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State to lay off 450 and close parks and historic sites
By Kurt Erickson
kurt.erickson@pantagraph.com
UPDATED 2:20 p.m. SPRINGFIELD -- The Blagojevich administration is planning to lay off more than 450 workers and close nearly two dozen state parks and historic sites in response to the state"™s lingering budget impasse.
One union official described the plan as a "™"™bloodbath"™"™ that will have wide-ranging effects on the services provided to state taxpayers.
The Department of Children and Family Services will lose 304 workers, while the Department of Human Services will be cut by 73 employees. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will lose 39 workers and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency will be cut by 34 employees.
Parks targeted for closure include Moraine View State Park near LeRoy, Hidden Springs State Forest in Shelby County and Weldon Springs State Park in DeWitt County.
Historic sites that will close include the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington, Lincoln Log Cabin near Charleston, the Bryant Cottage in Bement, the Cahokia Courthouse in Cahokia and Bishop Hill.
The cuts hit tree sites in Randolph County -- Fort Kaskaskia, Fort de Chartres and the Pierre Menard Home.
The historic sites will close Oct. 1 while parks will close Nov. 1.
Blagojevich has said the cuts are necessary because the governor slashed $1.4 billion from the state"™s spending plan in July. He says the Democrat-controlled legislature wanted to spend more money than the state will receive in the coming fiscal year.
State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, said the governor is trying to force the General Assembly to return to Springfield to approve new revenue streams.
"™"™I know he"™s trying to make people feel the pain,"™"™ Luechtefeld said.
Jonathan Goldman, director of the Illinois Environmental Council, called the cuts "™"™utterly appalling."™"™
"™"™The governor is off at the Democratic convention in Denver hugging people. When he returns to Illinois there will be many families needing more than hugs,"™"™ Goldman said.
DNR spokesman Chris McCloud said park entrances will be locked Nov. 1. People who venture into the parks after that date could be charged with trespassing.
"™"™These aren"™t decisions we wanted to make,"™"™ McCloud said.
The cuts come as other state agencies are grappling with the effects of the governor"™s actions.
On Wednesday, Comptroller Dan Hynes said his office was poised to lay off workers. Other statewide officers have imposed hiring freezes and are asking whether some workers want to take early retirement in a bid to trim costs.
Secretary of State Jesse White is mulling whether to close some driver"™s license facilities.
Blagojevich also has tied his plan to close Pontiac Correctional Center to the budget impasse.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union vowed to fight to keep its workers on the job.
"™"™Lawmakers should return to Springfield as soon as possible to take whatever action is necessary to fix the budget and stop these cuts,"™"™ AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer said.
The cuts at the Department of Natural Resources are troubling to some lawmakers because the agency has already lost scores of workers.
"™"™It"™s obviously unfortunate,"™"™ said state Rep. Kurt Granberg, D-Carlyle.
Granberg, who is retiring as a lawmaker, said it will be a challenge rebuilding the state park system if money is ever restored to reopen them.
"™"™It"™s going to be a hard road,"™"™ Granberg said.
List of parks and historic sites closing
The following Illinois State Parks will close effective November 1:
Castle Rock State Park, Oregon
Lowden State Park, Oregon
Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Sheffield
Illini State Park, Marseilles
Wolf Creek State Park, Windsor
Channahon Parkway State Park, Channahon
Gebhard Woods State Park, Morris
Hidden Springs State Forrest, Strasburg
Kickapoo State Park, Oakwood
Moraine View State Park, LeRoy
Weldon Springs State Park, Clinton
Historic sites closing
Following are Illinois state historic sites that will be shuttered Oct. 1 as part of the state's budget woes:
Dana Thomas House, Springfield
Hauberg Indian Museum at Blackhawk State Historic Site, Quad-Cities
Lincoln Log Cabin, Lerna
David Davis Mansion, Bloomington
Fort de Chartres, Randolph County
Vandalia Statehouse, Vandalia
Bishop Hill, Henry County
Carl Sandburg, Galesburg
Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia
Bryant Cottage, Bement
Jubilee College, Peoria County
Apple River Fort, Elizabeth
Fort Kaskaskia, Randolph County
Pierre Menard Home, Randolph County
SOURCES: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency; Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Blago closes parks, lays off 450 workers
I ONLY WISH WE HAD A SMILEY WITH A ROPE.
