Governor chastised for funding cuts to DCFS, tourism

[August 30, 2008]  SPRINGFIELD -- State Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, says the governor and his budget office should take a close look at their motives in an ongoing pattern of bad management decisions that are continuing to disrupt the lives of Illinois citizens.

The 44th District senator says the governor's latest move is to slash funding for several Illinois historic sites and parks, as well as cut front-line people in social service agencies. He also noted the governor's proposal to move Illinois Department of Transportation traffic safety administration jobs from Springfield to Harrisburg and his continued efforts to shut down Pontiac Correctional Center and move inmates to prison in Thomson.

The governor's office announced Aug. 28 that it would eliminate 450 jobs, many of them front-line employees for social service agencies, and close a number of historic sites, parks and natural areas.

"Truly, none of this makes any sense. This governor continues to try and expand Medicaid programs, but slashes funding for the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Human Services. He is balancing his bloated budget on the backs of some of our most vulnerable citizens," Brady said. "And tourism and recreation are important revenue-generating businesses in Illinois. With rising gas prices, people are staying closer to home and visiting our historic sites and utilizing our parks. This governor is cutting off his nose to spite his face. Shuttering these sites will mean a significant loss of tax revenues."

Brady said it is also clear that data about the proposed transfer of IDOT jobs and closing the Pontiac prison do not support the governor's decisions.

According to an administration study, moving the jobs to Harrisburg would boost that local economy by $15 million while at the same time represent a loss of $9 million to the Springfield economy. The report indicates that while nearly 130 jobs would be created in the Harrisburg area in addition to the state jobs transferred there, Springfield would lose 63 jobs beyond the IDOT jobs. A revised projection by IDOT showed a loss of $300,000 in Springfield, based on an assumption that all affected Springfield employees would accept other state jobs in Springfield and new employees would be hired for an office in Harrisburg.

A study by Western Illinois University's Institute for Rural Affairs found that the Pontiac area would lose $54 million in economic activity if the prison is closed. If the prisoners from Pontiac are transferred to the prison in Thomson, that region would see a $47.5 million boost, but much of the increase could benefit Iowa because of the community's close proximity to that state.

"Enough already! It is time to quit playing politics with people's lives. Stop the petty arguments and the battle of legislative egos and start acting in the best interest of Illinois citizens," Brady said. "We need carefully considered economic development policy that will help the entire state, not knee-jerk posturing and one-upmanship that targets a region and the hardworking men and women who live there."

[Text from file sent on behalf of Sen. Bill Brady by Illinois Senate Republican staff]