Taking Care of Each Other

More proof today that those in power in Madison right now are only interested in taking care of each other.

Former Administration Secretary Michael Morgan--Governor Doyle's top aide and most trusted advisor--has been appointed a new Vice President for Administration and Fiscal Affairs in the University of Wisconsin System.  I've talked with Michael Morgan in his previous capacity as Revenue Secretary before becoming the Governor's real right-hand man--and I found him to be a very intelligent guy with a track record of bringing economic development to some very blighted areas in the City of Milwaukee before going to Madison.  It doesn't hurt that he was also a running back for the Badgers back in the 1970's.

Is Mr. Morgan qualified to be the new Vice President for Administration and Fiscal Affairs in the University of Wisconsin System?  Maybe.  But we will never know that for sure--because UW System President Kevin Reilly gave him the job before he even turned in a resume or sat down for an interview.  President Reilly says the usual process of posting the job and interviewing several candidates and meeting with the Board of Regents to discuss the hiring was not done to "avoid a protracted and costly search to fill the job at a time when the system is in the midst of major projects".  Reilly adds that everyone knows Morgan is qualified for the job--and that Morgan will be in the position on an "interim" basis--three years at the most.

Now Attorney General JB Van Hollen is weighing in on the hiring process: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/97951944.html

However, the AG has no authority to conduct an investigation into why the hiring practices of the UW were not followed in this case.  It turns out, the Board of Regents is the only one allowed to look into hiring practices by the UW--and being all Doyle appointees--I doubt we will see much interest in doing that.

Did you notice that Mr. Morgan will be seeing a 79%  increase in pay?  With zero experience in higher education administration, he will make as much as the person he replaced--who had 30-years in the "business" and who left to become the University of Arizona System President.

It should be interesting to see what other "Golden Parachutes" Governor Doyle finds for his supporters on the way out the door this fall.  I think the high speed train probably needs a conductor.