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* WSIU…
Governor JB Pritzker and State Senator Dale Fowler visited the southern tip of Illinois Thursday to announce a new milestone in the effort to construct a Port District in Cairo.
In April, the Alexander-Cairo Port District completed a project labor agreement with the Illinois AFL-CIO to allow for more than 500 local Illinois union workers to fill the jobs created by construction of the port.
On Thursday, Labor Local 773 signed on to provide workers for the project.
Alexander-Cairo Port District Chairman Larry Klein says they’re currently going through the engineering and design work.
“Because anyone in the construction trades realizes you have to have a floor plan before you start constructing anything. So, when we get the floor plan designed that’s when we’re going to put all the people here today to work. That will tickle me to death.” […]
80% of U.S. inland barge traffic travels past Cairo.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 2:52 am
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Excellent.
Comment by Blue Dog Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 6:12 am
This news is very exciting, and refreshing. It is awesome to see this part of the state, which has been in economic decline for decades, get such a great opportunity for a comeback.
Comment by Captain Obvious Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:19 am
=It is awesome to see this part of the state, which has been in economic decline for decades, get such a great opportunity for a comeback.=
Thanks to the Pritzker administration and massive government spending. You forgot to mention that. I am sure it was an innocent oversight.
Not many true capitalists in the the hardscrabble by-your-bootstraps part of the state.
For the record, I think it is a good thing but get tired of the critics and anti-public aid crowd’s hypocrisy.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:44 am
Completely agree JS Mill. It is much like the farmers who scream about big government welfare handouts while their snouts are firmly entrenched in the subsidy feeding trough.
Comment by former southerner Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:03 am
Darren Bailey, you have a call on Line one. Darren, Line one.
Comment by Dysfunction Junction Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:48 am
Great news. I would hope that these 500 union jobs aren’t all just going to existing members and that opportunities will be presented to people in the community (including with mentorship opportunities).
Comment by NIU Grad Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:10 am
I’d like to hear where they’re going to locate this and whether the historic port area is affected. There’s a lot there that should be preserved.
Comment by Excessively Rabid Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:30 am
Good news.
I hope those workers live in Illinois rather than Kentucky or Missouri. Do you have to be an IL resident to be in 773? (asking - I don’t know)
Its a grand idea that I hope finally gets off the ground. If you’ve been paying any attention over the past many months this nation and the globe has a logistics problem. Cairo could help fix a sliver of that. Include a possible big boost in federal dollar spending on rivers and in a decade or so this thing could be humming along.
Right now there isn’t much containerized shipping on barge. If this helps nudge that it will be good for the state and the whole region. It also opens the door for increased identity preserved grains from Illinois to key Asian markets. LETS GO.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:36 am
Fingers crossed that this project works out. The economy down there could use it.
Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:56 am
Governing.
That’s what this is.
These are the cases for an incumbent, and the second term.
My hope is downstate (like *actual* downstate here) sees governing. Blago and Rauner could’ve learned a great deal by simply… governing.
Good on the governor and his staff and crew
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 11:02 am
500 unioin jobs. Very well done.
Comment by Nick Name Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 11:10 am
And Sen. Fowler is a Republican. Glad to see the bipartisan cooperation.
Comment by Nick Name Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 11:14 am
Hey getting the once great state back on track …baby steps but this is big for Southern IL
Comment by NorthsideNoMore Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 11:40 am
The devotion that Governor Pritzker has to projects and policy that will improve the lives of people living in regions that do not support him politically is outstanding.
Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 12:39 pm
“I’d like to hear where they’re going to locate this and whether the historic port area is affected. There’s a lot there that should be preserved.”
It’s not there. It’s located on the Mississippi side.
Comment by Cairo Port Guy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 1:11 pm
And yes, government money was critical to move this forward, but there will be a public private partnership with most of the money coming from the private sector. This is a phenomenal project for not just Cairo but the whole region. 80% of inland waterway traffic passes the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers at Cairo. It’s time we took advantage of this amazing natural resource. Thanks JB, Sen. Fowler and all the folks on the Cairo board and working on the project for making this a reality.
Comment by Cairo Port Guy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 1:16 pm
Yeah, I will believe it when I see it happen, there are so many moving parts to this one that don’t involve the state. Not a fan of Gov waving the IWPA, so they don’t have to mitigate for wetland impacts that will be over 150 acres. Cario needs so much more than this port.
Comment by BluegrassBoy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 3:19 pm