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"When I was sworn in as governor,
Illinois was in the midst of its worst economic downturn since the
Great Depression," Blagojevich said. "Every community and most
working people were suddenly faced with the uncertainty of what
tomorrow might bring."
"It's now time we try to do something
and not just wait for the economy to turn around or for Washington
to act. We need to stop taking a one-size-fits-all approach to the
economy and start doing things that are targeted specifically to
help communities throughout northwestern Illinois. The plan I'm
announcing today is designed so it will be effective and deliver
real results that local businesses need. It is meant to make a
difference," Blagojevich continued.
Opportunity Returns includes five areas
specifically targeted to meet the economic and work-force
development needs of the region: expand manufacturing, develop and
market regional assets, assist entrepreneurs, strengthen education
and job training, and improve local infrastructure.
The Northwest region, which includes Jo
Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, Rock Island, Mercer, Henry, Bureau,
Lee, Putnam and LaSalle counties, has many strengths, including
manufacturing and existing infrastructure -- like the Rock Island
Arsenal, but like most regions has suffered from the economic
downturn of the past decade.
Since 1998, the United States has lost
2.4 million manufacturing jobs -- a 14 percent drop in factory
employment. In Illinois, 60,000 manufacturing jobs were lost, and in
the Quad Cities alone manufacturing jobs have dropped from more than
50,000 to less than 25,000 in the past two decades.
The governor announced several major
initiatives to counter job loss and spur economic development in the
Quad Cities and the Northwest region, including:
--Supporting development around the
Global III Intermodal Facility in Rochelle.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
--Providing $13 million to develop the
Galena Bypass, which will benefit the region through improved access
for tourists and expanded opportunities for commercial and retail
development.
--Creating a revolving loan fund, with
an initial investment of $25 million, to help manufacturing
companies retool and upgrade their equipment.
--Assisting manufacturers in reducing
their energy costs through the Manufacturers Energy Efficiency
Program.
--Maximizing the potential of the Rock
Island Arsenal through improved marketing, with $200,000.
--Speeding up efforts to complete the
West Rock River bridge project, which will provide access to the
Quad Cities Airport; directing $65,000 for marketing the Quad Cities
Airport.
--Assembling a team of experts to
figure out how to overcome the physical and financial boundaries to
laying broadband as part of an initiative to bring broadband to
every part of the state.
--Committing $300,000 to open a new
Entrepreneurship Center in the Quad Cities in order to coordinate
small business services and programs available throughout the
region.
--Making it easier for businesses and
local governments to make use of community development funds through
the Capital for Tomorrow program.
--Redeveloping the region's brownfield
sites.
"Opportunity
Returns reflects my belief that we can make things better" said Gov.
Blagojevich. "We will work day and night to put people back to work,
to create opportunity and economic security -- and when we do, we
will make the great dream of building a better life as real and
vibrant and alive as it was meant to be."
[Illinois
Government News Network
news release] |
