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* From October of 2018…
Rauner’s cabinet is 79 percent white, with only four blacks, two Hispanics, and two Asians among his 38 picks to lead state government agencies.
And reports obtained by WBEZ show his nearly 1,200 appointees to boards, commissions, and task forces in the past three years were 73 percent white, 10 percent black, 6 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent Asian. No race was given for 7 percent of the people Rauner chose. […]
The WBEZ investigation also found men far outnumber women in Rauner’s cabinet and among his board appointments.
When pressed about whether his own administration would be more diverse than Rauner’s, Democratic gubernatorial challenger JB Pritzker said he would do better than the incumbent, by appointing the most diverse state government ever. But asked if he could promise that his high-level appointments would reflect the state’s overall population, Pritzker would only say it would be his “goal” to have a cabinet and boards that mirror the diversity of Illinois.
As Gov. JB Pritzker approaches the nine-month mark in office, he has appointed 225 people to key posts within his administration and to state boards and commissions — a diverse group that’s more than 41 percent female and 44 percent people of color. […]
Illinois is one of the nation’s most diverse states. According to the latest stats available from the U.S. Census Bureau, the people of Illinois were 61.3 percent white, 17.3 percent Hispanic, 14.6 percent black and 5.7 percent Asian. […]
The Daily Line is tracking Pritzker’s appointments, as Rauner’s administration was slow to cooperate with a state law that requires the governor release demographic data about appointees to boards, commissions, and task forces on an annual basis. A WBEZ investigation last year found that Rauner’s appointees were overwhelmingly white and male. […]
Pritzker has mostly met those diversity goals, with 94 females named to director posts for state agencies and to state boards and commissions, and 98 people of color announced since January. Pritzker’s hires in the governor’s office are also a diverse group, though The Daily Line’s analysis does not extend to his direct reports.
He just announced the appointment of a white male today to be the Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Labor.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 2:31 pm
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Given the general idea that government should be roughly representative of the people it governs, that’s a pretty good ratio
Comment by PJ Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 2:38 pm
I think the hiring practices of this Administration have been in line with campaign promises, and has placed some very qualified individuals in key posts.
Comment by NotRich Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 2:42 pm
Alternative headline: Pritzker Administration is most diverse in state’s history. That headline makes it seem like the governor isn’t living up to his promise here and that’s definitely not the takeaway you get from looking at the numbers.
Comment by Suzzz Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 2:50 pm
Also, talking about the Daily Line headline, not yours, Rich.
Comment by Suzzz Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 2:52 pm
It’s also important to look at those appointed just below cabinet and senior level because those are the individuals who will rise to the top of the ranks down the line. With 4 years of Rauner, there isn’t exactly a bench of qualified minorities or women waiting to ascend to the top. But Pritzker’s administration is doing that, in large part because the chief of staff’s demand to build a bench.
Comment by correction Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 2:53 pm
So much better than the last governor, who not only didn’t have diverse staff but who willfully hurt minorities and others. The public sector union busting, who does that disproportionally hurt?
Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 3:01 pm
The orchestra looks right. Now, let’s see if they can play the music.
I suspect they’ll perform just fine. There are plenty of gifted people of all demos in this state.
When you see the numbers on Hispanic population:
=61.3 percent white, 17.3 percent Hispanic, 14.6 percent black and 5.7 percent Asian.=
…makes you wonder how those newly mapped Congressional seats are lawfully supposed to be drawn.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 3:03 pm
===how those newly mapped Congressional seats are lawfully supposed to be drawn===
By simple majority I believe. But thanks for asking.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 3:06 pm
I think that is really commendable
and….
He doesn’t follow the law he just signed with his own state employees.
The law where employers can’t ask what the prospective hires previous salary was.
I guess they skirt that because they already know what they were paid.
Not the spirit of the law.
So instead of deriving the salary based on the position
The Pritzker Administration is sticking to the Rauner 5% bump up for promotions for state agency employees.
So whereas the big wigs may be highly compensated and
diverse
Which is great
Everyone below the Agency heads
if they come from within state government
is getting the Rauner treatment
which
absolutely
disadvantages and disrespects
women, minorities and people of color
who usually have lower salaries to begin with.
BPIA™
even diverse
rubs many the wrong way.
Attending to “key positions”
only gets you so far.
Comment by Sizetenchaos Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 3:18 pm
getting good.
Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 3:23 pm
Some of his appointments have been qualified, some less so.
He has used diversity when it suited his political purposes. There was a well qualified candidate for Director of ISP, but he chose a non minority with no police experience for that spot. He chose a minority at the Tollway with no transportation or infrastructure experience over non-diverse candidates with experience.
Additionally, this diverse hiring is not reflective of his hiring practices at his PE firm as far as I can tell.
Comment by Storm Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 3:48 pm
47, you know better.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 3:58 pm
A guy,
I do, but I also know concern trolling when I see it.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 3:59 pm
===He has used diversity when it suited his political purposes. ===
Maybe, but at least he used it.
Comment by don the legend Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 4:26 pm
==I do, but I also know concern trolling when I see it.==
That isn’t what it is 47. I knew that number was growing and the other number declining. But seeing that trend confirmed in print was a bit surprising and confirms what a big difference 10 years makes. Wonder what it’ll look like in 2030? It’s more of a fascination with trends for me, not trolling.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 4:28 pm
===Wonder what it’ll look like in 2030?===
Now it’s “wondering” about something eleven years from now?
What’s to wonder?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 4:31 pm
The thing I care about is if the person being appointed are qualified for the job. With all the challenges facing the State, I want the best people the State can hire. I guess I still believe skills matter.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 4:37 pm
To the Post,
The clamoring for this Administration to fill positions, just either Republicans or Raunerites, and to change the past Administration’s appointees “just ‘cause”, I say look at what is actually happening.
It’s a process.
The first year, me, I’ll give them that year to get every position they think needs changing, that change.
As a political measuring?
An the old Republicans and now Raunerites say they could have this diversity? Dunno.
The reason it’s important to ask… how diverse and growing is the party, why isn’t a party growing in that diversity.
If anything, politically, the Democrats are showing growth. They are showing outreach, and they are showing it in a methodical way to change the face of Rauner’s Administration to Pritzker’s Administration… numerically.
If the ILGOP wants to get its brand back from both Rauner and Trump and be a statewide political entity willing to be a party of every corner of Illinois… look at Pritzker in his governing. Can the ILGOP be this diverse?
Does the ILGOP want to be welcoming to this diversity?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 4:40 pm
=I guess I still believe skills matter.=
You must be old, or you actually care about quality.
or both
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 4:40 pm
“The thing I care about is if the person being appointed are qualified for the job. With all the challenges facing the State, I want the best people the State can hire. I guess I still believe skills matter.”
And my problem is that the writers on this topic assumed that diversity means unqualified. To that i reply the Rauner higher ups, not one was qualified beyond yes persons.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 5:01 pm
==The thing I care about is if the person being appointed are qualified for the job. With all the challenges facing the State, I want the best people the State can hire. I guess I still believe skills matter.==
Of course you are correct; but diversity has nothing to do with it. Rauner picked a whole lot of unqualified/incompetent white males. And “best” people don’t exit for anything other than people trying to justify hiring white males to fill positions. For any given spot in government, or the private sector , there are always going to be many people highly qualified and competent to do the job. It is just whether the person hiring is going to look beyond their own circle of comfort.
Comment by Shevek Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 5:01 pm
-js mills-
Both …
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 7:56 pm
==I guess I still believe skills matter.==
Then you should be over the moon, since highly-qualified women and minorities are so routinely passed over that any random assortment of applicants for a management position will typically feature MORE qualified women and minorities, because white men were already hired into management, above more qualified women and minority applicants. If you’re in charge of hiring, focusing on women and minorities is a cheap and easy way to get WAY more bang for your buck, because you’ve got women with two and three degrees from highly-selective universities routinely losing out to dudes who barely scraped a BA from a party school, but look authoritative in a suit. They are highly-qualified, highly-motivated, and eager to prove themselves. And the same for minority applicants.
It’s good to have an administration that is hiring based on skills and is able to get beyond looks!
Comment by Suburban Mom Tuesday, Sep 3, 19 @ 10:17 pm
=I guess I still believe skills matter.=
I think people overlook diversity as a cold-blooded, soulless, not-wanting-to-make-the-world-a-better-place, selfish business decision. Good people are hard to come by, whether in government or the private sector. If in your hires (same goes for your customer base) you’re way out of balance in demographics, it means you could be failing to attract potential talent in your recruitment process. You’ll want to adjust your process to make sure you’re not missing out on potential. That’s why we should have been worrying about the talent level in state leadership before moreso than now.
Comment by Earnest Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 8:14 am
I am disturbed by the replacement of key minorities and the lack of attention to minority issues. JB only focuses on minorities when it’s convenient.
Comment by Insider Wednesday, Sep 4, 19 @ 9:20 am