Scorecard

Friends of Deval: 3 Regular Joes:-91

By Dave Wedge | Tuesday, October 20, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Politics


Photo by Herald file
Gov. Deval Patrick has issued pink slips to nearly 100 state Department of Conservation and Recreation workers but spared a high-paid trio including the sister of his campaign manager and her two pals, the Herald has learned.

DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan confirmed 91 workers have been let go, including some who held their jobs for years.

But Patty Vantine - the sister of Gov. Deval Patrick’s campaign manager and state Democratic chairman John Walsh - and two friends she hired are not among those hitting the unemployment line.

“The whole process is unfair,” said Sen. Richard R. Tisei (R-Wakefield). “Scores of people have used political connections to get their jobs and they’re going to use their political connections to keep their jobs as well.”

Vantine, a former accountant for the state Democratic party, was given a $20,000 raise last year that bumped her pay to $105,000 when she was promoted to a top DCR administrative post.

The Herald reported in May that Vantine hired her friend and Abington neighbor Kathleen Reilly to an $83,000-a-year administrative post. Reilly previously had worked for the state for 18 years but was a stay-at-home mom until Vantine brought her back onto the state payroll earlier this year.

Vantine also hired her Abington neighbor Kevin Whalen, a former analyst for State Street Corp., to a $68,000 “waterfront coordinator” position.

Walsh did not return a call. Sullivan said the DCR layoffs were “targeted” and several departments were eliminated. Most of the cuts affected union workers and were done by seniority. Vantine, Reilly and Whalen, who have given a combined $2,000 to Patrick’s campaign, evaded termination because they’re valued non-union managers, Sullivan said.

“These individuals are skilled, experienced professionals who hold key management responsibilities,” Sullivan said. “DCR is lucky to have them.”

Among the cuts were forest firefighters, golf course managers, marketing and graphic arts professionals and environmentalists.

“Obviously none of these decisions are easy,” Sullivan said. “Unfortunately, I think this is a permanent situation . . . and I am certainly not prepared to say this is even the end of it. But we’ll continue to do the best job we can with the resources we’re given.”

Tisei said the retention of the three highlights how Patrick has “larded up all the state agencies with high-priced political appointees.”

Mass GOP executive director Nick Connors said, “Jobs should be based on what you know, not who you know. Government should not be raising taxes to fund hack jobs when people are losing their jobs.”