[BCNnet] Fwd: Pat Quinn takes action on Open Space funding
Eric Secker
esecker@bcnbirds.org
Wed, 17 Mar 2004 21:58:42 -0600
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--------------050601040306090004070700
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Here is some news out of the Lieutenant Governor's Office that has been
circulating through. It looks like L. Gov. Pat Quinn is going to
attempt to take action on this issue as he has with similar
environmental issues in the past (ie. Plum Island near Starved Rock SP).
I don't know any details, but thought that some people here might be
interested in knowning.
Eric Secker
(out of town through March 29)
>----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Fischer" <attorney_fischer@hotmail.com>
> To: "Earthshare board of directors" <earthshare@lists.elpc.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 3:36 PM
> Subject: [earthshare] Pat Quinn takes action on Open Space funding
>
>
> Dear Earth Share Board members:
>
> I am writing today on behalf of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn. Our
office
> has received almost daily e-mails and letters from constituents
asking Pat
> Quinn to rescue of the state's Natural Areas Acquisition Program and the
> Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund. Many of your
> organizations have contacted us. I'm proud to announce that Pat Quinn is
> taken action. Our has been developing alternative ways to save the
> approximately $34 million that would be diverted from the two programs.
>
> There is going to be a significant press conference this Sunday,
March 21,
> 2004, to announce our proposal. I am in the process of confirming the
> location. We've asked Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to host the press
> conference. It is tentatively scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in the second
floor
> gallery.
>
> Pat Quinn will discuss the proposed budget cuts to the state's Natural
> Areas Acquisition Program and the Open Space Lands Acquisition and
> Development Fund. The current budget proposal calls for a "holiday" for
> these funds during fiscal year 2005, which would allow the funds for
these
> programs to be diverted to the state's General Fund to help offset the
> large deficit.
> Unfortunately, this "holiday" would require the firing of 61 Illinois DNR
> staff members, including several experienced biologists. The concern is
> whether the two programs could resume in fiscal year 2006 in light of the
> firing of the entire staffs.
>
> In response to these concerns, Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn is proposing
> the closure a tax loophole and applying fees to certain Illinois DNR
> services and permits that are presently free of charge. We are also
> considering other plans funding plans submitted to our office. The
details
> of the proposals are still being developed, thus I don't have
specifics to
> share at this time. These proposals would more than offset what would be
> saved by the state by implementing a "holiday" Natural Areas Acquisition
> Program and the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund,
thereby
> preventing the devastating cuts currently proposed.
>
> The press event will include Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn and several
> members of his staff, including me. Pat Quinn is hoping many if not
all of
> you will stand with him in proposing budget alternatives that will
allow the
> preservation of the Natural Areas Acquisition Program and the Open Space
> Lands Acquisition and Development Fund.
>
> I'm certain most of you want to know the specifics of the proposals.
I will
> gladly follow up with a more detailed explanation of the proposal in
a day
> or two.
>
> This may be a bit of short notice for you and your groups and I do regret
> any inconvenience our request may cause. However, we need to hold this
> event on March 21 to release the alternative budget proposal so that the
> legislature will have time to consider the Lieutenant Governor's
proposals.
>
> Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn hopes that as many of you that can be there
> will show support for his initiative to prevent devastating budget
cuts to
> our state's acclaimed programs for preserving the natural areas of
Illinois.
>
> Please call or e-mail me at my work e-mail listed below with any
questions
> you may have.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Michael J. Fischer
> Policy Advisor
> Office of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn
> James R. Thompson Center
> 100 West Randolph Street, Suite 15-200
> Chicago, Illinois 60601-3220
> Phone (312) 814-5375
> Fax (312) 814-4862
> michael_fischer@ltgov.state.il.us
--------------050601040306090004070700
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1">
<title></title>
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1">
<title></title>
Here is some news out of the Lieutenant Governor's Office that has been
circulating through. It looks like L. Gov. Pat Quinn is going to
attempt to take action on this issue as he has with similar
environmental issues in the past (ie. Plum Island near Starved Rock SP).<br>
<br>
I don't know any details, but thought that some people here might be
interested in knowning.<br>
<br>
Eric Secker<br>
(out of town through March 29)<br>
<br>
>----- Original Message -----<br>
> From: "Michael Fischer" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:attorney_fischer@hotmail.com"><attorney_fischer@hotmail.com></a><br>
> To: "Earthshare board of directors"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:earthshare@lists.elpc.org"><earthshare@lists.elpc.org></a><br>
> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 3:36 PM<br>
> Subject: [earthshare] Pat Quinn takes action on Open Space funding<br>
><br>
><br>
> Dear Earth Share Board members:<br>
><br>
> I am writing today on behalf of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn.
Our office<br>
> has received almost daily e-mails and letters from constituents
asking Pat<br>
> Quinn to rescue of the state's Natural Areas Acquisition Program
and the<br>
> Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund. Many of your<br>
> organizations have contacted us. I'm proud to announce that Pat
Quinn is<br>
> taken action. Our has been developing alternative ways to save the<br>
> approximately $34 million that would be diverted from the two
programs.<br>
><br>
> There is going to be a significant press conference this Sunday,
March 21,<br>
> 2004, to announce our proposal. I am in the process of confirming
the<br>
> location. We've asked Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to host the
press<br>
> conference. It is tentatively scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in the
second floor<br>
> gallery.<br>
><br>
> Pat Quinn will discuss the proposed budget cuts to the state's
Natural<br>
> Areas Acquisition Program and the Open Space Lands Acquisition and
<br>
> Development Fund. The current budget proposal calls for a
"holiday" for <br>
> these funds during fiscal year 2005, which would allow the funds
for these<br>
> programs to be diverted to the state's General Fund to help offset
the <br>
> large deficit.<br>
<br>
> Unfortunately, this "holiday" would require the firing of 61
Illinois DNR<br>
> staff members, including several experienced biologists. The
concern is<br>
> whether the two programs could resume in fiscal year 2006 in light
of the<br>
> firing of the entire staffs.<br>
><br>
> In response to these concerns, Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn is
proposing<br>
> the closure a tax loophole and applying fees to certain Illinois
DNR<br>
> services and permits that are presently free of charge. We are
also<br>
> considering other plans funding plans submitted to our office.
The details<br>
> of the proposals are still being developed, thus I don't have
specifics to<br>
> share at this time. These proposals would more than offset what
would be<br>
> saved by the state by implementing a "holiday" Natural Areas
Acquisition<br>
> Program and the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund,
thereby<br>
> preventing the devastating cuts currently proposed.<br>
><br>
> The press event will include Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn and
several<br>
> members of his staff, including me. Pat Quinn is hoping many if
not all of<br>
> you will stand with him in proposing budget alternatives that will
allow the<br>
> preservation of the Natural Areas Acquisition Program and the Open
Space<br>
> Lands Acquisition and Development Fund.<br>
><br>
> I'm certain most of you want to know the specifics of the
proposals. I will<br>
> gladly follow up with a more detailed explanation of the proposal
in a day<br>
> or two.<br>
><br>
> This may be a bit of short notice for you and your groups and I do
regret<br>
> any inconvenience our request may cause. However, we need to hold
this<br>
> event on March 21 to release the alternative budget proposal so
that the<br>
> legislature will have time to consider the Lieutenant Governor's
proposals.<br>
><br>
> Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn hopes that as many of you that can
be there<br>
> will show support for his initiative to prevent devastating budget
cuts to<br>
> our state's acclaimed programs for preserving the natural areas of
Illinois.<br>
><br>
> Please call or e-mail me at my work e-mail listed below with any
questions<br>
> you may have.<br>
><br>
> Best regards,<br>
><br>
> Michael J. Fischer<br>
> Policy Advisor<br>
> Office of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn<br>
> James R. Thompson Center<br>
> 100 West Randolph Street, Suite 15-200<br>
> Chicago, Illinois 60601-3220<br>
> Phone (312) 814-5375<br>
> Fax (312) 814-4862<br>
> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:michael_fischer@ltgov.state.il.us">michael_fischer@ltgov.state.il.us</a><br>
</body>
</html>
--------------050601040306090004070700--