Proviso Probe: KLEPT, Blagojevich clout list

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

KLEPT, Blagojevich clout list

Capitol Fax Blog (Rich Miller) has an entry linking to Governor Blagojevich's clout list.

The only patrton I recognized as a player in Proviso was Alderman Ed Smith. [UPDATE: It appears there's a labor muckety muck named Ed Smith. A commentor says he's the patron behind this list.]

Smith sponsored the following people:

Jordan Smith, Admin Asst, Dept of Transportation (DOT)
Vickie Stout, Admin Asst, DOT
Michelle Barringer, Wildlife Heritage Region, Dept of Natural Resources
Valerie Carter, Rutan Coordinator for Bureau Chief of Personnel Management, DOT
Duane Demmin, Bureau Chief Administrative Services, DOT
Jill Eades*, Staff Asst to Bureau Chief of Personnel Management, DOT
Janice Fay Rash, Liaison between IDOT Deputy Chief of Staff and Office of Governor, DOT
Stacy Richardson, Rutan Coordinator for Bureau Chief of Personnel Management, DOT
Michael Stout, Deputy Director of Finance & Administrations, DOT
Timothy Walker, Legislative Liaison, Department of Employment Security
Thomas Whalen, Manager Capital Improvement Program, DOT

* Eades also listed "Madigan" as a patron.

Thoughts? Comments?

8 Comments:

If Eugene Moore had half the number of people on the list as Smith, I expect he would have been re-elected.

Part of the rap against Moore is that he plays the old school game, but not very well.

By Carl Nyberg, at 12:09 PM, May 23, 2006
Are you sure Ald. Smith sponsored all of those people? That is an awful lot for 1 Alderman. If that's the case Smith must be closer to the Governor than meets the eye.

By Provisoguru, at 1:12 PM, May 23, 2006
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By Anonymous, at 2:23 PM, May 23, 2006
Actually, having skimmed the list, very little of it bothers me.

Blagojevich won. He's a Democrat. He gets to pick the people in policy positions (say that three times fast) and almost all of them are clearly Democrats - they're there to execute his policies and he has the right to ensure a certain degree of loyalty. One thing one of the people NOT on this list has told me repeatedly is that the rear guard operations to undermine the Governor and his policies has been startlingly vicious and mean-spirited. Even for Republicans.

The ones that bother me though, actually, are the clerks, admins and other non-policy positions. Many of those, if you cross-check, are people appointed by...the people they work for! Heavens. But several of them are just out of bounds. I mean, clout to hire a pilot?

There are, of course, a few silly ones, too. I particularly like the ones where the employee's last name is the same as the sponsor.

But all in all - this is really OK, to my eyes. Part of the legitimate spoils of war.

Anyway, a certain degree of absurdity is to be expected when the subject is government.

By Mr. Luxury Yacht, at 2:26 PM, May 23, 2006
In That Case,

Ummmmmmmmm, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Wrong Ed Smith

http://www.midwestlaborers.org/edsmith.htm

By Carl, You are an Idiot, at 2:45 PM, May 23, 2006
Carl, I wish you hadn't deletd that anonymous post that claimed I am Laryy Shapiro. To whoever said that you're wrong and a moron! Also, Carl you got to be ashamed to have posted this thread saying that was Ald. Smith on the list. My first reaction was that something had to be wrong because that was just too many jobs for 1 Alderman. You seem to not be that politically astute to write that without trying to verify as to the identity of the Ed Smith on the list.

By Provisoguru, at 3:23 PM, May 23, 2006
It seems like a bunch of jobs for one organized labor boss too.

People occasionally post that such-and-such pseudonym is so-and-so. Generally, I consider this rude.

But it's almost humorous will Larry Shapiro because he's been associated with at least a couple regularly used pseudonyms.

So I'm going to address the issue. I am Larry Shapiro.

Think about it. Have you ever seen me and Larry Shapiro in the same place at the same time?

By Carl Nyberg, at 3:49 PM, May 23, 2006
Ron Serpico is on the Blago clout list - he got appointed to the Court of Claims for getting out the votes!

By Anonymous, at 8:52 PM, June 09, 2006