Blagojevich budget may cost
outdoors enthusiasts
February 29, 2008
Belleville News Democrat
Nguyen Huy Vu
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.
-- Larry Dale loves deer and turkey
hunting, even though it means paying fee after fee. On top of his state
taxes, he pays for licenses, permits and the use of public wildlife areas.
Dale isn't
looking forward to doling out even more under Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
proposed budget. Dale said it's unfair for hunters and fisherman to shell
out more for state conservation efforts they already subsidize.
"I find it
disconcerting that we are again targeted," said the 59-year-old Petersburg
resident.
Blagojevich
wants to increase money in various Department of Natural Resources special
funds by $37 million, or 28 percent, a move that would require raising fees.
What remains
unclear is how much more consumers would have to pay.
The department
is trying to become more "self-sufficient" so it depends less on tax
revenue, spokesman Chris McCloud said, but it has not spelled out what that
means for people who want to hunt or hike or camp on state property.
Environmentalists and legislators haven't been able to get answers either.
"No one has
been able to articulate what fees they're talking about, specifically what
fees would be or how much they would raise," said Jonathan Goldman,
executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. "There are a lot
of unanswered questions at this point."
A chorus of
negative responses met Blagojevich's budget proposal last week. His lack of
detail was one sore point.
Descriptions of
his changes at DNR mentioned only two possible fee increases: Floodway
permits and reviews related to endangered species.
Electrical fees
for campers might go up, too, to help pay for improvements to electrical
systems, said McCloud, who added it's too early to say what other fees might
rise. "Much of that will depend on legislative action," he said.
While fees
would go up under Blagojevich's plans, the agency's share of general tax
money would drop by $27 million, or nearly 40 percent.
Up to $15
million of that reduction can be attributed to shifting some of the agency's
scientific research departments to the University of Illinois, Goldman said.
"There is still
another $10 million or $12 million that they are cutting in (general funds)
that we don't know why or what that would have funded," Goldman said.
He noted
Blagojevich's plan includes cuts to open-space acquisition and preservation
of natural areas.
A major union
says the proposal is more of the same from an administration that neglects
the DNR.
DNR employees
have dwindled to the point where state forests, parks and nature preserves
are rarely adequately staffed, said the Illinois chapter of the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
There has been
a 29 percent staff decrease since 2001, the union said.
"The track
record of this administration is one of neglect if not antipathy to
essential public services," said federation spokesman Anders Lindall. "When
you are talking about cuts of that magnitude, you're talking about serious
harm to every aspect of this agency."
Rep. Kurt
Granberg, D-Carlyle, cautioned the plan is still in its infancy.
"This is just
the first announcement so we have a long way to go on the process.
Everything is subject to change and nothing is written in stone at this
point," said Granberg, who has been mentioned as a candidate for director of
the agency, which is now run by an acting director.
Other officials
said Blagojevich has put the agency on the bottom rung in the last half
decade.
"You want to
have people at state parks available to help people who come long distances
to see eagles fly over the Illinois River," said Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn. "I
really feel that Gov. Blagojevich has not been friendly to conservation over
the last five years and it's been a disappointment."
|
