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Our sorry state

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Illinois Director of Natural Resources Director Wayne Rosenthal visited Olson Lake in Rock Cut State Park today.

The DNR unexpectedly closed the popular swimming lake and beach March 20 with the explanation that the lake had collected excessive silt, reducing water quality. After state Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, expressed concern about the lake’s status, Rosenthal promised to dredge the lake in order to reopen it for swimming and other beach activities.

However, Rosenthal offered no timetable and said his department has an $800 million backlog of deferred maintenance.

Also, he said that while the department has a dredging machine, it is broken. The cost to fix it, he said, is $450,000, and there’s no money for that.

#FacePalm

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 11:58 am

Comments

Metaphor for Illinois

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:08 pm
But terms limits will save the lake! If Cabello really wants this then he should be able to find a way to get Rosenthal to dredge the lake. Perhaps the Chain O’Lakes Waterway Agency could lend a dredger…

Comment by frisbee Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:11 pm
“The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money” — Margaret Thatcher

Comment by Doug Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:11 pm
===our sorry state===
Unfortunately you could easily write a book by just compiling the posts under this headline from the past year or so. Not sure who would by it though.

Comment by Been There Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:17 pm
Sounds like the perfect department to absorb a cash strapped agency (HPA).

$800 million backlog of deferred maintenance? That’s over double the figure they pegged for the JRTC. Maybe we should sell off all of DNR’s properties too?

Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:26 pm
What we need is a sign at Olson Lake noting that the closure of this state resource is brought to you by Rauner’s failure to govern.

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:30 pm
No wonder Rauner doesn’t want a budget. That income tax will need to be 8% or more and to offset that with term limits just might not be a fair trade in the minds of his supporters!!

Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:31 pm
So there’s money to lease buildings to store paper but there’s no money to fix state equipment to do actual work.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:31 pm
Rauner admin multiple choice governin’

Please choose one of the below:
A. Fix dredging machine.
B. Hire Munger and two dozen of her staff.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:34 pm
Sorry to hear but it’s just the reality of the times. The State has other, more serious financial obligations (even though not all of them are actually getting funded). Cuts will have to be made.

Comment by BK Bro Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:36 pm
Rauner to Rosenthal: “Here, use this duct tape, I got plenty.”

Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:37 pm
==“The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money” ==

Right. We all realize the DNR is a socialist project?

Clearly not self-sustaining on boat-use taxes and hunting/fishing license revenue, the people across our state pitch-in together to build something that indirectly benefits the entire state, despite some folks getting more use out of it directly.

We live in a society where I don’t mind paying for your street to get plowed and re-paved because, you know, we are all in this together. Allegedly.

Comment by Matt Belcher Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:43 pm
“===our sorry state===
Unfortunately you could easily write a book by just compiling the posts under this headline from the past year or so. Not sure who would by it though” - because all these problems have just occurred out of thin air the last couple years. No, the problem has just compounded over the last three decades.

Comment by Stand Tall Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:45 pm
These are the type of things that BVR will wear the jacket for. I bet there is a company in Wisconsin that would fix the equipment for free if we had term limits on the books!!!

Comment by Wow Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:48 pm
“What we need is a sign at Olson Lake noting that the closure of this state resource is brought to you by Rauner’s failure to govern.” - the failure of Illinois to properly take care of all their assets for the last three decades. Infrastructure in Illinois has been in a sorry state for a long time but at least votes have been bought and paid for by giving away the farm over the years. That’s the Madigan way.

Comment by Stand Tall Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:49 pm
===No, the problem has just compounded over the last three decades. ===
StandTall, you must have just started reading CapFax. I was referring to how many posts Rich has made under that headline lately. He hasn’t been doing it for 30 years.

Comment by Been There Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:51 pm
Stand Tall; please see Michelle Flaherty at 12:34

Rauner admin multiple choice governin’

Please choose one of the below:
A. Fix dredging machine.
B. Hire Munger and two dozen of her staff.

Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:52 pm
==What we need is a sign at Olson Lake noting that the closure of this state resource is brought to you by Rauner’s failure to govern.==

Sponsorship costs extra.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 12:54 pm
The big brains in the City of Springfield are basing their plan for a new muni lake on support from DNR. ugh. Our sorry capitol city.

Comment by Lake II Much Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:04 pm
What a delightful opportunity to privatize! Make sure we unload this excessive burden for really cheap to somebody close to somebody.

Comment by Carhartt Union Negotiating Team Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:09 pm
Doug-
Quoting Maggie Thatcher the Milk Snatcher? Really?

Comment by Smitty Irving Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:12 pm
“Rauner admin multiple choice governin’

Please choose one of the below:
A. Fix dredging machine.
B. Hire Munger and two dozen of her staff.”

This. A thousand times this.

Comment by Original Rambler Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:14 pm
The state has over $6 billion, yes billion, in deferred maintenance costs for state owned facilities. DNR is just a smaller picture of the disaster the GA and Governor have allowed to happen by not having an adequately funded capital bill in far too long.

Comment by Wine Not? Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:23 pm
So, at the end of this governor’s tenure, what will he claim as accomplishments that made our state better for all citizens? What can he be proud of? Anything? Anything at all? Is there something?

Comment by AnonymousOne Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:34 pm
There is a lot of FEMA money expiring at DNR too, fyi. Money set aside for projects years ago that would have been 75% paid for by the feds are now going to be 0% paid for. Oh and that work isn’t going to get done too, not that anyone in Illinois is really surprised or actually cares.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:37 pm
We went camping last weekend at Jim Edgar-Panther Creek, which is one of IDNR’s showcase facilities. Restrooms went uncleaned through our entire stay and plugged urinals stayed plugged. Illinois is on the ropes and not even IDNR’s tradition of professionalism can hide it. Where is the angry, armed mob??

Comment by Skirmisher Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:43 pm
So let me see if I understand this - the DNR has a backlog of $800 million in “deferred maintenance” and everyone is outraged.

Yet UIUC is funded at 50% of what it received 3 years ago and they are well over $750 million behind in getting even minimal support from the state.

I guess that sooner or later we will find out which programs get funded. PRIORITIES!

Comment by illini Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:43 pm
==So, at the end of this governor’s tenure, what will he claim as accomplishments that made our state better for all citizens?==

No drownings at Olson Lake.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:45 pm
We have a flourishing cesspool in springfield. Maybe citizens can swim
There.

Comment by jimk849 Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:53 pm
Has it come to this?

I recall that years ago (back when rocks still were young), you could tell someone off with a rousing/snarling/snarky “go jump in the lake!”

When it comes to Illinois governance — we’re now foreclosed from doing even that. Literally!

I’m outta here.

Comment by Third Reading Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 1:53 pm
And let us not forget the Pittman Robertson and Dingell Johnson Federal dollars that have essentially been squandered and are now beginning to revert back to the USFWS. Funds that DNR desperately needs and relies on, funded through the purchases made by sportsmen and the federal excise tax - but since no one thought in any of the spending plans etc. to appropriate this pass through money - guess what - don’t use it, you lose it. Oh yeah and then there’s that whole money pit travesty that is still going on at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex. While I believe in and support our boots on the ground DNR workers the management is beginning to make me wonder.

Comment by Down South Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 2:43 pm
It is getting more and more noticeable in every facet. I took 2 elevator rides at the Thompson Center today, and multiple indicator lights on them were burnt out.

Comment by titan Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 2:50 pm
Yea, let’s worry about a pond, when state employees work in offices full of asbestos, when parking garages are collapsing, when DHS computers are 40yrs old and almost unworkable, when the armory building stands vacant…… outrage over a pond while the roofs of office buildings and prisons leak and collapse, is the same outrage that has lead us to this absurd point. The state is bankrupt and collapsing before out eyes. Thank Jim Thompson and the “me first” baby boomer generation thst voted him into office 3 times.

Comment by KAY-ro Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 3:30 pm
Actually, Thompson had 4 terms… 1 two year term and 3 four year terms.

Comment by Lt Guv Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 3:54 pm
Skirmisher @1:43 We camped at this very grounds I left this post on Google for everyone and my wife unloaded on DNR.

“Very nice sites, spacious and clean. The roads in the camp grounds have craters that you can drop a small travel trailer into, stayed for 3 nights/4 days 2 of the 4 sinks had no running water and 1 of the urinals was inoperable and overflowing. Showers worked well though. Didn’t understand the truck with the state plates parked at the sundance 5th wheel every day and night.😐”

Comment by paleghost1 Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 5:28 pm
==So there’s money to lease buildings to store paper but there’s no money to fix state equipment to do actual work.==

If we really need a dredger, we’ll rent one from the Cellini family.

Comment by Whatever Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 7:26 pm
Couldn’t Rauner give Rosentral $450k, it’s less than 1% of what he has contributed to his own campaign, so we can get the swamp drained?

Comment by Truthteller Wednesday, Apr 19, 17 @ 8:23 pm
I think former dir Marc Miller bravely made the cuts and compromises in the sustainability legislation that could have given DNR staff on the ground at least a chance at keeping up w maintenance. I don’t see leadership at all out of Rosenthal, and I don’t know if there’s a way back for the parks and trails. So many small communities near parks and trails are watching their one shot left at capturing some economic activity crumble. IDNR will lease out parks and trails. Maybe it comes down to locals/counties/land trusts taking control.

Comment by GetOutside Thursday, Apr 20, 17 @ 9:59 am