FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Toyota has agreed to pay a $16.4 million civil fine levied by the U.S. government under an agreement that will allow the company to maintain legally that it did not knowingly hide defects from regulators.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704508904575192873543926804.html?mod=djemalertNEWS
Showing posts with label illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illinois. Show all posts
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
AP Reports: Quinn Will Not Attempt to Challenge Healthcare Mandates in Court
CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. Pat Quinn says Illinois won't try to block the health care reform that Congress has passed.
Quinn on Monday said Illinois embraces the reforms, unlike other states.
Virginia already has announced a legal challenge. And a new Virginia law says its residents can't be forced by the government to have insurance.
Idaho's governor also has signed a measure requiring that state's attorney general to sue the federal government over mandates that require people to have coverage.
Quinn, however, says he doesn't think opponents will win in court.
Quinn on Monday said Illinois embraces the reforms, unlike other states.
Virginia already has announced a legal challenge. And a new Virginia law says its residents can't be forced by the government to have insurance.
Idaho's governor also has signed a measure requiring that state's attorney general to sue the federal government over mandates that require people to have coverage.
Quinn, however, says he doesn't think opponents will win in court.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Americans for Prosperity Statement on Healthcare Passage
Chicago, Illinois – Americans for Prosperity- Illinois State Director Joe Calomino issued the following statement after the U.S. House passed the health care takeover bill:
“Today we have seen a critical setback for freedom in our country. Americans for Prosperity’s members would like to let those Illinois Congressman who voted “Yes” know that we will not forget their vote for this disastrous bill. Their votes have helped solidify a Washington takeover of our health care, the details of which we don’t even know yet.
“More than 320,000 Americans have signed AFP’s November Is Coming petition, telling House members they will vote NO on them for having voted YES on this health care bill.
“The fight over this health care takeover has been long and brutal. But something hopeful has emerged: millions of active, passionate Americans who are aware of the many threats to our freedoms and who are willing to fight.
“Those Illinois Congressman who voted “Yes” have failed to act in the best interest of the people of the United States. Instead they chose to serve the best interest of their political parties special interest groups. This fight is not over. Today we lost in Congress, but we won with the American people.”
Please visit www.NovemberIsComing.com to see how many Americans have told their House members they will hold them accountable in November for their health care vote.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than 1 million members, including members in all 50 states, and 30 state chapters and affiliates. More than 60,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial investment in AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org
“Today we have seen a critical setback for freedom in our country. Americans for Prosperity’s members would like to let those Illinois Congressman who voted “Yes” know that we will not forget their vote for this disastrous bill. Their votes have helped solidify a Washington takeover of our health care, the details of which we don’t even know yet.
“More than 320,000 Americans have signed AFP’s November Is Coming petition, telling House members they will vote NO on them for having voted YES on this health care bill.
“The fight over this health care takeover has been long and brutal. But something hopeful has emerged: millions of active, passionate Americans who are aware of the many threats to our freedoms and who are willing to fight.
“Those Illinois Congressman who voted “Yes” have failed to act in the best interest of the people of the United States. Instead they chose to serve the best interest of their political parties special interest groups. This fight is not over. Today we lost in Congress, but we won with the American people.”
Please visit www.NovemberIsComing.com to see how many Americans have told their House members they will hold them accountable in November for their health care vote.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than 1 million members, including members in all 50 states, and 30 state chapters and affiliates. More than 60,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial investment in AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Democratic Party Officials Audition Candidates for Lt Governor
NOTE: The Illinois Channel on Monday will air our interview with Speaker Madigan's Press Secretary, Steve Brown on the Lt Gov selection process for filling the slot on the Dem Ballot. That will be followed by Prof. Paul Green also commenting on that -- and other issues -- as he is interviewed by our Contributing Correspondent, Jeff Berkowitz.
The auditions/interviews noted in the article below took place in Chicago, though the article has a Springfield dateline.
FROM THE PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
SPRINGFIELD — Audition day in the Democratic Party brought out a used-car salesman, veteran legislators, an expert on bat houses and a political legend's daughter — all hoping to become the party's nominee for lieutenant governor of Illinois.
In presentations to party leaders Saturday, some argued that they have the government know-how a state official needs. Others stressed their business experience. Some made the case that they understand the interests and worries of regular voters.
"I get to hear what people think," said Jose Ruiz, a 29-year-old Chicago car salesman. "I think my everyday experience has been more than enough to get me ready for any position."
The applicants also included some of the people who failed to win the nomination in last month's primary election.
"Ten thousand signatures, 30,000 miles and $150,000 later, I'm still trying," said Rep. Arthur Turner, who finished second in the primary.
The original nominee for lieutenant governor, Scott Lee Cohen, withdrew in an embarrassing episode for the party. Democratic leaders pressured him to drop out after allegations of domestic abuse, steroid use and failure to pay child support.
Officials decided to throw open the search for Gov. Pat Quinn's new running mate. They allowed anyone interested in the job to apply online and present their argument to the Democratic Central Committee. More than 100 people made their cases at five hearings in Chicago, its suburbs and Springfield.
Applicants praised the very public search as a way to promote interest in the job and to fight the image of Illinois as a place where every political decision is a backroom deal.
But some also said the process might amount to nothing more than political theater.
"I have to move forward as if it's a serious process. I don't know if that's the case," said Rayne Devivo, a stay-at-home mother from LeRoy.
Devivo said she has worked in state government as an assistant attorney general, among other things. Many others have no state experience.
Robert Nelson of Rochester, for instance, said he's a former school bus driver and an environmentalist. He told the committee that he designs bat houses and gives demonstrations on how to build snowshoes.
The applicants also included former Marines, advocates of legalizing marijuana, a radio DJ, the East St. Louis city treasurer and a volunteer firefighter.
One would-be lieutenant governor, Sheila Simon, called them "a really neat group of folks."
Simon, a law professor at Southern Illinois University, is the daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. She told the committee that she's been part of political campaigns since the age of 7 and understands the rigors of running for statewide office.
In the end, 17 applicants survived the initial screening process and will be considered March 27, when the full Democratic Central Committee is expected to pick a nominee.
The finalists include Turner, Simon and Sen. Susan Garrett, who is on Quinn's list of possibilities. Some relative unknowns also made the cut, including Glenview businesswoman Megan Drilling and DuPage County Board member Dirk Enger.
Committee members are divided on how they'll decide who gets the nomination.
Some say they'll give great deference to Quinn's preference, which the governor says he will reveal in the coming week. Others argue that Turner, the second-place finisher, deserves the nomination.
Rep. Constance Howard, D-Chicago, compared the situation to the Miss America contest. If the winner drops out, she said, the runner-up takes over.
Michael Madigan, chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, offered little guidance on how the decision will be made next Saturday.
"I'm sure the members of the committee, like I, will be greatly interested in the opinion of the governor. We're very interested in working with him," Madigan said.
The auditions/interviews noted in the article below took place in Chicago, though the article has a Springfield dateline.
FROM THE PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
SPRINGFIELD — Audition day in the Democratic Party brought out a used-car salesman, veteran legislators, an expert on bat houses and a political legend's daughter — all hoping to become the party's nominee for lieutenant governor of Illinois.
In presentations to party leaders Saturday, some argued that they have the government know-how a state official needs. Others stressed their business experience. Some made the case that they understand the interests and worries of regular voters.
"I get to hear what people think," said Jose Ruiz, a 29-year-old Chicago car salesman. "I think my everyday experience has been more than enough to get me ready for any position."
The applicants also included some of the people who failed to win the nomination in last month's primary election.
"Ten thousand signatures, 30,000 miles and $150,000 later, I'm still trying," said Rep. Arthur Turner, who finished second in the primary.
The original nominee for lieutenant governor, Scott Lee Cohen, withdrew in an embarrassing episode for the party. Democratic leaders pressured him to drop out after allegations of domestic abuse, steroid use and failure to pay child support.
Officials decided to throw open the search for Gov. Pat Quinn's new running mate. They allowed anyone interested in the job to apply online and present their argument to the Democratic Central Committee. More than 100 people made their cases at five hearings in Chicago, its suburbs and Springfield.
Applicants praised the very public search as a way to promote interest in the job and to fight the image of Illinois as a place where every political decision is a backroom deal.
But some also said the process might amount to nothing more than political theater.
"I have to move forward as if it's a serious process. I don't know if that's the case," said Rayne Devivo, a stay-at-home mother from LeRoy.
Devivo said she has worked in state government as an assistant attorney general, among other things. Many others have no state experience.
Robert Nelson of Rochester, for instance, said he's a former school bus driver and an environmentalist. He told the committee that he designs bat houses and gives demonstrations on how to build snowshoes.
The applicants also included former Marines, advocates of legalizing marijuana, a radio DJ, the East St. Louis city treasurer and a volunteer firefighter.
One would-be lieutenant governor, Sheila Simon, called them "a really neat group of folks."
Simon, a law professor at Southern Illinois University, is the daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. She told the committee that she's been part of political campaigns since the age of 7 and understands the rigors of running for statewide office.
In the end, 17 applicants survived the initial screening process and will be considered March 27, when the full Democratic Central Committee is expected to pick a nominee.
The finalists include Turner, Simon and Sen. Susan Garrett, who is on Quinn's list of possibilities. Some relative unknowns also made the cut, including Glenview businesswoman Megan Drilling and DuPage County Board member Dirk Enger.
Committee members are divided on how they'll decide who gets the nomination.
Some say they'll give great deference to Quinn's preference, which the governor says he will reveal in the coming week. Others argue that Turner, the second-place finisher, deserves the nomination.
Rep. Constance Howard, D-Chicago, compared the situation to the Miss America contest. If the winner drops out, she said, the runner-up takes over.
Michael Madigan, chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, offered little guidance on how the decision will be made next Saturday.
"I'm sure the members of the committee, like I, will be greatly interested in the opinion of the governor. We're very interested in working with him," Madigan said.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Josh Barro: What's the Matter With Illinois?
By Josh Barro
Josh Barro is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute
Over the last two budget cycles, every state except North Dakota has had to close a budget gap. But a handful of states stand out for the depth of their fiscal problems. For 2010, seven states had budget gaps totaling more than 25% of general fund spending, as measured by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Of these, six have a clear story about how they ended up in such a mess.
Nevada is battered by weak travel to Las Vegas, while California is heavily reliant on shrinking income tax revenues. Arizona, California and Nevada were all hit particularly hard by the burst of the property bubble. Alaska's odd finances are sensitive to falling oil prices. And New York and New Jersey are feeling the effects of fewer, and smaller, Wall Street bonuses.
The most puzzling member of the "over 25% club" is Illinois. Illinois did not see a particularly large bubble (or burst) in property prices, does not have outsize exposure to finance or tourism, and has a lower-than-normal reliance on its flat income tax. So how did the state achieve a staggering budget gap equaling 47% of its fiscal 2010 budget, second only to California?
The trouble is that Illinois did not enter the recession from a position of budget balance. While California's budget shenanigans have garnered national attention, Illinois' behavior has been similarly poor but less widely noticed. The Land of Lincoln has not truly balanced its budget since 2001, and its large structural deficit has it poised for fiscal ruin in the recession. While other states can blame external economic factors, the key cause of Illinois' budget crisis is legislative malfeasance.
Illinois has taken the budget gimmicks seen in many states to an extreme. Occasionally, states postpone payments during budget crises to close budget gaps. But for the last decade, Illinois has made a standard practice of delaying vendor payments -- even in good years -- and then periodically floating general obligation bonds to clear the backlog.
The state has also used its pension system as a venue for stealth borrowing. From 1996 to 2008, the state's unfunded pension liability grew by $36 billion -- and $19 billion of that growth was due to elected officials funding pensions below the actuarially required level. (Another $6 billion was attributable to benefit increases enacted ten years ago at the height of the dot-com stock market bubble.)
Even taking its aggressive investment assumptions at face value, Illinois' public employee retirement system has assets to cover only 54% of its accrued liabilities -- one of the country's worst ratios. When the state promises future benefits to employees without setting aside the cash to pay for them, it is effectively borrowing without reflecting bond debt on its balance sheet.
Meanwhile, when the state did make required pension contributions, it often did so by floating bonds -- over $13 billion in "pension obligation notes" over the last decade. It's no surprise that in 2008, the Pew Center on the States rated Illinois' money management the third worst in the country, behind only Rhode Island and California.
Unlike tax increases and spending cuts, these gap-closing strategies make future year deficits even worse -- the state spends over $1 billion a year just to service previously-issued pension obligation bonds. Having made no real progress on its structural deficit, Illinois faces a $13 billion gap in its $32 billion 2011 general fund.
Last week, Governor Patrick Quinn proposed his FY 2011 budget, and the contents are not inspiring. Quinn's proposed budget includes delaying over $6 billion in vendor payments to the next fiscal year, and raising the state's personal and corporate income taxes by a point each. (Last year, Quinn proposed raising the personal and corporate income taxes, but was thwarted by the Democratic-controlled legislature.) These measures would combine with spending cuts to close the gap.
Illinois' low income tax, with a flat rate of 3%, serves to offset high property taxes and high sales taxes, especially in Chicago. Overall, Illinois is not a low-tax state -- in fact, it already collects more state and local taxes per capita than any Midwestern state except Minnesota. Raising income taxes would deprive the state of its one key tax environment advantages compared to its neighbors, and is the wrong answer to close the gap.
What's the consequence of foregoing the tax hike? Governor Quinn has threatened that, if his income tax increase does not pass, he will be forced to cut $1.3 billion in state aid to school districts. Legislators should take the governor up on his threat, which would represent an approximately 5% cut in total education spending, and let school districts decide whether they wish to raise property taxes to cover the gap.
Beyond education, positive fiscal reform will require getting the expense side of the state's ledger under control, especially on employee compensation and pensions. The state's required pension plan contribution has exploded to over $4.1 billion for 2011 from $1.1 billion in 2000, accounting for more than 1/8 of general fund spending and crowding out other programs. This reflects the generosity and unsustainability of public employee benefits in Illinois.
The Illinois Policy Institute, a free-market think tank based in Chicago, has promoted a creative reform on public pensions, which combines a state expenditure limit with a commitment to direct all surplus revenues into the pension fund until adequate funding is reached. New employees would be shifted to a defined contribution retirement plan that would prevent future pension funding crises.
Meanwhile, the state and localities could freeze or even cut employee wages to offset the value of generous pensions. Fewer than 2% of state employees voluntarily left their jobs in 2008, a lower figure than in any other state, which suggests that Illinois could reduce employee compensation while continuing to retain talent. (Similarly, a wage freeze at the school district level would significantly reduce the pressure from state aid cuts.)
What Illinois cannot do is go on forever with a fiscal strategy of borrowing to finance current operations. The state already has one of the worst credit ratings in America (though still better than California), which will continue to deteriorate so long as the state's structural deficit and pension underfunding problems persist. If the state fails to control spending and fix its pension problem, it is poised to follow California off a fiscal cliff.
Josh Barro is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute
Over the last two budget cycles, every state except North Dakota has had to close a budget gap. But a handful of states stand out for the depth of their fiscal problems. For 2010, seven states had budget gaps totaling more than 25% of general fund spending, as measured by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Of these, six have a clear story about how they ended up in such a mess.
Nevada is battered by weak travel to Las Vegas, while California is heavily reliant on shrinking income tax revenues. Arizona, California and Nevada were all hit particularly hard by the burst of the property bubble. Alaska's odd finances are sensitive to falling oil prices. And New York and New Jersey are feeling the effects of fewer, and smaller, Wall Street bonuses.
The most puzzling member of the "over 25% club" is Illinois. Illinois did not see a particularly large bubble (or burst) in property prices, does not have outsize exposure to finance or tourism, and has a lower-than-normal reliance on its flat income tax. So how did the state achieve a staggering budget gap equaling 47% of its fiscal 2010 budget, second only to California?
The trouble is that Illinois did not enter the recession from a position of budget balance. While California's budget shenanigans have garnered national attention, Illinois' behavior has been similarly poor but less widely noticed. The Land of Lincoln has not truly balanced its budget since 2001, and its large structural deficit has it poised for fiscal ruin in the recession. While other states can blame external economic factors, the key cause of Illinois' budget crisis is legislative malfeasance.
Illinois has taken the budget gimmicks seen in many states to an extreme. Occasionally, states postpone payments during budget crises to close budget gaps. But for the last decade, Illinois has made a standard practice of delaying vendor payments -- even in good years -- and then periodically floating general obligation bonds to clear the backlog.
The state has also used its pension system as a venue for stealth borrowing. From 1996 to 2008, the state's unfunded pension liability grew by $36 billion -- and $19 billion of that growth was due to elected officials funding pensions below the actuarially required level. (Another $6 billion was attributable to benefit increases enacted ten years ago at the height of the dot-com stock market bubble.)
Even taking its aggressive investment assumptions at face value, Illinois' public employee retirement system has assets to cover only 54% of its accrued liabilities -- one of the country's worst ratios. When the state promises future benefits to employees without setting aside the cash to pay for them, it is effectively borrowing without reflecting bond debt on its balance sheet.
Meanwhile, when the state did make required pension contributions, it often did so by floating bonds -- over $13 billion in "pension obligation notes" over the last decade. It's no surprise that in 2008, the Pew Center on the States rated Illinois' money management the third worst in the country, behind only Rhode Island and California.
Unlike tax increases and spending cuts, these gap-closing strategies make future year deficits even worse -- the state spends over $1 billion a year just to service previously-issued pension obligation bonds. Having made no real progress on its structural deficit, Illinois faces a $13 billion gap in its $32 billion 2011 general fund.
Last week, Governor Patrick Quinn proposed his FY 2011 budget, and the contents are not inspiring. Quinn's proposed budget includes delaying over $6 billion in vendor payments to the next fiscal year, and raising the state's personal and corporate income taxes by a point each. (Last year, Quinn proposed raising the personal and corporate income taxes, but was thwarted by the Democratic-controlled legislature.) These measures would combine with spending cuts to close the gap.
Illinois' low income tax, with a flat rate of 3%, serves to offset high property taxes and high sales taxes, especially in Chicago. Overall, Illinois is not a low-tax state -- in fact, it already collects more state and local taxes per capita than any Midwestern state except Minnesota. Raising income taxes would deprive the state of its one key tax environment advantages compared to its neighbors, and is the wrong answer to close the gap.
What's the consequence of foregoing the tax hike? Governor Quinn has threatened that, if his income tax increase does not pass, he will be forced to cut $1.3 billion in state aid to school districts. Legislators should take the governor up on his threat, which would represent an approximately 5% cut in total education spending, and let school districts decide whether they wish to raise property taxes to cover the gap.
Beyond education, positive fiscal reform will require getting the expense side of the state's ledger under control, especially on employee compensation and pensions. The state's required pension plan contribution has exploded to over $4.1 billion for 2011 from $1.1 billion in 2000, accounting for more than 1/8 of general fund spending and crowding out other programs. This reflects the generosity and unsustainability of public employee benefits in Illinois.
The Illinois Policy Institute, a free-market think tank based in Chicago, has promoted a creative reform on public pensions, which combines a state expenditure limit with a commitment to direct all surplus revenues into the pension fund until adequate funding is reached. New employees would be shifted to a defined contribution retirement plan that would prevent future pension funding crises.
Meanwhile, the state and localities could freeze or even cut employee wages to offset the value of generous pensions. Fewer than 2% of state employees voluntarily left their jobs in 2008, a lower figure than in any other state, which suggests that Illinois could reduce employee compensation while continuing to retain talent. (Similarly, a wage freeze at the school district level would significantly reduce the pressure from state aid cuts.)
What Illinois cannot do is go on forever with a fiscal strategy of borrowing to finance current operations. The state already has one of the worst credit ratings in America (though still better than California), which will continue to deteriorate so long as the state's structural deficit and pension underfunding problems persist. If the state fails to control spending and fix its pension problem, it is poised to follow California off a fiscal cliff.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Statement from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady Regarding Gov. Quinn's Budget Proposal
From the Illinois Republican Party
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady released the following statement regarding Governor Quinn's budget proposal:
"Governor Quinn layed out one of the most irresponsible budgets the people of Illinois have ever seen, perpetuating the status quo of massive borrowing and spending that got us into the fiscal crisis we face today. It's almost like Governor Blagojevich never left Springfield. What's worse is this address should have been given from Quinn's campaign office because it's clear his budget proposal is nothing more than political theatre to get him reelected in November. Raising taxes 33% on Illinois families is not the answer to fixing this budget mess. Republican Senator Bill Brady is in line with the people of Illinois who want fiscal responsibility and reform - neither of which Quinn is willing to bring to the table."
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady released the following statement regarding Governor Quinn's budget proposal:
"Governor Quinn layed out one of the most irresponsible budgets the people of Illinois have ever seen, perpetuating the status quo of massive borrowing and spending that got us into the fiscal crisis we face today. It's almost like Governor Blagojevich never left Springfield. What's worse is this address should have been given from Quinn's campaign office because it's clear his budget proposal is nothing more than political theatre to get him reelected in November. Raising taxes 33% on Illinois families is not the answer to fixing this budget mess. Republican Senator Bill Brady is in line with the people of Illinois who want fiscal responsibility and reform - neither of which Quinn is willing to bring to the table."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Illinois Honors Those Lost in Desert Storm
SPRINGFIELD – In honor of the 19th anniversary of the cease fire announcement of the Persian Gulf War, the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) held a memorial service today at the Capitol Rotunda in Springfield for the 14 Illinois service members who lost their lives during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Governor Pat Quinn issued a proclamation declaring Sunday, February 28th, 2010 as Desert Storm Remembrance Day in Illinois and encouraged all Illinoisans to join in on the worthy observance.
“With Sunday marking the 19th anniversary of the end of Operation Desert Storm, we take time to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives during the conflict,” IDVA Director Dan Grant said. “The state of Illinois lost fourteen courageous service members during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and today we renew our vow to always honor their memories and dedication to this nation.”
The text of the Governor’s proclamation follows:
WHEREAS, since the birth of this great nation, millions of brave American men and women have courageously answered the call to defend their country’s ideals of freedom and democracy; and
WHEREAS, eighteen years ago, over 600,000 members of the United States Armed Forces risked their lives in the Persian Gulf to liberate Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, some making the ultimate sacrifice for their country; and
WHEREAS, the men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces during Operation Desert Storm have earned the gratitude and respect of their nation; and
WHEREAS, the observance of the 19th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm allows citizens throughout Illinois, and across the country, the opportunity to honor those who served during this conflict for their valor and selflessness:
THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim February 28, 2010 as DESERT STORM REMEMBRANCE DAY in Illinois, and urge all citizens to honor those who courageously served their country during Operation Desert Storm.
“With Sunday marking the 19th anniversary of the end of Operation Desert Storm, we take time to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives during the conflict,” IDVA Director Dan Grant said. “The state of Illinois lost fourteen courageous service members during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and today we renew our vow to always honor their memories and dedication to this nation.”
The text of the Governor’s proclamation follows:
WHEREAS, since the birth of this great nation, millions of brave American men and women have courageously answered the call to defend their country’s ideals of freedom and democracy; and
WHEREAS, eighteen years ago, over 600,000 members of the United States Armed Forces risked their lives in the Persian Gulf to liberate Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, some making the ultimate sacrifice for their country; and
WHEREAS, the men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces during Operation Desert Storm have earned the gratitude and respect of their nation; and
WHEREAS, the observance of the 19th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm allows citizens throughout Illinois, and across the country, the opportunity to honor those who served during this conflict for their valor and selflessness:
THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim February 28, 2010 as DESERT STORM REMEMBRANCE DAY in Illinois, and urge all citizens to honor those who courageously served their country during Operation Desert Storm.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Durbin Statement on Obama Health Care Proposal
From the Office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
Monday, February 22, 2010
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) made the following statement regarding President Obama’s health insurance reform proposal that was released earlier today:
“The President’s health reform proposal brings together the best of the current healthcare proposal – including both Republican and Democratic ideas. President Obama’s plan to give access to affordable health care to over 31 million Americans who currently don’t have it today, will put families not insurance companies back in control of their own health care, drive down health care costs and improve the quality of health care in America.
“On Thursday, I will join Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle in a meeting to discuss the President’s new plan. I look forward to a discussion with new ideas and bipartisan participation.”
Monday, February 22, 2010
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) made the following statement regarding President Obama’s health insurance reform proposal that was released earlier today:
“The President’s health reform proposal brings together the best of the current healthcare proposal – including both Republican and Democratic ideas. President Obama’s plan to give access to affordable health care to over 31 million Americans who currently don’t have it today, will put families not insurance companies back in control of their own health care, drive down health care costs and improve the quality of health care in America.
“On Thursday, I will join Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle in a meeting to discuss the President’s new plan. I look forward to a discussion with new ideas and bipartisan participation.”
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Cross and Radogno Sponsor Constitutional Amendment to Create a Fair Map
From the Offices of the Illinois Senate Republicans and Illinois House Republicans
(Springfield) After seeing the early success of a citizens’ movement to take back Illinois, Republican Leaders Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) filed resolutions today to amend the Illinois Constitution with reforms that would take the power of drawing legislative maps out of lawmakers’ hands and place it into the hands of an independent commission.
“This resolution will also take away the ridiculous “hat provision” which has decided who draws the legislative map for the last three decades,” said Cross. “When lawmakers and the governor can’t agree on a legislative map—we draw a name out of a hat. We’re the only state in the nation that allows this winner take all approach.”
House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 56 and Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 104 take an initiative sponsored by the League of Women Voters and other government reform groups and put it into legislation for General Assembly passage.
“We are proposing to take the politics out of the redistricting process and let voters choose their elected representatives. This is the reform that citizens are demanding. This proposal is specifically designed to empower the voters of Illinois,” Leader Radogno said. “We know we could face strong opposition but regardless of the past we have a responsibility to seek good public policy. Redistricting reform must happen in Illinois.”
“We will continue to push hard for a House vote on our amendment. The residents are demanding it,” added Rep. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “The political reality is that the Democrats in control don’t want it.”
The current process allows legislative leaders to draw district boundaries behind closed doors. The constitutional amendment would require public hearings, ensure public display of proposed maps and allow public submission of proposed maps. Since 2001, incumbents have a 98% reelection rate; passage of the amendment will encourage competition and promote diversity.
The League of Women Voters has taken the lead in recommending the constitutional amendment, and has partnered with other reform groups, including: the Better Government Association, members of the Illinois Reform Commission, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, Common Cause – Illinois, the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity, Illinois Alliance for Growth, Independent Voters of Illinois and United Power for Action and Justice.
“We are thrilled that legislative leaders are proposing this constitutional amendment with our language in it—and we are hopeful that lawmakers will do the right thing and pass it through the General Assembly,” said Jan Czarnik, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters.
According to state law, in order for the Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment to appear on the ballot in November—the General Assembly must pass it with a 3/5th majority by May 2, 2010 (six months before the election).
“There are other proposals out there, but we believe only one that empowers an independent authority is true reform,” said Deputy Senate Republican Leader Dale Righter. “Any proposal that continues to have lawmakers draw their own districts is not reform.”
(Springfield) After seeing the early success of a citizens’ movement to take back Illinois, Republican Leaders Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) filed resolutions today to amend the Illinois Constitution with reforms that would take the power of drawing legislative maps out of lawmakers’ hands and place it into the hands of an independent commission.
“This resolution will also take away the ridiculous “hat provision” which has decided who draws the legislative map for the last three decades,” said Cross. “When lawmakers and the governor can’t agree on a legislative map—we draw a name out of a hat. We’re the only state in the nation that allows this winner take all approach.”
House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 56 and Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 104 take an initiative sponsored by the League of Women Voters and other government reform groups and put it into legislation for General Assembly passage.
“We are proposing to take the politics out of the redistricting process and let voters choose their elected representatives. This is the reform that citizens are demanding. This proposal is specifically designed to empower the voters of Illinois,” Leader Radogno said. “We know we could face strong opposition but regardless of the past we have a responsibility to seek good public policy. Redistricting reform must happen in Illinois.”
“We will continue to push hard for a House vote on our amendment. The residents are demanding it,” added Rep. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “The political reality is that the Democrats in control don’t want it.”
The current process allows legislative leaders to draw district boundaries behind closed doors. The constitutional amendment would require public hearings, ensure public display of proposed maps and allow public submission of proposed maps. Since 2001, incumbents have a 98% reelection rate; passage of the amendment will encourage competition and promote diversity.
The League of Women Voters has taken the lead in recommending the constitutional amendment, and has partnered with other reform groups, including: the Better Government Association, members of the Illinois Reform Commission, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, Common Cause – Illinois, the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity, Illinois Alliance for Growth, Independent Voters of Illinois and United Power for Action and Justice.
“We are thrilled that legislative leaders are proposing this constitutional amendment with our language in it—and we are hopeful that lawmakers will do the right thing and pass it through the General Assembly,” said Jan Czarnik, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters.
According to state law, in order for the Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment to appear on the ballot in November—the General Assembly must pass it with a 3/5th majority by May 2, 2010 (six months before the election).
“There are other proposals out there, but we believe only one that empowers an independent authority is true reform,” said Deputy Senate Republican Leader Dale Righter. “Any proposal that continues to have lawmakers draw their own districts is not reform.”
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Statement of Arthur Turner on the Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor of Illinois
From the Campaign Office of Arthur Turner for Lt. Governor
Sunday, February 7, 2010
"I commend Scott Lee Cohen on making the difficult decision today to resign his nomination for Lieutenant Governor, and have great respect for any citizen who engages in the public political process with the hopes to improve the lives of Illinoisans.
"I believe that in the November general election, the people of Illinois will elect the candidates who are the most honest, experienced and effective leaders. Governor Pat Quinn heads an outstanding slate of accomplished legislators on the Democratic ticket that far surpass the Republican candidates in every important regard. It continues to be my desire to join this exceptional group of individuals as the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and to bring my 30 years of experience to the executive branch as we solve the difficult economic and social challenges that face this great state."
Sunday, February 7, 2010
"I commend Scott Lee Cohen on making the difficult decision today to resign his nomination for Lieutenant Governor, and have great respect for any citizen who engages in the public political process with the hopes to improve the lives of Illinoisans.
"I believe that in the November general election, the people of Illinois will elect the candidates who are the most honest, experienced and effective leaders. Governor Pat Quinn heads an outstanding slate of accomplished legislators on the Democratic ticket that far surpass the Republican candidates in every important regard. It continues to be my desire to join this exceptional group of individuals as the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and to bring my 30 years of experience to the executive branch as we solve the difficult economic and social challenges that face this great state."
Monday, February 8, 2010
Scott Lee Cohen Drops Out as Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor
Scott Lee Cohen, Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor on November's ballot, has dropped out of the race.
For more information, visit http://www.sj-r.com/news/x1522834739/Cohen-to-talk-about-decision-on-staying-in-race.
For more information, visit http://www.sj-r.com/news/x1522834739/Cohen-to-talk-about-decision-on-staying-in-race.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
MORE DETAILS: Illinois Supreme Court Strikes Down Medical Malpractice Caps
From Crain's Chicago Business
(Crain’s) — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday struck down limits on jury awards in medical malpractice cases passed by the Legislature four years ago amid spiking liability costs for medical providers.
The court ruled that the caps on pain and suffering and other non-economic damages — $500,000 per case for doctors and $1 million for hospitals — are unconstitutional.
The court’s opinion upholds a 2007 ruling by a Cook County Circuit Court judge determining that the law violated the Illinois Constitution’s “separation of powers” clause, essentially finding that lawmakers interfered with the right of juries to determine fair damages.
It’s the third time the state’s high court has quashed limits on medical malpractice awards, having tossed out similar laws in 1976 and 1997.
The ruling is a blow to physicians, hospitals and malpractice insurers, who successfully argued in 2005 that frivolous lawsuits and runaway jury verdicts were driving up insurance rates and forcing physicians to leave the state.
The court’s ruling stems from a malpractice lawsuit filed in 2006 by the family of a girl who suffered brain damage during her delivery at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park. Illinois’ trial bar selected the suit as its “test case” to challenge the law.
Liability insurance rates for Illinois doctors generally have held steady or dipped slightly since the caps took effect in August 2005, according to survey data from Medical Liability Monitor, an Oak Park-based trade publication. That’s roughly in line with national trends.
(Crain’s) — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday struck down limits on jury awards in medical malpractice cases passed by the Legislature four years ago amid spiking liability costs for medical providers.
The court ruled that the caps on pain and suffering and other non-economic damages — $500,000 per case for doctors and $1 million for hospitals — are unconstitutional.
The court’s opinion upholds a 2007 ruling by a Cook County Circuit Court judge determining that the law violated the Illinois Constitution’s “separation of powers” clause, essentially finding that lawmakers interfered with the right of juries to determine fair damages.
It’s the third time the state’s high court has quashed limits on medical malpractice awards, having tossed out similar laws in 1976 and 1997.
The ruling is a blow to physicians, hospitals and malpractice insurers, who successfully argued in 2005 that frivolous lawsuits and runaway jury verdicts were driving up insurance rates and forcing physicians to leave the state.
The court’s ruling stems from a malpractice lawsuit filed in 2006 by the family of a girl who suffered brain damage during her delivery at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park. Illinois’ trial bar selected the suit as its “test case” to challenge the law.
Liability insurance rates for Illinois doctors generally have held steady or dipped slightly since the caps took effect in August 2005, according to survey data from Medical Liability Monitor, an Oak Park-based trade publication. That’s roughly in line with national trends.
BREAKING NEWS: Illinois Supreme Court Rules Caps on Medical Malpractice Awards Unconstitutional
Today, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that medical malpractice caps, adopted by the Illinois General Assembly in 2005, infringe on the judicial branch's power.
Click the link below for more information from the Springfield State Journal-Register.
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1090837992/Illinois-medical-malpractice-caps-unconstitutional
Click the link below for more information from the Springfield State Journal-Register.
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1090837992/Illinois-medical-malpractice-caps-unconstitutional
Audio Clip from Hynes Press Conference
Click the link below to listen to a 46-second audio clip from Comptroller Dan Hynes' press conference conceding victory in the Democratic Primary to Governor Pat Quinn.
http://www.illinoischannel.org/media/HynesDan100204.mp3
http://www.illinoischannel.org/media/HynesDan100204.mp3
BREAKING NEWS: Hynes Concedes to Quinn
Comptroller Dan Hynes has conceded victory in the Democratic Primary to Governor Pat Quinn.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Durbin: President Obama's Budget Focused on Job Creation and Reducing Federal Deficit
From the Office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
Monday, February 1, 2010
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the budget President Obama delivered to Congress today will help put millions of Americans back to work, build a new foundation for long-term prosperity and continue restoring fiscal responsibility.
“Each year, the President has a chance to clearly articulate his vision and his priorities through his budget. Today’s budget is a vision for the future that is focused on creating jobs and rebuilding our economy,” said Durbin. “This budget includes tax credits and other incentives designed to encourage new hires, it adds dramatically to education so that our kids will be prepared to succeed in college and compete in the global economy and it includes more than a billion dollars for jobs related to energy efficiency.”
The President’s 2011 Budget makes critical investments in the key areas that will help to reverse the decline in economic security that American families have experienced over the past decade with investments in job creation, education, clean energy and infrastructure.
It also reflects the Obama Administration’s commitment to tighten the government’s belt to reduce deficits in the years ahead. In this budget, the President proposes to save $250 billion by freezing all non-security related discretionary spending for three years. The freeze would exempt the budgets of the Defense Department, Homeland Security Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Job Creation
The President’s budget proposes several smart, targeted initiatives that would help encourage job creation this year. It proposes to invest $100 billion in programs to help small businesses access the credit they need to expand and hire; incentives to encourage energy efficiency renovations that would put contractors to work on homes and manufacturing plants; and infrastructure projects that would employ construction firms to make our roads, trains, and airports more efficient.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: There are over 250,000 small employers and over 850,000 sole proprietors in Illinois, most of which would benefit from easier access to credit to finance expansion as the economy begins to grow again. Most of the over 3.3 million homes in Illinois could benefit from incentives to make those homes more energy efficient. There are 310 transportation projects in Illinois worth $1.3 billion that are ready to go if funding were available to put people to work.
The budget encourages the creation of as many as one million new jobs in small businesses throughout the country this year through the proposal of a Small Business Jobs and Wages Tax Cut.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The Small Business Jobs and Wages Tax Cut could create over 43,000 jobs in Illinois.
The budget includes $237 million to purchase, activate, and operate the “supermax” state prison in Thomson, Illinois. There is a critical need for a facility to address federal prison overcrowding problems nationwide and a particularly urgent need for supermax-type bed space. There are more than 209,000 inmates in the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons, up sharply from 202,000 last year.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The purchase, activation and operation of Thomson Correctional Center could generate more than 3,000 jobs and inject more than $1 billion into the regional economy.
Education
The President’s budget expands access to a quality education through the largest funding increase ever requested for programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – a $3 billion increase to $28 billion, plus up to an additional $1 billion if the law is reauthorized by Congress.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Less than a quarter of Illinois students graduate high school ready for college level work. The President’s budget will help prepare all students for college by investing $2.1 billion in Illinois schools, students, and teachers.
The budget invests in comprehensive education reform through a $1.35 billion increase to expand the President’s Race to the Top competition.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Illinois was one of 41 states to submit an application for the first round of the Race to the Top competition. If Illinois’s application is successful, the state will receive between $200 million and $400 million to implement state-wide education reforms.
The budget makes college more affordable by raising the maximum Pell Grant to $5,710 and indexing the grant amount to inflation.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The President’s budget will make $1.4 billion available to Pell Grant recipients in Illinois. This will help more than 361,000 students in the state afford college.
The budget would lessen the burden of student loan payments on recent graduates by strengthening income-based repayment so that overburdened borrowers will pay only 10% of their discretionary income in repayments and have their remaining debt forgiven after 20 years.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: College students in Illinois graduate with an average of over $20,000 in student loan debt. The President's budget expands federal student aid and reforms the student loan system so that it works for students, not lenders.
The budget would expand child care and early education funding for working parents by adding $1.6 billion to the Child Care Development Fund and $1 billion to Head Start and Early Head Start
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The President’s investment in child care would mean $268.7 million in child care assistance for Illinois families. And the investment in Head Start would help place children in high-quality early childhood programs so that they enter school ready to learn.
Energy, Science and the Environment
The President’s budget would strengthen the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative by adding $300 million for the interagency effort which targets federal funding at the most pressing environmental concerns in the Great Lakes. Last year the Obama Administration created the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Congress appropriated $475 million for its efforts.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is an interagency effort that targets federal funding at the most pressing environmental concerns in the Great Lakes including efforts to control the spread of Asian Carp. In December, $13 million was directed to fund emergency efforts to control Asian Carp. Next week, the Administration will be announcing its comprehensive Asian Carp plan that will address short and long term efforts by the Federal Government.
The budget builds on last year’s historic investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy and science with nearly a 7% increase in overall funding for the Department of Energy and an 8% increase for the National Science Foundation.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Both of Illinois’ Federal labs, Argonne and Fermilab, are slated for increased funding. Argonne’s overall budget is increased to $532 million and Fermilab’s overall budget is increased to $420 million. The state of Illinois is proposed to receive over $1.3 billion in energy spending from the Department of Energy. This is nearly a 6% increase from 2010 levels.
Heath Care
The President’s budget offers more security for our communities by investing $2.5 billion for health centers to provide affordable high quality primary and preventive care to underserved populations, including the uninsured. This will allow health centers in Illinois to continue to provide care to the additional patients they served under the Recovery Act and support new health center sites.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Since 2000, Illinois community health centers have more than doubled the number of patients—from over 400,000 to over 1 million today—a 150% increase. Last year alone, Illinois health centers provided direct health care services to over 1.1 million people.
The budget invests in the future of healthcare by providing $330 million as part of the health workforce initiative to address the shortage of health care providers in underserved areas. The Health Workforce Initiative includes $169 million in the National Health Service Corps and additional monies for the Nurse Education Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program, the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, and Dental Workforce Development Grants.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: In Illinois, 97 of the 102 counties have been designated full or partial health professional shortage areas. As the primary care shortage worsens, Illinoisans will benefit from the President’s investment in targeting funding to the neediest areas. Almost 2.2 million Illinoisans live in federally designated health professional shortage areas and are at great risk for being unable to establish a medical home because of a shortage of primary care doctors where they live. That’s 1 out of almost every 5 of Illinois’ citizens.
The budget offers stability for states and families by including $25.5 billion in additional Federal Medicaid assistance to help states maintain their Medicaid programs and ensure access to health care for millions of low-income Americans.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Over 2.4 million Illinoisans depend on the Medicaid program including over 1 million children. The President’s budget will allow a total of almost $8 billion to help Illinois protect health care coverage for vulnerable families with dependent children as well as aged, blind, or disabled individuals
Veterans
The President’s budget expands access to high-quality health care for all of our nation's veterans. The President's budget provides record funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs, building on historic funding increases with a 20 percent total increase since 2009. $57 billion is requested for FY2011. $50.6 billion is provided in advance appropriations for the VA medical care program in 2012, so that veteran care is not hindered by budget delays. The President's budget continues enrollment of more than 500,000 moderate-income veterans into the VA health care system by 2013.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: In 2008, Illinois' five VA medical centers and 22 outpatient clinics saw over 200,000 patients from Illinois and surrounding states. Illinois veterans will benefit from an increase in medical services funding of approximately $4 billion. The budget supports the VA and Defense Department joint implementation of the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record, which will rely heavily on the lessons learned from the soon to be complete merger of North Chicago VA Medical Center and Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes into the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center. Illinois veterans affected by Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress disorder will get the care they need through a $5.2 billion investment in specialized care.
The budget improves veteran access to the disability, education, and other benefits they have earned as a result of service to our nation.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The approximately 841,500 Illinois veterans stand to benefit from a variety of benefits initiatives. In 2008, over 77,000 Illinois veterans received VA compensation or pension benefits. In addition, more than 26,000 took advantage of VA sponsored education, home loan, or vocational rehabilitation programs. The President's budget allows the VA to hire thousands of new personnel to attack the current claims backlog, and puts $200 million into automated processing. According to a 2006 VA report, 2,197 Illinois veterans go homeless every night, with only 136 VA-funded beds available. The budget puts $799 million toward the administration's commitment to dramatically reduce veteran homelessness.
Transportation
The President’s budget helps promote nationally significant transportation infrastructure investments by creating the National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance Fund. The budget requests $4 billion in grants and loans for transportation projects that provide a significant economic benefit to the nation or a region.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Last year’s Recovery Act included $1.5 billion in competitive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants for nationally significant transportation projects that will provide long-term economic benefits. Last year, Illinois submitted 49 applications totaling more than $2.3 billion to DOT for this program. This new program proposed in the budget is similar to the TIGER program but will add innovative financing assistance in addition to grants for these projects.
The budget makes a significant investment in our nation’s rail infrastructure by including $1.052 billion for Amtrak’s capital costs and $563 million for operating assistance – an increase of $50 million.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: There are 1,487 Amtrak employees in Illinois, earning $98 million in wages. Amtrak’s routes from Chicago to St. Louis, Milwaukee, Carbondale, and Quincy connect 35 Illinois cities. From Chicago you can visit the over 500 cities Amtrak serves. This funding could also benefit new routes from Chicago to Rockford and the Quad Cities.
The budget continues the Obama Administration’s historic federal commitment to high speed rail. $1 billion for 2011 is proposed for the high speed rail State grant program. This funding comes on top of the $8 billion included in the recovery Act and the $2.5 billion included in the 2010 Omnibus Appropriations bill. This program will be directed by the states and is intended to create several high-speed rail corridors across the country linking regional population centers.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Last week, the Obama Administration awarded $8 billion in grants from the Recovery Act. Illinois received $1.23 billion for work along the Chicago to St. Louis route. This grant will upgrade 2/3rd of the current track so it can handle 110 mph trains; shave up to an hour off the current trip time of 5.5 or more hours; improve on-time-performance to over 80%; upgrade stations along the corridor; and support 6,000 construction jobs. This funding could also benefit new routes from Chicago to Rockford and the Quad Cities.
Agriculture and Nutrition
The President’s budget responds to the needs of low-income Americans by continuing to support the nutrition provisions incorporated in the Recovery Act, including enhanced benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) averaging about $20 per person per month.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: In Illinois, the SNAP program helps over 1.5 million individuals (12.3% of the population) afford groceries. This is a 41% increase in participation over 5 years ago, a sign that this help is desperately needed now. In addition, food stamps have a direct impact on the state economy—USDA research has found that $1 in food stamps generates $1.84 in total economic activity.
The budget strengthens nutrition assistance and promotes healthy eating by investing $8.1 billion in discretionary nutrition programs, which is a $400 million increase over the FY10 level. This funding supports programs such WIC and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program which provide healthy food to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants; and supports our nation’s food banks and soup kitchens through The Emergency Food Assistance Program.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: In Illinois, nearly 295,000 women and children participate in WIC, which provides low-income at-risk women and children with vouchers for nutritious supplemental food packages, nutrition education, and health and immunization referrals.
Defense
The President’s budget helps take care of our men and women in uniform. It provides a 1.4 percent basic pay raise for all servicemembers to keep their pay increases consistent with pay increases in the private sector. The budget also provides an average housing increase of 4.2 percent for servicemembers and their families. It increases military family support programs more than 3 percent above 2010 levels, to $8.8 billion, including $1.3 billion for child care services at over 800 child development centers in the U.S. and overseas. It also includes $1.9 billion for expanded counseling and assistance services to help families meet the challenges of repeated deployments and family separations.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: About 42,000 active duty and National Guard and Reserve members in Illinois will benefit from these increases. In 2008, servicemembers, Department of Defense civilian employees, and military retirees from Illinois received $2.49 billion in pay. The budget will help fund the child development centers at Scott Air Force Base and the Rock Island Arsenal.
The budget provides quality health care for servicemembers, their families, and military retirees. It provides $30.9 billion overall for health care for the 9.5 million servicemembers, military family members, and military retirees who receive health care through the military’s TRICARE program. This amount includes $669 million to provide care for traumatic brain injury and psychological health and another $250 million for continued research in these areas.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: About 157,000 Illinois residents receive their health care through the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program.
Monday, February 1, 2010
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the budget President Obama delivered to Congress today will help put millions of Americans back to work, build a new foundation for long-term prosperity and continue restoring fiscal responsibility.
“Each year, the President has a chance to clearly articulate his vision and his priorities through his budget. Today’s budget is a vision for the future that is focused on creating jobs and rebuilding our economy,” said Durbin. “This budget includes tax credits and other incentives designed to encourage new hires, it adds dramatically to education so that our kids will be prepared to succeed in college and compete in the global economy and it includes more than a billion dollars for jobs related to energy efficiency.”
The President’s 2011 Budget makes critical investments in the key areas that will help to reverse the decline in economic security that American families have experienced over the past decade with investments in job creation, education, clean energy and infrastructure.
It also reflects the Obama Administration’s commitment to tighten the government’s belt to reduce deficits in the years ahead. In this budget, the President proposes to save $250 billion by freezing all non-security related discretionary spending for three years. The freeze would exempt the budgets of the Defense Department, Homeland Security Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Job Creation
The President’s budget proposes several smart, targeted initiatives that would help encourage job creation this year. It proposes to invest $100 billion in programs to help small businesses access the credit they need to expand and hire; incentives to encourage energy efficiency renovations that would put contractors to work on homes and manufacturing plants; and infrastructure projects that would employ construction firms to make our roads, trains, and airports more efficient.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: There are over 250,000 small employers and over 850,000 sole proprietors in Illinois, most of which would benefit from easier access to credit to finance expansion as the economy begins to grow again. Most of the over 3.3 million homes in Illinois could benefit from incentives to make those homes more energy efficient. There are 310 transportation projects in Illinois worth $1.3 billion that are ready to go if funding were available to put people to work.
The budget encourages the creation of as many as one million new jobs in small businesses throughout the country this year through the proposal of a Small Business Jobs and Wages Tax Cut.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The Small Business Jobs and Wages Tax Cut could create over 43,000 jobs in Illinois.
The budget includes $237 million to purchase, activate, and operate the “supermax” state prison in Thomson, Illinois. There is a critical need for a facility to address federal prison overcrowding problems nationwide and a particularly urgent need for supermax-type bed space. There are more than 209,000 inmates in the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons, up sharply from 202,000 last year.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The purchase, activation and operation of Thomson Correctional Center could generate more than 3,000 jobs and inject more than $1 billion into the regional economy.
Education
The President’s budget expands access to a quality education through the largest funding increase ever requested for programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – a $3 billion increase to $28 billion, plus up to an additional $1 billion if the law is reauthorized by Congress.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Less than a quarter of Illinois students graduate high school ready for college level work. The President’s budget will help prepare all students for college by investing $2.1 billion in Illinois schools, students, and teachers.
The budget invests in comprehensive education reform through a $1.35 billion increase to expand the President’s Race to the Top competition.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Illinois was one of 41 states to submit an application for the first round of the Race to the Top competition. If Illinois’s application is successful, the state will receive between $200 million and $400 million to implement state-wide education reforms.
The budget makes college more affordable by raising the maximum Pell Grant to $5,710 and indexing the grant amount to inflation.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The President’s budget will make $1.4 billion available to Pell Grant recipients in Illinois. This will help more than 361,000 students in the state afford college.
The budget would lessen the burden of student loan payments on recent graduates by strengthening income-based repayment so that overburdened borrowers will pay only 10% of their discretionary income in repayments and have their remaining debt forgiven after 20 years.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: College students in Illinois graduate with an average of over $20,000 in student loan debt. The President's budget expands federal student aid and reforms the student loan system so that it works for students, not lenders.
The budget would expand child care and early education funding for working parents by adding $1.6 billion to the Child Care Development Fund and $1 billion to Head Start and Early Head Start
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The President’s investment in child care would mean $268.7 million in child care assistance for Illinois families. And the investment in Head Start would help place children in high-quality early childhood programs so that they enter school ready to learn.
Energy, Science and the Environment
The President’s budget would strengthen the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative by adding $300 million for the interagency effort which targets federal funding at the most pressing environmental concerns in the Great Lakes. Last year the Obama Administration created the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Congress appropriated $475 million for its efforts.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is an interagency effort that targets federal funding at the most pressing environmental concerns in the Great Lakes including efforts to control the spread of Asian Carp. In December, $13 million was directed to fund emergency efforts to control Asian Carp. Next week, the Administration will be announcing its comprehensive Asian Carp plan that will address short and long term efforts by the Federal Government.
The budget builds on last year’s historic investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy and science with nearly a 7% increase in overall funding for the Department of Energy and an 8% increase for the National Science Foundation.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Both of Illinois’ Federal labs, Argonne and Fermilab, are slated for increased funding. Argonne’s overall budget is increased to $532 million and Fermilab’s overall budget is increased to $420 million. The state of Illinois is proposed to receive over $1.3 billion in energy spending from the Department of Energy. This is nearly a 6% increase from 2010 levels.
Heath Care
The President’s budget offers more security for our communities by investing $2.5 billion for health centers to provide affordable high quality primary and preventive care to underserved populations, including the uninsured. This will allow health centers in Illinois to continue to provide care to the additional patients they served under the Recovery Act and support new health center sites.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Since 2000, Illinois community health centers have more than doubled the number of patients—from over 400,000 to over 1 million today—a 150% increase. Last year alone, Illinois health centers provided direct health care services to over 1.1 million people.
The budget invests in the future of healthcare by providing $330 million as part of the health workforce initiative to address the shortage of health care providers in underserved areas. The Health Workforce Initiative includes $169 million in the National Health Service Corps and additional monies for the Nurse Education Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program, the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, and Dental Workforce Development Grants.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: In Illinois, 97 of the 102 counties have been designated full or partial health professional shortage areas. As the primary care shortage worsens, Illinoisans will benefit from the President’s investment in targeting funding to the neediest areas. Almost 2.2 million Illinoisans live in federally designated health professional shortage areas and are at great risk for being unable to establish a medical home because of a shortage of primary care doctors where they live. That’s 1 out of almost every 5 of Illinois’ citizens.
The budget offers stability for states and families by including $25.5 billion in additional Federal Medicaid assistance to help states maintain their Medicaid programs and ensure access to health care for millions of low-income Americans.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Over 2.4 million Illinoisans depend on the Medicaid program including over 1 million children. The President’s budget will allow a total of almost $8 billion to help Illinois protect health care coverage for vulnerable families with dependent children as well as aged, blind, or disabled individuals
Veterans
The President’s budget expands access to high-quality health care for all of our nation's veterans. The President's budget provides record funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs, building on historic funding increases with a 20 percent total increase since 2009. $57 billion is requested for FY2011. $50.6 billion is provided in advance appropriations for the VA medical care program in 2012, so that veteran care is not hindered by budget delays. The President's budget continues enrollment of more than 500,000 moderate-income veterans into the VA health care system by 2013.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: In 2008, Illinois' five VA medical centers and 22 outpatient clinics saw over 200,000 patients from Illinois and surrounding states. Illinois veterans will benefit from an increase in medical services funding of approximately $4 billion. The budget supports the VA and Defense Department joint implementation of the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record, which will rely heavily on the lessons learned from the soon to be complete merger of North Chicago VA Medical Center and Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes into the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center. Illinois veterans affected by Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress disorder will get the care they need through a $5.2 billion investment in specialized care.
The budget improves veteran access to the disability, education, and other benefits they have earned as a result of service to our nation.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: The approximately 841,500 Illinois veterans stand to benefit from a variety of benefits initiatives. In 2008, over 77,000 Illinois veterans received VA compensation or pension benefits. In addition, more than 26,000 took advantage of VA sponsored education, home loan, or vocational rehabilitation programs. The President's budget allows the VA to hire thousands of new personnel to attack the current claims backlog, and puts $200 million into automated processing. According to a 2006 VA report, 2,197 Illinois veterans go homeless every night, with only 136 VA-funded beds available. The budget puts $799 million toward the administration's commitment to dramatically reduce veteran homelessness.
Transportation
The President’s budget helps promote nationally significant transportation infrastructure investments by creating the National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance Fund. The budget requests $4 billion in grants and loans for transportation projects that provide a significant economic benefit to the nation or a region.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Last year’s Recovery Act included $1.5 billion in competitive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants for nationally significant transportation projects that will provide long-term economic benefits. Last year, Illinois submitted 49 applications totaling more than $2.3 billion to DOT for this program. This new program proposed in the budget is similar to the TIGER program but will add innovative financing assistance in addition to grants for these projects.
The budget makes a significant investment in our nation’s rail infrastructure by including $1.052 billion for Amtrak’s capital costs and $563 million for operating assistance – an increase of $50 million.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: There are 1,487 Amtrak employees in Illinois, earning $98 million in wages. Amtrak’s routes from Chicago to St. Louis, Milwaukee, Carbondale, and Quincy connect 35 Illinois cities. From Chicago you can visit the over 500 cities Amtrak serves. This funding could also benefit new routes from Chicago to Rockford and the Quad Cities.
The budget continues the Obama Administration’s historic federal commitment to high speed rail. $1 billion for 2011 is proposed for the high speed rail State grant program. This funding comes on top of the $8 billion included in the recovery Act and the $2.5 billion included in the 2010 Omnibus Appropriations bill. This program will be directed by the states and is intended to create several high-speed rail corridors across the country linking regional population centers.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: Last week, the Obama Administration awarded $8 billion in grants from the Recovery Act. Illinois received $1.23 billion for work along the Chicago to St. Louis route. This grant will upgrade 2/3rd of the current track so it can handle 110 mph trains; shave up to an hour off the current trip time of 5.5 or more hours; improve on-time-performance to over 80%; upgrade stations along the corridor; and support 6,000 construction jobs. This funding could also benefit new routes from Chicago to Rockford and the Quad Cities.
Agriculture and Nutrition
The President’s budget responds to the needs of low-income Americans by continuing to support the nutrition provisions incorporated in the Recovery Act, including enhanced benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) averaging about $20 per person per month.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: In Illinois, the SNAP program helps over 1.5 million individuals (12.3% of the population) afford groceries. This is a 41% increase in participation over 5 years ago, a sign that this help is desperately needed now. In addition, food stamps have a direct impact on the state economy—USDA research has found that $1 in food stamps generates $1.84 in total economic activity.
The budget strengthens nutrition assistance and promotes healthy eating by investing $8.1 billion in discretionary nutrition programs, which is a $400 million increase over the FY10 level. This funding supports programs such WIC and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program which provide healthy food to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants; and supports our nation’s food banks and soup kitchens through The Emergency Food Assistance Program.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: In Illinois, nearly 295,000 women and children participate in WIC, which provides low-income at-risk women and children with vouchers for nutritious supplemental food packages, nutrition education, and health and immunization referrals.
Defense
The President’s budget helps take care of our men and women in uniform. It provides a 1.4 percent basic pay raise for all servicemembers to keep their pay increases consistent with pay increases in the private sector. The budget also provides an average housing increase of 4.2 percent for servicemembers and their families. It increases military family support programs more than 3 percent above 2010 levels, to $8.8 billion, including $1.3 billion for child care services at over 800 child development centers in the U.S. and overseas. It also includes $1.9 billion for expanded counseling and assistance services to help families meet the challenges of repeated deployments and family separations.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: About 42,000 active duty and National Guard and Reserve members in Illinois will benefit from these increases. In 2008, servicemembers, Department of Defense civilian employees, and military retirees from Illinois received $2.49 billion in pay. The budget will help fund the child development centers at Scott Air Force Base and the Rock Island Arsenal.
The budget provides quality health care for servicemembers, their families, and military retirees. It provides $30.9 billion overall for health care for the 9.5 million servicemembers, military family members, and military retirees who receive health care through the military’s TRICARE program. This amount includes $669 million to provide care for traumatic brain injury and psychological health and another $250 million for continued research in these areas.
ILLINOIS IMPACT: About 157,000 Illinois residents receive their health care through the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Durbin Commends Ford for Adding 1,200 Jobs in Chicago
From the Office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement after learning of Ford’s plan to hire 1,200 employees at the Chicago Assembly Plant in anticipation of increasing consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars. Ford plans to invest nearly $400 million in its Chicago plants to launch the production of the next-generation Explorer SUV, which feature fuel economy gains of at least 25% over the current model.
“More new, fuel-efficient cars are being purchased in Illinois and around the country. As a result, local dealerships are seeing increased demand and autoworkers are going back to work. I commend Ford’s decision to respond to consumer demand by increasing production and creating good paying jobs at the Chicago facility.”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement after learning of Ford’s plan to hire 1,200 employees at the Chicago Assembly Plant in anticipation of increasing consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars. Ford plans to invest nearly $400 million in its Chicago plants to launch the production of the next-generation Explorer SUV, which feature fuel economy gains of at least 25% over the current model.
“More new, fuel-efficient cars are being purchased in Illinois and around the country. As a result, local dealerships are seeing increased demand and autoworkers are going back to work. I commend Ford’s decision to respond to consumer demand by increasing production and creating good paying jobs at the Chicago facility.”
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Republicans Propose Campaign Finance Reform
From the Office of the Illinois House Republicans
In keeping their pledge to Illinois residents to continue to push true campaign finance reform, Illinois House Republican Leader Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and his members support a bill that would impose campaign contribution limits on legislative leaders’ caucus committees and political parties in the general election.
“The current law puts contribution limits on everyone EXCEPT the four legislative leaders and political parties in the general election. That is not fair—we must apply the rules to everyone,” said Cross. “We could not support the bill that passed last year because it only imposed these limits in primary elections. This new bill closes the gaping loophole that was created by that law.”
“Simply put, unlimited money means unlimited power in the hands of a few individuals. That’s business as usual in Illinois, and it’s unacceptable,” said Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington). “The legislation we’re introducing today does what the bill signed into law last year should have done, impose reasonable caps across the board in the General Election. This will be a big step in putting power back into the hands of individual voters.”
Senate Republicans are also in favor of this improvement to the current law.
“The Democrat majorities and the Governor failed to capitalize on a unique opportunity to pass meaningful campaign finance reform. By not capping contributions limits for legislative leaders and political parties during the General Election, their measure will have limited impact. We now have an opportunity to right that wrong and enact true campaign finance reform,” Illinois Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) said.
House Bill 5008 will extend the varied campaign contribution limitations that were created in Senate Bill 1466 (P.A. 96-832) to the general election. The current limitations on legislative leaders and political parties will only apply during the primary elections starting in 2011.
“This should be a no-brainer if we want to curb the influence of the leaders in Illinois,” said Cross. “The majority of money is spent in general elections. According to our analysis in the 2008 election cycle—the Democratic Party of Illinois spent 40 times more in the general election compared to what it spent in the primary.”
“Everyone who voted to pass the bill to impose these limits in primary elections should have no problem voting to impose the exact same limits in general elections,” added Rep. Rich Brauer (R-Petersburg).
Durbin, Biggert to Host Wednesday Meeting of Great Lakes Leaders to Chart Path Forward on Asian Carp Containment
From the Office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-IL) today announced that they have called a meeting of House and Senate leaders from states surrounding the Great Lakes to chart a path forward in the effort to contain Asian carp in Illinois. The meeting – to be held on Wednesday, January 27 at 9:00 AM ET in Room 215 of the Senate Visitors Center – will be attended by both Assistant Secretary of the Army, Jo-Ellen Darcy, who oversees the Army Corps of Engineers and Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency for Great Lakes issues.
“In the coming weeks, the White House Council on Environmental Quality will meet with Midwestern governors to discuss the Asian carp issue. It’s now time to bring members of Congress representing the Great Lakes states together in advance of that meeting to discuss a path forward,” said Durbin. “We must all work together – governors, Congress and the Administration – to find a solution that will protect our lakes, while preserving jobs and promoting economic activity in the region.”
“Illinois has been leading the charge to contain these invasive species from day one, but the Asian carp are a very real threat to every state, region, and locality that shares our concern about the Great Lakes,” said Biggert. “Working together, I am confident that we can stop these carp and preserve all the environmental and economic treasures afforded to us by the Great Lakes. I’m pleased to join Senator Durbin in bringing together lawmakers from across the region to examine the latest evidence of the carp’s movement, discuss the steps we’ve already taken, and urge our colleagues to join us in pressing ahead with sound solutions based on the best science available.”
On January 12, Durbin and Biggert hosted a briefing by federal, state and local officials at the Shedd Aquarium regarding the containment of Asian carp in Illinois. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the City of Chicago, the Office of the Attorney General, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources all provided perspectives on the current situation, further mitigation options, and likely next steps.
If the carp reach Lake Michigan, they have the potential to damage the economy and ecosystem of the Great Lakes region, where the fishing industry alone is valued at $7 billion annually. Yet the community and economic implications of closing the locks of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal must be considered. The shipping industry used the canal to move nearly 7 million tons of cargo in 2008 through the O’Brien and Chicago locks, and the Army Corps estimates that closing the O’Brien lock alone would back-flood 14,000 homes.
Durbin and Biggert have a long history of working together to combat the spread of Asian carp, and from FY2003 through FY2010 they have secured more than $25 million in federal funding to contain the invasive species, and to keep it from entering Lake Michigan. State and federal agencies have already spent millions of dollars to contain the fish, particularly through the electric Asian Carp Barrier project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since 1998, the barrier project has received $41.2 million in federal funding. The Obama administration recently launched a $475 million comprehensive Great Lakes initiative which provides a regional approach to controlling invasive species, reducing non-point-source pollution, and cleaning up contaminated sediment.
In the fall of 2009, Asian carp genetic material was found in regular water testing of the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal. Genetic material has also been found both in the Calumet River near Wilmette and in Lake Michigan. Through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the State of Illinois, in collaboration with the relevant federal agencies, took an unprecedented $700,000 effort and applied Rotenone to six miles of the Canal to kill any Asian carp near the barrier. In addition to finding positive eDNA in the Canal, genetic material was also found in the Des Plaines River, north of the electric dispersal barrier.
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-IL) today announced that they have called a meeting of House and Senate leaders from states surrounding the Great Lakes to chart a path forward in the effort to contain Asian carp in Illinois. The meeting – to be held on Wednesday, January 27 at 9:00 AM ET in Room 215 of the Senate Visitors Center – will be attended by both Assistant Secretary of the Army, Jo-Ellen Darcy, who oversees the Army Corps of Engineers and Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency for Great Lakes issues.
“In the coming weeks, the White House Council on Environmental Quality will meet with Midwestern governors to discuss the Asian carp issue. It’s now time to bring members of Congress representing the Great Lakes states together in advance of that meeting to discuss a path forward,” said Durbin. “We must all work together – governors, Congress and the Administration – to find a solution that will protect our lakes, while preserving jobs and promoting economic activity in the region.”
“Illinois has been leading the charge to contain these invasive species from day one, but the Asian carp are a very real threat to every state, region, and locality that shares our concern about the Great Lakes,” said Biggert. “Working together, I am confident that we can stop these carp and preserve all the environmental and economic treasures afforded to us by the Great Lakes. I’m pleased to join Senator Durbin in bringing together lawmakers from across the region to examine the latest evidence of the carp’s movement, discuss the steps we’ve already taken, and urge our colleagues to join us in pressing ahead with sound solutions based on the best science available.”
On January 12, Durbin and Biggert hosted a briefing by federal, state and local officials at the Shedd Aquarium regarding the containment of Asian carp in Illinois. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the City of Chicago, the Office of the Attorney General, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources all provided perspectives on the current situation, further mitigation options, and likely next steps.
If the carp reach Lake Michigan, they have the potential to damage the economy and ecosystem of the Great Lakes region, where the fishing industry alone is valued at $7 billion annually. Yet the community and economic implications of closing the locks of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal must be considered. The shipping industry used the canal to move nearly 7 million tons of cargo in 2008 through the O’Brien and Chicago locks, and the Army Corps estimates that closing the O’Brien lock alone would back-flood 14,000 homes.
Durbin and Biggert have a long history of working together to combat the spread of Asian carp, and from FY2003 through FY2010 they have secured more than $25 million in federal funding to contain the invasive species, and to keep it from entering Lake Michigan. State and federal agencies have already spent millions of dollars to contain the fish, particularly through the electric Asian Carp Barrier project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since 1998, the barrier project has received $41.2 million in federal funding. The Obama administration recently launched a $475 million comprehensive Great Lakes initiative which provides a regional approach to controlling invasive species, reducing non-point-source pollution, and cleaning up contaminated sediment.
In the fall of 2009, Asian carp genetic material was found in regular water testing of the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal. Genetic material has also been found both in the Calumet River near Wilmette and in Lake Michigan. Through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the State of Illinois, in collaboration with the relevant federal agencies, took an unprecedented $700,000 effort and applied Rotenone to six miles of the Canal to kill any Asian carp near the barrier. In addition to finding positive eDNA in the Canal, genetic material was also found in the Des Plaines River, north of the electric dispersal barrier.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)