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Governor-elect Bruce Rauner has begun the process of cleaning house, sending dismissal notices to top Quinn Administration officials.
Governor Pat Quinn’s chief of staff, Ryan Croke, alerted cabinet directors, deputy directors and top lawyers in an e-mail on Monday evening that employment status letters would start to flow and that “some will be notified that they will not be retained.”
* I’ve heard about several of these letters so far. But, kudos to Rauner’s chief legal counsel for setting a very classy tone…
* And speaking of classy, Gov. Quinn today told his City Club audience about how he used his father as his role model for governance. Many of us have heard this story before, but not with such emotion…
Thanks to Commissioner John Fritchey for the video.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 1:48 pm
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You are brave Rich Miller, as a general rule I consider any video coming from Commissioner Fritchey to be NSFW.
Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 1:54 pm
Democracy at its finest.
The peaceful transfer of power from one leader, one administration, to another is the greatest achievement of our country. What makes this even classier is the recognition by the Transition that those who did serve, should be thanked, and respected for the service thise not staying on gave to Illinois. Well done.
The video of Governor Quinn is a reminder to me that his heart was in the right place as he lead Illinois for 6 years. I’m glad I saw this video of him telling this story, publicly, in one of his last appearances as Governor. Wonderful way for Jil to close his remarks.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:05 pm
Say whatever else you will about him (and you will), Pat Quinn is a decent man with a heart as big as the moon.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:13 pm
Well said, OW.
Comment by Del Clinkton Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:20 pm
This points to a strong start and hopeful future under the new administration. modesty and kindness from the victor speaks honorably for the incoming crew.
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:21 pm
That’s the Pat Quinn anyone and everyone could and should love. His dad was a wonderful, smart and hard working guy. You saw some of Pat Sr. in this video. In fact, a lot of him.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:23 pm
Nice guy - but the most irrelevant and ineffectual Governor in modern times.
Comment by x-pol Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:31 pm
You stay classy - x pol -,
Thanks - Del Clinkton -
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:37 pm
Well said Oswego Willy. A smooth Government transition is the true mark of a peaceful democracy.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:43 pm
Irrelevant and ineffectual? Whether we’re talking about pension reform, the abolition of the death penalty, marriage equality, workers comp reform, medicaid reform/expansion, the capital bill, etc., these were things that have been talked about plenty prior to Quinn’s tenure but finally got done under Quinn. His responsibility level differs by the issue but to say he was irrelevant and ineffectual is pure silliness.
Comment by slow down Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:46 pm
===Irrelevant and ineffectual? Whether we’re talking about…===
Pension reform is dead, Quinn was in favor of the death penalty before the abolition bill passed, the capital bill was blocked for years because of RRB’s felonious aims.
PQ helped pass the marriage bill. His administration oversaw Medicaid reforms and workers comp reforms.
Signing a bill allows a governor to take credit where perhaps little or none was due. PQ does have a legacy, and we’ll get to that soon. But some of that legacy was because stuff was sent to him.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 2:58 pm
OW - from Quinn’s exit briefing with the Trib. “The progressive approach means you’ve got to tell people the unvarnished truth, even if it’s hard,” . “It’s better to tell people what they need to know, not what politicians want them to hear.”
Comment by x-pol Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:00 pm
- x pol -,
This was about the acts of class on the way out and on the way in…
Sometimes it’s not about anything else but how you are carrying yourself. These two examples seem to point to that end. You may have missed the point.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:06 pm
Wow… Just today on another post I mentioned his love of the military…. I never knew that story… Wow…Great story.
Comment by Walter Mitty Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:09 pm
I agree - nice, classy letter. Of course, if your letterhead says “Compassionate,” I suppose you can’t come off like too much of a[insert expletive here] when letting people go.
Comment by ??? Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:10 pm
Um — does “you signed it, you own it” ring a bell?
Works in both directions.
Comment by Soccermom Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:11 pm
OW- You missed the point. Quinn’s “act of class” out the door was a gratuitous shot at Rauner’s wining strategy. The unvarnished truth is Quinn was never relevant. The reason, to be discussed more when Rich gets to the legacy discussion, was not necessarily Quinn’s lack of effort, sincerity or vision. Like I said nice guy - but.
Comment by x-pol Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:17 pm
===The reason, to be discussed more when Rich gets to the legacy discussion, ===
You got the point…to makie it later…
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:22 pm
So yesterday it was announced that retired DOC director Godinez will be kept on per a 75-day contract. Does that mean Rauner can’t replace him until the contract is up?
Comment by This one guy Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:39 pm
==Does that mean Rauner can’t replace him until the contract is up?==
It’s not that type of contract. They aren’t that uncommon (though they are less common than they used to be). I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of a director getting one though.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 3:47 pm
If Godinez is staying on for 75 days, it could be that Rauner asked him to do so to aid in the transition. I can’t see a director agreeing to a 75-day contract without some assurance from the incoming Governor.
Comment by Snucka Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 4:15 pm
The 75 day personnel contract to ease the transition after a key employee retires is quite common.
Comment by Jorge Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 4:26 pm
Godinez and his entire administrative team should be the first ones shown the door. Absolutely horrible on so many levels.
Comment by Southern illinoisan Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 4:33 pm
Pat Quinn, like Jimmy Carter, is a nice, decent man. That may not necessarily make you an effective politician, but his son can still be proud of him. Well done, Pat.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 4:33 pm
Question: Is it customary for a new governor to sack top former officials within the first week of office? It’s my (perhaps incorrect) recollection from previous administrations that, except for those at the very top (chief of staff, general counsel, budget director), this process usually occurs more gradually, over a period of weeks or even months, and that an official is not fired until his or her replacement has been found. To me, the letter is civil in tone but perhaps indicative of an underlying haste and ruthlessness, a wish to utterly uproot the old order.
Comment by Quiet Sage Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 5:56 pm
The old order needs to be torn out by the roots. Most if not all state agencies are in very poor shape.
Comment by Southern illinoisan Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 6:04 pm
Though Quinn is dismissed as irrelevant, people may soon learn whether they prefer a powerful governor who is his party’s sole leader.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 6:05 pm
Quiet Sage. One of the big complaints about Gov. Quinn heard from both sides of the aisle and regularly in comments here, was that the needed “fumigation” did not take place on his watch. In my estimation Rauner is doing the right thing at the right time and is doing what voters expect him to do in clearing out some of the brush of the past two administrations.
Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 6:35 pm
I think this is pretty standard stuff. People such as department heads and division directors in the bigger agencies are “double exempt” and serve at the pleasure of the governor. If they were appointed by Quinn they know they will be replaced by Rauner. It’s better to get this straight right away, which seems to be the purpose of the letter.
Most will be replaced by interim directors who are long-term employees who have protection under the personnel code. This happened when Blagojevich replaced Ryan, for example. It took two or three months to get the new directors in place.
Comment by DuPage Dave Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 7:31 pm
Compare this transition to Blago’s flailing about: I recall one of Blago’s first pressers after taking office, when he announced his own ideas about cleaning house. The aide who managed the set up of the conference, and was on stage, found out he’d already been fired when he looked at the list that had just been handed to reporters.
Comment by Curmudgeon Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 7:50 pm
the death penalty bill wouldn’t have even passed the House if Gov. Quinn didn’t send the signal to the Speaker that he’d sign it. Quinn proposed Medicaid reforms, convened the working group, helped pass the changes. And regardless of what happens with pensions, it was unavoidable that there would be legal challenges in taking on this issue- maybe that’s why other governors never even confronted it (instead they just helped create the pension crisis.) I’m hard pressed to think of any governor who took on more hard issues than Quinn
Comment by observer Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 8:47 pm
- Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 7:50 pm:
If we’re talking about the same person, I thought the aide first heard it in Blago’s speech and then looked at the list.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 9:56 pm
RNUG, that guy is a friend and former co-worker of mine. He learned by reading his name on the list. He had also been assured by the late Chris Kelly that he was going to be retained by Team Blago.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 10:17 pm
Compare this letter and advance termination notice, as well as transition assistance offered to that which I received: a phone call from a surprised reporter asking for my comments not long after Blago’s first press conference and Executive Order No. 1.
The kind reporter said, “Jeff, you don’t know?? I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the Governor fired you an hour ago!’”
I am pleased to see Governor Rauner show classy leadership as he begins his term.
Comment by Jeff Fulgenzi Tuesday, Jan 6, 15 @ 11:29 pm
Blagojevich entered office as an egotistical ass, and ended up leaving office as an impeached convict.
It is one thing to not know that the man you nominate, support and elect is a future convicted impeached felon - but these same people returned him to office while relentlessly attacking and smearing Judy Barr Topinka. The man who oversaw Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment was the exact same person who was Rod Blagojevich’s campaign co-chair.
This is Illinois.
This is why we need anyone else in charge than who we currently have.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Jan 7, 15 @ 8:42 am
Rich,I wouldn’t call this cleaning house. Senate confirmed Directors and Associate Directors serve specific terms, and unless told otherwise they continue to serve after the expiration of the term until their succesors are appointed. These people are being told they won’t continue to serve.
Comment by steve schnorf Wednesday, Jan 7, 15 @ 9:03 am
It is classy, but these are the same people that said they’d shake up Springfield, right? As in “we know best”.
I’d simply leave a note on top of the piles - maybe under the categories they suggested, stating, “Shake it up. Good luck”
I certainly wouldn’t meet with the transition people. Or if I did just go over the stuff very briefly.
Comment by low level Wednesday, Jan 7, 15 @ 11:05 am