Won't sign STAR bond bill? Then veto it

Monday, Jul. 27, 2009

Belleville News-Democrat editorial http://www.bnd.com/editorial/story/857631.html#none

Proponents of the STAR bond bill seem confident that Gov. Pat Quinn supports it, but we wonder.

The bill, SB 1909, was sent to Quinn on June 30, yet almost a month later he still ha not signed it. A spokesman said last week that it is still under review.

Maybe Quinn has been too busy to get to it, or maybe he shares our reservations that this bill was rushed too quickly.

Bruce Holland, who plans to use the bonds to help fund the proposed University Town Center in Glen Carbon, points to the jobs the project would create. However, the bonds would also siphon off sales tax dollars at a time when Illinois is desperate for revenue. And it might be a drain on other new and existing sales tax-generating businesses.

This bill will become law after 60 days if Quinn does nothing, but letting it go into effect that way would be shirking responsibility. If Quinn is unwilling to affix his name to the STAR bonds bill, then he should veto it.

Comments

• cattieT wrote on 7/27/2009 11:05:17 AM:

  Ditto to SteveQuinn's comment. University Town Center will put a lot of other stores OUT OF BUSINESS....How to you say the "cup is full"..We don't need anymore stores, thank you very much. This is just another way for the rich developer's to make money off the taxpayer's of Illinois. No wonder our state is broke. Quinn VETO the STAR Bond Bill!
  Does anyone know the phone number and e-mail address of Gov. Quinn? Post it so we can call and write and tell him to VETO the Star Bond Bill...(where did the name STAR bond bill come from anyway)?

   

• joeee wrote on 7/27/2009 8:20:12 AM:

Well I read yesterday that he signed 20 bills but he has a stack of 500 on his desk. It seems as though he is another do nothing governor from Chicago. Have you noticed that all the people that are saying they are going to run for senator or governor are all from Chicago and so far the republicans are backing all of Obama's plans. Can't we get an honest politician from down state to run for anything. By the way, how do you find the bills that Quinn did sign, I tried everything I know and can't find them.

• SteveQuinn wrote on 7/27/2009 6:58:39 AM:

  VETO THIS BILL!!!!! While it appears it will create jobs, that's an illusion. For every job it "creates", one will be lost at one of the "strip malls" that will be forced to close due to this new "retail center." This is not bringing new shoppers to the area, it's just relocating them from other retail areas.
  
  The University Town Center will also destroy much of the American Bottoms flood plain and cause increased flooding in other areas. Illinois is already one of the nation's most flood prone areas and flooding costs the Illinois taxpayer almost $250M a year.
  
  This "mega development" would be funded with money from the sale of STAR bonds. The bonds would be repaid over many years using sales tax money. So the Illinois taxpayer will be forced to pay for another useless and unneeded development meant solely to make someone rich. This is abject thievery from the citizens of Illinois.

   

• rperich69 wrote on 7/27/2009 5:58:09 AM:

  Again, why would any Illinois politician make a tough choice? This is nothing new.
  
  Our "budget" was made using the same tough choices. (Please read in the sarcasm)

   

• FedUP wrote on 7/27/2009 5:49:31 AM:

  Maybe he's just waiting for "campaign contributions"?