Quinn has ideas to save DNR
23 comments December 4th, 2008
I just got off the phone with Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who is attending a conference in New Mexico. Quinn agrees that the economics of the state park closings make no sense. Any perceived savings are “trifling” when you consider the overall benefits natural resources provide.
Quinn said he was disappointed in leadership at DNR for not strongly protesting the closings and for not doing the right thing for conservation.
A part of the problem is that you have a political appointee, Sam Flood, as director instead of a trained professional.
Quinn has a solution, one he says he’s not wedded to, but one that might reverse the decline the DNR has experienced in the last six years.
Quinn says his office could be in charge of the DNR. He says his office already is responsible for rivers, rural affairs and the Great Lakes Commission so having DNR report to his office would be logical. He says he would then hire a DNR professional, one who would have to meet certain job requirements, to deal with the day-to-day management of the agency.
If the lt. gov’s office were in charge of the DNR/conservation, voters could hold that person accountable. Lt. gov’s run separately from governors in the primary. Voters could choose lt. govs based on their environmental positions. He said other states give their lt. gov’s more responsibility. In Louisiana, the lt. gov is responsible for tourism. In Minnesota, the lt. gov. is responsible for the Department of Transportation.
Quinn also has an idea for a dedicated revenue stream for the DNR. He said Missouri puts a small percentage of its sales tax toward conservation. He’s not sure that would be the right approach for Illinois, but suggested that the sales tax collection discount retailers receive could be a source of revenue. Retailers such as Wal Mart keep 1.75 percent of the sales tax they collect. Quinn thinks that’s pretty generous. He said the practice goes back to the 1930s when sales-tax collection had to deciphered with a pencil, so the hefty discount was probably warranted. But in today’s computer age, it takes no effort to figure out where the sales tax dollars should go.
Quinn said cutting the 1.75 percent discount to 0.75 percent would generate $100 million that could go to the DNR and reverse the staggering cuts the agency has seen the last six years.
I’ll probably have more on the DNR and state parks tomorrow. I’ve sent a few e-mails that I have yet to get replies to.
