Shadow government

For whatever reason, this city allows the local university presidents to sit on unelected boards and make all sorts of far ranging policy decisions largely outside of the public eye.  Under the current administration, Loyola President Kevin Wildes has been an especially enthusiastic Shadow Governor.

Today he resigned from the Civil Service commission. It's entirely clear why. Although, in light of the fact that all legal objection to the mayor's obliteration of the Civil Service system as we once knew it has ended, Wildes might feel like he's accomplished his mission.

As chairman of the Civil Service Commission, email messages show, Wildes discussed Landrieu's overhaul proposal at length with various city officials, including Chief Administrative Officer Andy Kopplin and Alexandra Norton, the architect of Landrieu's Civil Service agenda.

When asked about the messages, Wildes was not shy about his support for overhauling the city's employment system. He said he saw himself as a reformer from the beginning.

The emails between him and and Landrieu's deputies suggest the administration did too.

In a 2013 exchange with Kopplin, Wildes forwarded an article lauding the election of Pope Francis, who, like Wildes, is a Jesuit priest.

"Perfect. Still got the wrong guy," Kopplin joked, implying Wildes would have been a better choice.
"But then who would take care of Civil Service for you," Wildes replied.

"Good point," Kopplin said. "That may be tougher than reforming the Vatican."