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Christi Parsons has a good piece on Gov. Blagojevich’s decision to look chipper in the face of increasing adversity, even going so far as saying that the negative headlines are “great.”

It’s a plucky strategy for dealing with public relations crises, one that only a public figure with supreme self-confidence can carry off in those shaky days after a negative development makes its way into the civic forum.

Â· Meanwhile, the Daily Herald has a quote from the governor making a good point.

â€œIt was only three years ago that you guys would write stories about how the new governor, the new kid on the block, canâ€™t get along. â€¦ What do you think part of that was?â€ Blagojevich said in upbraiding reporters. â€œYou got a lot of disgruntled political leaders, even in my own party, because we wouldnâ€™t do it that way (throw out Republicans and hire Democrats). â€¦ Thatâ€™s why we have 13,000 fewer state employees today.â€

I don’t disagree at all, but that certainly doesn’t absolve his administration.

Â· And the Tribune runs a somewhat bizarre piece comparing patronage hiring to business networking and alumni organizations. It’s quite the stretch.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 4:26 am

Comments

I have been reading all of the articles about Blagojevich, Daley, and Ryan, and I am having a problem.

As written, and as headlines, it all looks like the same cesspool of corruption. But I am not sure that is exactly true, and I wonder if others agree with me. It seems that:
1. All three raise huge campaign war chests through pinstripe patronage. This does not seem to be illegal because Fitzgerald has not gone after anyone for it, and if it were I am pretty sure that there would be prosecutions.
2. Ryan and many others were convicted of a wide-ranging bribery scheme, that was endemic and also venal. It does not look like either Daley or Blago did this.
3. Sorich was convicted as part of a wide-ranging and systemic hiring fraud scheme used to build a patronage army. This included individuals who payroll padded and some that took outright bribes. It does not look like Blago has attempted to do anything like this.
4. So Blago, if anything, is being investigated for limited hiring fraud as he initiated this administration.

Am I crazy, but are relatively minor hiring violations getting lumped in with the systemic bribery and systemic patronage army abuses of the other guys?

What do others think?

Comment by Can't help but thinking... Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 5:18 am
“Limited” hiring fraud? “Relatively minor” hiring violations?

From the City of Chicago, Niles, State Government and perhaps Cook County Government with its current chaos, the standard accepted practices or practices that everyone took for granted are under scrutiny. Who knows how many small towns and townships acted in the same manner. The next few meetings of all governments, large and small in this state, should focus on the recent convictions of Ryan and the Sorich crew and review their own actions and practices.

With state government, we have been reading off and on the past three years about some state contracts with insider connections, similar to George Ryan. We have been reading off and on the past three years about large donors to the campaign fund getting themselves or their pals appointments to commissions or jobs. We are now reading about hiring lists, Governor’s office interventions in hirings and other alleged abuses the Governor and his office have claimed never existed for over three years.

The rules have changed or the rules are now being enforced. In any event, those involved in any such activities, whether on the state level or local level, should get themselves some good criminal lawyers just in case. Denial does not seem to be a very good option at the moment.

As some articles have suggested, the message just hasn’t quite sunk in yet with a lot of people.

Louis G. Atsaves

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:23 am
Let’s not forget the illegality of shutting returning and existing veterans from jobs for which laws were passed to prevent just that scenario.

Also, is it just me, or does everyone have a problem understanding the Governor’s statement in the original Daily Herald quote. Huh???

Comment by Disgusted Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 6:58 am
If the parties did not run hiring in Springfield, who would do it?

Comment by Cal Skinner Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:00 am
To our first poster, the word endemic doesn’t imply the governor “is being investigated for limited hiring fraud.”

Also, this isn’t the only investigation going on right now, and some of the other alleged misconduct involves systematic campaign shakedowns on a significantly larger scale than even G.Ryan, who was rightly tried and convicted for his misdeeds.

I can’t speak for the character of the Governor, but there are more than just a few people in his administration who have some serious integrity issues, people who are currently in key spots in his administration.

Comment by Expect More to Come Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 7:04 am
Fitz Next Steps

1. Former directors of Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
2. Aldermen and Democratic Committeemen.
3. The patronage pols that got the Shackman or Rutan protected jobs.

The 3rd will result in absolue panic and the ‘pigs’ will all be squealing for cover.

Is’nt this how police and prosecutors go after the customers of dope dealers and prostitutes?

I think its called ‘deterence.’

Comment by Northside Reporter Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:10 am
The ‘pigs’ will lined up at Fitz’ door clamoring to cover their collective butts.

Comment by Right On Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:16 am
Sounds like Rich’s next ‘Question of the Day.’

Comment by Equally Discusted Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:22 am
When is someone going to Harrumph - ” . . . BOOOOSSSS JIM W. GEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTYYYYYYYS!’ - thunderous aplause all around. ?

Comment by Pat Hickey Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 8:35 am
Can’t help thinking: according to Fitzgerald, they are investigating wide-ranging and systemic hiring fraud in the Blagojevich administration that encompasses 15 agencies. Depending on which 15 agencies you’re talking about, this could cover 90% of state jobs.

This has always been the problem with Chicago politics. And DuPage politics, or any other place of one-party rule, for that matter. Some people have cut their political teeth in a culture where the attitude is “it doesn’t matter what the people think or how bad this looks, it only matters what prosecutors can prove in a court of law.”

Well, when you’re a statewide officeholder, appearances matter. And sometimes, a prosecutor decides he’s going to prosecute the formerly unprosecuted.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:18 am
Well, it took a few days for the shell shock to wear off of Blago’s fans before they start coming up with new excuses.

You Blago people will vote for this man regardless of how many times he snookers the state.

Let’s stop pretending he is being misunderstood, and remember just a few short years ago why he was elected the first time, and what promise and mandates we had in him. Then ask yourself if the hiring fraud, mismanagement, pay and play politicking, and arrogant attitude is what you expected when you voted for him.

You people are starting to sound like abused spouses, justifying disgusting behavior from a man thats no good.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:29 am
My problem is in the people getting hired under any administration being a moron. They too should be able to meet criteria and not be placed in positions they definitely can’t handle. But for the guy who has an advanced degree and looking to get a start in finance to get referred to work in OMB by his dad blah blah blah and he can do the work then I sa hire him over the veteran’s prefernece guy.

Comment by annoyed all the time Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:32 am
” ….. because we wouldnâ€™t do it that way (throw out Republicans and hire Democrats).”

This is one of the biggest lies thus far! The heck he didn’t!

Comment by ex IDOT employee Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:23 am
I am not really sure the Daily Herald quote is a good point, because the way I remember it was that the “new kid on the block” had a pretty good first year. He got most of what he wanted in the budget and in the legislative session. He even got the House Republican leader to play ball with him and help him pass legislation contrary to the interests of some of his biggest trade group supporters. It wasn’t until he went back on his word to him and to others, and started blaming every problem on the GA and calling them names that the problems started in year two and three with MOUs and overtime budget sessions pitting him against the Speaker and the Republican leaders.

My guess is that is why the party leader were mad at him as well. They got into office and found out that they couldn’t just hire anybody they wanted, and that probably was contrary to a lot of promises they made to party leaders during the campaign. It took some time and creative thinking to figure out ways around the rules and start to get some of those people hired. That process is what the US attorney’s office is looking into now. Also, we have 13,000 fewer employees mostly because of attrition and early retirements and because he refuses to raise general taxes to dig out of a budget hole. Consequently he have new programs without staff and lousy government services for the past 3 years.

That is how I remember it, but someone can correct me if my memory is a little Jaded.

Comment by Jaded Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:26 am
CHBT:

1. if you think that what this guy did constitutes “relatively minor hiring violations” than you deserve a corrupt state.

Comment by Bubs Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:11 am
CHBT:

1. if you think that what this guy did constitutes “relatively minor hiring violations” than you deserve a corrupt state.

Comment by Bubs Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:11 am
CBHT:

2. If you think that “relatively minor hiring violations” are all that the Feds are looking at, then let me introduce you to “Public Official A.” The investigation is wide-ranging, to match the activities of this administration.

Comment by Bubs Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:17 am
G-Rod fighting with political bosses is not inconsistent with shifting the patronage from not-in-the-in-crowd bosses to people blessed by Blagojevich.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:20 am
I’d like to see Fitz go after Dick Devine’s office.

Part of the reason that the pols can be so crooked is that Devine isn’t investigating and prosecuting the corruption that he knows about.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 11:23 am
The difference between a patronage system of hiring and private sector hiring of friends and family if vast.

In the private sector, many times a manager responsible for a section might hire someone he knows. He might even have to hire a nephew of one of the hire up bosses ECT. That manager is still responsible for the performance of that section and would be held accountable. He therefore hands out discipline and promotions based on who is doing the job and making him look good and tries to efficiently manage the operation.

In patronage-all job performance matters are dictated from the top. The manager has no say in the hiring, firing, promotion or discipline and therefore does not feel responsible for the efficient operation of the section. Having no management responsibility erodes the managerâ€™s job performance. When the manager feels his job is meaningless he does not do it and the employees do as they please. They run scams, steal, gamble and any other activities they think of.

It is easy for the employees to justify their thievery because they know that the entire system is corrupt. Countless millions of dollars have been stolen because of this flawed system and there should be no defending it.

Comment by Garp Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 1:32 pm
the trib story is a stretch?

rich, you are overstating your case. people are always angling for favors - just like what you did when you appeared on fawell’s list. that alone is not criminal.

if it turns out that the gov’s people wrote up fake reviews, that is another story.

if it turns out that they MAILED anything based on those fake reviews, then the feds can ram all those “bad acts” into a simple mail fraud count.

but please, don’t overstate the case until all the facts are in.

Comment by ryan's righthand man Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 9:01 pm
Lets go one step further. WHEN the public discovers the many, many instances where the vets preference has been skirted, where people were graded inaccurately, and it is indeed system wide. Maybe, then, people will get upset.

Comment by Roy Slade Monday, Jul 10, 06 @ 10:22 pm