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Question of the day

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Illinois

* We talked about the Speaker Madigan and Metra stories last week.

* The Question: Should all Illinois politicians be legally barred from recommending any sort of employment conditions for anyone?

[For some reason, the poll wasn’t working. So, just answer in comments. Sorry.]

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:08 pm

Comments

short answer, it would violate their first ammendment rights, so legally no.

Morally yes

Comment by Ghost Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:13 pm
Well, of course not; elected are free to recommend any person they think highly of.

But there should be penalties for retaliating against agencies that reject such advice.

Comment by Elo Kiddies Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:19 pm
I think the question is a little too broad. I would not agree that there never is a situation, but I think when there is attempt to use influence to hire, fire, promote or increase compensation, it should be a violation of the Illinois ethics laws.

Comment by AFSCME Steward Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:19 pm
How would this work?

If you’re friends with a state rep you can’t ask for a recommendation on a campaign manager for your municipal election in Northwest Indiana?

I’ve always suspected that one of the scams of privatization was to shift jobs from a more transparent bureaucracy to a less transparent bureaucracy.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:21 pm
Was Derrick Smith exercising his 1st Amemdment rights when he accepted the $7k bribe?

Madigan had a lot more influence over Metra than Smith had in his case. Both are dirty, yet only one is being prosecuted by the Feds.

Even if poli’s were barred, they would write themselves a loop hole. I just don’t see this changing the culture of Springfield.

Comment by Allen Skillicorn Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:25 pm
No, that’s not possible or necessary.

What’s troubling about this story, so far, is that a public body apparently believes it can nick the taxpayers for hush money in regards to possible political influence peddling.

Half a million to keep the lid on a raise request? That can’t be. There has to be more.

I suspect Mr. Clifford and some Metra board members will be raising their right hands and promising to tell the truth in the near future.

Metra is one of those bodies, like the Tollway and McCormick Place, that should get more consistent scrutiny. Because when something pops up, it’s usually a doozy.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:26 pm
=== But there should be penalties for retaliating against agencies that reject such advice. ===

Pretty difficult to prove.

Comment by Just Observing Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:32 pm
an Illinois pol in D.C. aint havin much success, lol Word nailed it ! “consistent scrutiny” and transparency..

Comment by railrat Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:32 pm
That’s why god made lobbyists. Or I should say, that’s why god makes former Madigan staffers high-profile lobbyists. They’re good messengers.

Comment by Empty Chair Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:34 pm
This is a tough question. The same voters who scream for open gvt. and against political hires, are often the same ones who call their Senator or Rep. and ask for a letter of recommendation. Given Rutan and the number of jobs that have gone into the union, a letter or phone really does not accomplish much anymore unless the position in one at the top of the food chain and is “double excempt.

Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:35 pm
Freedom of Speech? To recommend a salary increase for one specific employee? That is a stretch.

Comment by justbabs Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:39 pm
Allen Skillecorn makes a good point.

The FBI and U.S. Attorney Northern District of Illinois seem to be a bit arbitrary in what influence peddling is illegal and denial of honest services.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:40 pm
This is more of a political IQ test than an anti-corruption mechanism. Sophisticated pols will continue to find the loopholes, while those less so will get prosecuted. It won’t actually reduce the amount of patronage, because the less sophisticated pols don’t actually have the clout to do much anyway.

Comment by Century Club Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:42 pm
That is ridiculous. I was employed by a state rep for years and his recommendation was important as a reference. Likewise, he employed many interns over the years and gave recommendations as appropriate (not all were good, if the interns did not perform). Maybe a different scenario than what was asked about here, but legislators and other electeds can’t be precluded from operating as any other person in government or the private sector if it is related to their position.

Comment by Oh, please.... Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:43 pm
===There has to be more. ===

Yeah, they had a guy who was quite sure that he was a white knight and was right and righteous who had also alienated the city’s black congressmen and Latino legislators. Not to mention the wildly unpopular fare hike, the ongoing service problems and other bungles.

But, as far as I can tell, Metra’s state budget didn’t suffer one whit as a result. So, I’m not sure where the there is as of yet. We’ll see. We’ve been down this road countless times with MJM, only to find out at the end of the road that he knew full well where the line was and hadn’t totally crossed it.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:43 pm
It’s not the recommendation that is the problem. It’s the threat of some retribution for failure to accept the recommendation that always concerned me. Of course this applies to other actions as well, such as requests for grants.

While it is the bread and butter for legislators to bring home the bacon for friends and constituents, it is important that this be balanced with the public’s interest in mind. If the recommended candidate or employee seeking an enhancement is a qualified person, an administrator should be willing to try to do what they legally can to work with the legislator. However, the state can’t be in the position of hiring incompetent people to fill a legislator’s patronage army.

Honestly, I didn’t have any problems with threats during my tenure. When they called, I always made a point of discussing the issue with the appropriate manager, but the final hiring decision was always made by the manager. The legislators were satisfied with the effort.

Most of the time, if it this was a serious effort by the Solon, he went through the Governor’s Office.

My worst employee experience came from the time I had to hire an incompetent referral from the Governor’s office - not affiliated with a legislator. Thankfully, I was able to get rid of him fairly quickly.

I did have problems with grants. It was not fun being summoned to LaPaille’s office to discuss a grant decision. That guy can be imposing just looking at him sit behind his desk.

When we had an irreconcilable situation, our recourse was to bring in the Governor’s Office. Of course, that was back during the time when we had competent people to work with.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:43 pm
Sorry, I think that was on a different page. Not here.

Comment by justbabs Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:44 pm
The Feds have already made it a crime to circumvent hiring procedures to place someone based on political clout. See the Zorich and Sanchez cases. The difficulty is proving it.

Comment by Chicago homeowner Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:44 pm
Rich, I’m just wondering what rates the buyout and the non-disclosure. Nothing yet.

And why are public bodies shelling out money for non-disclosure, anyway?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:47 pm
There snould not be a prohibition. Perhaps there should be a public record that someone asked

How about a question that goes “should the media at least mention the worker’s supervisor asked for the raise first?”

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:48 pm
This whole issue is silly. MJM didn’t violate any laws by recommending someone for a job. There is absolutely no indication that he retaliated against Metra in any way, when his person didn’t get a job.

This sounds to me like Clifford grabbed at straws to blackmail Metra and the Board fell for it. And now it’s a much bigger deal than it should have been.

Madigan knew that this would come out in a hearing but allowed the house committee to hold them, so he must not think he has anything to be concerned about. While probably true legally, he needs to realize that these days, anything his name is attached to will draw fire.

Comment by Raising Kane Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:52 pm
Metra should have been making steps towards a joint farecard system, which didn’t happen, which is why this guy was let go, in my opinion.

Legislators are expected to be highly capable people looking out for their district’s best interests. As such, they are duty bound to be on the lookout for other highly qualified people who share a passion for serving the public.

At the end of the day a recommendation is only as good as the person making it. If there are consequences to not acting on someone’s recommendation, then it wasn’t a recommendation in the first place, it was an order. This is why private company boards don’t get involved in hiring decisions below the C-Suite.

Comment by Biker Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:54 pm
Didn’t the Rutan decision cover some of this for state employees. I thought positions had to be identified as covered by the Rutan decree or not, and those covered could not be meddled with by politicians-including hiring, raises, etc. In which case, in the Madigan example, it would presumably depend on whether the job in question was Rutan-exempt.

Comment by Cassandra Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:00 pm
==The same voters who scream for open gvt. and against political hires, are often the same ones who call their Senator or Rep. and ask for a letter of recommendation.==

Would people ask for recommendations if they didn’t believe the decisions were made based on clout?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:01 pm
Yes, I think that would be a good idea, look at the admissions scandal at U of I, it’s probably best to avoid the same situation when it comes to employment. It’s really hard for the other body to say no to someone with so much power.

Comment by Ahoy! Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:01 pm
Surely the Emanuel administration didn’t implement Ventra and the kickback to the banks without coordinating with Metra, right?

The whole point of the new system is that it will be inter-operable, right?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:02 pm
@Cassandra - Metra is not a state agency; the Rutan rules do not apply.

Comment by Darienite Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:03 pm
Excellent question. The answer is yes. It’s not fair that politicians can favor some people over others (those who don’t give campaign contributions)in the job market. What Mike Madigan did in Illinois is normal behavior, it represents much of what is wrong will Illinois. Everything becomes politicized. Is Mike Madigan in legal trouble over this? No. Is the U.S. Attorney going to step on toes to go after Mike Madigan: not a chance. This might not be acceptable behavior in Colorado but… in Illinois , it’s the norm.

Comment by Steve Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:07 pm
No.

This is utterly ridiculous. Recommending someone, anyone for a position does not constitute anything but what it says, “I recommend…”

You want to go down that road, with letters and such, I am sure there are a few files in CMS that have legislators’ signatures at the bottom. I am sure the city of Chicago has files with letters from aldermen, or a mayor, or legislators, or whomever.

Colleges ask for letters of recommendation. Some jobs also require …letters of recommendation. To get appointed to any of the Service Academies, you guessed it … letters of recommendation.

There are lines you do not cross, but a letter … that is moving the line to the very short side of the floor.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:09 pm
We have been to Colorado postal carriers are still using clout to get better routes

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:12 pm
yes: there is a clear conflict of interest if they also have budget allocation approval or other agency oversight responsibilities.

Comment by Makandadawg Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:12 pm
To: Oswego Willy
-This is utterly ridiculous. Recommending someone, anyone for a position does not constitute anything but what it says, “I recommend…”-

Anyone who believes that when Mike Madigan sends out a letter to Alderman Ed Burke or another bigwig is just a “recommendation” is either naive or dishonest.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-judges-madigan-take2-20110415,0,4162119.story

Comment by Steve Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:16 pm
Well, - Steve -,

I don’t think I am … naive …

If you are willing to make the jump … on every letter that can be sent by a legislator, thinking that clout, or dishonesty, or shenanigans is always a part of the letters … that is on you.

I would say you, - Steve -, might be a bit… naive … to think MJM is going to sign a letter for someone and not think about the ramifications of the …LETTER … when it goes out.

Yikes, the question posed to us is…

===Should all Illinois politicians be legally barred from recommending any sort of employment conditions for anyone?===

“all” and “any” … the answer is NO.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:22 pm
It’s one thing for a pol to submit a letter of recommendation for a candidate to a properly posted position. But didn’t MJM recommend a pay raise and/or promotion for a Metra employee? Isn’t that a gray issue - is MJM part of the evaluation process?

Comment by Darienite Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:24 pm
What peeves me — a daily Metra rider — about all this is that the focus is on this Clifford guy instead of the actual service Metra is providing. In one article last week, a board member even acknowledged as much — indicating that this payout/buyout/hush money thing has consumed Metra’s board since early spring.

To me — that’s unacceptable — and despicable. I blame Clifford for this. Metra remains — literally — in the dark ages. A single credit card machine in an entire Chicago transportation station? Agents who spend endless amounts of time checking paper lists for check bouncers? No wifi on trains? Switch failures nearly every day going in and out of both Union and Ogilvie — delaying trains for 10, 20, 30 minutes at a pop?

It’s crazy — and Clifford to blame — no matter what he says or how he’s trying to cash in and flee (and simultaneously put the blame on Illinois politicians.)

I dunno. Metra has been screwed up — severally messed up — for several years now. It’s one weird story after the other — and the stories (especially with the leaked memo) keeps getting weirder. Things aren’t getting fixed — and the result is that commuters are footing the bill (money and time) for stuff that should have been dealt with years ago.

Very angry — but especially angry at Clifford’s visionary failure.

Comment by Frenchie Mendoza Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:30 pm
Impossible to enforce

Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:34 pm
I broke down and bought the Trib yesterday and it says the former Metra chairman is alleging that the legal line was crossed by “politicians”
Now it depends if he has some proof If there is I don’t see how there wont be some effect on the house speaker even if he isn’t charged

Comment by RNUG Fan Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:45 pm
Wow and there it just is best buds last week and under the bus this week………..

Comment by RNUG Fan Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:46 pm
== alienated the city’s black congressmen and Latino legislators==

And why were they alienated? Because Clifford wouldn’t go along with their unlawful scheme to circumvent state and federal procurement rules? Because Clifford wouldn’t hire someone for a top position that the Latino caucus wanted?

I don’t think Madigan’s inquiry was wrong. I do think Rush and Arroyo were way off base and Clifford correctly shut them down.

Comment by phocion Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:47 pm
A letter of recommendation is just a pro forma letter to respond to a constituent request. These resulted in a form letter to the legislator telling him/her that the agency will take the recommendation in mind during the hiring process. Thus, the legislator has something to show the constituent that he/she “helped.”

If the legislator is serious about the recommendation, they call or have staff call.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:48 pm
This kind of activity is rife throughout American society and business. Small business owners place their relatives in key jobs, and do the same for their friends. Even mothers lobby for their children, who otherwise do not qualify for “gifted” programs in school. Colleges have “legacy” admissions to encourage continued donations to their foundations. Political recommendations are still the key route to a service academy.

Should we hold our elected officials to higher standards than we hold ourselves and private sector leaders? Maybe so, as long as we get off our own high horses when calling for it.

We have established operating standards that legislative recommendations are not to be considered when scoring eligibility for certain state grants. We can administratively do something similar for hiring. It’s up to the hiring manager to ensure that it’s fair. You cannot punish opinions and recommendations.

Comment by walkinfool Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:50 pm
Trying to put Madigan in jail is the same as trying to put Quinn in jail-it just ain’t gonna happen…Regardless of what you think of the men or their methods, Quinn is simply too honest, Madigan is too experienced…

Comment by downstate commissioner Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:52 pm
I don’t think anyone thinks MJM broke the law. But you guys are kidding yourself if you think when he asks for someone to be hired that it’s some request that can be disregarded without consequences. You don’t really believe that a recommendation is just a recommendation when it comes to Mike Madigan, do you Willy? Rich, you know the guy pretty well, he’s got the mind of an elephant, does he not? So it really doesn’t tell us a whole lot if he hadn’t yet retaliated against Metra.

Comment by Marty Funkhouser Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:52 pm
Metra is an agency of the State of Illinois. Rutan applies to state agencies, including Metra. Rutan prohibits promotions and hiring decisions based on party affiliation and support. While a public official can make a recommendation, an agency cannot act upon the recommendation (for a non-policymaking job) where the promotion would be based on political support. Violating Rutan, by itself, is a civil law violation, subject to a lawsuit for an injunction and/or damages.

The Feds did not criminalize patronage offenses as such in prosecuting Sorich and Sanchez. Those prosecutions were based on a fraud scheme, involving falsifying official records and conducting phony interviews, in order to conceal patronage hiring.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:57 pm
===Rich, you know the guy pretty well===

And I have yet to see him go to war over a single, smallish patronage issue. Some people apparently believe that any slight, no matter how, um, slight, will incur the full monty of MJM retaliation. That doesn’t happen. At least, not as far as I’ve seen.

Yeah, he’s insular, arrogant and aloof. He’s also extremely powerful. I could see why the Metra board was scared witless. He counts on that to get his way. So far, though, nothing has emerged yet that convinces me he crossed a major red line here.

Put it this way: Do you really think MJM would break the law for a precinct worker’s raise? If you answer “Yes,” then I understand your feelings here. I ain’t so sure.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:01 pm
===You don’t really believe that a recommendation is just a recommendation when it comes to Mike Madigan, do you Willy?===

“You and Dawson, you both live in the same dreamworld! It doesn’t matter what I believe. It only matters what I can prove!…” - Danny Kaffee

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:02 pm
As a former supervisor of an employee we were told to higher by a State Representative or “there would be consequences” I can assure you it happens. Quite different than a former State Senator who told us, “From time to time I will send you recommendations because that is what my constituents want, use your own judgement. If I think someone is truly outstanding I will let you know. But never let me be the determining factor.”

Comment by Robert0117 Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:02 pm
Anonymous,

Zorich and Sanchez made it easy for the Feds by the way they went about it, but the Feds did not rely soley on old fashioned fraud statutes. Check the cases. Until then, I think a lot of people assumed you could only be hit with a civil violation for purposefully violating the Shakman court decree. No more.

Comment by Chicago homeowner Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:09 pm
Voted No.

And I agree that Madigan didn’t cross a major red line or a legal line.

But for some reason I see asking that somebody get a raise as different than recommending someone be hired. Maybe because the latter happens in the private sector often, but interfering in low-level employee raises undoubtedly happens in the private sector too, but isn’t as common.

And I could see why an Executive Director would be annoyed. Bad enough that you have to put up with a bunch of political hires working at your agency. Makes it even tougher to make the trains run on time if you don’t have full control over raises.

Though Clifford doesn’t sound like he was very effective. Tough to run anything if you can’t get along with a lot of powerful folks. Just ask Governor Quinn.

Comment by Robert the Bruce Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:13 pm
Chicago homeowner - the conviction was obtained and upheld based on old fashioned fraud statutes.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:18 pm
No.There should be no repercussions if the recommendation fails to garner a positive response either. State Reps, Sens, etc. send all kinds of letters from Eagle Scouts to colleges to military academies to every bureaucracy in the State. So do conscientious CEOs to help out people looking for an edge during the hiring process or reviews. Supervisors can evaluate them and act accordingly. If a person runs a great office and has a great training regimen and their interns or workers come out consistently as high level performers, their recommendation carries more weight. If someone sends out letters for anyone who lives or works in a district without any other standard, supervisors catch on to that too. The Metra guy was a weenie trying to get the best good bye kiss he could. One Board Member even went to bat hard for him. How’s that different? Settle with him, get him out of there and don’t repeat the same mistake.

Comment by A guy... Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:20 pm
=== And I have yet to see him go to war over a single, smallish patronage issue. Some people apparently believe that any slight, no matter how, um, slight, will incur the full monty of MJM retaliation. That doesn’t happen. At least, not as far as I’ve seen. ===

Just to back that up… Without going into too much details, I worked for a county elected official, and MJM personally called me regarding somewhat of a patronage issue but more of a political territory issue. I essentially remained polite but firm, and so did MJM. We hung up the phone, and I did not experience or witness any retaliatory efforts against me or the elected official. MJM did not get his way, and the matter was put to rest.

Comment by Just Observing Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:21 pm
Waiting for Steve Brown’s post on this…

Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:22 pm
- Marty Funkhouser -,

While I quote Danny Kaffee, make no mistake, I stand by my post at 3:09.

Every. Word.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:24 pm
I vote yes as the key phrase is ‘employment conditions’. Most public entities already have the job defined, the experience or education needed for the job and the salary scale for the job. Yes the politicians can recommend a person for the job but it’s the employer who sets and creates the conditions.

Comment by Ggal Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:29 pm
For the sake of the poll, my answer is “no”.

That said, we seem to be ignoring the elephant in the room. The METRA memo released last Friday evening talked about far more than hiring/raises.

The real bombshell to me was the alleged intervention of the individual board member in both blocking action on a major contract for three months, and intervening to pressure the bid-winner for financial concessions for minority groups.

Unlike the Madigan allegations, these contracting charges likely violated procurement law in a lot of ways, and a real investigation of that charge would probably lead all kinds of places that METRA wants to avoid.

Hence the hush money. Congrats to Clifford for rivaling JK Rowling in the earnings per page of writing department.

Comment by ILPundit Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:29 pm
I would have to say that Speaker Madigan asking a business for favors appears unethical considering the Speaker controls what legislation gets called. He also has some power over who gets Democratic party money. While may appear okay for some politicians to ask for a pay increase to a friend. I’d say it looks & smells funny coming from him.

Comment by Kevin Highland Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:36 pm
No. Patronage brings fresh eyes, political accountability and turnover to bureaucracies, and it’s also want the general public wants. The same reporters trashing Madigan on this have praised obama for hiring chicagoans like lou sussman and others for posts in his administration that have brought chicago/illinois views/ideas/leadership to outposts of the federal government where the city and state haven’t had political influence in a long long time. Desiree Rogers is one example, there are others.

Comment by shore Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:38 pm
Madigan didn’t just send a letter. He had one of his top lieutenants make the ask. That person also happens to be the METRA lobbyist. This was more than just a letter of recommendation.

Comment by 100 Miles West Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:40 pm
It is indeed a crime in Illinois to interfere with a contractor’s selection of subcontractors, unless part of a “bona fide” MBE/WBE program. I doubt that the provisions of Metra’s MBE/WBE program state that part of the process is the Board Vice-Chair negotiating with the vendor. A crime may well have been committed . . . .

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:41 pm
===This was more than just a letter of recommendation. ===

All true. Your point?

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:42 pm
Rich - Those kinds of requests have always had the implied message that you need to comply or things will get complicated. I am not saying there is always some retribution but there is a culture in the bureaucracy that takes these requests seriously. The other difference is that saying no with the Governor’s Office or your agency director at your back is different than saying no as the new guy with no Chinaman (don’t know what other word to use). I can see how the METRA board members would be nervous.

Comment by 100 Miles West Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 5:04 pm
==Surely the Emanuel administration didn’t implement Ventra and the kickback to the banks without coordinating with Metra, right?

The whole point of the new system is that it will be inter-operable, right?==

Yes, and it is actually Metra that was uncooperative the entire time Ventra was cooked up.

From the Trib:

Metra was offered the opportunity to participate in the Ventra program during meetings with the CTA, but the commuter railroad declined, Steele said. The CTA awarded a $454 million contract to Cubic Transportation Systems in November 2011 to create the open fare system. Pace joined the contract in July.

“We want to make sure whatever system we adopt works best for Metra and works with”
CTA and Pace, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-28/news/ct-met-cta-pace-fares-0928-20120928_1_fare-card-prepaid-debit-transit-cards

Of course, now Metra is backtracking.

“While Metra may ultimately participate in the Ventra system, the agency was “an afterthought” during the CTA’s planning with Cubic, he said.”

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-06-08/news/ct-met-metra-fare-card-20130608_1_ventra-debit-card-option-cubic-transportation-systems

Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 5:37 pm
No. Having been on the receiving end of these types of requests, though not from MJM, it’s uncomfortable to say no to the person who may be staring you down in Approp a few weeks later. I didn’t always have to say no, though, and tried to manage the “Yes’s” for the benefit of the agency. Anyone who seeks to run an agency in Illinois and not have to hear these requests is either extremely naive and/or an AUSA in the Northern District.

shore, are you talking about the person who was responsible for allowing the Dinner Crashers in the White House? That’s certainly Chicago-Illinois conduct of some kind.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 5:55 pm
Sure. It makes no sense for someone outside of an agency or department to ‘recommend’ someone for promotion or a job.

It is unlikely that the official has any actual knowledge of the capabilities or performance of the individual relating to a specific job, so what value does the recommendation have?

All it says is hey, this person is connected, so walk on eggshells and give them the benefit of doubt… and some money while you are at it.

It is simply another form of corruption, but Illinois is good at that.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 6:22 pm
What would be the point of winning an election if you can’t help a supporter get a job?! Geez!

Comment by William j Kelly Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 8:02 pm
No–and since you didn’t request for us to “explain” our answers this time, and I have to run NOW, sorry but I’ll spare you all and hold off this time!

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 8:23 pm
Cassandra @ 3:00pm,

Based on other postings, I didn’t think you were quite that naive.

Rutan only stopped the most blatant of the patronage; it only slowed down the rest for a little while. The powers that be just learned to be a bit more subtle. They learned to make phone calls instead of putting anything more than a pro forma letter on file, and they also made sure the ‘candidate’ at least appeared somewhat qualified on paper.

The major differences I saw after the party switch in 2003 was that, for a while, the new team didn’t quite know how to work either the personnel system or the procurement system to their advantage without crossing the lines … but they kind of learned.

Comment by RNUG Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 8:43 pm
Legislators should stick to legislating and leave the personnel decisions to the managers.

Comment by Shemp Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 11:04 pm
Rutan applies to all goverment entities, including METRA.

The States complex process for filling Rutan positions uses a scoring process which give no pionts or consideration to reccomendatin letters. So you can get as many letters as you like Metra I have no idea how they hire.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jul 16, 13 @ 8:07 am