The Springfield State-Journal Register had a story about two IDOT employees who used their own mowers and gas to mow the weeds outside Camp Butler National Cemetery for Memorial Day. IDOT now only uses its vehicles for "essential" purposes. It initially surprised me that IDOT was having so much trouble, since they were funded by the state gas tax. It looks like some of those revenues are being siphoned off by other parts of state government, because IDOT now pays CMS for more "services" than it did in the past.
In Bob Lynch’s eyes, it was one of those situations where somebody had to do it.
When the Illinois Department of Transportation announced last month that because of budget constraints, it was curtailing the use of state vehicles except for essential purposes, it meant that much of the grass and weeds along state highways wouldn’t be mowed.
And that included the stretch of Old U.S. 36 just outside Camp Butler National Cemetery.
“For them not to cut this before Memorial Day is just wrong,” said Lynch, a highway maintainer who works at IDOT’s Riverton depot. The depot is responsible for mowing from Dirksen Parkway east along Sangamon Avenue and Camp Butler Road.
So Lynch and his boss, IDOT field tech Mike McDermott were out in the rain using their own riding mowers, their own gas and their own time to cut the right of way early Friday morning.
IDOT has plenty of money, They are still operating the "Shuttle" of the State helicopter "Henry 7" that flies the boy Governor all over the State. This administration is doing what all of the previous ones have done, robbed the road fund to use the huge amount of money the State gets for nothing more than taxing gasoline and diesel fuel. Go to any IDOT facility and look at the parking lots, full of State cars that employees drive to and from work, many of these are office employees, When I worked at IDOT our Dist. office was in Paris IL, it still is, I worked in ChampaignCounty as a highway maintainer driving my own vehicle to work, There were people in the Paris office that drove everyday from Matton, Charleston,Decatur and Champaign at taxpayer expense, then set in front of a computer all day This is not only IDOT but the University has a large fleet of cars that are also State owned, They have the distinctive U license plate, on most weekend's you will see these cars everywhere, on State business?? I doubt it. I saw on TV last night that a memorial was held for fallen Police officers and Blodriovich was too busy to attend, probably a Hanna Montana concert or a ball game. I hope after Tony Rezco is locked away the Feds go after Blago and then maybe the State can get back to providing the services that we as taxpayers expect
It is interesting how stories like these are covered. Did a sjr reporter just happen upon these guys mowing the right of way and think, "Wow, this is IDOT's job, why are these guys mowing here? Let me investigate!" I mean they had a photographer ready with an action shot of these guys pushing their mower out of the ditch.
I think it is great that these guys cared enough to pitch in and clean up, esp before Memorial Day, but I smell a set up. Wayward, I think I missed the part in the article where CMS is siphoning off money from IDOT. The problem is with IDOT operations budget. Operations is one of many separate budgets under IDOT, and operations covers the cost of fuel for vehicles and equipment. Thus the parking of vehicles. The operations budget has a shortfall because of the unusually harsh winter and the rising cost of fuel.
“And you shouldn’t play politics with veterans and their families,” he said. I guess whoever phoned in this story thought differently.
This is not only IDOT but the University has a large fleet of cars that are also State owned, They have the distinctive U license plate, on most weekend's you will see these cars everywhere, on State business?? I doubt it.
Yes, because the business of the state, its agencies, the surveys and the University only happen during 9-5, Monday-Friday. If Gregg doesn't see it, then it can't be happening. Any more baseless crap to post?
Yes, because the business of the state, its agencies, the surveys and the University only happen during 9-5, Monday-Friday. If Gregg doesn't see it, then it can't be happening. Any more baseless crap to post?
I see State cars at the mall, resturants,bars, movie theaters,grocery stores ect, Arvid are you driving one???
I guess there was more baseless crap to post. Congratulations.
Any more baseless crap to post?
Yes one more thing, If IDOT is broke why are they spending money to advertise the "Click it or Ticket" campaign on WGN during the Cubs game???? Illinois has had a seat belt law since 1984. Xian, You being a southsider can you tell me if the White Sox are also getting some of this? I have read your posts and have never refered to your posting as crap, although some of it is, Let's try to be civil here :)! You too Arvid.
FYI, Illinois "U" plates are not solely University of Illinois cars; this is the plate designation given to any state-owned car (with some exceptions like Illinois State Police patrol cars). It's not only the U of I but other state universities, state agencies, and so forth that are assigned "U" plates.
It is interesting how stories like these are covered. Did a sjr reporter just happen upon these guys mowing the right of way and think, "Wow, this is IDOT's job, why are these guys mowing here? Let me investigate!" I mean they had a photographer ready with an action shot of these guys pushing their mower out of the ditch.
True. Blago is hated in Springfield, and that may well have had something to do with it.
I think it is great that these guys cared enough to pitch in and clean up, esp before Memorial Day, but I smell a set up. Wayward, I think I missed the part in the article where CMS is siphoning off money from IDOT. The problem is with IDOT operations budget. Operations is one of many separate budgets under IDOT, and operations covers the cost of fuel for vehicles and equipment. Thus the parking of vehicles. The operations budget has a shortfall because of the unusually harsh winter and the rising cost of fuel.
No, the story didn't say anything about the financial stuff - I heard that from someone who works for IDOT. It's true that rising gas prices did hit the operations budget, but it still surprised me that IDOT would be so broke, given that the rising gas prices should also mean higher revenues for the agency.
Like I posted earlier the State has plenty of money in the road fund, Illinois is only 1 of 9 in the 50 States that charges sales tax on the total price of a gallon of gas after all the other taxes are added up, The higher the pump price the more sales tax is collected, anyone like to guess how much gasoline tax is collected in Illinois, the last published numbers are around $2 Billion a year. The current State tax is $.19 a gallon plus sales tax. I would suspect these IDOT Men from Riverton called the local media about the Camp Butler Road mowing to bring public attention to what is going on at IDOT. I would bet the mowing is still being done at the 9 DOT Dist. Offices, and around the Capitol Complex and at the Governors Mansion. This is nothing but a play by the Governor to raise the gas tax.
While many cronies are now in place in state government, I *sincerely* doubt the guys that mow the grass are in positions that are highly valued by high rollers who have contributed
kickbackscampaign contributions to Blago. Most cut-backs *are* to day-to-day operations---like cutting grass...not to Blago's transportation "needs."The man acts more like a child than a governor.
Yes one more thing, If IDOT is broke why are they spending money to advertise the "Click it or Ticket" campaign on WGN during the Cubs game???? Illinois has had a seat belt law since 1984. Xian, You being a southsider can you tell me if the White Sox are also getting some of this? I have read your posts and have never refered to your posting as crap, although some of it is, Let's try to be civil here :)! You too Arvid.
I doubt IDOT is spending money for the PSAs. Other than production costs, PSAs don't really cost the organization much/any money. It's up to the individual station to air PSAs when they want. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the station directors or executives at WGN feels strongly about seatbelt laws (e.g., they lost a loved one because they weren't wearing a seatbelt), so they choose to run those PSAs during the Cubs games.
I think the gas tax is mostly to fund transportation projects, but the sales tax on gas goes into the same pot as the sales tax on anything else. If so, high gas prices mean more money for the general fund, but not necessarily for IDOT, especially if high prices are pushing down demand. Can anyone confirm?