Springfield, IL – Governor Rod Blagojevich’s recently announced plan to fund Illinois’
educational system by selling or leasing the state’s lottery program
has had both Republican and Democrat lawmakers asking questions and
expressing concerns.
Now,
State Senator Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac) is seeking the public’s
opinion on the Governor’s controversial proposal; Rutherford is asking
Illinois residents to complete the online survey located on his
legislative Website, and let him know what they think about the idea.
Senator Rutherford is directing residents to www.DanRutherford.com
and encouraging them to complete the brief opinion survey located under
the “Governor Gambles on Education”. He said that he looks forward to
receiving feedback from the public, which enables him to more
effectively serve his constituents in Springfield.
“This proposal has the potential to seriously impact the state of Illinois
long into the future. I have my own opinions on the issue, but I’m
interested to find out what the state’s taxpayers think about this
venture,” explained Rutherford.
“I invite every member of every household to complete the survey. The
more feedback I receive, the better. When my constituents let me know
what issues are important to them, I am better able to represent them.”
The Governor’s plan calls for an estimated $10 billion to be raised through the sale or lease of Illinois’
Lottery. Over the initial four years the state would realize $1 billion
that would go to fund education. In order to replace the money the
lottery would normally provide for education, the state would invest
the remaining $6 billion and collect the interest—estimated to result
in $650 million annually— to finance education over the next 25 years.
Rutherford
noted that few people would disagree with the proposal’s intent to give
students the tools they need to succeed, but many legislators and
citizens from around the state are questioning whether this plan will
produce the outcome predicted by the Governor.
“How can we take a current funding source and make more money off of its sale?” Rutherford
questioned. “Additionally, why did the Governor wait until after the
legislative session to propose his new plan for education? These are
just some of the questions that I have, but I think it is important to know what the people of Illinois have to say about the proposal.”
Senator Rutherford noted that all information provided is confidential, and will not be shared with commercial enterprises.