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Traffic safety division to stay put

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Illinois

* Yesterday, the governor reversed Rod Blagojevich’s decision to close the Pontiac prison. Today, Gov. Quinn is reversing another one…

After months of uncertainty, the state’s traffic safety division is not moving to southern Illinois.

Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, said he received a voice mail this morning at his Springfield office from new Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig that an announcement about the division staying in Springfield would be made later today.

Anders Lindall, a spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, confirmed the union also had been notified an announcement was coming today.

Spokespersons for IDOT and the governor’s office did not immediately comment on the news.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:20 am

Comments

This is a good decision, Now do something nice for southern Illinois like expanding the Anna veterans home.

Comment by reflector Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:25 am
OK - Good first step.
Now - create legislation that will help prevent this kind of political stunt again.
Then - pass an act that declares that the naming of public buildings and structures be selected from a list of Illinoians who lost their lives defending our country, and end this practice of allowing politicians to build public edifices to themselves with our tax money.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:26 am
If this guy keeps it up Rich Miller’s dad just might have to repaint the Caddy! The Quinn Mobile! LOL

Comment by Hmmm Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:27 am
create legislation that will help prevent this kind of political stunt again.

Van Man, I knew we could agree on something.

Sen. Crotty and Rep. Dugan have introduced bills that would require legislative approval for any closure during a budget year.

SB 327: http://ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=327&GAID=10&GA=96&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=41181&SessionID=76

HB 2376: http://ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=2376&GAID=10&GA=96&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=44433&SessionID=76

These are common sense checks on executive power that improve GA oversight when facility closures are considered.

Comment by Reality Check Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:32 am
Whoops, 2376 is Rep. Gordon’s bill. All apologies.

Comment by Reality Check Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:34 am
Maybe I am looking at everything too politically, but again… how does this help Quinn’s re-election?

Is he hoping for an AFSCME endorsement? He will never be able to satisfy them - especially if he has to lay more people off.

Now he helps out the largest Republican county in downstate Illinios while kicking Southern Illinois in the face. Southern Illinois Democrats will be key in winning a Dem primary.

Will all these people affected by the move in Sangamon County be voting for Quinn now? More likely they will be out helping Bomke, Poe, and Brauer elect the next Repub Governor.

Comment by Taxman Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:36 am
Gee another wonderful policy-based decision by Blago comes undone . . .

Comment by carbon deforestation Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:44 am
The clamor to retain Trafic Safety in Springfield was a bi-partisan effort from the start. Saving jobs and not uprouting lives plus saving the State untold dollars was the unaminous goal. The only politics played/considered in this event was from the Blago administration.

Comment by Doing one day @ a time Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:47 am
V.M. - Amen! Legislation pending should block future govs from ever using the political version of mob enforcement tactics as practiced by Roddy B again. As the mother of an Iraqi war veteran who will be sent to Afghanistan within the year I applaud your suggestion to the name buildings, etc after fallen members of the armed forces. I work in Springfield and cringe every time I pass the A. L. Museum just knowing Ryan’s name is plastered on the cornerstone, and don’t get me started on the Cellini portraits on display in the museum…..

Comment by Sweet Polly Purebred Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:50 am
We remember Ogilvie as one of our best governors, perhaps the last really good governor we have had in this state. I hope Quinn follows through and does what needs to be done, or Illinois will go the way of California and soon. My respect for Lisa Madigan has gone way, way, way down. That bit of populist rhetoric cost her my vote.

Comment by Skirmisher Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:55 am
A decent reversal of one of Blago’s more venal and petty moves.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 11:05 am
Skirmisher - I would have to agree that Gov. Ogilvie was an excellent governor. He was unduly punished by the electorate for proposing a very needed income tax increase and I might add support for parochial schools. Lisa Madigan’s statement regarding the increase appears to be setting the stage for the 2010 election with the increase being a major weapon against Quinn if he chooses to run. I like AG Madigan, but am puzzled as to why she would step in at this time of fiscal crisis and interject her opinion. The fiscal future of Illinois should not be used for political posturing by anyone on either side of the aisle.

Comment by Sweet Polly Purebred Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 11:12 am
What with Pontiac and IDOT, looks like one Quinn strategy will be to make AFSCME really really happy.

Wonder what he’ll do with the infamous Howe developmental center, the one that is costing taxpayers tens of millions each year because it can’t meet rudimentary federal guidelines. Illinois taxpayers have to pay for everything at Howe…and everything is really shoddy care by many accounts.

Anyway, I think we know the answer. So that will make it (w/Pontiac and IDOT): AFCME and porky state contractors 3; Howe residents and taxpayers: 0.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 11:49 am
An “up” day for Pontiac correctional employees, Traffic Safety employees, and the taxpayers. The good guys actually win once in a while. Congrats to those who are getting to keep their jobs.

Comment by Little Egypt Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 12:29 pm
Cassandra, you’re right about costs at Howe right now. But when deciding a path forward, unlike with Traffic Safety and Pontiac, at Howe you have residents and their families to consider. To a person, these families want Howe to remain open.

They have zero economic or political skin in the game, they just want the care they choose in the home they choose. And when 30 of them testified at COGFA, every single one passionately supported Howe.

Quinn should listen to the families and make a serious effort to regain Howe’s federal matching funds. That means junking the Blago cronies shoehorned into management jobs there and investing in enough front line staff. Get Rod’s boot off their neck and give the place a fair chance.

Comment by Reality Check Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 12:45 pm
So does this mean Quinn is going to re-up the $6 million dollar per year Cellini lease in Springfield for the Traffic Safety Building? People forget that that lease was the genesis for all this. Itll be interesting to see what he does. That lease is bad for taxpayers.

Comment by Taxman Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 1:03 pm
When does the state government fumigation begin? Surely, this will help the state financially getting rid of the deadbeats.

Comment by Old Timer Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 3:13 pm
========== So does this mean Quinn is going to re-up the $6 million dollar per year Cellini lease in Springfield for the Traffic Safety Building? People forget that that lease was the genesis for all this. Itll be interesting to see what he does. That lease is bad for taxpayers. ========

Thought the building was owned by a Native Alaskan Corporation (former Sen. Ted Stevens got them ALL sorts of preferential treatment - see

http://www.governmentexecutive.com/story_page.cfm?filepath=/features/0309-01/0309-01s3.htm ) - and Traffic Safety is mostly federal $$.

Thought Cellini managed it, not owned it. Can anyone throw some light on this matter?

Comment by Smitty Irving Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 3:23 pm
Quinn won’t need to worry about So.Il being upset over this. It was Brandon Phelps and his Uncle David’s idea to move to Harrisburg. Wanna bet David get’s to keep his 6 figure Asst. Director of IDOT as a trade-off?

Comment by southern illinoisan Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 4:22 pm
Smitty
Now I could be wrong… But the way it was explained to me was that it originally was a direct Cellini lease. He then transferred it to some company in which he or his family had interest in. I believe that is how it currently stands. The Fed money pays for most of the staff, but the physical office space is all state money. $6 million per year with all upkeep responsabilities to be paid for by the state. Truly a sweet heart deal that makes me sick!

Comment by Taxman Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 4:34 pm
Good news, Taxman: We won’t be staying in the current building, for the reason(s) you cite. The lease is ridiculously expensive. We will be moving to another building, probably by the start of 2010. A newspaper in southern Illinois said we were headed for the Stratton Building, but I have no idea why they printed that and the Springfield media didn’t.

Comment by IDOT Traffic Safety Worker Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:15 pm
they will be trying to move somewhere else in springfield, but i’ll believe it when i see it

Comment by seriously Friday, Mar 13, 09 @ 10:23 pm