SPRINGFIELD, IL - News Flash: Illinois' newly sworn-in governor fires 35 staffers from the previous administration, freezes state hires and halts the purchase of any new state vehicles.
Sound familiar?
Hit the rewind to January 15, 2003 ... deja vu all over again.
Then, the new governor then was Rod Blagojevich, the new party in control of the empty Governor's Mansion was the Democrats. Here's what Tribune reporters Rick Pearson and Christi Parsons wrote 12 years ago:
Casting a reform image for his new administration, Rod Blagojevich used his first full workday as governor Tuesday to fire 35 George Ryan loyalists who had been placed in state jobs thought to be politically protected during Ryan's final weeks in office.
The new Democratic governor also issued an order to freeze state hires, a move that actually concentrates within his office all decisions on hiring, promotions and personnel contracts in state agencies. Blagojevich also halted the purchase of any new state vehicles and looked to reduce the 13,878 government cars and trucks used by employees.
Blagojevich's moves were clearly oriented toward spinning an image of good government to replace the Republican Ryan's scandal-clouded 4-year reign. Blagojevich also said his actions were only the beginning of a purge of Ryan cronies that could involve hundreds of people who were stashed in state jobs or appointed to lucrative positions on state boards and commissions.
"The Ryan administration ended their days in office by using the power at their discretion to put friends and associates in high-paying jobs," Blagojevich said. "I intend to use every power I have and my discretion as governor to eliminate unqualified, unnecessary and overpaid individuals wherever I find them in state government."
Blagojevich said some of the Ryan appointees he was firing could not be removed from the state payroll for two weeks because of technical reasons. Although he termed many of them "unqualified," Blagojevich said, "they're welcome to reapply" for the jobs from which they were being removed.
The more things change in Illinois, the more they stay the same, some would say.
The Rauner Administration has made changes in state agency department heads, and will be sharing with the state next Wednesday his first year priorities in his Constitutionally-required "State of the State" address at the Capitol.
