It pays to be the governor’s pal

2 comments January 22nd, 2009

Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s selection of Kurt Granberg as director of the Department of Natural Resources hasn’t received nearly the attention the governor’s nomination of Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate did. Granberg’s nomination, like Burris’ is expected to be confirmed in the state Senate.

The only editorial I’ve seen that opposes the appointment appeared in the Belleville News Democrat. Read it HERE.

Granberg’s pension will be based on his salary as DNR director even if he only serves on the job for a day. He’ll make more retired than while he was working as a state rep and we taxpayers will foot the bill.

There’s nothing illegal there, it’s just how the system was set up.

State Sen. Dave Syverson told me he didn’t think the Senate could block the nomination.  State Rep. Dave Winters said that Granberg is one of the “good old boys” and has made plenty of friends in the Senate.

Of course his best friend right now has to be the governor. The governor sat on this appointment for almost three years so the timing would suggest that Blagojevich is trying to show everyone that he’s still in charge.