Published: April 24, 2009 10:18 am      

Granberg gets pension for brief job

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

SPRINGFIELD — Former State Representative Kurt Granberg will receive a full pension after the Illinois Pension Review Board voted 3 to 2 along party lines to pay a pension increase for the 21 days he served as director of the Department of Natural Resources.

“The Democrats have rewarded Governor Blagojevich’s scandal appointee with an additional $40,000 a year for the rest of his life,” State Senator John O. Jones (R-Mt. Vernon) stated. “Mr. Granberg spent a little more than 20 days as head of the Department of Natural Resources and will receive more money than many of the families in the 54th District make.”

Granberg, who served as state representative for the 107th District, didn’t run for re-election in November, and resigned from his position a week before the end of the session and House vote on the impeachment of Blagojevich. A week later, Blagojevich announced Granberg’s appointment to lead IDNR, a position Granberg said at the time he had been waiting months to receive.

Not only was Granberg’s appointment criticized, but an increase in pay for Granberg was approved by Blagojevich to $133,000 — which resulted in a $43,000 increase in Granberg’s state pension. The legislative pension prior to the IDNR elevation would have been $73,000.

Shortly after his elevation to governor, Pat Quinn fired Granberg, a lawyer from Carlyle who served as state representative for this district since 1987. Quinn stated he questioned Granberg’s appointment, his salary, and believed someone with more experience in conservation and natural resources was needed in the IDNR position.

The two Republicans which serve on the Illinois Pension Review Board voted against allowing Granberg to keep the elevated pension.

“Illinois citizens deserve honest and honorable public servants,” Brady stated.

“Mr. Granberg should have rejected the additional $40,000.”

Jones said he was very disappointed in the decision by the committee, which is made up of eight members of the House and Senate — of which three were absent for the vote.

“The vote by the pension board, which we do not agree with, shows the Illinois public one thing, that corruption and dishonesty will be rewarded,” Jones said. “Illinois taxpayers are now on the hook for $133,000 a year for the remainder of Mr. Granberg’s life.”