when used as the equivalent of a township, incorporated town that has superseded a civil township . . . or any other similar governmental district.”

“The statute prohibits anyone who is paid by a municipality, county or state government (not a township),” Mr. Kinzman said in a statement. “Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli is an elected leader and strong advocate of a region that is quickly growing . . . (and) will be made significantly more accessible to public transportation by the proposed Red Line extension.”

Zuccarelli is also the local township Democratic committeeman and his township has the highest Democratic turnout in suburban Cook County. Zuccarelli was looking for another second job after Toni Preckwinkle let him go from a part-time county post, so the Quinn appointment was seen at the time as a way to help lock in the Z-Team’s support for the governor next spring. Now, it could backfire on Quinn.

Oops.

*** UPDATE *** Greg Hinz updates…

State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, a longtime critic of how public transit operates here, is ripping the double-dip, and says he’ll try to make it illegal.

“The governor is basing his decision on a technicality, to help a political operative,” said Mr. Franks in a phone call. Before making “a political move,” Mr. Franks acerbically added, “I’m sure the governor did a nationwide search to find the best candidate.”

Mr. Franks says a pending bill of his would close the “township loophole” for a variety of posts. But he now intends to submit separate legislation aimed specifically at those who hold both transit agency and township-paying jobs.

GOP gubernatorial hopeful Kirk Dillard also has words for Mr. Quinn, telling him to withdraw the Zuccarelli appointment.

“This is hypocrisy beyond belief,” Mr. Dillard told me. “Gov. Quinn’s appointment of a political insider may technically be legal, but it sure is a total violation of the spirit of the law” — particularly at a time when the mess at Metra has shaken public confidence in public transit generally, he added. “At a time when one in 10 Illinoisans is out of work, (Mr Zuccarelli) is on multiple payrolls.”