72°F
Severe
sponsored by:
FIND IT WITH OUR NEW DIRECTORY!
Click to activate search window!
Front Page    Subscribe to our feeds    Add to My Yahoo!
Advertisement

Advertising Info

Article Options

Comments (8 comment(s))  |  Email this story
Print this story  |  Discuss  |  Big Text  |  Normal Text
Current Rating:
0
   Number of Votes:
0
Rate:  |  |  | 
Save and Share  add to yahoo add delicious add to digg add to facebook add to reddit add to newsvine  
   How do I share?
Blagojevich shrugs off criticism for moving IDOT jobs into region
By Becky Malkovich, The Southern
Thursday, May 8, 2008 10:58 PM CDT
FRANKLIN COUNTY - Citing it as an "occupational hazard," Gov. Rod Blagojevich dismissed criticism of his plan to move the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety from Springfield to Southern Illinois.

In Southern Illinois Thursday for a ceremony to dedicate a portion of Interstate 57 to retired Congressman Ken Gray, Blagojevich took a few minutes to talk about the planned relocation that will see 148 workers either pack their bags for a move to Southern Illinois or find other employment.

"It's a decision I could make by myself as a governor and I've made a decision to move some IDOT operations out of Springfield, where it's been for more than 100 years, to bring that IDOT facility and the jobs that go along with it to Southern Illinois as a way to do a couple of things," Blagojevich said. "First and foremost, it will balance the representation of the IDOT throughout Southern Illinois and give Southern Illinois a presence. The better part of it is the opportunity to create 150 jobs in Southern Illinois that otherwise didn't exist."

Blagojevich said he understands the heat he is feeling from Springfield officials since he announced the move.

"I respect their position, but as governor, my job is to provide opportunities across the state. Southern Illinois is a part of our state that for way too long has been (treated) sort of like a forgotten stepchild by state government," he said.

He said he "pretty much knows where" the new facility will be located and expects to be able to make a formal announcement long before July 4.

"This is a decision I made and I'll tell you this: It was my idea. I can't wait to make the announcement and we're going to do it where it's (the facility) going to be," he said as he pulled State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, to his side. "This couldn't have happened without Gary Forby."

Speculation that the relocation was politically motivated, perhaps in part as a sort of "payback" to Forby for not casting a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow for recall of public officials, is untrue, Blagojevich said. Forby said previously he was not available for the vote because his wife was having surgery.

"You're always going to have critics and criticism and your motivations questioned. At the end of the day I know where my heart is and I know this is the right thing to do and I'll let all the critics be critics," Blagojevich said. "All I know is there will be 150 new jobs and I'm really excited about it."

beckymalk@gmail.com

927-5633

Add Your Own Comments

No account? Register here!

Terms & Conditions

If you already have, sign in below:
*Member ID:
*Password:
  Forgot Your Password?
 

 

IDOT EMPLOYEE wrote on May 11, 2008 9:23 AM:

" TO: DONEIT
Well interesting you would assume that we haven't joined with our brothers and sisters in the union...I AM A UNION STEWARD FOR AFSCME! I give up my lunches,breaks,evenings and weekends for anyone needing my assistance. Don't you dare ever accuse without proof that we are sitting by idly watching it all play out! I am and always have attended rallys even if it was for other divisions as I knew I would need the help someday. I wonder if the residents of Southern IL realize when over 100 spouses come down there as a result of us transferring (and yes-we will transfer-not a one of us will hand our jobs to this derilict of a governor) it will be that much harder to find a job. If you all are having trouble finding jobs now-is more than 100 more spouses looking for work going to help your cause? Think about it before you reply back and I hope you've learned not to assume-because you know what happens when you do that- "

Report Abuse

doneit wrote on May 11, 2008 1:45 AM:

" IDOT, why don't you ask DHS how it is to move, Don't think for a minute it can't be done. They have shut us down across the state over the years, didn't see you worry then don't think I will worry about you. Have fun on the unemployment line, it is your turn.Next time maybe you will walk the line when your UNION brothers and sisters ask you to. "

Report Abuse

smokey887 wrote on May 9, 2008 10:04 PM:

" I sure hope we see through what this Gov'r is doing. First of all how can Government in IL even begin to be accountable with what they are asking of the 150 employees in Spfld? They are nothing but pawns in a fish bowl for the Govn'r. Most families require that both partners be working, I'm sure that when the majority of these workers got married this was a major decision for them, then that same decision played into their raising of children. Now, one day they wake up with their house payments, a down market, having at least their life long friends, their kids and parents all established to learn that without any consideration of cost this Govn'r has decided to seperate a part of IDOT a hundred miles south or whatever it is. Imagine if we had IDOT here and Revenue in Chicago and god knows what in Rock Island ... it's crazy, just absolutely crazy. And you have to know he's got a personal individual reasons because it is so crazy. In the long run, this has to cost us much more than what we would be getting. I can't help to keep thinking about those families. Their at his complete mercy and he has none. People should really stand up to him and in mass! This is not the way to help out an area, this is full of something much more evil. Why he isn't even in Springfield that often he is a disgrace and we should call a spade and spade and be honest about it. If we sit back and do nothing he'll ruin more lives and history certainly has enough of those kinds of stories. This isn't creating any jobs as he promised, this is ruining families and our state at the expense of everyone. Even before this he needed to be removed but suddenly the needed vote from this area appears to be right in there with him, imagine that. "

Report Abuse

KPeriman wrote on May 9, 2008 6:41 PM:

" Why do you people think it's okay for the Governor to uproot that many families when part of his job is to live in the Governors Mansion and he refused to "UPROOT" his family.......Can't you people see, he is only doing this to try to get votes on down the road, how much time in the last 6 years has he actually paid Southern Illinois? Until recently, none. Come on people, think, you can't be that ignornant to what he is doing. He has cost Illnois more jobs in his 6 years so far by chasing out almost all of the trucking companies that were here, and yet he isn't such a bad guy, right. OPEN YOUR EYES. THIS MOVE WILL GET INTO YOUR POCKETS MORE THAN THE COST OF THE RECALL VOTE, HAD IT GONE THRU. Don't let the legislatures full you into thinking otherwise. If not now, be smart in 2010,and don't re-elect this bozo. "

Report Abuse

marty626 wrote on May 9, 2008 5:49 PM:

" Yep, Gary Forby got played for a fool. He called in sick on recall vote day and now because of his role in this mess he needs to lose his job. "

Report Abuse

IDOT employee wrote on May 9, 2008 4:39 PM:

" Mercedes comment is right on! I work at Traffic Safety and I can assure you that none of us will hand our jobs over to anyone. We all worked hard to get them and giving them up is not an option. What ya'll need to realize is that we have to be offered the right to transfer,the taxpayers will have to pay our moving expenses and the taxpayers will have to pay to have the building we move into made to fit the needs of our division. Moving the computers and all the networking components,the employees and their families,and paying to either build or remodel a building will cost you more than you could ever imagine! It will not benefit you as they are making you believe it will-we will keep our jobs and we will rent during the week if we have to-we will come home on the weekends. It's not a done deal either-AFSCME and TEAMSTERS have legal rights to stop the move. All 150 employees have union rights and are exercising them. We can stop this move as the governor cannot override our union contracts, he doesn't that that power and thank God for that! What you also need to know is that when the Republicans get back into office, they will move these divisions back to Spfd, so don't be deceived by Rod-everything he tears up will be put back together when he leaves office-which is why we know not to buy a home down there-it'll come back if it ever makes it down there. This has to go before 2 public hearings in Spfd, The Closure Act, not to mention he has skipped the process of going through both unions and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce/The Historical Society which has to by law get the option to bid on one of it's buildings downtown, I can tell you they haven't been given that option. You see? It's just not as simple as he stated and we plan on fighting till the end to keep our lives here. We don't want to uproot our familes, switch kids schools,switch doctors,banks,attempt to sell our homes in a market where nothing sells, leave our friends and families. It is nothing against southern Illinois, but consider this-you don't want to have to move to Spfd to work at IDOT and we don't want to move down there to work at IDOT. The governor (aka Village Idiot) refused to uproot his family to live in the Governor's Mansion so how can he expect us to uproot and move? "

Report Abuse

Charlie1935 wrote on May 9, 2008 12:33 PM:

" Just more "hot rod" smoke blowing. He seems to do that the best. "

Report Abuse

Mercedes wrote on May 9, 2008 10:29 AM:

" How is there going to be 150 new jobs? If they are transferring the entire department, won't there be 150 current employees that will either transfer or be on the unemployment role? How is that helping the economy? "

Report Abuse