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Matt O’Connor, communications director for CSEA SEIU, the union representing about 1,000 of the Department of Transportation’s 3,000-plus employees, said tonight that just-departed DOT Chief Joseph Marie didn’t live up to expectations.

Retiring Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who hired Marie in 2008 to fix the beleaguered agency that had suffered from lots of turnover at the top, abruptly announced earlier today that the commissioner had resigned.

“He was much-touted as the outsider who would bring real reform,” O’Connor said of Marie, who came to Connecticut from Arizona. “We can tick off the good things he’s done but there’s a whole lot that hasn’t changed … On the one hand he has bucked the culture of fear and stereotype of folks who have run DOT for many years and on the other hand he’s doing business as usual.”

Marie has been giving interviews to reporters today, saying his departure was planned and amicable, but there are plenty of observers, union members included, who were shocked and are questioning how it went down.

Marie confirmed his last day on the job was actually Tuesday but Rell’s office waited until late this morning after the governor appeared in Bridgeport for a 10 a.m. bill signing to announce the news.

“It’s very unusual. All the circumstances are,” O’Connor said.

One DOT insider told me: “Folks just don’t leave like this. Nobody had a clue. Nobody. And that’s unusual.”

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The big news today is Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Marie’s abrupt resignation to, according to Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s office, “pursue long-term employment opportunities and spend more time with his family.”

Marie in a phone interview posted earlier on this blog confirmed that to be the case.

It’s a fact that when a governor retires, as is the case with Rell, their top agency heads begin looking for opportunities elsewhere, either because they don’t want to work for someone else or believe that the next governor will want to bring their own people on board.

But I would have thought of any commissioners, Marie had perhaps the best chance of being rehired by Rell’s successor. Legislators from both parties and transportation advocates in general have lamented the turnover at the top of the DOT. And while some lawmakers have questioned a few of Marie’s initiatives, such as signing a 35-year-deal with a private contractor to manage the state’s highway rest stops and a recent plan to build a new commuter garage in Stamford, he is generally respected and liked.

But following a brief interview with Lt. Governor Michael Fedele of Stamford, a Republican candidate for governor who played a major role in the national search that resulted in Rell’s hiring Marie in 2008, I understand why the commissioner might have been on the look out for something with more security.

Fedele said he had not been given the heads up about Marie’s departure.

I asked Fedele if he would have kept Marie on board should he be elected governor.

“I don’t know,” Fedele said. “Look, as far as I know Joe’s done a good job. I’ve not heard anything different. It’s my understanding he resigned. There’s only six months left and he’s looking for long term opportunities … Any new administration, be it Fedele or whoever, is going to look at all the commissioners and say ‘good job, bad job, new job, new person, different skill sets’. There’s no guarantees there.”

On the other hand you have Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont of Greenwich, who actually issued a press release lamenting Marie’s departure as a “great loss.”

I asked Lamont spokesman Brian Coy if Lamont would have kept Marie on board in his administration, and Coy responded: “Ned has said throughout the campaign that he will hire the most talented and qualified people out there to help him create jobs and move Connecticut forward, and Joe Marie certainly fits that bill.”

UPDATE:

Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Foley of Greenwich declined to comment on Marie’s departure.

Democratic nominee Dannel Malloy said he believed Marie was the victim of a politicized environment created by Rell and her powerful chief-of-staff, Lisa Moody.

“On a personal level I liked him a lot. On a professional level it’s tough to get a read because I always felt that in Connecticut transportation was political … We’re not talking about his politics, we’re talking about the administration’s politics,” Malloy said. “I think he didn’t do well in that environment.”

Republican gubernatorial candidate Oz Griebel, former head of the state Transportation Strategy Board, worked with Marie in the past and found him to be bright and energetic with good experience.

“After I first met him I thought the governor made a very good hire,” he said.

Asked if Marie would have had a place in his administration, Griebel said “I wouldn’t give you a clear answer. I’d step back and look hard at it. I would say there are four major areas in which a governor has to play a meaningful management role. Transportation is one of them.”

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Nearly one year ago I blogged the following about Transportation Commissioner Joseph Marie after an interview to talk about his first anniversary on the job:

—- One of the most commonly asked questions of Marie (when he was hired in 2008 by Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell) was whether he planned on staying for a while. Lawmakers concerned about the agency’s direction had been frustrated by a revolving door at the top, which they believed resulted in a lack of a consistent direction and a consistent vision for the DOT.

Marie today told me “I’m hopeful the Governor keeps me around for as long as she is here … I am fundamentally enjoying the job and I like it a lot.”

Marie, who previously worked in Arizona, also added that he moved his family to Connecticut for the DOT job and does not have a desire to relocate again any time soon.

“My family had grown tired of moving. We moved back here to New England and I don’t have any moves left,” Marie said.—-

Today Rell’s office announced Marie’s abrupt departure “to pursue long-term employment opportunities and spend more time with his family.” He has already been replaced by Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Parker.

At the time of our interview last year, Rell had not decided whether to seek re-election this November. She has since announced her retirement.

So on the one hand it is not surprising Marie would decide to get out rather than wait around to see if the next governor wants to keep him on board.

But shocked observers like Sen. Donald DeFronzo, D-New Britain, co-chairman of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, note “typically there would be some transition. A period in which the commissioner would be ending his term and handing over the reigns to a successor. This is a very abrupt departure. I have no information other than what was released by the governor’s office, but it does seem curious it would be such a quick departure for someone who I think has done a fairly good job in office.”

Marie in an interview this afternoon said his departure was amicable and planned. He said he broached the issue with Rell about his returning to the private sector about three weeks ago, has some vacation time accrued and determined over the weekend he was ready to go.

“I left in very good standing and I think I feel pretty good about my departure and I think the governor’s office does as well,” Marie said.

I asked Marie if he had a job to transition to and he said “no, but I’m in an active dialogue with a number of different folks.” He said he should have something nailed down by August and intends to continue living in Connecticut, although he will likely do some commuting for his new position.

Marie was generally respected by lawmakers, but he said he never expected to stay on during the next administration.

“It was a great job and great opportunity. I enjoyed it. I didn’t really have an expectation to stay,” Marie said.

Those who are worried about yet another change at the top of the DOT should be comforted that the agency has a solid team of bureau chiefs in place, Marie said.

“We’ve got really strong bureau chiefs now at every level and division,” Marie said. “They’re new and energized and do a great job. We’ve built a very good team … This job is not about one person.”

Marie confirmed his last day was yesterday, but curiously Rell’s office did not make it public until late this morning, after a 10 a.m. bill signing in Bridgeport during which reporters might have questioned her directly had they been informed.

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Here is an e-mail Ed Patru, spokesman for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon, sent members of the media this morning. It’s notable because the McMahon camp, unlike some other candidates, is for the first time being proactive about notifying reporters of upcoming campaign stops.

Republican Peter Schiff, who is mounting a primary against McMahon, and some of the gubernatorial candidates have on a regular basis been sending out their schedules so any reporters who are interested can catch up with them.

Here’s what Patru had to say:

——————-

Over the past few weeks, many of you have requested Linda’s public schedule, and I want to make that available to you as it materializes. The public events on Linda’s schedule are designed first and foremost to provide Linda with the opportunity to meet with voters. That said, I want to also do everything possible to provide you with the opportunity to cover her and speak with her whenever possible.

Over the past few weeks, many of you have requested Linda’s public schedule, and I want to make that available to you as it materializes. The public events on Linda’s schedule are designed first and foremost to provide Linda with the opportunity to meet with voters. That said, I want to also do everything possible to provide you with the opportunity to cover her and speak with her whenever possible.

Here’s what Ed had to tell us:

Should you wish cover her at one of these events, please feel free to just show up. Should you wish to speak with her at one of these events, please contact Jodi Latina, the campaign’s traveling press secretary. Jodi will carve out a few minutes for you to ask questions of Linda or get comments. I just ask that if you need more than seven or eight minutes with Linda, you contact me directly so that we can arrange a dedicated one-on-one interview that doesn’t prevent Linda from mingling with voters at her scheduled events.

Linda today will be in Newington for a Main Street Tour. The tour of local businesses will begin at approximately 4:00 p.m. (Starbucks, 995 Main Street) and conclude at 5:00 p.m.

I expect that as we get into July and August, Linda’s public schedule will become much more robust, so if you are unable to make it today, do not worry – there will be more than ample opportunity to cover her as we move forward. Also, I will generally send out Linda’s schedule the morning day-of, as opposed to the night before. I’m doing this because so much of her schedule is still fluid, and I want to avoid situations where you show up at an event that has been cancelled or rescheduled.

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The sparks could have really flown at today’s five-way gubernatorial debate in Stamford.

Just a few days ago Republicans Michael Fedele and Oz Griebel were criticizing Tom Foley, the GOP nominee they hope to beat in August’s primary, for a Hartford Courant story about the Greenwich businessman’s/millionaire’s two prior arrests for motor-vehicle related incidents.

Fedele issued a statement Friday calling the charges against Foley “very serious” and calling on his opponent “to come clean” and fully explain the incidents to voters.

“The first test for any candidate for governor is to be forthright and honest with the people,” Fedele said in a statement.

And Griebel in his own statement said the report revealed “very real and serious concerns about Tom Foley’s judgement, temperament and the significant personal baggage he brings to the race.”

On the Democratic side, Ned Lamont of Greenwich has begun questioning Democratic nominee Dannel Malloy’s campaign claims he created 5,000 jobs as mayor of Stamford. Lamont’s campaign on Monday said Malloy should pull a television ad about job creation.

Malloy in turn charged Lamont, a cable executive, “laid off most of his workforce while paying himself hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

None of this came up during today’s debate, during which five panelists, including my boss at The Advocate, each posed one question to one candidate which was then also answered by the other four candidates.

I had hoped someone would ask either Fedele or Griebel why they believe voters should care about Foley’s arrests, which are several years old and were not prosecuted. That would have put them on the spot, Foley on the spot and also forced Lamont and Malloy – who have steered clear of the issue – to weigh in.

Barring the topic being raised by the panelists, I figured since Fedele and Griebel felt strongly enough about the matter on Friday, they might raise the topic themselves and confront Foley directly. Lord knows all five candidates strayed off topic and worked various talking points into their answers. But that wasn’t the case. Fedele said the next governor must have “character” but he might have said that regardless of the Foley issue.

Perhaps more inexcusable is that fact that, despite fielding a question about job creation and spending much of the debate discussing that topic and the economy in general, neither Malloy nor Lamont challenged the other’s record on job creation.

More than one candidate told the audience the state needs a leader with courage. It would be nice if they displayed a bit of that courage during these face-offs rather than leaving the dirty work to their campaigns.

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Candidates who want to be perceived as challenging the political establishment often promise they will abide by self-imposed term limits.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon, for example, has pledged to serve two, six-year terms in Congress and then she’s out.

Although that might not seem like much of a promise considering McMahon will be in her mid-70s, one only has to consider the case of the recently deceased Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia, to realize it is certainly possible to continuing serving into a ripe old age.

Yesterday Republican gubernatorial candidate Oz Griebel, a Simsbury businessman, promised he would leave office after two four-year terms – something he joked during today’s gubernatorial debate in Stamford might not mean much considering he’ll be old as “Methuselah.”

Democrat Ned Lamont, a Greenwich businessman/millionaire, has been comparing his leadership style to that of former one-term independent Governor Lowell Weicker, who did not seek re-election in the early 1990s after wrestling with a then-historic budget deficit.

Connecticut’s next governor faces an estimated $3 billion deficit. During today’s debate Lamont during his final comments to the crowd said he’s the kind of candidate who knows it’s a “tough, one-cycle gig.”

I approached Lamont afterward and asked him if he intends to only serve one term.

“I’m not making any pledges, but you can’t go up there planning on some re-election,” Lamont said.

Lamont added after his first term he will be 61 years old.

“If I could say ‘hey we made a difference’ … that’s pretty good for me,” Lamont said.

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For a debate, there were very few direct exchanges between the three Republican and two Democratic gubernatorial candidates who appeared early this afternoon at the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Conference Center.

The only two candidates who acknowledged each other are the two who are leading in the most recent Quinnipiac University poll – Republican Tom Foley and Democrat Ned Lamont, both Greenwich businessmen/millionaires.

While Foley is his party’s nominee, Lamont is not. Democratic delegates for the second time in four years tapped recently-retired Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy as their nominee last month.

Foley went after Lamont twice even though fellow nominee Malloy was standing at the podium next to his. First in response to the a question about whether tax increases are one inevitable solution to the state’s budget crisis.

Lamont has the support of former one-term independent Governor Lowell Weicker, who tackled the budget crisis of the early 1990s with the income tax. Lamont fancies himself another Weicker who will head to Hartford and make the unpopular decisions necessary to get government back in the black.

“We haven’t earned the right to raise anybody’s taxes,” Lamont told the crowd of mostly business people.

When Foley’s opportunity to tackle the question arose, he did not mention Lamont but reminded the crowd Weicker campaigned against an income tax during his run for governor.

“I can promise with a Foley administration, what you hear from me now is what you’ll get as governor,” Foley said. “We can solve this budget deficit without any new taxes.”

Later Foley briefly criticized Lamont’s response to a question about the state’s business climate.

Lamont took a shot at Foley when the latter pledged to impose sensitive cost-saving measures in response to a question about whether the candidates intended to re-open J.M. Wright Technical School in Stamford. The school was shuttered by retiring Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell last year to save money.

“We cannot just say ‘cut, cut, cut’,” Foley told the crowd.

“Tom, you’re not going to ‘cut, cut, cut’ and you’re not going to consider new budget revenues,” Lamont said.

Malloy did make a point of awkwardly mentioning his challenging Lamont to 17 debates during his response to the tax hike question. Lamont ignored him.

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I won’t accuse retiring Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell of hiding from the media.

She holds her share of press conferences and her office lets reporters know about upcoming public appearances, such as tomorrow’s 12:30 p.m. event in East Lyme to christen a new Department of Environmental Protection boat. She’s willing to take unrelated questions from reporters at these events. She might not always provide the best or most satisfying answers, but she won’t immediately duck behind a wall of spokesmen and state police when approached by someone with a pad and pen or microphone, either.

But scheduled appearances aside Rell otherwise relies heavily on spokespeople. Some of my colleagues have expressed frustration over Rell’s unwillingness to be interviewed.

Critics call him a media whore, but before his campaign for U.S. Senate Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal insisted on calling reporters directly to answer their questions. Again, he might not have always provided the best or most satisfying answers, but you at least had the opportunity to pick his brain beyond a press statement or try to catch him off guard. And that’s better than no opportunity.

Now the crop of five gubernatorial candidates who want to take her place are pledging to make themselves plenty available not just to pesky reporters but to the general public.

Republican Oz Griebel, a Simsbury businessman who is mounting a primary against GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Foley, a Greenwich businessman/millionaire, today issued his “5 Point Clean & Open Government Plan.” Priority #1? Griebel said as governor he will “hold weekly press and constituent availability … to ensure maximum transparency. Such regular interaction with the media, our elected leaders and constituents will ensure maximum engagement on budget and public policy as well as serve to diminish the likelihood of being corrupted by the perquisites of elected office.”

Griebel’s staff did not get back to me to clarify the form “constituent availability” will take, so I’m not sure if he’s going to set aside a day when residents can line-up outside of the governor’s office and, one by one, enter to ask him for a heart or brains or courage or what have you…

I reached out to the other four candidates to find out how accessible they intend to be.

1. Foley spokesman Liz Osborn said “during campaign appearances and so forth he has pledged to be open, transparent and responsive to the public. The governor meets with constituents and deals with the news media almost every day.”

(That has not been the the case. But I’ll take Osborn’s response to mean Foley expects to talk to the press almost daily.)

2. Chris Cooper, spokesman for Lt. Governor Michael Fedele, a Republican who is also mounting a primary against Foley, said his boss “pledged to hold weekly news conferences as governor and allow time each week to meet with constituents.”

3. Dannel Malloy, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Stamford Mayor, said he will hold regularly scheduled meetings and press availabilities “on at least a weekly basis” and also “respond directly to questions and concerns as they come up.”

4. Ned Lamont, the Greenwich businessman/millionaire who is mounting a primary against Malloy, said “should I have the honor of serving as governor, I will engage the people of Connecticut openly and often, and I will address the media at least once a week.”