Governor Touts Redevelopment in Southland, Signs Recovery Bills
Gov. Pat Quinn said Monday the south suburbs would benefit greatly from his economic development efforts.
Gov. Pat Quinn made a trip to the Southland on Monday to boost local redevelopment efforts, signing two bills in Tinley Park proponents say will make it easier for south suburban towns to fund their economic plans.
The second bill will extend the deadline for Markham to finalize a special taxing district.
Quinn signed the bills after a 30-minute talk to a packed house at the monthly meeting of the Southland Chamber, a group that promotes the south suburbs' economic interests.
Quinn Talks Roads, Jobs and China
During his remarks, Quinn touched on projects near and dear to south suburban officials and business owners, including the coming Interstate 57 and Interstate 294 interchange, the proposed Illiana Expressway that would connect Interstate 65 in Indiana with I-57 in Illinois, the recently approved Southeast Metra Line connecting downtown Chicago with Balmoral Park in Crete, the proposed third airport in Peotone and growing intermodal facilities in Joliet and new ones coming to Crete.
Quinn also said a video-poker funded, $31 billion public works law that was approved by the Illinois Supreme Court on Monday will bring millions of redevelopment dollars to community colleges including Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Moraine Valley in Palos Hills and Prairie State College in Chicago Heights and Governors State University in University Park.
The governor also touted a high speed rail line from Chicago to St. Louis, and said a super high speed rail line would connect O’Hare Airport with downtown Chicago and eventually extend all the way south to Peotone for the South Suburban Airport.
Besides those projects, Quinn said the No. 1 challenge facing Illinois today is stubborn unemployment.
“The very best way to make things better for everyone is a J-O-B,” he said.
To that end, Quinn said he is trying to promote Illinois exports to China.
“We export one in four soybeans grown in Illinois to China,” Quinn said. “And we are now exporting Asian carp to China, where it is considered a delicacy.”
While calling for more honesty in government, Quinn touched on the recent guilty verdicts in the corruption case against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Quinn, formerly lieutenant governor under Blagojevich, became governor after Blagojevich's 2009 impeachment.
“My predecessor is going to jail and his predecessor already is in jail,” Quinn said, alluding to former Gov. George Ryan, who was convicted on racketeering and fraud charges in 2006.
“You can’t have a recovery without honesty in government,” Quinn said.
Local Reaction Favorable
Local business owners and officials who were among the 450 in attendance were generally pleased with Quinn’s remarks.
“I think he was right on,” said Sid Barsuk, of Homewood. “I think (Quinn) is a better governor that people thought he would be. And he strikes me as a servant of the state.”
Tom Hall, senior vice president of American Chartered Bank in Tinley Park, said, “His heart is in the right place. He wants to help business and the electorate.”
“I like his perspective on the Southland,” Hall said. “His key points like the airport, I-57 interchange and intermodal centers are all positives for the Southland.”
“But the state is in a big hole and getting out is going to take sacrifice to make a difference. That is going to be hard to do,” said Hall.
Bill Blume, of Midwest Promotions Group in Summit, said Quinn’s remarks were uplifting and informative.
“It’s nice to have a governor who knows where the Southland is,” Blume said.
Midwest Promotions’ John Duzansky, a graduate of Fenwick Academy like Quinn, said he liked what he heard.
“The governor is very positive,” he said. “It’s nice to hear from a governor who taught at Prairie State and knows where the south suburbs are.”
$6.6 Million to Revitalize Southland
Quinn announced at the meeting Monday that $6.6 million in federal funds for affordable housing and infrastructure improvements had been awarded to six south suburbs through the Hurricane Ike Disaster Recovery Program, including $502,250 to repair and resurface roadways and curbs at a senior community in Olympia Fields.
The other Southland towns getting these federal funds are Hazel Crest, Lansing, Park Forest, Phoenix and South Holland.
Loretta Torres
9:31 am on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Now how can we get our property taxes lowered in Rich township?
Ron Williams
10:48 am on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
"Quinn also said a video-poker funded, $31 billion public works law that was approved by the Illinois Supreme Court on Monday will bring millions of redevelopment dollars to community colleges including Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Moraine Valley in Palos Hills and Prairie State College in Chicago Heights and Governors State University in University Park." Revenue derived from gambling has more often proved to have an economically negative impact on communities, look at Atlantic City. It used to be a slum by the sea, and now, it's a slum by the sea with casinos.
Pat F
2:18 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
First off we definitely don't need another airport.. Let all those wheeler dealers who ran out and bought that land to flip back to the state choke on it. Airlines have cancelled thousands of flights over the past 8-10 years because they couldn't fill the planes..No major airline will even agree to move out there unless the state forces them.. We do need jobs, and plenty of them..Retool these shuttered factories and start up production once again..Increase the import fees on imported garbage so high it wouldn't be profitable for these companies to ship our jobs overseas!! More jobs here, more money to purchase these products with the money staying here and building our economy back to its former state..Any jobs are great but rebuilding the industrial portion will be long term jobs.. JOBS< JOBS< JOBS!!! This state and the whole country needs them and the way to start is by rebuilding the businesses this country has allowed to wander off(with our jobs) to foreign countries!!
OakLawnGuy
2:29 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
True. While the third airport would create jobs, they'd just go away when it becomes apparent that this area cannot support it. The 1999 economy and demand on flights is, literally and figuratively, a thing of the past.
nick
11:27 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Both the Democrats & Republicans sold out the American workers when they voted for NAFTA and the other free trade agreements. A few million manufacturing jobs have vanished and may never return.
Steve Burke
11:59 am on Thursday, July 21, 2011
A third airport would create nothing more stupidly spent taxpayer money that the state is wasting by buying property.
Jesse the Brain
6:30 pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
I thought I heard it all now our newest political gangster, Gov Quinn, who raised our income taxes over 45% now tries to make a hero of himself by spending some of our money back with us. He is the biggest political fool of all time. He just doesn't get it. He raised taxes on the working class and raised taxes on business in the middle of the worst recession in over 80 years. he has no concept at all of what that did to the economy in the state of Illinois. Why doesn't he do the right thing and give that money to the people in the form of tax cuts instead of giving it to bloated inefficient bureaucracies that will only waste the money.
If your a small business person try to get a contract with one of the municipalities that Gov Quinn talks about. Its a joke!!!!
Russ
12:49 am on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
I think calling our Governor a gangster is way over the top. Tax cuts take away much needed revenue for our state.Schools,municipalities police and fire are all necessary for the wellbeing of our state.Employed people not only pay taxes but spend money to buy goods ,which sparks the economy.Pat flannigan has the right idea in his comments.
nick
11:47 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The State of Illinois, schools, municipalities, police and fire departments are all bloated and inefficient. All of their budgets need to be cut and slashed for the well being of the taxpayers. People are tired of being robbed by taxation.
Ron Williams
9:02 am on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Who's going to utilize those retooled factories; Illinois increased taxes on business's are driving them out of Illinois; there needs to be a balance between spending cuts and taxes, in order to attract business we must compete with surrounding states tax rates or business will continue to flee no matter how how retooled a facility is.Even with increased import fee's to keep jobs in the USA, it does not equate to keeping them in Illinois, we currently are not able to sustain or attract new ventures because Illinois is not business friendly. Wisconsin and Indiana have bill boards in Illinois advertising their lower taxes, enticing businesses to relocate, how do we rectify that?
Russ
10:29 am on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
It is true that there is fierce competition for businesses to relocate from state to state.e.g.Boing from out west to Chicago,According to The 2011 State Business Tax Climate Index,Illinois is ranked 23rd out of 50 states for being more business friendly. Indiana is doing pretty well at 10th,however Wisconsin (40th),Ohio(46th),New Jersey(48th),aren't all they are saying they are according to the SBTC index.Illinois isn't as bad as you think it is Ron and according to the index we are improving.We are up from being ranked 30th in 2010.So yes I think if we gave businesses incentives with loans and low taxes like communities often do,maybe we could fill some of those factories with workers.I think Illinois has a lot to offer ,it is mostly a matter of political will.
Ron Williams
12:16 pm on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Thanks Russ for clearification, as in most cases there are always statistics that can be be spun to favor or dis-favor one opinion, I think maybe the reality of it all is that our governments are getting to big;dissatisfaction with government is running high these days,around the world we see, Egypt, Syria, and Greece. and now I feel some of that unrest here in our own country. Have governments lost their ability to govern? Or are they just extended way beyond what’s reasonable to expect of civil governments? Here I am arguing that the state needs to DO something, when maybe the concept of free enterprise is what needs to be looked at, there are no easy answers are there?
Pat F
10:45 am on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
I think substantial funding would be available when we stop giving financial aid to foreign countries when it's needed so desperately here at home!! The gov't has to stop giving away our tax dollars and invest them in our own economy to bring our country back up to its former great self!!
nick
11:31 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
One of the worse things about foreign aid is that US government borrows the money to give away.
Russ
4:00 pm on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Ron,I agree there are no easy answers but, if politicians stop worrying about the power game,and put the best interests of the community first we might accomplish something .It is our job to make government accountable .
I also agree with Pat we are spending way to much money all around the world in aid and defense, without regard to our own concerns. to me , it is like going on expensive vacations and never fixing the roof that fell down over your own house.