Not bad work if you can get out of it
Joel Brunsvold, who has overseen the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, during a time of budget cuts and layoffs, will retire Saturday.Not a bad parting gift for nearly a quarter century of politicking. Hope he's able to make ends meet.
The Milan resident will leave state government with a taxpayer-paid pension worth an estimated $96,200 per year based on his 23-year tenure as a lawmaker and agency director.
"He’s looking forward to spending more time with his family," said DNR spokesman Chris McCloud.
Prior to joining the Blagojevich administration, Brunsvold, a Democrat, represented the Quad-City area in the Illinois House for two decades.
The governor has appointed Brunsvold aide Sam Flood as interim director until a replacement is found. Flood, who makes $96,000 a year, is not in the running to become the next director.
I'm sure all the retired factory workers he represented who have had their pensions pulled out from under them wish him well.
posted by The Inside Dope @ 12/29/2005
8 comments
8 Comments:
Joel is the king of pensions just like his replacement Vershoore. Joel will not only get the money from the state but his teachers pension as well- putting him most certainly in a six figure pension level - and if he becomes a lobbyist - he can easily double that..... and why not- his son Ted is already a lobbyist and making fat cash....
Sounds a little jealous to me! Go become a lobbyist if you please. Rid yourself of this downtrodden attitude. Your outlook will be from a better place.
You bet. Blame it on jealousy, the last refuge of a guilty mind.
Everyone would love to get on that gravy train. I don't know that everyone would be proud of it though... considering that it's hundreds of thousands of dollars that is in dire need by people who are often in desperate need as well as a state who is in a serious budget crunch.
And then there's the fact that few private companies offer such generous retirement benefits, and as I've mentioned, the fact that thousands of people who have worked hard, often sacrificing their health in the process, for decades on end, are now being told that, Oooops!, you don't have a pension anymore, or we'll only give you a fraction of what we had promised.
Just you wait till your Social Security blanket gets taken away from you!!!
I feel strongly that former state legislators - retired or otherwise - should be barred from lobbying the state legislature, and ditto for former federal representatives lobbying Congress. Federal reps. are barred for a certain period of time after they leave office, but state reps., at least in Illinois, can leave office at noon and be lobbying by 3 p.m.
Why should Young Ted Brunsvold be kept from lobbying before he moves back to the QC to take the State Rep position after Vershoore retires.
To anon- alas the lobby world is something only the elite rich and formerly "elected" are entitled to join in on for the fat cash.
Screw you you big elitist BS'r. I bet you are at the trough with Joel and the rest....
MAYBESOMEDAY you will get help for your jealousy. The Brunsvolds have done a great job for this area and when young Ted moves back and takes over for Vershoor you will see
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