Months after voters on the Northwest Side bounced him from the City Council, former Ald. John Rice has found a job in the administration of a fellow 36th Ward Democrat—Gov. Pat Quinn.
Rice was hired last month as a $84,420-a-year deputy director of traffic safety for the Illinois Department of Transportation. The spot on the payroll is exempt from civil service rules, meaning that the Quinn administration was free to fill the post based on political considerations.
But Rice said he did not rely on any of his political connections in landing the job.
“If I had so much power, I would be working the weekend after I lost the election,” he said, adding that he had lived off his savings since he
lost the run-off election to firefighter Nicholas Sposato in April.
Then-Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed Rice to the council in 2009 to replace retiring Ald. William J.P. Banks, the longtime boss of the powerful 36th Ward Democratic Organization. Rice was an aide to Banks, often driving him between City Hall and his ward office on Belmont Avenue, and Banks in turn asked Daley to replace him on the council with Rice.
Finding a new job after losing his council seat was not easy, Rice said. He said he applied for many public and private sector openings and put in for the state job online during the summer.
Rice said his experience in the transportation field included running valet and snowplowing companies and managing valet services for Jam Productions.
Josh Kauffman, an IDOT spokesman, said Rice’s new responsibilities for the state involve developing solutions to traffic safety issues, initiating and reviewing proposed state legislation and helping create and implement a highway safety program. Kauffman said Rice’s background as an alderman and in the transportation industry qualified him for the job, and he denied that clout influenced his appointment.
“He has, obviously, extensive experience when it comes to community involvement in his former position,” Kauffman said. “We’re pleased to have him on board.”
Rice said his new job was so far less stressful than being an alderman, but he still missed being on the council.
In addition to Rice,
three other aldermen were defeated in this year’s city election. One of the other losing incumbents, former 6th Ward Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, will be
sworn-in to fill a vacancy on the Cook County Circuit Court bench, though she said she does not plan on running for a full term in the March primary. Lyle said she hoped to eventually become an appellate court judge.
Lyle said she did not include veteran Ald. Edward Burke (14th) on her list of references when she applied for the judicial post. Burke is the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party’s judicial slate-making committee.
“I specifically did not list Ald. Burke because I did not want people to think this is a political appointment,” she said. “And that’s why I wasn’t really trying to get a whole lot of press about it, because that’s the first idea people are going to have: ‘Oh, this is a political hookup.’”
Lyle said the state Supreme Court justices who signed off on her appointment were Edward Burke’s wife, Anne Burke, as well as Charles Freeman and Mary Jane Theis.
Lyle also has been working as a legal advisor to the council’s Black Caucus during the ward remap process.
But she said has no plans to mount a comeback bid and will give up her spot as the 6th Ward’s Democratic committeeman at the end of her term next year.
A lifelong 36th Ward Democratic worker, Rice said he also would stay out of the March primary to lead the organization. Banks is retiring from the top party post, creating a contest between Sposato and organization loyalist Lawrence Andolino.
Not all aldermen ousted in the April run-off election are saying goodbye to politics. A
website for former 50th Ward alderman Bernard Stone states that he is now a political analyst who is “available for interviews and media consultation.” Stone did not reply to an email request for an intervi
http://www.dot.il.gov/trafficsafety/executive%20summary11%20(1).pdf
ReplyDeleteAbove is a link to the Division of Traffic Safety. They handle MANY grants and all of the traffic safety funding for the State. Lots of money. The report is suppose to contain an organizational chart but doesn't - interesting.
Traffic safety has never been more important with drivers distracted by cell phones, texting, impaired drivers, etc. This is no time for a political hack to be managing millions of dollars of safety initiatives and also be responsible for their outcomes. This is a mistake. What is Quinn thinking?
He's the state's problem now, not ours - thank heavens.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, the Northwest side patronage division - IDOT.
ReplyDeleteformer alderman Doherty and current State Rep McAullife both are from IDOT.
If Rice would have won, the 36th ward would not be in the process of being redrawn. Rahm is drawing out Sposato because he cares about the people in his ward over party politics. And that is exactly why he needs to run for 41st ward alderman if he is cut out. He would win in a landslide.
ReplyDeleteThe Executive Inspector General for the State of Illinois, Ricardo Meza should be investigating this appointment. Even though the position isn't a civil service position, there should be a job description and required qualifications.
ReplyDeleteEveryone that voted for Quinn should be proud. He's no reformer. He's Madigan's Lap Dog and he is too stupid to realize that Madigan is going to screw him when the time is right.
ReplyDeleteIf Alderman Sposato runs for 41st ward Alderman in 2015, who will Chicago Firefighters and Chicago Police back? That will be interesting, because now, they back both, but Sposato is CFF and will the fire fighters union support him if he challenges O'Connor? And Alderman O'Connor's Chief of Staff, Lisa Ryan, is married to the Chicago Firefighters union president, Tom Ryan.
ReplyDeleteAnd what about Maurita Gavin, who lost to Alderman O'Connor in a run off in 2011? Her chances of challenging O'Connor in 2015 are slim to none if Sposato goes after the 41st ward. Why? Gavin is now Alderman Sposato's Chief of Staff.
Oh this will be an curious place to live in 2015 if Sposato is drawn out.
Ald Sposato is a fighter. He isn't going to go. I hope he decides to go north, because we need a fighter here.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Quinn thinking? When will politican patronage end? And this is to close to home for Quinn - he LIVES in the ward! Is he crazy?
ReplyDeleteRice has something on Banks or Banks owes Rice. Banks called in a favor from someone who owes him. That's how it works.
ReplyDeleteI run side business plowing snow. I hook up a plow to the front of my truck and off I go. Can I have the assistant to the deputy director job at IDOT? Whose ass do I kiss?
ReplyDeleteNo way 12:12pm - I park cars for a valet service. I am more qualified for the Assistant to the Deputy Director at IDOT job than you.
ReplyDeleteI hope if Sposato decides to run against O'Connor, that he campaigns clean. That Gavin campaign was a mud slinging nasty campaign that turned off voters. If you behave like that during a campaign, you will be worse in office.
ReplyDeleteRead Kass' column today about Lisa Madigan's blindness to other forms of state irregularity and uses IDOT examples. Is anyone surprized about Rice's appointment to a position he is not qualified for?
ReplyDeleteOut raged yes. Surprised no! Deleo and Banks may have retired from elected office but they did not retire from the game. They are still among the puppet masters pulling the strings. Sadly, 41 is now 36 (politically). Deleo and Banks sponsored and financed Mulroe and O'Connor through their connections. Old machine same as the new machine...36th ward voters stood up and now their ward is being wiped out. 41, on the other hand, fell for the B.S. and gave their voice and vote to the crooks. I hope Sposato or some one like him takes on our puppets before it is too late.
ReplyDeletedidya ever notice all the vowels in the names of IDOT workers?
ReplyDeleteTo 12-11 at 12:49PM. The only dirty mudslinging was on the part of Gavin
ReplyDeleteThis needs an investigation. I have a Masters in Public Administration. A job like that needs to go to someone like me who has been educated to deal with public programming, grant administration and grant reporting. Peoples lives depend on it.
ReplyDeleteI really like Sposato's style and the work he has done in his ward. Not a big fan of his staffer, though.
ReplyDeleteSposato in 2015, yes!
ReplyDeleteEasy with Sposato. He's no reformer, he hired Gavin even though Rice=Doerherty=Gavin=Silvestri.
ReplyDelete=Corruption