Saturday, October 29, 2011
 
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Mayor says thanks, but don't quit yet on support for Logan

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[October 29, 2011]  Lincoln Mayor Keith Snyder wrote the following letter to the people of Lincoln and Logan County and encourages everyone to contact the panel that was at the Wednesday night meeting at the Earl C Hargrove Chapel at Lincoln Christian University. The hearing by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability was on the proposed closure of Logan Correctional Center. The following is the text of the mayor's message:

(Copy)

To the people of Lincoln and Logan County – thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Thank you for coming out on a cold, rainy evening to fill the LCU Chapel to capacity in your red to show the members of COGFA that we are a community united to Save Logan! 

Thank you for demonstrating the passion and spirit you have not only for Lincoln and Logan County, but more importantly for your friends and neighbors who would be directly affected by this closing! 

Thank you for showing to the legislators, to the Governor's office, to the media, and to the outside world what it truly means to be a community! 

Wednesday evening's COGFA hearing was an amazing event. We heard how even the architects of the Governor's plan to close Logan don't want it to close. We heard our local legislators effectively question those officials and strongly support Logan. We had dozens of local citizens beautifully weave together testimony that described the impact the closing might have, the realities of life in Lincoln these days, and, as a result, the best things about Lincoln.   

We are deeply grateful to all who had any hand in making Wednesday evening the special night that it was!   

We delivered a great message, and I am confident that message was heard.   

Now that we've delivered that message, we still have further work to do. COGFA still needs to vote to keep Logan open. We are anticipating that vote will come the week of November 7-10. If you'd like to continue the momentum of Wednesday night, please call or write the members of that Commission to thank them for coming to Lincoln to hear us and to ask them to support Logan with their vote. Their addresses and phone numbers are shown below.

Once the COGFA vote occurs, the General Assembly and the Governor still need to reach consensus that enough money is available from some source to keep Logan Correctional Center open.  Senators Bomke and Brady and Representatives Brauer and Mitchell all are adamant in their support of Logan. Please reach out to the Governor by phone or mail to encourage him to reach agreement with the General Assembly on making funds available to keep Logan open. (His contact information is shown below.)  

Thank you again for everyone's support of Logan and of this community. We all should be proud of the giant step we took Wednesday evening. Let's continue this united effort until we secure victory!

In deep appreciation,

Keith Snyder 

(End of mayor's letter)

Recently COGFA made a recommendation that four of the seven facilities earmarked for closure by Gov. Quinn be kept open. They are Singer Mental Health Center in Rockford, Chester Mental Health Center in Chester, Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon and Illinois Youth Center in Murphysboro.

Final recommendations on the three remaining targeted facilities -- the Tinley Park Mental Health Center, Jacksonville Developmental Center and Logan Correctional Center -- should be made known in the next few days.

Although the COGFA findings are only advisory, no governor has gone against the opinion of that board.

[Text from Mayor Keith Snyder; LDN]

[to top of second column]

Below is a list of names, phone numbers and addresses of COGFA members and the governor:

COGFA members:

Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, co-chair
820 Davis St. 
Evanston, IL 60201
District phone: 847-492-1200
Capitol phone: 217-782-2119 

Sen. Michael Frerichs
45 E. University Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820
District: 217-355-5252
Capitol: 217-782-2507 

Sen. Matt Murphy
Palatine Centre Atrium Offices
Palatine, IL 60067
District: 847-776-1490
Capitol: 217-782-4471 

Sen. Suzi Schmidt
37908 N. Fairfield Road
Lake Villa, IL 60046
District: 224-372-7465
Capitol: 217-782-7353 

Sen. Dave Syverson
200 S. Wyman St.
Rockford, IL 61101
District: 815-987-7555
Capitol: 217-782-5413 

Sen. Donne Trotter
8704 S. Constance Ave.
Chicago, IL 60617
District: 773-933-7715
Capitol: 217-782-3201

Rep. Patricia Bellock, co-chair
1 S. Cass Ave.
Westmont, IL 60559
District: 630-852-8633
Capitol: 217-782-1448 

Rep. Kevin McCarthy
8951 W. 151st St.
Orland Park, IL 60462
District: 708-226-1999
Capitol: 217-782-3316 

Rep. Elaine Nekritz
24 S. Des Plaines River Road
Des Plaines, IL 60016
District: 847-257-0450
Capitol: 217-558-1004 

Rep. Raymond Poe
E-1 Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
District and Capitol: 217-782-0044 

Rep. Al Riley
3649 W. 183rd St.
Hazel Crest, IL 60429
District: 708-799-4364
Capitol: 217-588-1007 

Rep. Michael Tryon
1 N. Virginia St.
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
District: 815-459-6453
Capitol: 217-782-0432 

Governor:

Gov. Pat Quinn
James R. Thompson Center 
100 W. Randolph, 16-100 
Chicago, IL 60601  
Phone: 312-814-2121  

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