New Illinois Governor seizes Ryan Computer Files
A Planet Visitor
url:http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-computer15.html
An article from the Chicago Sun-Times today --
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GOVERNOR SEIZES RYAN FILES
BY DAVE MCKINNEY, SCOTT FORNEK AND CHRIS WETTERICH
STAFF REPORTERS
SPRINGFIELD--Saying he now has the "keys to the operation," Gov.
Blagojevich Tuesday "quarantined" nearly 100 of former Gov. Ryan's
office computers as possible criminal evidence and fired nearly three
dozen of the ex-governor's cronies from last-minute jobs.
"I want to be clear. Today is only a start," the newly inaugurated
governor told reporters after making those moves and launching a
hiring freeze and a look into the potential misuse of thousands of
state-leased vehicles for high-ranking government officials.
Flexing new muscle as the state's chief executive, Blagojevich used
his first full day in office to underscore his credentials as a government
reformer and to distance himself from his unpopular predecessor.
Shortly after being sworn in, Blagojevich ordered all computers in
Ryan's Chicago and Springfield offices isolated in the event federal
prosecutors investigating corruption under Ryan decide they want
to inspect the equipment.
Last week, prosecutors involved in the Operation Safe Roads investigation
issued a round of subpoenas to several Ryan aides to bar them from
destroying records before leaving office Tuesday.
No new subpoenas have been issued to the governor's office since
Blagojevich took over from Ryan. Blagojevich's move was described
as a pro-active step to show U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald he is
willing to cooperate in the unfolding federal probe that appears to have
targeted Ryan himself.
"Whatever was on the premises has been removed and quarantined to
ensure, on a precautionary basis, that there is no alteration or deletion
of material," Blagojevich spokesman Billy Weinberg said.
Weinberg said there had been no attempt by Fitzgerald's office to inspect
the equipment, which is being warehoused by the Department of Central
Management Services. A Fitzgerald spokesman declined to comment on
Blagojevich's move.
The firings of 35 former staffers of Ryan or ex-Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood come
after Ryan changed state hiring rules to install his loyalists in high-paying,
secure spots on the state payroll--positions designed to be difficult to
eradicate during the next four years. All told, the positions scrapped by
Blagojevich trim $2.8 million off the state payroll.
Blagojevich said he believes he is on firm legal footing in his personnel
move, which took aim at Ryan's former $113,000-a-year communications
director Dave Urbanek and the $91,000-a-year assistant to former first lady
Lura Lynn Ryan, Susan Cavanaugh, among others.
Urbanek was moved in December to the obscure $99,000-a-year post as
director of the Illinois Building Commission. Cavanaugh was appointed to
a $91,000 position in the Department of Natural Resources.
The highest-paid of Ryan's ex-staffers on the chopping block is Michael
P. Murphy, a former press secretary and longtime aide who was appointed
to a $109,000-a-year job overseeing coal development in the Department
of Commerce and Community Affairs.
"The Ryan administration ended their days in office by using the power at
their discretion to put friends and associates in high-paying jobs," Blagojevich
said. "I intend to use every power I have and my discretion as governor to
eliminate unqualified, unnecessary and overpaid individuals wherever I can
find them in state government."
Blagojevich first took issue with the so-called term appointments engineered
by Ryan during the gubernatorial campaign. As word of Tuesday's move
reached some of Ryan's ex-staff members, some balked at Blagojevich's
portrayal of them as unqualified political insiders and hinted at a possible
legal challenge.
"I think it's a gross injustice," said Urbanek, adding a lawsuit is an option.
"I do a good job for the people of this state and always have. Pardon me,
but you can only see yourself described as a hack, a crony or a toady in
the media so much before the people start to believe it."
Blagojevich's list of firings did not include last-minute Ryan appointees
like ex-Sen. William Shaw (D-Dolton) and former lottery administrator
Joan Fawell, estranged wife of Ryan's ex-chief of staff Scott Fawell.
The new governor appointed Springfield lawyer Mary Lee Leahy, responsible
for winning a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling against patronage hiring,
to review those appointments and hundreds of other last-minute hires.
Questioned specifically about Shaw's March 1 appointment to the obscure,
$99,500-a-year position of small business utility advocate after losing a
November re-election bid, Blagojevich said he wasn't sure the position is
even necessary.
"Quite frankly, we don't even know what that is, what that does....So needless
to say, I'm taking a very serious look at that," Blagojevich said.
While that review is under way, the governor imposed a freeze to prevent
agency directors from hiring new workers or authorizing promotions. And
finally, Blagojevich signed another executive order blocking agencies from
leasing or buying new vehicles, except emergency vehicles, during a review
of more than 13,000 leased state-owned cars and trucks. Blagojevich said
leased cars have been "an often abused perk among state government
appointees," citing three instances where individuals were assigned two
state vehicles apiece.
"Our state is facing an unprecedented budget crisis. We cannot afford a
single dollar," Blagojevich said. "The days of taking care of insiders first
and taxpayers last are over."
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PV
Dr. Dolly Coughlan
<pasdespa...@zeouane.org> writes:
>Subject: Re: New Illinois Governor seizes Ryan Computer Files
>From: Desmond Coughlan <pasdespa...@zeouane.org>
>Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 16:27:20 +0000
>
>le Wed, 15 Jan 2003 16:18:41 GMT, dans l'article
><BRfV9.128010$j8.33...@twister.tampabay.rr.com>, A Planet Visitor
><abc...@zbqytr.ykq> a dit ...
>
>{ snip Spag's sour grapes at being denied some 'wood' in Illinois }
>
>Never mind, FuckWit ... you still have kiddie porn to look forward to.
>
>--
>Desmond Coughlan |Yamaha YZF-R1
>desmond @ zeouane.org |'Ze Ouane!'
>http: // www . zeouane . org
>http://www.zeouane.org/peinedemort/obsessive_litany.html
>
>
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r-mail
>From: Desmond Coughlan <pasdespa...@zeouane.org>
>Newsgroups: alt.activism.death-penalty
>Subject: Re: New Illinois Governor seizes Ryan Computer Files
>Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 16:27:20 +0000
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>
The Dr. Dolly Coughlan archive exists because Desmond Coughlan lacks conviction
in his words. He won't allow his posts to be archived in Google. Please feel
free to use it to your advantage.
A Planet Visitor
"Desmond Coughlan" <pasdespa...@zeouane.org> wrote in message news:85240b...@lievre.voute.net...
> le Wed, 15 Jan 2003 16:18:41 GMT, dans l'article <BRfV9.128010$j8.33...@twister.tampabay.rr.com>, A Planet Visitor
<abc...@zbqytr.ykq> a dit ...
>
> { snip Spag's sour grapes at being denied some 'wood' in Illinois }
>
> Never mind, FuckWit ... you still have kiddie porn to look forward to.
>
has claimed I am a pedophile, in his inability to form a rational articulate
thought process.
PV
> --
> Ayatollah desi |Superlunary and Most Exalted
|Spiritual Leader of the Universal
|Right to Life Church. (umm... get
|away from me -- you filthy black
|starving child in Africa) 'My church'
|isn't for you.
> > http://www.zeouane.org/peinedemort/obsessive_litany.html
>
Quoting from that beautiful reference which described desi
perfectly --
'Cancerous' is almost a compliment when one views most of desi's
comments -- other forms spring more easily to mind -- it is a parasitic
diarrhea of the brain... it is crazy chick disease transferred to our
thinking process -- it is a swarm of latrine flies setting on our ability
to process information --- it is maggots feasting on the bodies of numberless
victims of murder. It is madness. utter madness. It is Desmond Coughlan."
Rev. Don Kool
A Planet Visitor wrote:
> "Desi Coughlan" <des...@zeouane.org> wrote...
>>A Planet Visitor wrote ...
>
>>{ snip Spag's sour grapes at being denied some 'wood' in Illinois }
>>
>>Never mind, FuckWit ... you still have kiddie porn to look forward to.
>>
>
> Ah yes... just add that to the disgusting other comments where desi
> has claimed I am a pedophile, in his inability to form a rational articulate
> thought process.
Time will tell whether Ex-governor Ryan meets up with any of his
buddies when he gets to prison. LOL!!
Hope this helps,
Don
--
*************************** You a bounty hunter?
* Rev. Don McDonald, SCNA * Man's gotta earn a living.
* Baltimore, MD * Dying ain't much of a living, boy.
*************************** "Outlaw Josey Wales"