Meconi Gets a Going Away Contract
Okay…
DOVER — Weeks after leaving his job as state health and social services secretary and sometimes lightning rod, Vincent P. Meconi has returned to the state payroll, this time as a federal stimulus package wrangler.
When I was with the federal government the HR department called them “Work From Home Contracts” but that staff called them “Go Home & Stay Home Contracts.” It is just tough to get rid of people. We are all grown-ups right? We can face that simple reality.
The way I see it, $6,250 a month for a period of three months is probably cheaper than a lot of other alternatives AND he might just do some good in that role to atone for his previous sins. Who knows?
It sucks. He doesn’t deserve a contract, he deserves jail time. Hopefully they have just given him this job so that the police know where to find him once the charges have been filed.
Wow. Talk about having drunk the Kool-Aid.
Meconi was a cabinet secretary. That’s a serve-at-the-pleasure-of-the-governor-type of thing. Markell had NO need to re-hire him.
“The way I see it, $6,250 a month for a period of three months is probably cheaper than a lot of other alternatives…”
Actually, not hiring him would have been the cheapest!
And why do we need to hire somebody as a consultant when Denn is in charge of the whole stimulus thing here in Delaware?
I’m with Jason on this. There had to be some fiscally compelling reason for this contract and Jack probably held his nose and took the cheapest way out.
Change is hard and sometimes you have to take one-step-back to get to two-steps-forward. But keep complaining! It helps get to the long-term goal.
I really don’t get it. This is a political appointee. F him. Sorry, dude, new Sheriff and all that. don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.
‘Bulo is with anon on this. Cabinet positions are not merit positions. He was done when the new governor took office.
Presumably, Jack is hoping that Meconi’s experience in contract administration from his days as Secretary of Administrative Services will come in handy. Without the cost overruns, of course.
Perhaps, in his spare time presumably optimizing the stimulus $$’s, Meconi will somehow recoup the millions of Medicaid/Medicare dollars his crony Carol Ellis allowed to go to the nursing homes despite the homes’ failure to provide the staffing/services required by law for the funds to be paid.
Or, more likely, perhaps not.
This is by far the worst example of ‘The Delaware Way’ one has seen from the new governor. It’s depressing.
“There had to be some fiscally compelling reason for this contract…”
Like what? I can’t think of any.
Hey anon,
I can’t either but I keep hoping!
No, there is none. Absolutely none whatsoever.
Markell ran on his money-management experience. Denn has worked in state government for many years, including in the governor’s office.
Are they trying to say that between the two of them, they don’t know where the bodies are buried or who to call to take care of problem X? Worse yet, that they don’t know someone who knows those things who’s not a disgraced remnant from the administration that Markell ran against?
I don’t get this pick, really. He was a disgrace managing the DPC business (he should have been shown the door summarily) and I can’t think of why you give someone with that kind of failure another bite at the apple. Plus, hiring consultants (even if temporary) a day before telling the rest of government how much money they AREN’T getting is just unseemly.
Rebecca, what a crock of shit. It’s a bad decision, but since it’s Jack, it’s a good decision.
Whoever mentioned the kool-aid was dead-on… I’m growing increasingly worried that NO one in this state is willing to criticize Markell. It’s dangerous and its scary.
It’s a bad decision, no matter who is Governor. $19,000 – right there. This the day before we’re talking about people having their pay cut and others going without services in this state.
This is just so stupid on its surface that I keep thinking there is something we don’t know. It’s like the AIG bonuses on a much smaller scale, but it still stinks. Maybe I’ll learn something in Dover today that makes sense. As I said, I can only hope.
One of the main reasons that ‘Bulo voted for Jack was b/c he felt certain that Markell would rid the government of the permanent Delaware Way leeches, with Meconi at the top of the list.
Usually when the Peter Principle evolves to the point where the person who has risen through the ranks is clearly not competent (and, in Meconi’s case, contemptuous of the public he was sworn to serve), they are eventually excised.
Here, he gets a reward. And, it’s not like he was brilliant as Admin. Services Secretary. Or have we forgotten the cost overruns on several state building contracts during his watch?
‘Bulo still supports Jack based on the body of work that he’s done so far, but this is a terrible terrible decision. What’s next? Ed Freel as Spiritual Advisor?
The Beast Who Slumbers really hopes that Markell reconsiders this appointment.
I’m disappointed in Jack for doing this. I don’t care what the reason is. It just stinks!!!
A 3 month contract? Who are you kidding? Those funds and paperwork will be so tied up or incremented, you’ll be seeing that mug around alot longer for this “oversight”. Now how much are we paying the person to watch Meconi?
He can’t possibly be the only one with contract administration experience. This is one seriously foul odor emitting from this pile of crap laid upon us.
Disappointed…and disgusted. I can’t fathom any circumstance when Meconi would be the best choice for any job or contract. After a wise choice for DNRC…youthful energy with no egos to stroke in Delaware, this seems too weird.
Not to defend the guy, but let’s remember that the problem at DPC wasn’t Meconi, it was Renata Henry, who was being protected by Minner because she was a two-fer, even though she was unqualified for the job. Meconi took the bullets for Minner on that. I doubt he had the authority to fire Henry, who was the actual incompetent.
No one got fired for that, right? And you are quite right — it should have been a no brainer to let Henry go. (And to do it in a way that would make it hard for her to ever get near patients again.) But sometimes being a good soldier still makes you complicit in the problems where it exists (cf Colin Powell). It isn’t as though Meconi didn’t have other options besides expedient political accommodation.
The only option I can see is that he could have quit. Granted, that would have been the honorable thing to do, but I’m never surprised when someone in public service fails to do the honorable thing.
Geezer’s theory might make sense if Meconi hadn’t handpicked, and subsequently protected, his crony Carol Ellis to turn the division that was supposed to protect nursing home residents into the best friend the nursing home industry ever had. Under Meconi, Henry wasn’t the exception, she was the rule.
Remember, Meconi was supposed to be the ‘green-eyeshade’ guy when Minner sent him to DHSS. And, if by green-eyeshade, you mean not having a shred of empathy for the Department’s clients, Meconi was the guy.
He is really a ‘green-eyeshade guy’ who isn’t very good at the green-eyeshade stuff. Penny wise and pound foolish. For example, what kind of legal bills was the state forced to pay b/c he wasn’t providing the proper oversight at DPC?
Does Markell really want someone who really isn’t good at the ‘green-eyeshade’ stuff overseeing this? And does Markell really want someone w/o a shred of human empathy making decisions that will affect those who have been hit hardest by the economic tsunami?
And does this post qualify for a Guinness Record for the most uses of ‘green-eyeshade’ in the space of 5 paragraphs?
And can ‘bulo copyright the phrase, ‘his crony Carol Ellis’?
Vinnie must have been retained for his superior board game skills. It is, after all, just a grand game, right?
Scroll down for a great mug shot:
http://www.boardgamers.org/yearbook/gbgpge.htm
Miscreant’s link should’ve come with a warning label! Not for the weak at heart.
It’s hard to fathom much defense of Meconi here. He is an epitome of Delaware Way. A one-term, I believe, Rep, who threw a massive hissy fit when he was voted out, only to be given an admin job under Carper. Eventually, Minner wanted him to go to DHSS. Think hard and clearly about this next part, because this is about someone from the good ol’ boys network…
Late Senator Jim Vaughn was beyond pissed off angry and tried to fight as much as he could when Meconi was originally put up for DHSS. Obviously, his pleas lost to the almighty Minner’s desire, but the point stands. Meconi had a standing in-road to Carper and Minner and who else knows who and he was gifted that spot. Jim Vaughn…Sen VAUGHN figuratively tossed what he could in the way of Meconi’s appointment. He smelled the stink way back then, and lo and behold…he was right.
‘Bulo is not sure what the history between Vaughn and Meconi was, and Vaughn was tight enough with the powers-that-be to get his son appointed to a judgeship (all hail the Delaware Way).
But ‘bulo does recall that Meconi and (copyright pending) ‘his crony Carol Ellis’ were obsessed about trying to close Gov. Bacon, which was in Vaughn’s district, even though, by every survey and objective measure, it was/is one of the best nursing facilities in the state of Delaware
Meconi does have a long and vindictive memory, there is no argument about that. I have no facts, but it would not surprise me if your theory on Gov Bacon is accurate.
BTW, with the new budget proposal, does Meconi’s 3-month contract now get cut by 8% considering that fiasco of an announcement was before today’s budget…AND…it takes affect July 1?
I really doubt Meconi’s hiring was an announcement.
But Markell’s budget proposal came at the perfect time to bury any outrage over it.
*tears rolling down cheeks* 🙁
Meconi is an interesting example of “The Delaware Way” The News Journal called him a former legislator. The 21st distruct has always been Republican, the only reason he won is because I was running against him in the primary as a “choice” candidate. Carper was furious. Reed wanted to make a deal I would not accept on Principal and cathl Nuns were out in force. He won fair and square I got 42% of the vote in spite of all the big guns fighting me.
HE SERVED only ONE TERM , he was defeated at the next election. They found another job for him and positions . He even became a member of the nuclear waste Compact. I was on the advisory board on the Appalachian compact But Meconi got himself another job. I knew he had no knowledge on
nuclear power, while I was just getting through two years of intervening at the Summit Project. Its true google it !
Amazing Amazing, a great white Angel or
some powerful politicians must be looking out for him
Member commissioer to the Appalachian nucler wast compact.
STATE COMMISSION MEMBER
Delaware Honorable Vincent P. Meconi
Secretary
Delaware Health and Social Services
Office of the Secretary
1901 North Dupont Highway
New Castle, DE 19720
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/brp/Nuclear_Safety_Division/RadWasteEmergencyRespSection/appalach.htm
Amazing indeed, how many more jobs ot titles
can they find for him
if i hear the delaware way slogan again ill puke.
delaware way
😉