Ryan ponders closing parks Governor: Budget battle leaves me pinching pennies

April 11, 2002

By JENNIFER DAVIS of the Journal Star with Associated Press reports

EAST PEORIA - Gov. George Ryan admitted Wednesday he is considering closing state parks, such as Starved Rock, to ease Illinois' budget woes.

A list of 24 state parks or conservation areas are being considered for either closure or downsizing, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. In central Illinois, the list includes the Hennepin Canal, the Fulton County Goose Management Area, Duck Island and the Marshall-Putnam Conservation Area.

The memo also lists 19 mental health centers or prisons under consideration for downsizing or closure, including the Hanna City Work Camp in Peoria County.

These are beyond the cuts Ryan previously had announced, such as Zeller Mental Health Center in Peoria.

"We haven't made any decisions on that yet," Ryan said of the memo. "That's only for discussion. I don't know how that got out."

Still, Ryan admitted his budget staff has discussed the possibilities since, he said, the General Assembly is not helping him with cuts and the state budget is about $800 million in the red. He took questions at an event in East Peoria where he signed an agreement in support of Illinois River restoration.

"Those are things we're looking at," Ryan said of the cuts list. "Last Friday, the House passed a budget to the Senate with over $400 million in new spending without a penny in new revenue. That was a sham, frankly. That was a political move that gave a lot of false hope to a lot of people."

The House bill restores about $330 million in closures Ryan already announced, including Zeller.

"I need the help and the support of the Legislature," Ryan said. "We either have to cut, raise taxes or we're going to have to close a lot of other facilities."

Talk of closing state parks is sure to upset voters, something no lawmaker wants but especially during a year when they all face re-election. In 1992, then-Gov. Jim Edgar proposed the closure of several state tourist sites and new fees at others. Protesters even picketed Springfield's popular Dana-Thomas House to keep it open, which it was.

Starved Rock, a recreational park just south of Utica in LaSalle County, is likely more well-known and visited than the Dana-Thomas House. The park, popular with hikers who enjoy its canyons and waterfalls, has undergone recent restorations, including a new hotel. Legend has it that a band of Illiniwek tribe was starved atop the bluff by rival tribes in the 1760s.

Exactly how many state park employees might be affected by these possible closures couldn't be determined Wednesday, but more than 2,700 workers hold jobs at the state prisons and mental health centers listed.

The state's largest employee union is concerned.

"Given the zeal with which they have moved forward with (other) closures, I have to take it as more than a scare tactic," said Roberta Lynch, deputy director of Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

"I just have to say that I can't put any irresponsible behavior past them."

Said Ryan: "We're looking at everything, frankly. We have no choice."