Gov. Blagojevich
announces Community Investment Works -- monumental state plan to
reduce youth violence
$150 million comprehensive investment to
create more job opportunities for youth, increase number of
after-school programs, rebuild deteriorating neighborhoods and
increase public safety
Public can get more information, join the effort to pass
comprehensive anti-violence plan at
www.illinois.gov/community
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[May 10, 2008]
CHICAGO -- In response to a recent spike in violence on Chicago streets,
Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced a comprehensive state plan Tuesday
to help reduce violence and save young lives. Joined by parents,
community leaders, advocates and clergy at the Martin Luther King
Jr. Boys & Girls Club on the city's west side, the governor laid out
his plan to curb the tide of violence in Illinois. The governor's
plan, called Community Investment Works, will address a range of
factors contributing to youth violence, including the lack of
employment opportunities, lack of safe social and recreational
opportunities, and disengagement from their communities.
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Twenty-four Chicago Public Schools students have been killed this
school year by gun violence, with still over a month to go before
the school year concludes. That's already as many as last year and a
startling 300 percent increase over the two school years that ended
in 2005 and 2006. And just the day before the governor's
announcement, a 20-year-old student and a 3-year-old were shot in
separate incidents on Chicago's South Side.
"Every week we're losing young lives to violence. And the trend
is likely to get worse as schools let out and young people have even
more free time. Parents, friends and neighbors are crying out to
their elected leaders for help. We have to do something meaningful
to turn things around -- and we have to do it soon," said
Blagojevich. "That's why I reached out to organizations in the
communities that have been impacted the most to find out how the
state can help give young people hope and the opportunity to grow up
in a safe community. By putting state support behind local efforts
that are making a difference in struggling communities, we can make
a big difference. I hope lawmakers will join me in putting a state
strategy in place to save our youth."
The governor is proposing $150 million in targeted investment in
areas that can have the most dramatic and direct effect on young
people's choices and behaviors. The Community Investment Works plan
will invest:
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$30 million for the governor's Summer Youth Employment Program to
provide up to 20,000 job opportunities for kids statewide. The
majority of positions will be in 39 "high need" communities.
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$20 million in grants to community providers for after-school and
unattended youth programs that make sure kids have safe and
productive options during non-school hours, including evenings.
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$100 million to rebuild deteriorating neighborhoods, support
local businesses and stimulate job growth in at-risk communities,
and equip law enforcement with advanced field technology to boost
public safety.
Funding for the new plan would be provided in concert with the
governor's proposed $25 billion Illinois Works capital plan.
"I applaud the governor for developing this plan to help stop
violence amongst our youth. It is our obligation to keep kids safe.
Every young person should have a safe haven where they can go to
learn and grow, free from danger," said Steve Cole, CEO of YMCA
Metropolitan Chicago.
"Day after day, more innocent lives are being lost to this
irrational and mindless violence. Kids in our city are discovering
how easy it is to pick up a gun and disengage from life," said the
Rev. Michael Pfleger, of St. Sabina Catholic Church. "The governor's
plan offers sensible and concrete ways to get our children off the
streets and become engaged once again in their neighborhoods.
Community Investment Works is a step forward towards peace and
towards healing our bleeding communities."
"This senseless violence has got to stop. We can't change the
past, but we can work hard to keep our kids alive and bring peace to
our communities." said the Rev. Tolliver, of St. Edmund's Episcopal
Church. "With the governor's new Community Investment Works plan, we
can make a significant investment in our youth and begin to turn
this situation around."
According to a survey of employed youth conducted by the Youth
Violence Prevention Center and the University of Michigan, youth who
worked were less likely to engage in risky behaviors during the
times they were employed as compared with before they had
employment. The survey also indicated that there were significant
decreases in substance use, sexual activity and exposure to
violence. Research also shows that involvement in after-school
education or recreation activities reduces young people's chances of
getting in trouble. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
study, after controlling for a variety of factors, found that
10th-graders who spent no time in school-sponsored extracurricular
activities were 27 percent more likely to have been arrested than
students who spent one to four hours in extracurricular activities.
"We must put an end to violence by stabilizing our communities.
By creating jobs for our youth and helping neighborhoods revitalize
and rebuild, our children can thrive in environments that will help
them lead productive and successful lives. I want to commend the
governor for launching this initiative," said Maria Pesquiera, CEO
and president of Mujeres Latina en Accion.
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"I think this is a good plan, because it'll help kids stay out of
trouble and save lives. We just want to be able to walk to school or
get on the bus without having to worry about someone pulling out a
gun," said Mario Sendejas, an 18-year-old from Little Village who
attends Latino Youth Alternative School.
The governor's Community Investment Works plan would invest $30
million to support up to 20,000 jobs for young people 15-22 in the
most high-risk communities throughout the state. Jobs would place
youth in community development and beautification jobs such as
volunteering to work with the elderly or cleaning up a dirty lot and
planting a community garden. They'll be able to earn a decent wage
while they improve their own communities and learn valuable job
skills. Younger teens, ages 13-14, who have employment restrictions
under the Child Labor Law, could participate in a community
development internship and receive a stipend at the end of the
summer for school supplies.
In addition, the governor's Community Investment Works plan would
provide $20 million in grants to community providers that will offer
education, recreational or other community-driven programs during
non-school hours. Grants will be designed to support programs that
offer recreational evening activities such as evening basketball and
"youth cafes"; mentoring and leadership programs such as partnering
with professional organizations to mentor youth; educational
enrichment activities such as those that have a focus on academics,
arts, life skills and vocational skills; and expansion of existing
after-school and unattended youth programs.
"Youth violence has gripped our society, not just in Chicago but
across America. It is not just an urban problem, but it is a rural,
suburban and cross-cultural problem. We as responsible adults and
young people must work together collectively to decrease and stem
the flow of violence, particularly gun violence, among our youth.
That involves a collective effort on the part of educational
leaders, faith-based institution leaders, community leaders,
business leaders and law enforcement agencies," said Ronald Holt, a
Chicago police officer who lost his son to gun violence a year ago.
"We need to teach our good-behaving, law-abiding children the idea
of peer-to-peer collaboration with at-risk youth who are prone to
violence, to draw them away from gangs, guns, drugs and violence."
The governor's plan also recognizes the importance safe physical
surroundings and a vibrant local economy have on crime levels.
The Community
Investment Works plan invests $100 million total in revitalization,
economic development and public safety. Of the $100 million, half
will be used for a competitive grant program through the Department
of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to fund community-based
redevelopment or renewal projects that put people to work and
restore neighborhood integrity. Eligible projects must be in
economically distressed or high crime areas and will include efforts
like vacant building acquisition by not-for-profit organizations,
vacant land redevelopment, community center expansion or
restoration, recreation facilities, and mixed-use developments.
Another $40 million will be directed to the proposed Illinois
Community Assets Fund, under the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity, to support local businesses or ventures that will
create jobs. Funding will be provided as grants to local community
development groups, financial institutions and directly to
businesses or communities that can demonstrate immediate job growth
from projects. Because the funding comes in the form of grants,
organizations can take more risk on programs for their communities.
The remaining $10 million in rebuilding funds will be used to
support a competitive grant program to help local police departments
buy equipment that can help officers be more effective in the field.
People who want more information on the Community Investment
Works plan or who want to join the effort to pass a comprehensive
anti-violence plan should visit
www.illinois.gov/community.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |