Illinois is broke? Not too broke for old style patronage.

Traffic control expert, former Alderman John Rice.

There is the usual political in-fighting among Chicago and Illinois politicians. Madigan doesn’t like Quinn. Quinn doesn’t like Rahm, Rahm doesn’t like people who work for a living. That kind of thing.

But they all have two things in common.

They all want to blame teachers and their pensions for the state of Illinois’ budget woes.

And they all spend our money to hire their pals.

The Chicago News Cooperative reports on Governor Quinn’s hiring of former 36th Ward Alderman John Rice. Rice was hired to fill the newly created position of deputy director of traffic safety at $84K a year.

Rice lost his aldermanic seat last May and began “working” for the state in November.

His qualifications?

Rice declined comment Monday. Shortly after he began at IDOT, Rice said he was qualified for the new state job because he once ran valet and snowplowing companies and managed valet services for Jam Productions.

I guess I could be the governor’s pilot because I fly in a plane now and then.