Rauner Administration Begins to Take Shape

Governor-elect Bruce Rauner will assume office tomorrow and several of his top staff and agency appointments were announced on Saturday. You can view a list of his key staff here and some of his agency/board appointments here.

At least two of his picks have been praised by Democrats: 

Governor-elect Rauner's choice to Chair the Illinois State Board of Education, pastor and former State Senator James Meeks, appears to be consuming most of the press coverage oxygen. Reverend Meeks is an African-American pastor of one of the largest churches in the state, a Rauner supporter, and a well-known advocate for overhauling the public education system. The appointment appears to be raising some eyebrows:

He may be a well-known church leader on the Southside, but that doesn't merit questioning the pick on those grounds. Nor are his views concerning same-sex marriage pertinent to his new job:

Same-sex marriage is the law in Illinois and it's not like former-Senator Meeks is going to use his new position to undermine the law. Governor-elect Rauner has shown no indication that he wants to ignite big debates over social issues. In this respect he's more Mark Kirk than Pat Buchanan. 

Meeks has a public record on education reform and it can't be assumed that he desires to push an agenda that would blur the lines between church and state within the public education system. Nor would I expect that he would tamper with the curriculum to advance his personal viewpoints. 

What is most germane is his reputation as an outspoken critic of Illinois' public school system and the funding inequities believed to financially disadvantage some school districts relative to others. He also supports charter schools, long-derided by teachers' unions. The funding plan supported by former-Senator Meeks is a more appropriate consideration about what his appointment could portend, as indicated by the tweet below:

If there's any doubt about his education-reform bona fides and desire to buck the public education system, this next tweet should cast them aside and provide an indication of why Meeks, in addition to the bipartisan nature of the appointment, was an attractive choice for Governor-elect Rauner and why he may come under attack:

What is Chicago Teacher Solidarity? From it's website:

A diverse coalition of local community organizations, labor activists, parents and students who support the Chicago Teachers Union in their fight for quality education.

There you have it. Meeks is a threat to the status quo, whose defenders will attempt to undermine him every step of the way.

(Dis)appointments

Those hoping for a smooth transition from Governor Quinn to Governor Rauner were resoundingly disabused of that hope when Governor Quinn opted to make 51 appointments to boards and commissions on his way out the door. 

That incumbent Governors have the power to make these appointments is beyond dispute. They are, after all, empowered to appoint qualified individuals to open positions. But this is a case where the question of "should Governor Quinn make the appointments" should have taken precedence over "can Governor Quinn make the appointments." 

At issue is that the term of many of these appointees will extend beyond the conclusion of a Rauner first term. In the interest of clean government that respects the outcome of elections and the orderly transfer of power, these appointments should belong to Governor-elect Rauner. Instead, the well has been poisoned with the perception that the outgoing administration is simply looking to reward friends and allies while tying the hands of the incoming administration where possible.

These kinds of appointments are not a shocking development. Last minute appointments have been a part of American politics since, in what became known as the "midnight appointments," outgoing President John Adams attempted to entrench his Federalist views by using his last day in office to appoint numerous Federalist judges. Needless to say, incoming President Thomas Jefferson was not very happy about it. 

Historical practice aside, these types of appointments will always be disappointing for those of us on both sides of the aisle that desperately want to see our government shed past practices and take the high road.