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"It was very clear to me at the hearing that the Illinois Department
of Transportation didn't do its homework on this issue. Committee
members had to see that there was no financial justification for the
move and no benefit to the agency or the state," Bomke said. "Plus,
I think panel members got a chance to see firsthand how devastating
this would be for local families. It is an all-around bad decision
for our state, and I think that came through at the hearing. "If
commission members look at the facts and cast their votes
objectively, I don't see how they can endorse this," Bomke added.
"Of course, I don't know what kind of pressure the governor's office
will put on the Democrat members of the panel, and unfortunately,
this has always been about political payoffs and not about sound
public policy."
Bomke joined a bipartisan group of state lawmakers at the
Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability's state
facility closure hearing Thursday night. The purpose of the hearing
was to discuss the proposed move of 140 IDOT Division of Traffic
Safety jobs to Harrisburg, in southeastern Illinois.
Milton Sees, secretary of IDOT, was present to tout the benefits
of moving the jobs, claiming that it will save Illinois taxpayers
money, in addition to bringing a boost to the downstate economy.
However, under questioning from members of the panel, Sees could not
explain why existing space -- including space at IDOT's main
building in Springfield -- could not be used to house the traffic
safety employees.
Sees repeated a promise from the governor that employees who
choose not to move would be offered other jobs, but he provided no
details on how that job offer might work. Lawmakers questioned how
the state could find up to 140 new jobs for employees at the same
time that massive budget cuts are being implemented.
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Bomke was skeptical of the governor's pledge, remarking that this
isn't the first time the governor has made promises that he later
failed to honor.
"Our governor has proven, time and time again, that his word cannot
be trusted," Bomke said. Others at the hearing questioned the
value of the property being purchased by the state and pointed to
photos showing the facility surrounded by water following heavy
rains. Despite the photos, Sees claimed the building did not flood.
The overflow crowd for the hearing prompted the state to set up
two giant-screen televisions in the Capitol rotunda and first-floor
hallway. Although some of those attending were from the Harrisburg
area, the majority of those listening were opponents, including a
large contingent of state employees.
"Our governor is using our citizens' source of livelihood as a
pawn in this distasteful political payback game of his, choosing to
hand out political favors instead of making responsible decisions
that could truly benefit economically depressed areas of our state.
This could only be the beginning. We have to join together and stand
up to this kind of behavior from the governor," exclaimed Bomke.
Bomke and others have also raised concerns that the job move
could have a negative impact on the department itself. Thirteen
employees from the Department of Traffic Safety have already
transferred to other state positions. If the governor does honor his
pledge to offer new jobs to Springfield employees, more of the
experienced traffic safety personnel may choose to remain in
Springfield, which would mean a significant loss of experienced
employees with institutional memory vital to ensuring the success of
the department.
[Text from file sent on behalf of
Sen.
Larry Bomke by Illinois
Senate Republican staff] |
