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This just in… New DNR director

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Illinois

* 3:14 pm - Gov. Quinn apparently had somebody in mind to take over DNR when he booted Kurt Granberg yesterday. Marc Miller worked for Quinn at the Lt. Gov’s office. From a press release…

Governor Pat Quinn announced the appointment of natural resources professional and conservationist Marc Miller as director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Miller had been senior policy adviser and liaison to the Illinois River Coordinating Council for the Office of Lieutenant Governor.

“Marc Miller is an expert in managing and protecting our state’s precious natural resources and will run a very professional agency,” said Governor Quinn. “In addition, Marc is an avid outdoorsman dedicated to promoting the public’s safe use and greater understanding of our state’s parks, waterways and other natural resources.”

Miller, 39, joined then Lt. Governor Quinn’s staff in June 2004. During that time, he was instrumental in development and implementation of many environmental programs. They include: The Dam Safety Initiative and the Mud-to-Parks program, which promoted the beneficial reuse of river settlement. […]

“I am honored Governor Quinn has named me to lead this important state agency,” said Miller. “I will dedicate myself to managing, protecting and sustaining Illinois’ natural resources.

And in case you’re wondering, he’s no relation to me. Lots of Miller’s in this state.

* 3:23 pm - OK, first it was “yesterday’s tomatoes” and now this…

Quinn wants more bird watchers to come to Illinois. Says “We’ve got more birds than you can shake a stick at.”

The Yogi Berra of Illinois politics?

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:15 pm

Comments

= Lots of Miller’s in this state ‘ Yes, and many of them are empty’s behind Blago’s garage.

Comment by You Go Boy Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:22 pm
Congrats, Director Miller.

Comment by Princess Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:28 pm
Marc Miller recently spoke at the Pheasants forever and Quail Forever state meetings in Bloomington. He appears to have good grasp on the many issues facing IDNR. I hope he is able to get this agency back on its feet. There are a lot of good people in the department but there are too many political appointees in big buck positions that suck much needed $$$ out of the budget.

Comment by Downstater62246 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:32 pm
Birds are a sign of healthier ecosystems and birders spend money while pursuing their hobby you dolts.

Not a “Yogi” type statement at all.

Comment by anon38 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:34 pm
Well, you know…birds of a feather fly around alot.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:35 pm
anon38, you didn’t find the humor in his quote?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:36 pm
please enlighten me

Comment by anon38 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:37 pm
Nice to see a peron with technical background appointed for the first time in oh, six years. I like those types of phrases, and he’s right about there being a boatload of birds aorund here.

Comment by Stooges Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:40 pm
Seriously? You can’t see the humor in: “We’ve got more birds than you can shake a stick at.”?

Are you humorless?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:40 pm
From now on I recommend Director Miller assume all talks about birds. Some Audubon Society members probably recoiled in horror: “The Governor of Illinois advocates shaking sticks at birds! Pass the binoculars!”

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:41 pm
Birds, huh?

Well, at least he stands for something. Anything is better than Blago.

You recruit those bird watchers Governor!

Comment by TT Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:42 pm
Anon 38, I believe this is what we call a “mixed metaphor.” Look it up.

Comment by Secret Square Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:44 pm
Any chance Granberg is denied the increase in his pension?

Comment by Stooges Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:46 pm
I think it is funny (and will get funnier.) You can bet your britches.

Comment by Sangamon Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:47 pm
Anon38 is in for a long year and a half if he already is having trouble finding the humor in Governor Quinn’s one-liners. The guy has some gems. Brace yourself, anon38!

Comment by aqui, alli, alla Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:47 pm
Maybe I’m a bit disallusioned but should the dnr fire and hire come before naming a chief of staff? I don’t get it. Quinn is in the big leagues now. Rich, any insight on what’s going on with the transition? Wasn’t 7 weeks long enough to get this stuff figured out and ready to pull the trigger on for day one or at least days two or three?

Comment by hmmm Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:48 pm
And this state has more Miller’s than Carter’s got liver pills…

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:49 pm
Tut, tut all, maybe the joke will be on you.

My funny bone is functioning just fine.

Let’s give the Gov and his appointees a chance to
govern in the midst of the chaos they fund themselves in shall we?

Comment by anon38 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:55 pm
Actually, my typo is pretty funny!

Comment by anon38 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:59 pm
===Let’s give the Gov and his appointees a chance to govern in the midst of the chaos they fund themselves in shall we?===

Sheesh.

If you’re getting peevish about a quip like that, you’re gonna have a real rough time dealing with the harsh criticism ahead - and there’s plenty ahead.

I feel sorry for you, but I also said the same thing to the Blagojevich people for six, long years. You’re the big boys and girls now, learn to deal with it.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 3:59 pm
Miller is an excellent choice. He’s a professional, he is well regarded by all of the DNR user groups, the hunters, fishermen, conservationists, etc., and he has Quinn’s support to go in and fix the department.

Comment by Stick Shaker Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:00 pm
Quinn’s comment reminds me of an old joke about a man and a very talented bird dog.

But that joke is not appropriate for the blog. Language.

Comment by JonShibleyFan Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:00 pm
Please, I don’t need your sympathy.
If I can survive Blago, this will be a cakewalk.

Comment by anon38 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:02 pm
No no Anon -

This state has more millers than pebbles on a grind stone.

Thank you, thank you, Governor Quinn, at last a person in charge of the Department of Natural Resources that knows what that means.

Comment by Irish Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:04 pm
Beyond the question of a doubt, making fun of our new governor’s phrases will be like shooting monkey in a barrel.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:09 pm
I am all for a real conservationist at DNR but the ghost of Marlon Perkins couldnt fix the problems at DNR without restoration of the Blago cuts. New priorities are great, but we are still broke. Good luck Director Miller.

Comment by Downstate weed chewing hick Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:10 pm
JonShibleyFan,

Did you have one of those pointers that could count quail?

Comment by Downstater62246 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:11 pm
Hmmmm’s comment is intriguing. Hopefully Governor Quinn will announce some more appointments in the coming days, but you shouldn’t discount the importance of DNR and the need for an immediate announcement regarding its leadership. The agency has been dying for the past couple years and state parks have been closing. That said, Hmmmm is right about the transition. If they wait any longer to make some key announcements, it might seem as though they’re scrambling and unprepared. I’d hate to think that’s the case…

Comment by aqui, alli, alla Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:12 pm
More blankin’ quail than you can shake a stick at.

Comment by JonShibleyFan Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:14 pm
If the economy gets so bad that people have to start hunting and fishing for food and camping for shelter — and I have been to some VERY rural areas of the state where people do this — we will be grateful the new Gov. made DNR a high priority.

Comment by Secret Square Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:18 pm
Let’s see, Rep. Kurt Granburg isn’t qualified to run the Department of Natural Rersources and Quinn is quailified to be Governor?

Granburg holds a law dgree and has twenty years of elective service. Where did Miller graduate from law school and who’s interest has he ever served besides Quinn?

Quinn is quickly living up to his gadfly repuation, and I don’t care how tighly he wraps himself in the American flag and how many graves sites he visits.

Comment by DogandponeyShow101 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:20 pm
DNR was representative of all that was wrong with Blago’s time. Two ex-state legislators and a patronage boss vs. a conservation specialist. I like the contrast.

A chief of staff is in the works, but I wonder if Quinn is having second thoughts about havign Jack Lavin serve in that role. A Blago director with Rezko ties doesn’t serve his needs now even if he good friends with Lavin for some time, including when Jack served as his Deputy Treasurer. Perhaps, Quinn leaves his friend at DCEO and picks someone else for the CoS role.

Comment by Niles Township Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:22 pm
I’ll take Yogi Berra over Elvis every day of the week. Plus Sundays.

Comment by Ted Kord Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:23 pm
DogandponeyShow101:

So only lawyers are qualified to run the DNR? Speaking as a lawyer and an evironmentalist who has been involved in recycling and other issues for years, I say that’s a joke.

Your true colors are coming out, either you are a GOPer (is that you McKenna) already campaigning, or a party hack who hated Quinn for a long time. Give the guy a break. He needs our help right now if we are going to get through this time together.

Comment by Niles Township Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:25 pm
nothing in news or cap fax about other agencies.
i.e. — did Quinn continue the weekly agency director meetings?? (or did those stop a while ago).

Also, who the heck is running the show in gov’s office. If 2 deputy governor’s quit, my latest count is that the only top folks left are louanner & dean martinez. Is that right?
What about leg. affairs?
When they changed the locks, what happened to folks who had been working on 2nd floor & 2 1/2??

What’s going on over there???
New folks from quinn’s office?

Comment by dupage progressive Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:27 pm
Niles: Amen!

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:33 pm
Dog and Pony

Don’t know if Quinn is qualified to be Governor. Time will tell. I do know the last Gov. lost two votes on that same subject 117 - 1 and 59 - 0.

I also know this - no one Gov. F- Rod put in charge of the DNR was qualified to run it including Granburg. I had personal dealings with
the guy and you couldn’t find a more unprofessional lout anywhere. The issue wasn’t all that big of one but had we gone public with Rep. Granburg’s actions and reactions he would have been quite embarassed.

I wish Mr. Miller all the luck in the world. He’s going to need it. IDNR having a friend in the Gov’s mansion is a good thing.

Comment by Leave a light on George Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:40 pm
Birds are great…for shooting, eating, and shaking sticks at that is.

Comment by Jaded Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 4:48 pm
Leave a light on George and Jaded,

I concur and think we would get along well in the real world.

Mark Miller will need all the help he can get as there has been shennanigans going on there well before Blago. At least he will have the ear (and maybe the heart) of Governor Quinn which can only help. Thank you for this appointment.

Comment by LINK Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:03 pm
Marc Miller sounds like a good choice. But agencies need political types to be sucessful when dealing with the Gov Office, the GA, and esp at DNR the groups whether its the hunters of the Nature Consev. types So you need your hacks to get things done! As if the last two Directors had any hope with the people in the Govs Office. And for those who are really counting its been at lot longer then 6 years if you are looking for your “professionals” at DNR. I would recomend reviewing the budget blogs before you get too excited!

Comment by Anon3 Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:06 pm
Rich, you’ve got the context of the quote all wrong - Quinn was talking about Jail Birds like Ryan and soon exguv and other political birds gone rogue, like Rezko, Atta, etc.

Comment by A Citizen Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:07 pm
Back to criticizing our governor. Never mind that it’s a different governor. This is like deja vu all over again.

Comment by Ahem Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:08 pm
for what it’s worth the deputy directors and a couple of others at hight levels at DNR have been asked to hand in their resignations by tomorrow. Also expect other agency directors to follow.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:30 pm
Prairie State Outdoors online has a couple pics and an article on Director Miller’s appointment along with a comment in article from Brent Manning.

Comment by Princess Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:34 pm
Ahem…I suspect due to his “gadfly” tag and being in the public view over many years, Quinn is more capable of withstanding criticism/sarcasm than Whatshisface before him, anyway.

Comment by You Go Boy Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:35 pm
@Anonymous

Could tomorrow be Quinn’s first “Black Friday”?

Comment by Anon Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 5:37 pm
Jack Lavin as Chief of Staff? You’ve got to be kidding! Tell me one thing the guy accomplished as head of DCEO. DCEO all but disappeared in Illinois over the past six years. Other states are kicking our butts in business attraction, and not just because we’re broke. Their govs and heads of economic development agencies are willing to personally speak to prospects. Economic developers in Illinois can’t even get the Gov or the head of DCEO to show up at grand openings of companies that invest millions and create jobs. Jack Lavin. Pleeeeease.

Comment by 3 beers to springfield Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:01 pm
This is an easy choice for a small agency that is dear to Pat Quinn’s heart. The really hard work regarding things that may not be in Quinn’s comfort zone is straight ahead.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:04 pm
Granburg was never voted on by the Senate, so he was never director just Acting Director. FWIW He might earn 110% of his legislative salary, if SERS decides to give him his pension for about a week and a halves work, of which most of he probably wasn’t even in the headquarters.
@Anon 5:37
I guess whether it’s a black friday or not depends on perspective.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:05 pm
Dog and Pony
Marc Miller has shown that he is a protector of the resources. He worked closely with IDNR and the Audubon Society to preserve a piece of land that was vital to wintering bald eagles on the Illinois River. His background is in the environment, and resource fields. That’s what credentials an IDNR Director should have.
Your man Granberg showed his true colors when his first thought was to build golf trails across the southern half of the state. Anyone who thinks golf course trails have anything to do with natural resources shows that they have NO credentials to hold the job. Granberg was going to be another in a long line of people who took away from the established sites to build boondoogles like Jim Edgar Panther Creek and The World Shooting Complex.
We have already had our dog and pony show with the last administration. Abundant and quality natural resources = higher quality of life and more tourism which brings more people and businesses to the State, which means more money into the coffers of the state. That is something the last Governor, a lawyer,( no prejudice intended to lawyers reading this) did not understand.

Comment by Irish Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:07 pm
Good luck to Marc Miller.

Illinois is blessed with the world’s best soil and climate for agriculture. So over the years, we’ve burned and turned our prairies and drained our wetlands to feed the world.

If you’ve ever seen a couple of acres of prairie grass, you can imagine the beauty of the land and the incredible wildlife of the past.

Read the diaries of Marquette and Joliet. They took wooden canoes from St. Ignace across Lake Michigan to Green Bay. They went up the Fox, portaged to the Wisconsin and entered the Mississippi at Prarie du Chien. They took the Mississippi to the Arkansas, and on the way back, took the Illinois up to the Des Plaines and portaged to the Chicago back to Lake Michigan.

Marquette wrote that the land of the Illinois River was the most beautiful and lush of the entire journey.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:09 pm
Like others have said, give the man some time. Quinn might be less interested in how is office is run for the time being and more worried about getting the agencies back on track, all of them.

As a state employee, it made me proud that the letter Rich posted here was sent to us all, not from a secretary,not from a deputy, not from an emicary, but from Quinn’s Lt Gov account at 6:30 or so in the evening. Maybe, just maybe, the man has, as we like to say “down state”, just might have a little less hat and a lot more cattle than his predecessor.

Comment by 618er Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:20 pm
Marc was a classmate of mine at Sangamon/UIS, decent guy, I know he will do a good job at IDNR…..

Comment by Brian Cross Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:21 pm
The first thing Marc should do is a material reorganization to get rid of all the lazy AFSCME workers that spend more time smoking outside and speedwalking the fairgrounds. Everyone talks about how understaffed, mismanaged and ignored DNR and Ag have become, but maybe people should take a ride through the fairgrounds. Remember the $100,000 smoking huts….

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:51 pm
The last “professional” and “extremely qualified” director at DNR was Brent Manning. Welcome aboard Marc Miller.

Comment by Little Egypt Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 6:55 pm
Rich - have you or anybody else read the February 2nd letter from USDOT FHWA’s Division Administrator Norman Stoner to IDOT Secretary Milton Sees? Interesting reading. Appears the Feds are very concerned about the lack of adequate professional staffing at DOT to handle upcoming Economic Recovery Program. I highly recommend you obtain a copy. The legacy of the Blagojevich administration will be haunting us for many years.

Comment by Cecil Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 7:11 pm
Were those yesterday’s sticks?

Comment by soccermom Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 7:12 pm
Maybe he will look into why IDNR has convicted pot growers on the payroll.Arrested and convicted and never missed a days work.Must be nice to have someone high up taking care of you.

Comment by DOWNSTATE Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 7:14 pm
No one at DNR was asked to leave or prepare their resignation. (yet) Wild rumors.

Comment by wordjong Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 7:16 pm
I am a state employee and my email from Gov Quinn is a keeper. Beginning his admin with the Clean Air Act and a new director at DNR with environmentalist cred is like saying he is bringing fresh air to Illinois. I love it! Shake LOTs of sticks Gov Quinn! Bring it on!

Comment by Marianne North Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 7:25 pm
While Granberg might have been “Acting” he was still the Director whose signature was on file with the Comptroller’s Office for payrolls. Unless SERS does some pension illegalities equal to Filan’s budgetary illegalities with DNR, he should qualify for the pension bump.

Comment by We Can Hope Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 7:54 pm
In all honesty it is hard to blame in agency director for not being a good or qualified director under Blago. Joel Brunsvold was a good person and capable of being a great director. The truth is OMB managed the budget, intergovernmental handled the personnel, communications at CMS handled the press, Quinlan handled the legal, what is left for a director to work with? They didn’t even have input into the budget.

Comment by Hank Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 8:00 pm
Hank, totally agree with this assessment, although there are some qualified and smart people at OMB. I have to say though, I’m not impressed at all by Quinn thus far. I mean, the guy had how long to put a transition together? My buddy that works with the press in Chicago says Quinn’s press team is a total mess — the people in the Office of the Gov are out of the loop and the people he got transferred to in Quinn’s shop have no clue. This guy has been a naysayer for so long, not sure he has it in him to actually be the one to make the big decisions. Can’t sit on the sidelines and wag your finger anymore.

Comment by doomsday Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 8:27 pm
DogandponyShow101,
I think you’re over-impressed with how a law degree qualifies people to do a myriad of things.
Remember…Blagojevich was a lawyer.

Comment by SpfleJimbo Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 8:48 pm
DTD! Congrats Marc.

Comment by Reformed Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 8:49 pm
Hopefully Quinn will make smart choices for Directors and let Directors direct. What’s the point of having a Director if they have no input on their own agency??!!

Comment by Hank Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 8:55 pm
Also, with regard to Granberg’s pension, many don’t realize he was a state employee before he became a lawmaker. Therefore he has time in SERS and I think that means he gets the pension bump.

Comment by Hank Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 9:04 pm
Quinn knows his birds, he was plumb crazy about eagles when Lt. Governor, don’t get him started!:-)Quinn led a fight against development of an island eagle habitat that was also a native American burial ground. I remember he brought a real live eagle to the press conference one sunday (it was always a sunday) and the thing was pretty awesome until it defecated all over the blue room.

Good point made about DNR really being managed from the gov’s office regardless of who was director. Remember the stories about “free” deer hunting permits being given away to special friends and celebs? Not only were they unrepentant, they were smug about it.

DNR has been for several administrations a place where politically connected people could parachute in to hide out in no-show jobs without qualifications while waiting for “something better” to open up in state government. Lots of qualified people have been bumped from there or put to work under bosses who have no clue and no cares about Illinois natural resources.

DNR also has an identity crisis in that the department of Mines and Minerals is combined into them and the two agencies have often been on opposite sides of certain issues. Natural Resources and EPA would have been a better fit together.

Comment by screaming for our freedom Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 9:20 pm
You Go Boy, I have a lot of faith in Gov. Quinn. I was trying to make a Yogi Berra joke. I guess I failed. “If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.”

Comment by ahem Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 9:33 pm
Here’s what I want to know: by what authority can anyone, not already an agency employee, become “Acting Director” on the payroll when the Constitution requires Senate confirmation, and the Gubernatorial Appointee Oaths Act requires that each appointee requiring confirmation by the Senate take the Constitutional Oath “prior to assuming the duties or the responsibilities of the position.” Sounds like Granberg was allowed to “assume the duties and responsibilities,” but had he ever taken and filed the Oath with the SoS? We all know he was never confirmed. There is only one position at IDNR at that salary, so how does he get that salary to count against a pension entitlement when he isn’t entitled to the job? How does he acquire the authority to sign payrolls, or anything else? Is Senate confirmation just a courtesy anymore? If it still means anything, Granberg should never have been on the IDNR payroll, whether he was “at work” or not.

Comment by Oberon Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 9:41 pm
Screaming– Lots of pieces of different agencies were combined into DNR back in ‘94-’95; Conservation was given the Director’s slot because the idea seemed to be to make its culture the dominant “corporate culture.” Manning’s biggest failure was his inability to fully integrate Mines and Minerals, Water Resources,the Surveys, and the odds and ends from the old DENR into Conservation’s culture, or to modify its culture to embrace the others. Consequently, 13 years after the reorganization, the task of integrating these segments into one agency still remains, with powerful tensions across and within Divisions. Blago’s changes and cuts wiped out most of the DENR remnants, and allowed the Surveys successfully regain their independence. Mines & Minerals belongs in IDNR, but still feels like (and largely behaves as) an outsider. And the coal and mining interests will not be happy to welcome Mr. Miller at all. Dealing with those interests will be among his greatest challenges, especially with a Governor for a boss that has not been shy about his views on the industry.

Comment by Oberon Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 9:58 pm
It is heartwarming to me personally that so many have commented here throughout the day and night. The DNR has suffered far too long and deep. Let’s hope and pray that better times are ahead.

Comment by LINK Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:15 pm
If Quinn really wanted to appoint a true professional instead of his buddy Miller he would have selected Mike Conlin who knows all aspects of the IDNR and has been a loyal employee of the agency for many years. Everyone has been talking about all the educated/qualified employees working at IDNR, why not pick one of our own as Director. By the way I didn’t see Marc Miller’s new salary listed in the press release. Did our new Governor lower it and save us a few bucks? Will Director Miller be full-time or just show up a couple days a week like Sam Flood? I hope Director Miller will live in Springfield and not expect a sweet deal for a housing allowance or travel reimbursement like Sam Flood. Mike Conlin easily could have walked upstairs to the Directors office and immediately got IDNR moving again. It doesn’t seem as if Governor Quinn looked beyond his own office for his first agency appointment! Seems like the good old buddy system to me.

Comment by Buddy System Thursday, Feb 5, 09 @ 11:51 pm
Talk about a decimated agency! Secretary Adams and her CoS need to go!!! Quinn, here’s some advice DHS is the biggest pork farm! The asst. secretaries run the show there, put one of them in charge. Look at each part of the agency, a lot of fed matching funds are not going to happen if DHS is not cleaned up now! And…don’t get me started on the big mess CMS has become under the previous gov—Quinn your staff needs to review this agency too!

Comment by Check DHS Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 1:03 am
Buddy, Miller already lives in Springfield.

Comment by Bookworm Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 6:49 am
Anybody who knows Marc Miller knows he shows up for work every day — and then some. If he is an “old buddy” of Gov. Quinn, that’s because they share a heartfelt interest in the environment of this state. Marc has Illinois River water in his veins; there is no one more committed to making DNR what it should be.

Comment by soccermom Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 7:21 am
===The last “professional” and “extremely qualified” director at DNR was Brent Manning.===

Not hardly. I was glad to see him go. Did his salary come out of economic development’s budget?

===Welcome aboard Marc Miller.===

Indeed. Do your best with what is left.

Comment by Slick Willy Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 8:05 am
I see the bad “Oh look a kitty humor” has been replaced with bad mixed metaphore humor. Now I truly know there is a change of administration.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 8:37 am
So he is big into Nature. The Coal industry is going to become extinct in this state? What can he do about that?

Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 8:49 am
===by what authority can anyone, not already an agency employee, become “Acting Director” on the payroll when the Constitution requires Senate confirmation==

Have the people Blago brought in were in “Acting” Positions.

Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 8:55 am
Sorry it should say HALF the people Blago brought in for the high level positions were in “Acting” Positions.

Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 8:56 am
Sorry Rich, little off the subject, can you tell me the names that are in Quinn’s reform committee?

Comment by justaquestion Friday, Feb 6, 09 @ 9:08 am
Okay, Downstate, I’ll bite.

Were these allegedly marijuana growers growing their crop on private property, or state property? Were they growing for “Medical needs”, their own private use (non-medical), or were they selling it to other adults or to minors under the age of 21?

Have they engaged in their court-ordered repentence, and have they paid all their fines?

Do you feel the pot farmers should have been over at the Dept. of Ag, and not in DNR?

Comment by Lynn S Monday, Feb 9, 09 @ 11:17 pm