Filling civil service jobs: easier than it looks

If you’re looking for one more reason voters seem to be holding government in especially low esteem this election season, I offer the case of the state of Connecticut’s newest chicken inspector.

On July 16, according to Jon Lender of The Hartford Courant, the state Department of Agriculture hired Debra Hinman as an “agriculture marketing and inspection representative,†a job that requires the ability to “inspect livestock and poultry, check feed and fertilizer, take samples for tests for animal disease and inspect outlets that sell milk or pet food and other feeds.†Actually, a chicken inspector and more.

Hinman was one of two inspectors selected by Agriculture Commissioner Philip Prelli from 14 applicants, many of whom were highly qualified, including the inspector Prelli hired just before he selected Hinman. But you’d have to say Hinman’s qualifications, as noted by an agriculture department screener, were somewhat slender, if you want to be nice about it:

“No dairy, livestock, poultry or general animal agriculture experience, training or post secondary degree in animal agriculture. No agricultural commodities education, experience or training.â€

But she did have what I guess you’d call intangibles. She’s been the commissioner’s secretary for three years and in that job, may have learned something about being agriculture commissioner, if not chicken inspector.

In addition, she is the mother of a former aide to Lisa Moody, the all powerful chief of staff for Gov. Rell. Hinman had become executive secretary to the commissioner after working as a pizza chef and school bus driver and, possibly of more significance, being recommended by the governor’s office to Prelli, a former Republican legislator from the Winsted area.

It should be noted, too, that there was a competitive test for the job, with the 14 applicants getting grades ranging from a high of 93 to a low of 70, the lowest grade one could get and still be considered for chicken inspector at all.

Hinman was one of three scoring 70, but Prelli obviously considered her the best of the worst, which may account for paying her about $5,000 over the usual starting salary of $56,000, according to Lender’s thorough report, which I didn’t see in other newspapers or TV outlets.

Getting a better salary was only a minor part of the deal. Commissioners’ secretaries are political jobs that go away when a new governor — and commissioner — take office. But chicken inspectors are forever. They’re civil service jobs, complete with benefits like job security, a pension and lifetime health insurance.

In moving political appointees into civil service jobs, Rell, who has also been naming judges the judicial branch says it doesn’t need, is following in the grand tradition of her predecessor, John Rowland, who saw to it that some of his appointees who avoided jail landed in the civil service.

When asked why he passed over candidates with extensive agricultural education and experience in favor of his secretary, Prelli offered Lender reasons cynics would consider wanting.

“He said he had obtained approval from Rell’s office to fill a second job and needed someone right away because of recent retirements; he said he took someone with whom he was familiar, who ‘knew the operation,’ and whom he knew to be deserving.â€

The appointment is said to have caused some resentment among the professionals in the agriculture department and may have inspired gossip going around the department about a chicken Hinman was handling who died in mid-inspection.

Prelli stoutly defended his appointee, saying, “I was told that it wasn’t her fault†and pointing out the chicken was 14 years old and might have succumbed to the ravages of age, rather than an all-thumbs inspection.

Nevertheless, Hinman can expect to get more attention as she pursues her duties than your average chicken inspector.

Dick Ahles is a retired broadcast journalist from Simsbury. He may be reached by e-mail at dahles@hotmail.com.