Posted on 08/13/2005 4:22:25 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Housekeeper at UW has backup job
System president's employee guaranteed an academic spot
By CHASE DAVIS
cdavis@journalsentinel.com
Highlighting what critics called the pervasiveness of backup appointments across the University of Wisconsin System, officials confirmed Friday that President Kevin Reilly's own housekeeper holds one of the controversial positions, although Reilly has said he learned of it only recently.
Section: State politics
UW spokeswoman Kate Dixon confirmed Friday that Mary Lou Gritzmacher, the housekeeper at Reilly's official residence, was among the UW staff and administrators guaranteed a backup job - a three-year academic staff position.
The parameters of that job are unclear. Her duties and pay are to be determined if she moves into the job, Dixon said.
Gritzmacher's backup appointment was first confirmed by Reilly in an article Friday in the Wisconsin State Journal. According to the newspaper, Reilly said Thursday that he did not hire Gritzmacher, nor was he responsible for the fallback appointment.
Gritzmacher has been employed in the university system for 22 years, currently earning about $33,000 a year. She was given the backup position under a previous presidential administration, Dixon said.
Reilly could not be reached for comment about the position Friday but said in an unrelated letter to nine state legislators that system-wide employment practices are being reviewed.
Several lawmakers who have been critical of backup appointments said Friday that they were upset about the revelation, and that Gritzmacher's arrangement illustrated the prevalence of such appointments across the system.
"UW seems to hand out backup jobs like politicians hand out campaign fliers," said Rep. Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford). "Everyone gets one."
Rep. Rob Kreibich (R-Eau Claire) blasted Reilly for not knowing more about Gritzmacher's position. In the State Journal article, Reilly said that he learned of the arrangement only recently but wanted to learn more about it.
"It's easy to point the finger at another regime," Kreibich said. "If he didn't know, he probably should have."
Increasing pressure
The UW System has faced mounting pressure about the backup jobs during the summer, after news reports revealed that administrators were routinely placed on leave or given backup jobs after they resigned.
At UW-Milwaukee, for example, four administrators were guaranteed tenured faculty positions and paid $600,000 for year-long leaves after their resignations.
In late July, the UW System Board of Regents officially suspended the practice of granting backup jobs until Reilly and other administrators better understood how the backup positions worked and whether they were warranted.
Needed to pull administrators?
Proponents of backup positions have argued that the practice takes place nationwide, and taking away the UW System's right to offer guaranteed employment will hurt its ability to attract top-flight administrators.
Opponents, including a handful of state legislators, said the practice has ballooned out of control.
"You certainly can't make the argument that this is about attracting professors to the university and keeping them there," said Sen. Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh), in reference to Gritzmacher's backup position.
Reilly has said he expects the increased scrutiny will lead to policy changes.
From the Aug. 13, 2005, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Interesting.
Even more interesting would be to discover if benefits have accrued. Nannygate II, anyone?
This is surely a cover-up, this housekeeper probably GOT the perk from her boss's largesse.
Shovels, everyone! Let's dig into this.
This seems ok to me. As long as she doesn't light up a cigarette in a restaurant in Madison. Once she has lit up,then she has crossed the line. She may have to become a media star that puts down cigarette smoking and draw some money out of Wisconsin's Big Tobacco settlement.
Only south of Hwy 10, or maybe Hwy 29, naw make that Hwy 8
oh lets face it just south of Hwy 2 and the northern tip
of Bayfield county
Belling's gonna have a field day with this one!
Sorry Charlie - Wisconsin ate its Big Tobacco Settlement funds back in 2003 as a deficit reduction offset. All gone!
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