Wednesday, October 26, 2011
 
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Snyder and Maniscalco discuss meeting with governor's aides

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[October 26, 2011]  Even though Gov. Pat Quinn was a no-show at a meeting scheduled Tuesday morning with representatives from Lincoln and Logan County, Lincoln Mayor Keith Snyder and Mike Maniscalco of the Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership said Tuesday night the meeting was not without its high spots. 

For Maniscalco, one of the more important things he learned was that local legislators are genuinely behind saving Logan Correctional Center and are offering their full support to Lincoln and Logan County in their efforts to keep the facility from closing. 

At the Tuesday night meeting of the Lincoln City Council, Snyder and Maniscalco offered a review of the meeting Tuesday with Quinn's senior adviser Jerry Stermer, Gary Hannig and two budget analysts. 

Representing Lincoln and Logan County in the meeting were Andi Hake, executive director of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce and her board president Donna Boyd; Bob Farmer; chairman of the Logan County Board; Maniscalco; Snyder; Sens. Bill Brady and Larry Bomke; and Rep. Rich Brauer. 

Snyder said the group shared information about the economic impact of losing the prison in Logan County and offered a question of fairness. 

There are currently seven communities that could possibly be affected by closures at the hands of the governor's budget cuts. Snyder said of the seven, the impact on Logan County will be the most severe, with an estimated loss of $73 million. 

He said they commented on the fairness of losing the correctional center just nine years after having lost the Lincoln Developmental Center, which cost 600 local jobs and delivered a blow to the community. 

The group also spoke, as they have on several occasions, about the savings the facility is already bringing to the state of Illinois. On average, the annual cost to house a prisoner in a state facility is approximately $23,000 per person. At Logan, the cost is documented as being only in the area of $17,000 per prisoner.   

However, what became apparent to Snyder is the issue is all about budget, and the Department of Corrections on the whole will not have the funding it needs to run if Logan remains open and appropriations remain unchanged. 

The group was also told the General Assembly needs to sustain three vetoes from the governor, and they need to find money in appropriations for the facility. 

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Maniscalco said one of the things that he took from the meeting that was positive was that our local legislators are 100 percent behind keeping Logan open. 

He cited that Bomke has said many times he supports Logan. Maniscalco also noted that during the meeting Brady said, "If I make a $9 million appropriation, will you keep Logan open?" 

Maniscalco said the most important thing right now is that the community continues to support Logan by attending the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability hearing on Wednesday evening.

He said the community needs to show other legislators they are behind keeping Logan open. 

The COGFA hearing panel consists of co-chairs Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg and Rep. Patricia Bellock; Sens. Michael Frerichs, Matt Murphy, Suzi Schmidt, Dave Syverson and Donne Trotter; and Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Elaine Nekritz, Raymond Poe, Al Riley and Michael Tryon. 

The hearing is scheduled to commence at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening in the Earl C Hargrove Chapel on the campus of Lincoln Christian University. The chapel is immense in size and it is hoped that the building will be filled wall to wall with supporters, all wearing red. 

Snyder ended addressing the council by saying: "It is important that you all attend (Wednesday) night with your friends and neighbors." 

[By NILA SMITH]

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