Corruption is probably thought to be Springfield’s greatest sin.

But greed is certainly in the running.

Former State Rep. Kurt Granberg’s $40,000 per year pension bump from working 19 days during the waning days of Rod Blagojevich’s administration took another hit in his Metro East media market when St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Pat Gauen wrote this disparaging column:

$40,000 yearly pension for 19 days in office means this must be Illinois

The columnist points out that Granberg got quite a return on his $15,000 contribution to what is turning out to be the Blagojevich legal defense fund.

Resigning a week before the January impeachment vote, Granberg (seen on the left hand side of the photo from the Illinois Channel with Brandon Phelps) was appointed Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The annual salary?

$133,273.

Versus almost $86,000.

Since legislators’ pensions are based on final salaries, Granberg got quite a boost.

But does Gauen blame Granberg?

Nope.

He says he would done the same thing, if he had the chance.

Granberg also took an earlier hit in the Rockford media market, but I don’t imagine that will hurt his reputation at the grocery store. That piece points out that former State Senator Carol Ronen did the same thing. She quit a Blagojevich appointment after a few weeks to work on President Barack Obama’s campaign.

In 1995, by the way, the Illinois General Assembly changed the law for their successors.

And, they are in the process of changing it again. This time to the highest four years of the last ten in government service.

Who says reform is impossible?

Granberg also took $50,000 from his campaign fund last October.

That loophole has also been plugged.