* Scott Lee Cohen’s job fairs got some coverage by NBC5 today…

The indy candidate is sticking with a formula that helped him win the Lieutenant Governor nomination in February — before he resigned from the ticket — by hosting job fairs like the one today.

He used today’s opportunity to announce yet another job fair for October 5 in Rockford, Illinois.

* I’ve been wondering what sort of jobs were available at Cohen’s fairs. Turns out, he has a Twitter page called Cohen Job Fairs.

According to that site, employers at the fairs include Mary Kay Inc, Blue Heron Partners, Arbonne International, EXIT Realty, PLS loan store and Syclo LLC.

You already know what Mary Kay is. Home-based sales. This is from Blue Heron Partners’ website…

We are looking for sharp, driven, entrepreneurial minded, individuals who are in search of an exciting, dynamic career participating in and assisting others to achieve exceptional wealth objectives in the most profitable Real Estate Investment market in the history of the United States.

Ummm. OK.

Arbonne International…

You have a unique opportunity to become an Arbonne Host and earn exclusive rewards when you gather friends together to learn about Arbonne and experience our botanically based products. You and friends will have fun learning and shopping for products, and the more everyone shops, the more rewards you earn!

EXIT Realty appears to base its pay on who you bring in to the company.

Cohen left out a word in one of the names. It’s actually called PLS Payday Loan Store. Etc.

I hope people weren’t expecting real jobs at these fairs.

*** UPDATE *** My parents just received a mailer from Cohen’s campaign about his job fairs. Click here to see the front.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* Speaking of jobs, this came up in the gubernatorial debate today…

Despite the state’s financial woes, Gov. Pat Quinn [yesterday] said he would pump about $75 million into a jobs program to keep it alive through the end of November.

The move allows Quinn to get through the Nov. 2 election without outcries about a potential collapse of the Put Illinois to Work program that places trainees in jobs with multiple companies, typically at $10 an hour.

Quinn said the state cash would serve as a bridge until Congress can send federal funds, which expire Sept. 30. The governor said he would use the broad authority lawmakers gave him to pay for the extension from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.

Quinn said he did not want people in the program to lose jobs while waiting for federal money. In some cases, workers had suffered because paychecks had been slowed down due to various glitches.

* And even Jason Plummer got into the act in Southern Illinois…

[Plummer] said that Illinois needs to focus on bringing business back to the state. Plummer said there is little incentive for businesses to start or continue in Illinois.

“The private sector has been cannibalized,” Plummer said.

* And now for the bad news…

The new American Community Survey data from the Census is out, and it is not a pretty picture.

The Great Recession is being displayed in the numbers. Here are some initial statistics that demonstrate the hardship in Illinois:

* The Illinois poverty rate rose 24% from 1999 to 2009. In 2009 the poverty rate in Illinois was 13.3%, up from 12.2% in 2008 and 10.7% in 1999.

* Number in Poverty in 2009: 1,677,093, up from 1,532,238 in 2008, and 1,291,958 in 1999.

* Extreme Poverty Rate in 2009: 6.0% which rose from 5.4% in 2008, and from 5.1% in 1999.

* There was unconscionable growth in the number living in extreme poverty (below half of the poverty line) in Illinois in 2009: 759,761 which rose from 680,013 in 2008, and from 619,240 in 1999.

* The downward trajectory in median household income continues in Illinois: Illinois median household income in 2009: $53,966 which declined from $56,022 in 2008, and from $59,975 in 1999.

* Over 581,000 children (18.6%) in Illinois are living below the poverty line – significantly higher than a decade ago (443,296).

* Well over 2 million Illinoisans (2,128,485) are now considered low income in Illinois – almost 17% of our state’s population (16.9%).

Oof.

* Roundup…

* Tax amnesty program starts Friday

* Illinois jobs program extended for two months

* Impatient Quinn will use state money to extend job subsidy for thousands, on eve of election

* Poverty rises slightly in Chicago area: Every county in the Chicago area except Kendall experienced slightly increased poverty rates during the four-year period, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Cook County’s rate was 15.9 percent in 2009, up from 14.8 percent in 2008 and 15.3 in 2006.

* Sangamon County poverty rate at highest in three decades, Census data show

* Brady says he’ll run Illinois ‘like a business’

* Whitney wants free higher education

* Small businesses, schools, health care top issues at Asian-American candidate forum