Review prompted by recent abuses

SPRINGFIELD — In the wake of questionable executive severance deals at state universities and community colleges, the Illinois Senate’s Higher Education Committee is creating a fact-finding subcommittee to steer reform efforts and ensure tuition and tax dollars are used responsibly.

“Taxpayers are demanding to know how we compensate administrators, why we are compensating them and what safeguards we can put in place to end the type of abuses we’ve recently seen,” said Senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago), who heads the new Subcommittee on Executive Compensation.

The issue was thrust into the spotlight after the College of DuPage inked a more than $750,000 severance deal with president Robert Breuder to have him quit early. Nearly a year ago, Illinois State University cut a similar deal worth $480,000 with its president. The lavish deals come at a time when tuition and fees have nearly doubled over the past decade and the average Illinois college student is saddled with more than $28,000 in debt.

"This money could be better spent on providing an affordable, world-class college education for students. It could be used to offer much needed tuition relief for families. Taxpayers cannot afford to pay for six-figure golden parachutes, shooting club memberships and other lavish perks for public servants," said state Senator Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat who will also serve on the subcommittee.

The fact-finding subcommittee is the latest effort by Senate Democrats to bring accountability to campus spending. In recent weeks, suburban lawmakers have pushed to rein in severance deals.

“The priorities for state universities and community colleges should be to educate our children, not betraying our constituents by handing out golden parachutes to administrators,” said state Senator Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat. “There is an obvious need for reforms to the way they use taxpayer dollars to ensure institutions are advancing educational opportunities, not administrators’ pockets.”   

Senator Melinda Bush, a Grayslake Democrat, is also sponsoring accountability legislation.“These institutions should be paying people to teach and lead, not paying them to quit,” said Bush.

SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Bill Cunningham is proposing legislation designed to protect homeowners from smoke and noise pollution produced by idling trains on two local railroad lines.
 
Cunningham's proposal was filed after he and other local elected officials received numerous complaints from constituents who live along the CSX Railroad's Blue Island and Elsdon rail lines about air and noise pollution from trains that are often stopped and idling for hours, dozens of feet their from homes. The legislation would allow local municipal and state agencies to fine railroads for the pollution caused by trains that stop near homes and keep their engines running for extended periods of time.
 
"The residents of these neighborhoods are fully aware that living next to railroad tracks means living with the noise of passing freight trains," Cunningham said. "However, they should not have to live with trains that are parked and idling for hours on end, sometimes blocking traffic and often belching diesel fumes and smoke into their homes."
The two rail lines in question run through the communities of Evergreen Park, Mount Greenwood, West Beverly and Auburn-Gresham, between Western and Kedzie Avenues. During the past two years, area residents have reported a big increase in the number of times trains stop and idle on stretches of track that cut through densely populated neighborhoods. On many occasions, the trains idle for several hours, sometimes throughout the night, before moving again. The trains rarely turn off their engines while stopped, which means smoke, fumes and noise from their roaring diesel engines fill the surrounding neighborhood.   

Cunningham has joined with State Representatives Fran Hurley and Kelly Burke, Chicago Aldermen Matt O'Shea and Lona Lane, and Evergreen Park Mayor James Sexton to pressure CSX address numerous problems associated with increased rail traffic in the area.
 
“We view filing legislation as a last resort because we don't want to restrict the rights of a business, but at the very least we want to start a conversation to reach a compromise to end a potential environmental hazard. I look forward to working both with the rail companies and the effected neighborhoods to achieve the best outcome for our community,” Cunningham said.
 
Cunningham’s proposal would ban diesel locomotives from idling for more than 30 minutes within 1,000 feet of a residence, business, school or hospital. A railway that leaves a train idling in these areas for more than 30 minutes would be fined at least $200, and the amount increases the longer the train is left idling.  
 
Cunningham filed his initial proposal this week and will continue to pursue the issue when the General Assembly convenes next month.

State Senator Bill Cunningham and other area elected officials hosted two in-district outreach events this week.

Cunningham and State Rep. Kelly Burke (D-Evergreen Park) hosted a burglary prevention workshop in Evergreen Park on Monday.

Local law enforcement officers and a reformed burglar discussed how people can reduce the chances of burglary and educate voters about how to manage the aftermath of a home invasion.

Cunningham also hosted a senior resource fair Wednesday with Burke, State Rep. Fran Hurley (D-Chicago) and U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Western Springs).

The Oak Lawn senior fair brought state, local and private senior programs together under one roof to give out information and answer questions.

Health organizations also provided medical screenings for participating seniors.

Photo: Hurley, Jerry Mulivill from Congressman Lipinski’s office, Cunningham and Burke at the senior resource fair at the Oak Lawn Community Pavilion on Sept. 17.