Stories We're Watching
Recycling in Chicago
May 9, 2008I said it last week and I’ll say it again:
BLUE BAG IS DEAD! LONG LIVE BLUE CART!
After seventeen years of recycling insanity, the City of Chicago finally decided to abandon the ineffective and much-hated program, thanks to pressure from the media and many environmental groups, including the Chicago Recycling Coalition (www.chicagorecycling.org) Many people in the CRC, whose names you probably will never know, worked very hard to bring an end to this inane system. One of them is Julie Dick, recently named president of the not-for-profit organization. She stopped by to chat about the timetable for rolling out the new Blue Cart program and what’s the next recycling challenge (and there always seems to be one) in the City of Chicago.
On a related note, on Wednesday the Chicago City Council’s Committee on Energy, Environmental Protection & Public Utilities approved an ordinance that would require some stores in the city to recycle their plastic bags. If you’re alive and breathing you know that plastic bags are a scourge on our country and the world (http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/plasticplague/). So it was good to see the City Council taking a first step. However, it was much too tentative and much too limited, in my humble opinion. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I speak not only as radio environmental guy but as Vice President of the Chicago Recycling Coalition. You should also know that it’s a fully volunteer position (you know, in case you think that the recycling crowd is getting rich collecting aluminum cans in their basements).
Anyway, my testimony at the Committee’s meeting managed to make it into a few newspaper stories:
Chicago Sun-Times
Chi-Town Daily News
Medill Report
Extension Services Funding
May 9, 2008
On my first show on WCPT, I talked to AmySue Mertens from Cook County Extension about the funding crisis that had resulted from Governor Rod Blagojevich’s decision to not release funding that had been promised to Extension and other programs. Fortunately, that crisis has been at least temporarily averted. The governor has released those funds, perhaps, in part, due to the outcry from supporters of Extension throughout the state.
Whatever the reason, here’s how the some of the press reported on it:
Southtown Star
Peoria Journal Star
NBC 5 ChicagoAside from the Southtown Star, which is part of the Sun-Times news group, are you wondering, as I am, where the Sun-Times and the Tribune are in covering this story? Just thought I’d ask.
And here's the official News Release from the University of Illinois.
Fiscal Year 2008 Funded for U of I Extension, Focus Shifts to 2009 Contact: Gary Beaumont, 217-333-9440, beaumont@uiuc.edu Urbana -- On May 2, 2008, University of Illinois Extension received the memorandum of agreements from the Illinois Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2008 funding. Two line items have been in question, County Board Match funds ($12.8 million) and the Cook County Initiative funds ($5.055 million). These two line items were included in the FY08 State of Illinois budget that was signed into law late in August 2007, but the distribution of funds was held up until now.
County Board Match funds are provided by the State in support of Extension programs at the county level. All counties provide funding for their local Extension offices. The state, in turn, matches this funding. The Cook County Initiative is targeted funding for Extension to address the critical needs of audiences in Cook County. Funds have been appropriated annually since FY06. "Since the receipt of the memorandum of agreements, they have been under internal review and the signature process is underway at the university level," said Dennis Campion, director of University of Illinois Extension. "After all the university signatures are in place, the agreements will be returned to IDOA for signature and processing, so it may still take one or two weeks before payments arrive." Campion expects two payments, one to catch up through the first three quarters of the fiscal year and then a final payment expected to arrive sometime during the fourth quarter. The State of Illinois fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.
Also, a sum of $33,900 will also be received for U of I Extension's 4-H Youth Development program. "At this time this is the only amount that we have for this purpose. We continue to seek clarification regarding the intentions of the legislature regarding these funds," said Campion.
In August 2007, Governor Blagojevich line-item vetoed funding for 29 youth development educator positions from the FY08 Illinois budget. Last year, Extension issued notices of non-reappointment for people in these positions.
There are bills in the House and Senate to reinstate 4-H youth development funds. SB1921 and HB4228 are posted for hearing by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, May 8, 2008. Extension Partners ( extensionpartners.org ) will continue to work for youth development funds with a goal of having an Extension youth education position for every county in Illinois. U of I Extension was in unprecedented territory with the threat of total rescission of its funds. Typically these funds are delayed in arriving on time, but have never been rescinded. Extension is now turning its attention to fiscal year 2009.
"While there are good intentions, we have heard a variety of budgeted amounts for County Board Match, Cook County Initiative and youth development funding. With this amount of uncertainty in the system, we continue to review plans to protect the overall financial health of our organization," said Campion. "Until a more thorough organizational outlook is undertaken, existing terminal contracts and layoff notices will not be rescinded at this time."
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At any rate, this is just the beginning. While the funding has been restored for fiscal year 2008, the battle has just begun for the next fiscal year, which will be decided in the next few months. I've been told that Extension may undergo some kind of restructuring for FY 2009 as a result of this battle. Sounds ominous. And, unfortunately, even with the release of the FY 2008 funding, the layoffs and terminated contracts will not be rescinded at this time. That's a shame.