I live in rural Whiteside County ( yes Obama, I am one of those neanderthals that like guns and go to church). Since I have lived here, I have observed that one state government function DOES give you more than your money's worth. It's the Whiteside County Soil & Water Conservation District. I presume most other counties have a S&WCD as well. They are engaged in many different projects around the county to preserve habitat, improve drainages, create habitat, plant trees, advise landowners on conservation projects, put on educational presentations for schools, and protect the environment. I have personally seen the results of their work, how hard they work, and how committed they are to their work and to the environment. The annual budget for this county office is about $75K per year from the state and $15K from the county, and they earn back some of their expenses through tree sales and other projects. Our local office employs 3 people on that $90K annual budget.
The money to fund the operations budgets for these local county offices was approved in the 2008 state budget. But Gov Blago won't release it and is about to starve them out of existence real quick now. They will probably be down within the month. Why won't he release the $$? Don't know. It is approved funding. Seems peculiar to me that in an era when preserving and safeguarding our environment is so important, our governor will let one of the more effective functions die off.
If you agree with me, call, write, or e-mail your state representative and/or Blago and let them know what you think!
