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Parks falling apart, waterways are still dirty

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Illinois

* During his first term, Gov. Blagojevich admitted that he had never been to a state park. From what I hear, that’s still true today. It shows…

A panel of state lawmakers Wednesday blamed problems at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Responding to a laundry list of financial and management missteps revealed in an audit issued in April, the lawmakers said the Chicago Democrat isn’t committed to the state’s parks and outdoor activities. […]

State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, who chairs the Legislative Audit Commission, which was reviewing the audit, said Blagojevich-imposed job cuts have “gutted” the agency, leaving it unable to function properly.

“You need more people,” Mautino told agency officials. “You just don’t have enough of them.”

Since Blagojevich took office, the agency has lost more than 400 employees. Although it has permission to hire 1,720 workers, it currently has just 1,668, according to DNR Deputy Director Leslie Sgro.

Perhaps the next time the governor is on a statewide bus tour he can stop off at one of our state parks and check it out.

* Meanwhile, if you want to be the health care governor, wouldn’t it make sense to clean up the environment a little better so that people could, you know, be a little healthier? Apparently not…

Thirty-five years after the federal Clean Water Act, “significant improvement” has been seen in water quality nationwide, but nearly 50 percent of Illinois waterways are unsafe for swimming and fishing, environmentalists said Thursday.

About half of industrial and municipal facilities in Illinois discharged more pollution into waterways in 2005 than permits allowed, according to Environment Illinois.

Will County ranked eighth in the nation for most facilities exceeding their limits, with 15 facilities in 1995. Industrial offenders in Will County included operations owned by Citgo Petroleum, BP Amoco, ExxonMobil and plastics manufacturer Stepan Co. […]

DuPage County and McHenry County ranked in the top 50 counties nationally for exceeding permits, the Environment Illinois analysis, “Troubled Waters,” said.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 9:15 am

Comments

Yeah, but that BP plant in Whiting is what makes for good news coverage! It is easier to blame others like the State of Indiana, (who continues to eat our economic lunch, BTW), than it is to admit and address the problems we have in our backyard.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 10:27 am
…. the gov. ought to finally strap up his ‘testicular virility’ and start LEADING HIS administration for the good of Illinois CITIZENS for a change. When is enough, enough and time for a change? [yeah - same comment as with ISP, but, hey, it still fits. ]

Comment by Just Maybe.... Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 10:31 am
If he reads this blog he’ll be on the rampage for cleaning up our water now!

Comment by Levois Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 10:35 am
Is the Sierra Club going to comment on this one?

Comment by Bill Baar Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 11:05 am
We can thank Midwest Generation/Exelon/ComEd/PECO Energy/etc. for the mercury–their outdated, grandfathered coal-fired power plants are the primary source of that.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago also shares some of the blame, as they have had a long history of leasing their extensive lands all along the Illinois waterway primarily to polluting, concentrated heavy industry.

Comment by Squideshi Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 11:36 am
Of all the negative items I have read about our Governor, not ever going to a state park is the worst. What arrogance.

Some of the most beautiful places in the world can be found in the parks by Starved Rock, along the Rock River or down in Southern Illinois. You have to see them to appreciate them.

When I stand on top of Starved Rock or any of the other lookout points on the Illinois River, I am always saddened to know that the fantastic scenery is marred by a polluted river. If you don’t see the beauty of your state you can’t appreciate what pollution does to it? You will never know how good it can be if you never see it.

It is a privilege to be the Governor of the State of Illinois. That means you take pride in the resources that the people of Illinois have provided. That means you live in the place the people want their Governor to live. That means you visit the places that Illinoisans are proud of.

How in the wide wide world of sports did we get this guy?

Comment by Garp Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 2:00 pm
I have a great deal of respect for the DNR and the job they do with scarce resources. The sportsmen’s license is one fee I have no problem paying. It is a shame to see such a fine agency struggling under Blagojevich.

Comment by Independent Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 2:25 pm
Before (unindicted official) A-Rod became governor, the stature of the IDNR had been gradually rising as compared to other states. We weren’t the best, by far, but we were no longer at the bottom as we had been for years. Then came Mr. Conservation, who either laid-off or fired most of the knowledgeable staff and replaced them with hundreds of “state park inspectors” whose sole function is to ride around in state vehicles to visit the understaffed parks and write reports about lack of maintenance.

Comment by The Mad Hatter Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 2:47 pm
I can’t believe that I agree with Bill Baar that the Sierra Club has some owning up to do. This group endorsed the Governor in the last election, despite the fact that he put political operatives in charge of DNR. No wonder our parks are in such bad shape.

Comment by fix DNR Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 4:01 pm
My sig other a member fix DNR. I’ll mention our concern next time they call.

Comment by Bill Baar Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 4:52 pm
fix DNR wrote, “I can’t believe that I agree with Bill Baar that the Sierra Club has some owning up to do. This group endorsed the Governor in the last election, despite the fact that he put political operatives in charge of DNR.”

Jack Darin has a LOT of owning up to do. See this press release issued by the Whitney campaign in 2006.

Comment by Squideshi Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 6:25 pm
lets blame this guy for everything…i don’t care if you don’t like him, but he can’t be blamed for everything…parks have been in a state of disrepair for a long time…granted he may not have made it the number one issue…no one else has either…

Comment by missing the picture Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 6:38 pm
Accountability and incompetency go hand in hand and should start at the top of IDNR. The FLOOD (that would be Acting Agency Director Sam Flood) gates have been open at IDNR since Blago took over and have brought on nothing but plundering of taxpayers dollars for exorbitant salaries paid to political hacks such as Billy E., Tommy D. and others. Seems that you either have to be a Griffin Grad or a bar-owner or both to get anywhere in Springfield state jobs these days.

Comment by U Couldn't Have Hollywood Write Better Story Lines.... Friday, Oct 12, 07 @ 9:29 pm
it aint the department of fishin’ an’ huntin’ it’s the department of natural resources

Comment by irked irene Sunday, Oct 14, 07 @ 8:23 pm