|
In
addition, Blagojevich announced that he will not fill the position
of small-business utility advocate, a high-paying position which he
said is of questionable use. Filling the position would have cost
the taxpayers nearly $100,000 per year.
The 28
employees were appointed to their positions in the same manner as 35
individuals terminated by Blagojevich on his first full day in
office nearly two weeks ago. In each case, the term employees were
thought to have benefited from a rule change made by the Ryan
administration that would have locked the employees into four-year
jobs from which they could not be removed.
The
Blagojevich administration has found that the rule was changed in an
invalid manner, circumvented civil service requirements and bypassed
eligibility lists. The appointments are therefore null and void.
“Today,
I am continuing my effort to trim every wasteful dollar from state
spending to eliminate every last-minute, insider appointment made in
the waning days and hours of George Ryan's administration,”
Blagojevich said.
“It is
part of an ongoing effort to bring real change to our government and
to restore the faith and confidence of the people of Illinois in the
leaders of this state,” he said.
All of
the appointments were made since Oct. 15, after the Ryan
administration's rule change -- which has now been found to have
been done improperly -- went into effect.
Given
the state's massive deficit, Blagojevich stressed that fiscal issues
represent a key factor in the decision. The combined savings of
these terminations could be more than $5 million.
Blagojevich added that the people removed from their positions
Monday are welcome to resubmit applications for employment. If they
choose to do so, their applications will be judged on a competitive
basis against other candidates.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
“Should
any of these positions prove to be essential, should any of the
employees prove to be needed and capable, I encourage them to
reapply for their positions through traditional channels,” he said.
One
position which the governor has determined is not essential is that
of small-business utility advocate. The position -- which would have
paid $99,414 per year -- will therefore remain unfilled.
“At a
time of an unprecedented deficit, we simply cannot fill every
position in state government that some would like to fill,” he said.
Blagojevich pointed out that the position has only existed for a
short period of time.
“For all
but about two years of the state's entire history, Illinois has
survived -- in fact, thrived -- without a small-business utility
advocate. I'm sure we will continue to do quite well in the future,”
he said.
The
position had been scheduled to be filled beginning in March by
Dolton Mayor William Shaw.
“I am
not targeting an individual in this cut,” Blagojevich emphasized.
“I'm targeting a system that has served itself for too long.”
In the
weeks ahead, a member of Blagojevich's staff will continue to
examine the list of Ryan administration appointees and the state's
overall payroll to look for positions that are not essential to the
taxpayers as well as instances where an unqualified person is
holding a position.
The task
is being carried out by the governor's special investigator for
employment and personnel, noted attorney Mary Lee Leahy. She will
continue to advise the governor on which positions can be eliminated
and appointees removed.
“I want
to be clear again -- today is only a start,” he said.
“As
governor, I want to send a message that our state's revenue is not
my money, it's not the insiders' money -- it's the people's money.”
[Illinois
Government News Network
press release] |
|
He also said that they will be assigned
to help him lead a government that carries out its key functions
while recognizing the need to streamline operations in a period of
fiscal crisis.
“I am directing the people whom I am
appointing today -- and all of those who will serve in my
administration -- to help me carry out my vision for change. They
will each play a role in creating a government that works for all
the people of Illinois, while doing more with less,” he said.
The three appointees named by the
governor on Tuesday will serve as the new directors of the
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, the
Department of Human Services and the
Department of Revenue. Each of the appointees -- Gary N. Wright,
Carol L. Adams and Brian A. Hamer -- brings to the new position
extensive experience in their fields.
Blagojevich cited the three
individuals' talents and expertise as key factors in their
selections, as well as their willingness to help him change the way
Springfield operates.
“In their specific roles, these three
leaders will be assigned to provide key services to people and
families at the community level, to ensure the safety of Illinoisans
and the effective use of our power facilities, and to serve all
taxpayers and help address Illinois' fiscal crisis through an
efficient and fair collection of revenues,” he said.
“In a larger respect, I have also
selected Gary, Carol and Brian because I am confident that they will
combine their impressive backgrounds in their respective fields with
a fresh approach to doing business,” he said.
The appointments Blagojevich announced
on Tuesday are:
Gary
N. Wright -- Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety (IDNS)
A resident of Springfield, Wright
possesses more than three decades of experience in nuclear power
safety. He possesses extensive experience in the IDNS, dating back
to the earliest days of the department.
Wright currently serves as manager of
the nuclear facility safety office within the IDNS. In his current
role, he is responsible for administering the state's nuclear power
safety programs.
Among his prior accomplishments was the
key role that he played in the creation of the IDNS during the early
1980s. He assisted in drafting legislation to create the department,
defining its mission and carrying out other tasks necessary to
enable the IDNS to begin operations. He served as interim acting
director of the department for six months in 1983.
During the 1970s, he served as chief of
the division for nuclear safety within the Illinois Department of
Public Health.
Wright serves on the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission's task force on reactor oversight changes. As
a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency training team, he
also provided emergency response training to plant operators in
former Soviet republics.
He earned his master's degree in
nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois in 1965.
Carol
L. Adams -- Department of Human Services (DHS)
Adams served as the director of the
Chicago Housing Authority's division of resident services and
programs from 1989 to 1996. At the CHA, she eventually managed 13
separate departments with 400 full-time employees, more than 1,000
seasonal workers and a budget of $500 million. Her division was the
only area within the CHA to receive the highest ratings possible
from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
Adams helped create or implement
several award-winning programs while at the CHA, including programs
to combat drug and alcohol abuse, conflict resolution programs for
children, and after-school recreation opportunities. She also helped
establish the Mental Health Roundtable / Crisis Response Team, which
provided residents of public housing with important counseling in
the wake of traumatic events that occurred in CHA residential units.
An experienced human services
administrator credited with developing award-winning community-based
initiatives, Adams has served since 2000 as the executive director
of the Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois
University.
In that role, she serves as the
administrator of the school's south-side campus, which offers
graduate and undergraduate programs and serves as focus of activity
in the community. She has helped raise much-needed funds for the
educational, technology and cultural programs and helped organize
forums for local leaders and the interfaith community.
She also served as the director of the
city's Museums and Public Schools program (1998-2000); as director
of the African-American studies programs at Loyola University
(1981-1988); and as director of research and planning at the
Neighborhood Institute, a division of South Shore Bank (1978-1980).
Adams holds graduate degrees in
sociology from three institutions, including the University of
Chicago. She earned her doctorate in 1976.
Brian
A. Hamer -- Department of Revenue
Currently the first deputy director of
the City of Chicago's Department of Revenue, Hamer has played key
roles in improving customer service and enhancing revenue
collections. His duties also include leading the department's
policy, legislative and legal matters.
From 1990 to 1997, he was chief
assistant corporation counsel for the city's law department. In that
capacity, he directed the city's legal effort to collect delinquent
taxes, resulting in revenues of more than $100 million. He also
oversaw policy for settling tax disputes and modernized the city's
tax code. He previously worked at the firm of Mayer Brown and Platt.
Hamer earned his undergraduate degree
from Yale, and received his law degree from Columbia University,
where he was editor of the school's law review.
---
Blagojevich said that he will call upon
the new directors to “spread my message of reform and service to all
employees in their departments,” he said.
“Their first job is to share with all
of their employees that this administration is committed to bringing
about dramatic change to the state government, and we expect every
employee shares our dedication to reform,” Blagojevich said.
Underscoring the new governor's
commitment to reforming state government and streamlining
government, Blagojevich earlier this week terminated the employment
of individuals holding 28 positions that were filled in the closing
weeks of the previous administration -- in addition to 35 Ryan
administration appointees who were removed during Blagojevich's
first week in office.
Since taking
office, the new governor has taken other steps aimed at dramatically
reforming state government. Last week, he called for strengthening
ethics training and investigations within state government.
Previously, he froze the ability of agency heads to acquire new cars
or pad the state payroll and called for a review of projects funded
through members' initiatives.
[Illinois
Government News Network
press release] |
