UPDATE: Friday, Illinois Review will offer an update on this story. Evidently, the grants the state reps announced were from a different source than the one Rep. Ives was referring to in her press release. The timing of their announcements and her challenge was coincidental. We will attempt to iron out the confusing details tomorrow.
UPDATE Story: PROJECT FUNDING, ILLINOIS FINANCES REMAIN CONCERNS FOR LAWMAKERS, VOTERS
WHEATON – Earlier this week, three Illinois House Republicans distributed announcements of state grants being awarded to projects in their districts. The grants included $153,000 to McHenry County College, $621,000 to Harper Community College and $709,000 to College of DuPage to update the facilities' infrastructures.
The same day State Representative Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, criticized millions of dollars in legislative initiative “pork” spending reportedly contained in the FY 19 state budget.
"The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget acknowledged in August that the new state budget is unbalanced by a staggering $1.2 Billion. Now it is coming to light that untold millions of dollars in spending was hidden in the new state budget for legislators in both parties to designate for pork projects in their districts," Ives said.
"I refuse to participate in this initiative and am calling on my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, to do likewise. Illinois taxpayers deserve to know where every dollar in the budget is being spent. Not one penny should be spent on pork."
Three of Ives' Republican House associates have no intention of accepting her challenge to reject their portions of the $11.3 million in funds released by the Governor's office on Management and Budget for community colleges throughout the state.
“The College of DuPage is a world-class institution of higher learning that serves more than 28,000 students each semester,” said State Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard). “Keeping the campus buildings and infrastructure in a state of good repair is costly, and I am pleased to see the State of Illinois making an investment in our local community college.”
State Rep. Steve Reick of Woodstock said the money is being used to replace roof-top units and duct work.
“The RTUs are over 27 years old and are operating beyond their life cycle,” said Reick. “They require more and more maintenance to keep operational, have lost some functionality and are inefficient for today’s energy standards. In addition, the duct work is over 40 years old and has failed in several locations.”
State Rep. Tom Morrison of Palatine said the funds would be used to replace existing steam and condensate piping, valves and supports that are failing. “A failure of this system would result in the campus being closed until repairs are completed,” said Morrison. “With cold weather right around the corner, it is imperative that the repairs take place without delay.”
The FY 19 state budget was approved by the Illinois House of Representatives on May 31 by a vote of 97-18. Representative Ives was among those who voted against the budget.
I live in and pay taxes to District 512. Harper College has been spending like drunken sailors the past 10+ years remodelling, adding to and expanding the campus and playing fields. Everytime I drive by there is some kind of construction going on. And no one thought to take some of our tax dollars from all the bonding and use it for infrastructure repairs/maintenance?? Typical. The Brueder mentality still lives strong at Harper.
Jeanne knows best. Rauner is tax and spent.
Loves Saves Lives
Carl Lambrecht
Why on earth would you turn down the money? The time to be against it was before they decided to spend it. It’s going to be spent anyway.
I don’t think Jeanne Ives is the brightest bulb in the room.
We disagree on that point, Chase. The more light on a murky mess, the better. I’m thankful ONE state rep understands that Illinois is BROKE, and that the “free money” that is being given to these community colleges is very expensive – and it is YOU and ME and our family income where these funds come from. Community colleges get plenty of $$ on my property tax bill. Why can’t they mange their budgets like we have to?
I’d like to renovate a crucial part of our home before the plumbing collapses in, but heck, my property taxes take precedent. And that means that money is going to community projects instead of the one I live in.
Time to review our whole priority system, and for that, I thank Jeanne Ives for being the very brightest bulb in the room!
As usual, wee have Republicans counting the beans that go into this community college but paying no attention whatsoever to the leftist claptrap that those taxpayer beans are subsidizing.
I don’t know about Harper – and none of the great Republican bean counters even seem to want to bother to ask.
But I do know that Oakton Community College has ultra-leftist Black teachers running anti-white racist courses on “white privilege.”
The same things are likely going on at Harper – and all these nitwit Republican Chamber of Commerce types can focus on is the accountancy of it all – while their entire culture is being stolen from underneath their feet – and they are remain blind to it all.
This is why I have ceased to be a Republican and have become an independent conservative.
I totally agree with Betsy Moore.
All these grant programs are, is a way to take from another taxpayer pocket.
If they spend it, we will pay it.
Time to hold the line on spending.
Time to prioritize taking care of what we have rather than always building “NEW”