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* A press release from Rep. Jeanne Ives points out that former Madigan aide Kevin Quinn, the younger brother of Madigan’s alderman, spent years moving back and forth between state and campaign work…
In round numbers, alleged sexual predator Kevin Quinn is in line for a $750,000 payout from Illinois families.
Here’s how the scam works. Political bosses like Madigan put political operatives on the state payroll in dubious jobs to accrue benefits. They roll on and off the state payroll based on their political campaign assignments throughout an election cycle. […]
Over 17 years, Kevin Quinn went on and off state payroll over and over again. He spent half the year– ostensibly– working for the state, and the other half working for Madigan’s campaigns.
What exactly did Kevin Quinn do while working for the state?
In what kind of employment situation and for what kind of work can someone work half the year?
What kind of employer can maintain an employee who consistently works 50 percent of the time over 17 years?
No employer other than the State of Illinois.
* And then after a bit she goes off on her own House Republican Leader…
How about Rauner toady Jim Durkin? The House GOP Leader is another who likes to decry Madigan while behaving like him.
Denise Rotheimer has called out Durkin for being unresponsive to her call for help in her case of sexual harassment against State Sen. Ira Silverstein.
And the Daily Herald has been covering the hiring of Durkin’s sister-in-law Laura for an $80,000 job in the engineering department at the Illinois Tollway, a traditional patronage dumping ground. Durkin’s sister-in-law last worked in 2001 selling office furniture.
This bipartisan scamming of Illinois taxpayers has to end. And it will if I’m governor.
Circular. Firing. Squad.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:03 am
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Their primary is way more fun than ours! I mean I know we have Dr. Edward “make Illinois three states” Marshall, but cmon, the GOP has Jeanne Ives! Bring on the cray cray.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:09 am
So does Ives’ supporter Breen remain as floor leader for “Rauner toady” Durkin?
Who runs that huddle? Do they even have the same playbook?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:09 am
This is a press release? It reads more like an angry community blog.
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:11 am
Is Durkin having fun yet?
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:12 am
I’d pay big money to some charity (not the R Miller Fund) to have a ringside seat in a House Repub caucus meeting this week..
Comment by Wow Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:13 am
==It reads more like an angry community blog.==
I thought the same thing. When Rep Ives says anything it always comes across as angry and bitter. It’s not a good quality.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:15 am
Jeanne is starting to give the appearance that she does not handle pressure well.
Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:18 am
==Who runs that huddle? Do they even have the same playbook?==
In order; Leader Durkin. No.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:20 am
Is she wrong?
Comment by Sands Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:23 am
I guess any press is good press, leading up to a primary. She is working on name recognition, by doing all these silly blurbs. I think it is working to some extent. So much for her being Madigan’s favorite Republican. I don’t think she is Durkin’s either.
Comment by Retired Educator Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:31 am
I have zero intention of voting for Jeanne Ives but I don’t see any of her comments as “cray cray.”
At least 90 percent of voters would agree with her that it is bad and wrong that political operatives and family members of powerful pols get to collect taxpayer-funded paychecks for b.s. jobs invented for patronage purposes.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:37 am
===alleged sexual predator===
He should sue her for defamation.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:37 am
==Is she wrong?==
Not in the slightest, but the reclassification of legislative staff doesn’t even crack the top 20 of Illinois’ problems. Ives would be wise to focus on bigger issues that require less explanation.
Comment by BlindWillieJohnson Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:40 am
I think situations like she described (if true) are what makes taxpayers so convinced that there is waste and corruption in state government. If her accounts are true, most people would agree it should be stopped.
Comment by logic not emotion Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:43 am
- BlindWillieJohnson - @ 10:40AM
Ives would be wise to focus on bigger issues that require less explanation.
Agreed, but this Quinn employment scenario is a symptom of the “bigger issues.”
Comment by allknowingmasterofracoondom Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:45 am
She writes like the woman who is the neighborhood lead in my Nextdoor group. I think everyone has muted the lead.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:48 am
Jeannie Ives had to get her name out there and have people take a closer look at her and her candidacy. So, she has taken extreme actions. Her problem now is that people are taking a closer look at her
Comment by Redraider Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 10:51 am
“Her problem now is that people are taking a closer look at her”
Exactly - The way I see it, her path to victory was just to be the general “anti-Rauner” without going into the views that ostracize her from the mainstream. That’s why in the early months she kept trying to pivot social issue questions to “economics,” all of which included talking points that sounded very similar to the Gov. But since the very impetus of her campaign was a social issue, that’s only going to cause more eyes on her radical views there.
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 11:05 am
I actually like this approach from Ives and it makes sense considering her likely voters. Although it is not as simplistic as this, Ives is going after the angry voters who voted for Trump. She gave her voters the raw red meat with the HB 40, sanctuary state, etc. nonsense, but this appears to be targeted to the more mainstream primary voters and something the far right wants also.
Comment by Swift Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 11:20 am
I’d cut “toady” but it otherwise doesn’t seem “bitter” to me. Maybe angry, but not unjustifiably.
Comment by whetstone Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 11:33 am
Ives makes Durkin a part of her campaign. Guess that’s another one Dan Proft whispered in her ear.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 11:40 am
Her campaign emails are getting increasingly angry as well.
Comment by ste_with_a_v_en Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 11:41 am
Great name Blindwilliejohnson. Such a phenomenal blues musician.
To the post
I think patronage hires are a huge problem
I’m all for going after it
Patronage hires keep
Good qualified and experienced workers
From getting jobs they should have.
That’s why it’s concerning
That Rauner is reclassifying
Many many jobs
To double exempt
Patronage ready jobs.
Rutan Interview process protects
All of us
Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 12:09 pm
Rep Ives should have an ad of her cranking a Gatling gun, wildly pivoting 360 degrees, with well aimed fire shredding
“Corruption” - “Cronyism”, “Madiganism”. “Raunerism”. Blah, blah.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 12:12 pm
“…the Illinois Tollway, a traditional patronage dumping ground.”
You ain’t seen nothing yet. Just wait til Liz Gorman takes the reins.
Comment by Go Jeanne Go Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 12:23 pm
Honeybear, there is a difference between putting patronage employees into policy positions and non-policy positions. The DCFS caseworker should not be a patronage position. Deputy Directors should serve at the will of the Governor.
At some point management positions need to be at will positions. That is the only way to change behavior in the department. When I was in state government I thought too many management positions had gone into the union.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 12:35 pm
Of course the focus is on Ives comments instead of the issue at hand
How essential is Quinn’s job with the state if it did not need to be performed for 1/2 of the year?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 1:23 pm
Are we all sure we cant trim a $billion from the states budget?
Comment by Blue dog dem Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 1:35 pm
Who knows who Jim Durkin is outside the Capitol and Buurr Ridge? And the problem Jeanne could soon be flirting with, I suspect, is the loss of support of her GOP House colleagues. It’s one thing for them to take aim at an unpopular governor who repeatedly betrayed their firmly held beliefs, but it’s quite another to throw their legislative leader into the mix. The ‘Any press is good press’ maxim isn’t an absolute truism. If your supporters start wavering, that’s a problem. Either that or this H GOP caucus is totally up for grabs.
Comment by Hyperbolic Chamber Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 1:46 pm
47th Ward - I agree
Comment by Fantasma Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 4:14 pm
==How essential is Quinn’s job with the state if it did not to be performed for 1/2 the years?==
Does Quinn have a CDC license? Salt spreader drivers are needed from November to April and they are pretty essential.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, Feb 27, 18 @ 6:20 pm
>”Circular Firing Squad”
If criticizing patronage hires on your own side prompts the epithet, then this state needs more circular firing squads.
Comment by ryan Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 12:33 am
She seems angry. Just angry. Not a good look. You can bring the fire, but you also need to bring the light.
Comment by Southfarmllama Wednesday, Feb 28, 18 @ 8:42 am