Lawmakers vow to fight
for Pontiac prison
5/6/2008
Belleville News-Democrat
Ryan Keith
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.
--Lawmakers
vowed Tuesday to fight for the future of the state prison at Pontiac, with
some questioning whether its threatened closure was part of political
payback by Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration.
Republican
lawmakers who represent the north-central Illinois area complained it
makes no sense for Blagojevich's Department of Corrections to try to close
Pontiac after abandoning a bid to close part of Stateville Correctional
Center in Joliet.
The
administration argues an older facility such as Pontiac needs to be
shuttered in order for a modern, safer prison in Thomson in northwestern
Illinois to fully open.
But lawmakers
from north-central Illinois say it would be devastating economically for
Pontiac to close, with little gain to the state. They're calling for a
moratorium on any facility closings until the issue can be studied
further.
"I'm just not
sure what logic they're using when they're trying to close state
correctional institutions," said Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa. "That is
an absolutely inappropriate way to develop public policy."
And some
legislators say the timing of this and other moves raises political
questions.
The Senate
last week killed an effort to put on the November ballot a question about
recalling top elected officials, aimed at unhappiness with the governor.
Shortly
before the Senate recall vote, the administration decided to release more
than $30 million for agricultural programs that had been held up for weeks
- some of that benefiting downstate Democrats who helped reject recall.
On Friday,
after the recall vote, the state Department of Transportation announced it
was relocating its traffic safety division and about 150 jobs from
Springfield to southern Illinois to potentially save millions of dollars
and boost that region's economy.
Springfield
lawmakers said they couldn't help but think their vote for recall might
have played a role.
"That
theory's out there, but that's something that we never know for sure,"
said Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield. "It has to raise a question."
Corrections'
about-face on Stateville in favor of Pontiac comes after Joliet Democratic
Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi voted "present" on recall. The GOP representatives for
Pontiac all supported it.
Democrats
insist their recall votes had nothing to do with political favors.
Wilhelmi said he voted "present" because he refused to participate in the
"political gamesmanship and really pandering" of the recall issue.
Sen. Mike
Jacobs, an East Moline Democrat who has butted heads with Blagojevich but
opposed recall, said he would welcome Thomson opening in his district but
acknowledges the appearance of politics.
"Administrations always have prerogatives to make decisions," Jacobs said.
"This could be just a coincidence. People tend to find the dark lining in
any silver cloud."
At a Chicago
appearance Tuesday morning, Blagojevich left before answering any
questions other than those related to an anti-violence initiative he had
just announced.
Sen.
Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said the moves only further hurt
Blagojevich's efforts to get his agenda approved in the Legislature,
especially a new statewide construction program.
"There's a
lot of dots, and people are connecting those dots," Radogno said. "And I
don't blame them for doing that."
Senate
Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, who lobbied to keep Stateville open,
said she'll work to do the same for Pontiac. Halvorson, who's running for
Congress, voted for the recall measure.
"I didn't
focus to keep Stateville open to close another prison," Halvorson,
D-Crete, said.
Pontiac-area
lawmakers say they will rally local support for the prison throughout the
area and hope the pressure causes another change of heart.
"It's just
rather bizarre," said Rep. Keith Sommer, R-Morton. "If it's a ploy, it's a
sick ploy with people's lives. You shouldn't run government that way."
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