*** UPDATE 1 *** The chairman of the St. Clair County Board just called to say that he and the Madison County board chairman requested this legislation two years ago out of concern that residents couldn’t afford the high cost of the flood insurance. That bill passed, but FEMA’s rules were such that they wanted Costello to pass another bill. So, I’ve rewritten parts of the story.
*** UPDATE 2 *** A statement from the developer in question…
“Congressman Costello’s legislation provides no benefit to the proposed University Town Center development. Plans for University Town Center as broadly discussed specify it will be constructed above the new base flood elevation of 434 feet. Given that University Town Center would be constructed above the base flood elevation contained in the new maps, suspending the flood insurance rate map update has no impact on University Town Center.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** After giving it further thought, the story about Congressman Costello linked below just isn’t up to standards, so I’ve rewritten it again to reflect that and deleted some excerpts from the Madison County Record story.
[ *** End of Updates *** ]
* Has Democratic Congressman Jerry Costello finally crossed the line? Highly improbable…
H.R. 3415: To suspend flood insurance rate map updates in geographic areas in which certain levees are being repaired.
The explanation…
The bill works to the advantage of John Costello, the Congressman’s son, because he belongs to a group planning a 900 acre mall along Bluff Road known as University Town Center.
As explained above, it doesn’t appear that the Costello bill and the mall are connected, so the Madison County Record probably owes the congressman an apology.
This is what I get for trying to be nice to those guys. Live and learn.
* Another outrage…
Through Tuesday, East Dubuque had not yet received any state funding for this year’s early childhood programs.
* And another…
Illinois has the highest number of poorly rated black nursing homes nationwide, as rated by Nursing Home Compare, a Web site that maintains a federal database of Medicaid and Medicare-certified nursing homes.
The disparities are more acute in Chicago, where the lowest rating was given to nearly 60 percent of the 30 black nursing homes. In contrast, 11 percent of the city’s 45 white homes received the lowest rating. Thirty percent of the white homes received the highest rating, compared with none of the black homes.
Black nursing homes also averaged more violations than white homes, according to the Reporter, which focuses on issues of race and poverty. It also found residents at black facilities received less care from highly trained staff than their white counterparts. […]
“Many of these nursing homes have the same owners, yet there are disparities in the level of care. Clearly, there’s a problem here,” [said Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago)]
- anon - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 12:40 pm:
the problem is FEMA puts people in the floodplain that shouldnt be, then they have to spend tons of money with surveys and lawyers getting out of it. it will probably help a lot of people.
- Will County Woman - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 12:48 pm:
Given that he is slipping in polls, I hope that Governor Quinn does not try to pander with the nursing home racial disparity issue. I appreciated that he did not pander on Burr Oak after his task force on that issue wrapped up its work.
He’s already appointed a task force, which consists mostly of volunteers, to look into the dreadfulness of nursing homes around the state. When first appointed, the task force stated that it would wrap up its work on or about Jan 31, 2010.
I’m deeply saddened that Governor Quinn found it necessary to go the route of yet another task force to deal with a problem in the state of Illinois.
I would have hoped that he, would agree with me, or even more importantly our state’s Attorney General, that the elderly and infirm living in nursing homes merit a more urgent response (fix to the problem) from the state of Illinois when it comes to their saftey and well-being. It was not very encouraging to read that the nursing home task force chairman conclude that nursing home care is in crisis in Illinois. It probably should not have taken 4 hours of public hearing to reach that conclusion, when all one had to do was read the Tribune expose on the matter last month.
- Leave a Light on George - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 12:57 pm:
Heck no he hasn’t crossed the line just keeping a family tradition.
Was once named an unidicted co-conspiritor in a big gambling bust but has been reelected many times since.
- Madison County Resident - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 1:07 pm:
The Costello bill has absolutely nothing to do with development. It seeks relief for 150,000 residents who will be forced to buy flood insurance at costs in excess of $2,000 per year. May of these people are poor and elderly and can’t afford it, including my parents. They will be subject to forcosure on their homes when they choose to put food on their table or pay their prescription costs instead of flood insurance. The real story is that FEMA continues to be disfunctional. The federal government chose to protect these people with a 500 year levee and now they won’t fix the levees and instead expect the residents to buy flood insurance. This is the real story, not some conspiracy printed in the local chamber of commerce funded tabloid.
- Thomas Westgard - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 1:20 pm:
Black nursing homes, white nursing homes - aren’t these people the right age to remember separate-but-equal when they were in school? What an irony.
- Judgment Day Is On The Way - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 1:31 pm:
Much more to the story about the flood levies down in the Metro East area, specifically Madison County.
The Feds decertified many of the flood levies down in the Metro East area about a year or so ago, specifically the levies protecting much of the downtown and the business areas.
If the flood insurance rates get readjusted before the levies are recertified, lots & lots & lots of folks are going to be out of business like “right now”. Flood insurance for these commercial and industrial business owners will become unaffordable, and in many cases, unavailable overnight.
Story I get is that if he doesn’t get it done, the business and industrial community in both Wood River and Alton are going to take a real hit.
- Highland, IL - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 1:40 pm:
===== not some conspiracy printed in the local chamber of commerce funded tabloid. ====
Have to second what Madison County Resident says here. I was interested in the story until I noticed it was in the fake newspaper from Madison County.
- Highland, IL - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 1:49 pm:
Noticed that Shimkus co-sponsered HR3415. That fact doesn’t appear to make the Record’s “article”.
- Careful - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 1:56 pm:
You do agreat job, Rich, but be careful running with a story from The Record. Those of us in the metro-east know from experience that the Record will tell half-truths and twist facts to take cheap shots against Democratic elected officials every chance it gets. The development Costello’s son is involved in is not in the flood plain and Costello’s bill has nothing to do with that development. Those of us in the affected area of the metro-east favor this bill and we hope that Senators Durbin and Burris will announce their whole-hearted support for it soon.
- Pat collins - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 1:59 pm:
half-truths and twist facts to take cheap shots
My type of paper
But seriously, what does it mean when
The chairman of the St. Clair County Board just called
and
A statement from the developer
appear in less than 4 hours of the posting? Kind of the definition of “real time” media in action.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 2:01 pm:
===appear in less than 4 hours of the posting===
Actually, less than one hour. lol
- Vote Quimby! - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 2:11 pm:
The fact remains Costello & Crew are trying to add development in a region called the “American Bottoms.” It makes no sense to add subsidized retail space in an area with crumbling levees…which were supposed to be paid for by property-tax-paying levee districts. Instead, these districts became patronage havens filled with do-nothing administrators and $80,000 pickup trucks. The Belleville News-Democrat followed one of them to a St. Louis restaurant a few years back.
The fact is: if the levee districts had done their job properly, the Metro East would not be in the pickle its in now. Oh, and by the way, everyone here (Madison, St. Clair and Monroe Counties) is paying an extra .25 sales tax to pay for these levees…even those not in the flood plain.
- dupage dan - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 2:12 pm:
The NH issue will not go away easily. In my agency there is awareness that the Dept of Public Health, charged with the responsibility of licensing and monitering NHs, has essentially failed in those tasks. Complaints lodged against NHs are routinely “not founded” despite plain evidence to the contrary. One is left with the impression that IDPH is either unable or unwilling to discharge their statutory duties. Sad.
- Thomas Westgard - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 3:25 pm:
Eh, I’m not convinced that the developer’s “corrections” are so thoroughly on-target. It’s probably to the mall’s benefit to have people living and working nearby, no? So even if they don’t directly benefit, that’s not the same as saying it “has no impact on University Town Center.” The lady doth protest too much.
- krome - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 3:26 pm:
Are Illinois Nursing Homes officially segregated?
If not, how are they classed as “black” or “white”? And are there other significant differences that might be relavent to the quality of care in them? Could there be significant differences in - say - cost?
Is this actually more a matter of more blacks being lower income/wealth and living in lower cost nursing homes, which then have lower quality care?
- dave - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 3:37 pm:
krome… the Chicago Reporter’s report controlled for income by only looking at homes with at least 75% of residents being Medicaid eligible. It isn’t a perfect control, but it does address the income issue somewhat.
As for how they are being classed as “black” or “white,” by the % of different races in the homes.
- cassandra - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 4:11 pm:
Chicago and its suburbs are still highly segregated for the most part, so if people are likely to go into nursing homes near their residence, or near the residence of extended family, then one would expect to see that segregation reflected in local institutions.
- Downstater - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 4:12 pm:
Vote Quimby
Your comments were right on target.
Everyone in the Metro East area knows Costello’s work in getting jobs for relatives.
The real issue is Congress Costello, Senator Haine, the levee bills sponsor, and the county board Chairs sold this project on getting 2/3rds reimbursement for repairs from the federal government. Now, with billions of dollars in stimulus money, there seems to be nothing available for the levees. Additionally, the levee work was projected to cost $189 million and less than six months later, the cost has ballooned to $400 million and counting. Where is Costello, along with Senator
Durbin on their promise to get federal funds.
I am sure that as soon as filing for local county board seats is closed, there will be a request for additonal taxes to pay for the additional funds needed.
The county chairs appoint the levee board members and those levee board members have done a terrible job in overseeing the levees.
- former bottoms resident - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 5:03 pm:
The levees in question protect the Woodriver Refinery & Granite City Steel. These are two of the largest employers in Southern Illinois. The feds changed how they rated the levees and didn’t give any money or time to upgrade. Apparently FEMA is out of money. The levees need to be recertified whatever it takes because of the huge employers that have been there for 50 years.
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 23, 09 @ 11:43 pm:
I’ve been to a few rodeos, and the Metro East is as wild as anything in Cook County. So is the Quad-Cities (sorry, Denny).
It’s all a matter of scale and media attention.