AFSCME workers face state park closures

With the state in such economic turmoil, billions of dollars in unpaid bills laying on Comptroller Dan Hynes' desk, and with a drop in projected state revenues, 30 state workers -- also members of the same union that helped to re-elect Governor Blagojevich in 2006 -- were laid off effective today from their state jobs at twelve historic sites and seven state parks. 

“The legislature has done its part, but (Blagojevich has) not done his part,” AFSCME Council 31 staff representative Erik Hostetter said in a recent press release. “The money’s been appropriated, but he vetoed it out of the bill. Clearly the will is not there and we can’t figure out why.”

AFSCME Council 31 is also fighting the Governor's closure of the Pontiac State Prison and the Tinley Park Mental Health Center.

Blagojevich took the Historic Preservation sites out of a bill passed by the General Assembly this fall that put them back in, AFSCME writes.  This action followed from the governor cuts in the budget passed by the legislature in late spring.  Among the internationally known sites slated to close are Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana Thomas House in Springfield and the Cahokia Mounds in Southern Illinois.

The list of site and park December 1 closures follows:

PARKS CLOSING:

• Castle Rock State Park, Oregon
• Lowden State Park, Oregon
• Illini State Park, Marseilles
• Hidden Springs State Forest, Strasburg
• Moraine View State Park, Leroy
• Weldon Springs State Park, Clinton
• Wolf Creek State Park, Windsor

HISTORIC SITES CLOSING:

• Dana-Thomas House, Springfield
• Lincoln log cabin near Charleston
• Fort de Chartres, Randolph County
• Vandalia statehouse
• State center at Bishop Hill, Henry County
• Carl Sandburg birthplace, Galesburg
• Cahokia courthouse
• Hauberg Indian Museum, Rock Island County, but the adjacent natural area will stay open.
• Jubilee College, near Peoria
• Apple River Fort, Elizabeth
• Fort Kaskaskia, Randolph County
• Pierre Menard home, Randolph County

Local funds and volunteers will keep open at least temporarily:

• Bryant cottage, Bement
• David Davis mansion, Bloomington

Comments

[Bookworm]

Of course the state needs to save money, but the amount of money "saved" by closing these parks and historic sites is just a small fraction of the overall budget deficit -- something like $220 million out of $2 billion.

The state, and the communities near these sites, will almost certainly lose far more revenue from lost tourist and visitor dollars than closing the sites could possibly save. Worse still, the longer these sites stay closed, the harder it will be to open them again, as they will likely fall into disrepair.

Many of these sites accept voluntary donations of about $2 or so per person; why not just make it a mandatory admission fee?

Oops, the actual cost of keeping these parks open is only about $2.1 million, NOT $220 million (that was the amount in the entire "fund sweep" bill that included parks but also substance abuse and other programs.)

[Fran]

With such a small savings, why do you think he went after the state parks?

[spintreebob]

"Clearly the will is not there and we can’t figure out why.”

Because the money is not there. The legislated appropriations knowingly exceeded the money available.

That this is a small sum of money isn't the issue. This should be the start of a thousand other cuts.

The governor should cut out the Illinois Arts Council. Currently does it have any purpose to exist except to bribe the artsy crowd into supporting a certain family member for governor?

But that is only the start. We should all accept sacrifices.

Is my pet project an earmark. But yours isn't?

[Matt Gauntt]

Perhaps I am wrong.

I thought I remember seeing "AFSCME for Blagojevich" yard signs and posters during the election. You reap what you sow. They wanted him in the Governor's Mansion (well, at least to have his mail sent there), so now they got him.

I have sympathy for the citizens who won't be able to enjoy their own State Parks, but little sympathy for AFSCME.

[spintreebob]

Matt,
Although AFSCME members may suffer, be assured that the AFSCME leaders who chose whom to endorse are well taken care of.

[4McCainPalin2008]

Aw-w-w-w...! If AFSCME would only learn to stop sweet-hearting the candidate of choice, maybe they would make some good choices for the future. Tisk, tisk, now. Is there a solution in the deal package forecast or did we "overlook" that?