Those of you outside the building may not be aware that lots of shuffling occurs in the fallout after an election. And while it may seem of little consequence to the real world, one of the biggest little matters in the weeks prior to inauguration is the filling of vacant offices.
Tradition dictates that members may, in order of seniority, move into offices vacated by outgoing members of their caucus. This is why, when you visit the Capitol, more senior members tend to have larger offices with more windows and fewer neighbors.
There is also another rule that is traditionally followed: no member is allowed to displace another member. In other words, members are only allowed to choose from vacant offices. They may not use their leadership position or seniority to displace a fellow caucus member.
Well, guess who has decided that he doesn't like tradition? That's right, it's lame duck Speaker and majority-killer Mike Huebsch. It has been widely reported that Huebsch, in the waning days of his naked-Emperor Speakership, is planning to throw Joan Ballweg out of her office so that he may have it for himself.
For those wondering which office we're talking about, it's the end office on first floor west, the one with the big windows and balcony that overlooks State Street. It's a great office (it even has a bathroom), but the only drawback is that the office is shared side-by-side with another member.
But no worries, Huebsch has a plan for that too. He's trying to find a way to maneuver Kitty Rhoades into the other half. This, of course, is perfect for the two of them. Not only are they the only two people who can probably stand each other, but it also allows Huebsch to reform his failed empire under one roof. Kevin Moore, Jodi Jensen, hell, maybe Huebsch and Rhoades can split Brian Dake while they're at it. What better way to turn the ship around than by allowing the people who pissed the majority away to keep their overpaid staffers together in one place?
This, once again, highlights the difference between Scott Jensen and those who have followed him. We've shifted from a leader who used his power to advance an agenda to leaders who have used their power to simply help themselves personally.
Mike Huebsch, along with his toadies like Kevin Moore, have overseen the speedy destruction of 15 years of work by those who came before them. And now, instead of simply following tradition, Huebsch attempts to use his lame duck Speakership to reward himself and his overpaid staff by throwing another member of his caucus out on the street. Instead of accepting his fate, Huebsch abuses his power and spits in the face of a colleague.
Says a lot about Mike Huebsch, doesn't it? For the record, when Scott Jensen stepped down as speaker for the 2003 session, he moved into the office being vacated by Joe Leibham. Hardly a piece of prime real estate.
This could well be the first real test of Jeff Fitzgerald's leadership - is Little Brother willing to intervene on behalf of a rank-and-file member to keep the outgoing Speaker from walking all over her? It would get him off to a great start with his members and AssGOP staff if he was willing to stand up to Huebsch. After all, Fitz has the authority to undo any decision made by Huebsch come inauguration day. All he needs to do is direct Huebsch to the list of vacant offices and indicate that if Huebsch fails to choose from the list, he will be forcibly relocated in January. He can even request that Speaker Mike Sheridan have the Chief Clerk bill the move to Huebsch's office account.
Little Brother would be well-served to remember that there is far more for him to gain by siding with Joan Ballweg than by standing around with his hands in his pockets and pretending like he can't do anything.
Tradition dictates that members may, in order of seniority, move into offices vacated by outgoing members of their caucus. This is why, when you visit the Capitol, more senior members tend to have larger offices with more windows and fewer neighbors.
There is also another rule that is traditionally followed: no member is allowed to displace another member. In other words, members are only allowed to choose from vacant offices. They may not use their leadership position or seniority to displace a fellow caucus member.
Well, guess who has decided that he doesn't like tradition? That's right, it's lame duck Speaker and majority-killer Mike Huebsch. It has been widely reported that Huebsch, in the waning days of his naked-Emperor Speakership, is planning to throw Joan Ballweg out of her office so that he may have it for himself.
For those wondering which office we're talking about, it's the end office on first floor west, the one with the big windows and balcony that overlooks State Street. It's a great office (it even has a bathroom), but the only drawback is that the office is shared side-by-side with another member.
But no worries, Huebsch has a plan for that too. He's trying to find a way to maneuver Kitty Rhoades into the other half. This, of course, is perfect for the two of them. Not only are they the only two people who can probably stand each other, but it also allows Huebsch to reform his failed empire under one roof. Kevin Moore, Jodi Jensen, hell, maybe Huebsch and Rhoades can split Brian Dake while they're at it. What better way to turn the ship around than by allowing the people who pissed the majority away to keep their overpaid staffers together in one place?
This, once again, highlights the difference between Scott Jensen and those who have followed him. We've shifted from a leader who used his power to advance an agenda to leaders who have used their power to simply help themselves personally.
Mike Huebsch, along with his toadies like Kevin Moore, have overseen the speedy destruction of 15 years of work by those who came before them. And now, instead of simply following tradition, Huebsch attempts to use his lame duck Speakership to reward himself and his overpaid staff by throwing another member of his caucus out on the street. Instead of accepting his fate, Huebsch abuses his power and spits in the face of a colleague.
Says a lot about Mike Huebsch, doesn't it? For the record, when Scott Jensen stepped down as speaker for the 2003 session, he moved into the office being vacated by Joe Leibham. Hardly a piece of prime real estate.
This could well be the first real test of Jeff Fitzgerald's leadership - is Little Brother willing to intervene on behalf of a rank-and-file member to keep the outgoing Speaker from walking all over her? It would get him off to a great start with his members and AssGOP staff if he was willing to stand up to Huebsch. After all, Fitz has the authority to undo any decision made by Huebsch come inauguration day. All he needs to do is direct Huebsch to the list of vacant offices and indicate that if Huebsch fails to choose from the list, he will be forcibly relocated in January. He can even request that Speaker Mike Sheridan have the Chief Clerk bill the move to Huebsch's office account.
Little Brother would be well-served to remember that there is far more for him to gain by siding with Joan Ballweg than by standing around with his hands in his pockets and pretending like he can't do anything.
14 comments:
What a joke. People like Kevin Moore, who have done nothing for the caucus other than help bring it down, keep their jobs and Huebsch does nothing for the people who are actually good staffers and are now out on the street. What an absolute joke.
Isn't all this moot? Doesn't the incoming Dem majority have first crack at offices anyway, able to displace whoever they want for the plum spots? I need a little tutorial here RS.
Throwing Joan Ballweg "out on the street." A little over-dramatic don't you think? Not like she's going to be begging on State Street.
As for a tutorial from RS, he doesn't know squat. You may as well skip the middle man and go right to his source.
To Anon 2, here's what you need to know.
Indeed, the majority party can do whatever it wants. Typically, the majority party elects to take certain floors and/or wings of the building, and leaves the minority party with the other wings. For obvious reasons, there's usually no desire to have Democratic and Republican offices co-mingled more than necessary.
So for instance, during the recent AssGOP majorities, the AssGOP has used ground and 1st floor West, ground and third floor North, while the Dems have used first, second and fourth floor north and third floor west. The AssGOP finance members also use six offices on third floor East.
The Democrats have proposed very little floor-to-floor shuffling - they're simply adding space in some of the shared wings (ground floor North, for instance) to make room for their new members. AssGOP members in those areas are relocated into existing AssGOP areas of the building.
So, Anon 2, the answer is yes they could take those offices, but they're not. The office in question will remain a GOP office.
The whole matter is really about Huebsch breaking long-standing rules so that he can shack him and his staff up with Kitty and her staff (which will be Mike's old staff, and also Kitty's old staff). If it was just about Huebsch wanting that office, well, the other side of Ballweg's office will be vacated by a departing member, and Huebsch has the first choice of offices. Huebsch doesn't have to move Ballweg out to move himself in.
Additionally, Huebsch/Kitty are free to "horse trade" with Ballweg for her office. There are stories, for instance, of a certain leggie who once traded a vote on a bill in exchange for another member's conference table.
But once again, it's about Kitty and Kevin and their own ego-driven selfishness. Be not confused - Mike is just the pawn doing their bidding here.
RS, you're wrong. The Assembly republicans' policy does not allow for "horse trading"...not for office locations...not for furniture, either.
If Representative A volunteers to give Representative B his/her office, I highly doubt anyone would object since the cost of the moves are paid for from office accounts. I doubt many members would be so brazen as to ask, though.
The rules technically say "no bumping" too, but that's not stopping Huebsch, is it? The Speaker is walking all over standing policy.
The furniture swap happened a number of years ago and I doubt it was authorized by leadership. But hey, stuff happens. I'm sure everyone left happy. At least there's some value to a table - it's not like a shitty credenza, or a file cabinet, or a rolltop desk.
Furniture and office swaps do happen. Even staff are being handled like chattel in some backroom negotiations. (I'll give you my couch if you hire my lazy aide 1/2 time.)
So childish. And it's good to see that the Democratic leadership isn't pushing Republicans out of their offices. Come to think of it, that was the difference in the campaigns from courthouse to White House - the Democrats acted like adults and the voters noticed.
rs
any clue if the dems will do like john gard and use the budget crisis as an excuse to give the minority only 1 staffer, rather than 1 and a half?
i've heard this!!
paybacks are a bitch!
By all indications, no. AssGOP members have been told to hire their halves. There were reportedly some elements in the AssDems caucus who wanted revenge for what Gard did a few years ago, but cooler and wiser heads prevailed.
That isn't to say, of course, that those half positions couldn't end up on the chopping block should Doyle insist on sizable cuts to the Legislature's budget for 2009-11. In that sense, the AssDems are probably wise to keep as many GPR positions intact as they can. It gives them more to cut from later.
This is, of course, yet another example of how the constant use of across-the board cuts actually encourage agencies to be inefficient in their operations.
RS, you keep referring to this "10% across the board cut," but that is not what Doyle pushed the agencies for. His request was for what their budgets would look like reduced by 10% (now 12.5%). It's a marker to let the agencies chose what they find expendable in their own houses and is not a set in stone cut forced on 'em from above. Remember the actual budget hasn't even been proposed yet, these are just agency requests.
Fair points. But again, what's the point in being efficient when a) you know damn well others aren't and b) you're all forced to engage in the same silly budget exercises regardless of how well you do your jobs?
The default position in the agencies is logically to bitch, moan, and complain as much as possible while protecting as much of their budget as they can. That way, when cuts come down, the cutting is easier.
Agencies will argue that all their programs are helpful. Asking agencies to cut in-house is a recipe for failure. If I asked an agency head which five problems under their roof are the least important, you know damn well I wouldn't get a straight answer from them.
Politicians need to set the priorities because, simply put, the agencies won't do it for them. Agency heads live to protect the status quo.
Finally, there are no incentives for efficiency. Doyle scrapped discretionary raises, so now there's zero incentive for anyone to work harder than they have to, to be more creative, to come up with great ideas. The threat of losing a job isn't taken seriously because let's be honest, the state rarely fires anyone - it just lapses vacant positions.
These exercises, whether employed by Democrats or Republicans, are simply exercises in lazy budgeting borne out of a refusal to prioritize.
So....in these hard economic times maybe it is time to change the tradition entirely. The office a legislator comes into when elected will be the only office they have. Period. No more expense for staff to change the name plates on the doors, move all the files and furniture from one location to the next, change webpages and directories with staff office listings, etc.
Seniority? Aren't you all elected to serve the people?
I don't disagree with your assessment. However, it's also worth noting three things.
1. The overwhelming majority of legislators in a given session do not switch offices.
2. While one can argue that no expenses are minor, the expense for moving is pretty small, not more than a few hundred dollars to switch out phone numbers, set up computers, order new stenciling for the windows, etc.
3. The cost for moving comes out of a legislator's office account, which is money they usually burn through anyway. It is pretty routine, for example, for legislators who have funds at the end of session to pre-pay for next session's newspaper subscriptions, etc. So, for better or worse, the money being spent on moving would likely just get spent elsewhere.
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