PAT QUINN PUTS PAT FITZGERALD ON A VESTIGIAL COMMISSION: IS THE GOVERNOR RUNNING THE TABLE?

8/15/13

Governor Pat Quinn (no relation) has appointed a commission to “review oversight at the Regional Transportation Authority” (“RTA”).   Appointing a commission is, from a genuine managerial standpoint, one of the most flaccid moves one can make.   Commissions, whether in the private or public sector, do nothing other than waste time and money producing reports few read, none remember, and all ignore.   From a governance standpoint, commissions are a sign of cowardice; pols and private sector managers don’t like to make decisions for which they might be held accountable and thus pass the buck to a “commission” of, usually but not always, has-beens, never weres, and people who make a living selling their once vaunted reputations.

However, from a purely political perspective, forming this particular commission is the latest of a series of great moves on Pat Quinn’s part.   This is mostly because one of the panel members is none other than Patrick Fitzgerald (pictured), our former U.S. Attorney who had the integrity, work ethic, fearlessness, and courage to go after corrupt pols and their gangster pals in and around Chicago.  Mr. Fitzgerald is a rare exception to the “has-beens and never weres” rule for staffing commissions I referred to in the last paragraph.  Let’s hope he hasn’t joined the legions of “people who make a living selling their once vaunted reputations,” but, given my general sense of realism, which some foolishly choose to label cynicism, I can’t be confident in that hope.   But I digress.

At any rate, putting Pat Fitzgerald on this commission is great politics because Mr. Fitzgerald has such a great reputation for rooting out corruption, of which the RTA is a cesspool.   While this commission, like just about every commission formed since, one supposes, the commission formed to investigate the death of Abel, will accomplish nothing, appearances are all that matter in modern politics.

As I said earlier, this is just the latest of Pat Quinn’s brilliant political moves.   First, there was the withholding of lawmakers’ salaries until they get something done on the public pension problem that is bankrupting, or has bankrupted, our state.  (See my 7/10/13 piece, PAT QUINN SUSPENDS LEGISLATORS’SALARIES:   FOUR MORE YEARS?.)   This move was probably silly, perhaps counterproductive, and yet another example of Mr. Quinn’s insatiable penchant for grandstanding, but it was GREAT politics. 

Then there was the appointment of Frank Zuccarelli, the Democratic kingpin of the south suburbs, to the CTA Board.   (See my 8/9/13 piece BILLDALEY IS SHOCKED, SHOCKED (!) THAT PAT QUINN WOULD MAKE A PURELY POLITICALAPPOINTMENT TO THE CTA BOARD.)   This move was made even more brilliant by Mr. Zuccarelli’s declining the seat in light of the stink Bill Daley made about putting Mr. Zuccarelli on the board.   Why was Mr. Zuccarelli’s declension so salubrious for Mr. Quinn’s efforts to keep his job?   Pat Quinn has already ingratiated himself with Mr. Zuccarelli, which was the point of the whole exercise.   The governor has also created some, er, distance between Mr. Zuccarelli and Mr. Daley.   Finally, Mr. Quinn now has the chance to appoint someone else to the CTA Board, and you can be sure he will appoint someone who, like Mr. Zuccarelli, can help the governor in his primary race against Mr. Daley.

Mr. Daley now has to realize he is in a fight.  (See my 7/16/13 piece, PAT QUINN VS. BILL DALEY:  “THIS GUY DOESN’T THINK THIS IS A SHOW; HE THINKS IT’S A FIGHT!”) Lisa Madigan is probably happy she stayed out of this race; it is proving to be far from the coronation to which she felt she was entitled.  (See my 7/16/13 piece, LISA MADIGAN WON’TRUN FOR GOVERNOR:  WOULD YOU WANT THE JOB?)   Pat Quinn (no relation) may have a deserved, or otherwise, reputation as a reformer, but he is showing he didn’t get this far in Chicago and Illinois politics by spending an inordinate amount of time consulting the Marquis of Queensberry.

See my two books, The Chairman, A Novel of Big City Politics and The Chairman’s Challenge, A Continuing Novel of Big City Politics, for further illumination on how things work in Chicago and Illinois politics.