Tell Me Illinois Has a Financial Crisis

The Daily Herald is reporting that Lake in the Hills has received $400,000 in state grant money to improve Sunset Park.

“Meanwhile, a $45,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will fund a picnic shelter and tables, as well as recycling containers, (Trudy) Wakeman told reporter Lenore Adkins.

Cary got $391,000 for its park district, too.

The McHenry County Conservation District received $750,000 to buy 98 acres in the Kishwaukee River Valley as an addition to the 1,800-acre Pleasant Valley Conservation Area.

Spring Grove got a check for $337,500 to “renovate the historical and former IDNR Fish Hatchery property, turning it into an educational / tourist destination by restoring the building as an educational center and the grounds to their original beauty for conservation education.”

That’s out of $21 million announced May 6th.

And, that list does not include the $400,000 for Lake in the Hills.

Did anyone but me read that Governor Pat Quinn thinks we have a financial crisis?

If so, why is the state giving away $21 million that is not as essential an expenditure as his hit list.

That list, by the way, includes eliminating all money going to local governments.

I decided to ask the Department of Natural Resources. Tim Schweizer, who is DNR’s Public Information Officer had this answer when I asked why the grants were going out if we had a “Doomsday Budget” situation:

Good question!

I asked if Federal money were involved and he indicated that might be the reason, but that he would check it out and get back to me.

Here’s his researched answer:

The funds for OSLAD come from the real estate transfer tax and by statute are specifically designated for that purpose.

I wonder why this earmarked fund hasn’t been raided as so many others have.


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