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Fewer IDOT jobs may be moving south
By Kartikay Mehrotra
kartikay.mehrotra@lee.net
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SPRINGFIELD — The number of state transportation jobs Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to move from Springfield may be shrinking.

After originally saying 148 Illinois Department of Transportation workers would be moved out of Springfield to an undisclosed location in Southern Illinois, the agency confirmed that number now may be closer to 110 workers.

Those who may be staying in Springfield include the director of the Division of Traffic Safety and some of his top staff.

“That may be a ballpark number, not at all final,” IDOT spokesman Brian Williamsen said Wednesday.

The governor said his plan, now two weeks old, was designed to help Southern Illinois’ sputtering economy by transferring state jobs into the region.

“Certainly, it can have a big impact,” Williamsen said.

But many current division employees don’t buy Blagojevich’s plan as just a good deed for the southern region of the state.

On Tuesday, at a rally at the Capitol, a contingent of some 200 state employees made their dissatisfaction with Blagojevich’s decision well-known. Workers wore T-shirts reading “Impeach Him” and held banners with the governor’s face behind bars and the slogan “Now That’s Reform.”

Local lawmakers urging Blagojevich to keep the jobs in Springfield made brief appearances.

“He didn’t want to move to Springfield, but he has no problem disrupting other families,” said state Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, referring to the governor’s decision to live in Chicago.

“It just doesn’t seem like the governor is listening,” said state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth.

Last week in Carbondale, the governor said he has “pretty much” already decided where the jobs will be relocated, but he has yet to announce where.

“Basically it’s shopping. You have to shop around to look for the best bargain and best price,” Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said, adding that if the locale were disclosed before an agreement is reached, “they could just jack up the price.”

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Reader comments on this story - 2 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

marine1 wrote on May 15, 2008 9:51 AM:

" Hey Blago, instead of transferring jobs to southern Illinois why don't you create a few more jobs for down south. He's just trying to find a few people to back him since no one in central Illinois and most of Chicago don't back him anymore. I think he needs to be impeached. "

Interested Party wrote on May 15, 2008 6:05 AM:

" A relative works for that department. They were told 2 weeks ago the jobs were going to Benton (probably to a building owned by a Blago buddy). Interesting thing, while the employees are officially employed by IDOT, the entire funding for their division is from federal money. "
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