Names

Schmid resigns from Illinois Commerce Commission

"I wish more people understood regulation," said Schmid. "The process is so complicated. . . . But when a utility has to borrow at the highest rates in history, that will be reflected in its own rates. . . . I've enjoyed the work. It's not a job to be loved in. You try to do a responsible job and be fair."

Schmid announced her resignation May 18 after voting with I1CC Chairman Philip O'Connor and Commissioner Charles Stalon not to delay Illinois Power Company's recent electric rate increase until after a review for the increase scheduled for July. This and an earlier vote to increase General Telephone rates (on which I1CC members were in general agreement) roused Senate Democrats to call for Schmid's immediate resignation.

"I think the decisions are questionable," said Sen. Vince Demuzio (D-49, Carlinville). "If someone brought a lawsuit, the court would be forced to decide if a reasonable length of time had elapsed [for the office to have been declared vacant]." In addition, Sen. Patrick Welch (D-38, Peru) added an amendment to S.B. 1085, a bill sponsored by Welch, which would prevent utilities from charging customers for excess capacity. The amendment would declare a vacancy exists two weeks after the Senate fails to reconfirm a nominee for IlCC.

According to the governor's office as of May 24, Thompson will nominate a successor to Schmid by the end of the legislative session. Replacing Schmid with another Republican would preserve the present political makeup of the commission: three Republicans and two Democrats. But Thompson's appointment must be confirmed by the Senate, a major hurdle for recent IlCC nominees whether they are viewed as consumer-oriented like Daniel W. Rosenblum or utility-oriented like Schmid. And until a new member is appointed, there may be only four commissioners voting on cases which could make it difficult to reach decision.

Two major rate cases to be decided in July are rehearings granted by the commission on previous rate hikes. One involves Peoples Gas Company and Northern Illinois Gas. The major issues are a proposed alternative fuel adjustment which would tie gas rates to some "competitive" customers (industries, hospitals, universities, etc. which can also use No. 6 fuel oil) to the price of oil so that gas rates would be lower than oil rates. "Noncompetitive" customers, including residential and some industrial customers, are opposed because their rates would fluctuate to compensate. Other issues include how much customers should pay on the costs of Peoples' synthetic natural gas plant and on gas storage. The major issue in the Illinois Power Company rehearing is the amount of construction work in progress at the Clinton nuclear plant that should be included in the rate base and whether customers will get a rebate if some of the construction work is disallowed from the rate hike granted in January.

Hartigan moves to modernize Attorney General's Office

Atty. Gen. Neil F. Hartigan fulfilled a 1982 campaign pledge by establishing a professional, bipartisan advisory group to help organize the Attorney General's Office on a more modern basis. The new Board of Professional Advisors will be headed by retired Illinois Supreme Court Justice Walter Schaefer. Other members include former University of Illinois Board of Trustee president Earl Neal and Chicago attorney Samuel Witwer, president of the Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention. Remaining members will be drawn from leaders in the legal, business, labor, social service and academic communities. The board will meet "periodically on an ongoing basis" to assist Hartigan in establishing quality standards for the legal efforts of the office, modernizing the day-to-day operations of the office and formulating policies that ensure the effective delivery of quality legal service for the state of Illinois.

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Atty. Gen. Hartigan also made the following appointments:

Don Wood, Springfield, as assistant to the attorney general in the consumer fraud division, March 1 at a salary of $25,000. He was previously employed at Resource Management Services in Sullivan. Wood ran unsuccessfully for reelection as state's attorney for Moultrie County in the last election.

Natalie Marder, Springfield, as administrative assistant with scheduling duties for the Attorney General's Office, effective March 21. Marder previously worked in real estate sales.

Richard Cosby, Springfield, resigned his position with the Attorney General's Office effective April 29 after 11 1/2 years of service, most notably as an environmental attorney specializing in hazardous and toxic waste litigation. Cosby, who headed the landmark Wilsonville case against SCA Services, moved to Chicago to become a partner in a law firm. He has, however, been appointed special assistant attorney general by Hartigan so that he may continue the prosecution of three ongoing waste cases: Wilsonville, Sheffield and Brighton. He will also serve on the recently created Statewide Hazardous Waste Task Force.

Arthur L. Turner, a former state representative, is back at the Statehouse, filling a seat left vacant by Rep. William C. Henry. Henry, who represented the 18th District, was elected alderman of Chicago's 24th Ward in February. Turner was sworn in April 27.

Turner, 32, of Chicago was elected from the old 21st District in 1980, but he was defeated in November by Ozzie Hutchins in the newly drawn 17th District.

Successive Cellinis at the Office of Secretary of State

Secy. of State Jim Edgar's patronage chief, Frank Cellini, was appointed manager of the Department of Central Management Services' (DCMS) division of vehicles by department director Louis Giordano effective May 1. He succeeds Pete Remmert, Woodford County Republican chairman, who will return to his former position in DCMS' Peoria office. Remmert had agreed to the Springfield assignment for one year only. Cellini was formerly with the Department of Transportation before joining Edgar's staff in 1981. His new position pays $38,000.

Succeeding Cellini in Edgar's office is his cousin, Janis Cellini. She has been the assistant director of personnel for the governor's office for the past 3 1/2 years. She will be paid $35,000 in her new post.

Another appointment in the Secretary of State's Office is Barbara Charles, Springfield, as analyst for the personnel department, effective April 1. Charles was previously an administrative assistant in the Department of Conservation. She replaces Sarah Beaty, who became secretary for Sen. Jerome Joyce (D-43, Bradley).

Michael C. Williams, Pawnee, was named assistant director of the Department of Agriculture (IDA) by Gov. James R. Thompson, effective in May. Williams, who operates a grain and livestock farm near Pawnee, was farm services manager at the Springfield Marine Bank before joining IDA's division of natural resources in 1978. Since 1981 he has been administrative assistant to the director. The appointment pays a salary of $37,000 a year, requires Senate confirmation and has a term expiring January 21, 1985. Williams replaces John Rowley, who has taken a position with the Department of Transportation's planning and programming division.

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In addition, Don Norton, Springfield, was named superintendent of the division of marketing by IDA Director Larry Werries, effective in May. The appointment pays an annual salary of $39,000. Norton was administrative assistant and campaign manager for former U.S. Rep. Paul Findley.

Wells to head Center for Research on Sulfur in Coal

William L. Wells, Signal Mountain, Tenn., was named director of the new Illinois Center for Research on Sulfur in Coal by Robert E. Bergstrom, chief of the State

Bakalis and Fletcher join Illinois Issues board

ILLINOIS ISSUES is honored to announce the appointment of Michael J. Bakalis, Evanston, and James L. Fletcher, Glencoe, to its board.

Bakalis served as Illinois' comptroller, 1977-1979, and as the last elected state superintendent of public instruction, 1971-1975. After an unsuccessful bid for governor against Gov. James R. Thompson, Bakalis was appointed deputy undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education in 1980. He is currently a professor of education and public management at Northwestern University, Evanston.

Fletcher was deputy governor to Gov. Thompson from 1977 to 1979. Since then, he has been a partner in the Chicago law firm of Winston & Strawn. He also currently serves as the director of the Chicago Urban League and was campaign director for Bernard Epton in the Chicago mayoral election.

Geological Survey, effective in June. The center, which was established last September, is a partnership among the survey, University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Its goal is to find effective, economical ways to remove sulfur from coal. Wells, a chemist and engineer, was program manager for research on environmental pollution control technologies in the Tennessee Valley Authority's division of energy demonstrations and technology. He has worked extensively on desulfurization and scrubber technology. Wells' appointment has been approved by the Illinois Board of Natural Resources and Conservation.

Other appointments

Barry McAnarney, Springfield, as chief of the banking division, Office of the State Treasurer, by Treasurer James Donnewald effective April 11. McAnarney succeeds the late Luke Lavin whom he worked under as assistant investment officer. McAnarney took a leave of absence last year to run U.S. Rep. Richard J. Durbin's (D-20, Springfield) election campaign.

Bill Fleischli, Springfield, as legislative liaison for the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS), by director Robert W. Granzeier effective March 16. Prior to joining DORS, Fleischli worked at the Department of Conservation and at the Department of Transportation. He replaces Gary Tinervin who resigned to take a position with the Department of Registration and Education.

Peter D. Vallone, Springfield, was elected executive vice president of the National Public Employer Labor Relations Association for 1983-84 and president for 1984-85 at the association's annual conference in March. The association, made up of 900 professionals from the fields of labor and employee relations and personnel drawn from state, county and municipal employees, represents public sector management viewpoints. Vallone is manager of the bureau of personnel in the Department of Central Management Services and has been chief negotiator for the state since 1976.

Honors

U.S. Rep. Paul Simon (D-22, Makanda) received Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's honorary Doctor of Laws degree on May 14 at SIU's spring commencement. Simon, a former member of the Illinois General Assembly and former lieutenant governor, was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974. He is a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, chairs its Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, and sits on the Employment Opportunities Subcommittee and the Select Education Subcommittee.

State Comptroller Roland W. Burns, Chicago, was awarded the 1982 Donald L. Scantlebury Memorial Award for exceptional and continued leadership in financial management at the state level at the 12th Annual Financial Management Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 30. The federal government's Joint Financial Management Improvement Program, which includes the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Office of Management and Budget, the General Accounting Office and the Office of Personnel Management, sponsored the national award.

A videotape produced by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs in conjunction with the Illinois Information Service for the Will County Economic Affairs Commission won first place in the public service category in an annual competition sponsored by the Springfield Public Relations and Advertising Federation in March. The tape, "The 100 Percent Solution," is being used by Will County to market the area's business and industrial resources to firms seeking a location for new or expanding facilities.

July 1983 | Illinois Issues | back cover