It’s always nice to see the upstanding folks from St. Clair County being fast-tracked. Scott Flood, hired in May with no natural resource experience or training, has been named Department of Natural Resources regional land manager. He’ll earn $59,472.
Congratulations for all that hard work, Scott.
In other St. Clair County social register tidbits:
Flood is one of several family members of powerful St. Clair County Democrats to get hired by the state despite a general effort by former Gov. George Ryan and Blagojevich to make cuts to offset decreased revenues.
U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello’s son-in-law, Illinois National Guard pilot Brian Keen, was hired in October as a $69,060-per-year pilot for the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics. Keen’s duties include flying the governor.
Costello’s son, John P. Costello, was hired in 2001 as a $50,000-a-year auto dealership paperwork checker for the secretary of state.
After Blagojevich took office, Costello’s sister-in-law, Brenda Cockrum, was hired as a $42,000-a-year intern for the Illinois Department of Public Aid.
And Edie Koch, the aunt of Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, was hired in January as the $60,000-a-year director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s “Opportunity Returns” office in Collinsville.
It’s all about family.
I’m shocked.
This never would have gone on under a Republican administration. Never.
Costello delivers. He deserves a taste. Get over it, AP.
It’s what he delivers that bothers me. That there is patronage and pork is one thing. That happens. The thing is Costello’s is often tied to unsavory folks–just as the City of Chicago’s is. On top of that, Costello and his allies sit there and let the poor black communities wallow in vice. Admittedly, those communities have ‘leaders’ participating in it too, but the white establishment in St. Clair County and Madison too–have let it go on for far too long.
But it also doesn’t mean we shouldn’t point it out. I have no problem blasting Republicans over pork–and going back to G-Ry’s reign on here you can see some of my complaints. I just don’t think that Democrats should stand around and let some of these guys get a way with it. In this case, it isn’t like it matters to Costello, but it does get me some laughs.