Gov. Rauner Makes South Side Stop to Push Illinois Turnaround Agenda
Photo By: Larissa M. Tyler
Ill. Gov. Bruce Rauner visited the QBG Foundation/Chicago Citizen Newspaper headquarters, 806. E. 78th St., last Friday for a lunch meeting, co-hosted by the Chatham Business Association (CBA) and the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council to discuss the minority economic development section of his Illinois Turnaround Agenda. Over 40 south side Chicago business owners and stakeholders attended.
The Illinois Turnaround Agenda is a three pronged vision for the state’s economic, education and tax systems. To view the entire Agenda visit https://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Documents/CompiledPacket.pdf.
“I think it’s very important for [Gov. Rauner] to come to the community [and] talk to the business leaders,” said Melinda Kelly, CBA’s executive director. “It’s important for him to come and listen and share with the exchange of ideas. We brought, I feel, a very excellent group of business owners who are serious about the business at hand.”
Kelly, and Shelia Hill, president/CEO, Chicago Minority Business Development Council, introduced the mix of small business owners and community organizations to Rauner, who then asked for their help in seeing that they get their fair share of contracts and financial support for business startups and provided them with two key Springfield contacts.
“I’m here because you are the key to prosperity in Illinois,” Rauner told the group. I’m working for you. If you are not thriving, our young people don’t have a future and we have to create opportunity for young people.”
As part of the Turnaround Agenda, Rauner said the state needs to make sure African American businesses have equal access to state contracts and take power away from the insiders.
“We’re going to restructure the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and create a Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Program to assist minority entrepreneurs in startups throughout Illinois--which should not have been done away with-- so that African American businesses have access to capital,” Rauner said.
Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda was laid out during his State-of-the-State Address in Feb. as he shared details about Illinois’ grim outlook for businesses and population declines.
“We’ve had too many businesses that have left,” Rauner remarked. “I spoke with the owners of two companies who said they left the south side because of the crime and moved to the suburbs. I’d like to have good manufacturing jobs coma back to Chicago. I’m not anti- union but we have to be a government for everyone. We need an economic development environment where you can thrive as business owners.”
Attendees in return, were allowed to query the Governor.
George Williams, chief executive officer, PMI Energy Solutions, addressed Rauner during the meeting saying, “There are a lot of firms that want to do business with the state…one of the issues are access to capital and the time it takes for those who do business with state, to get paid in a timely manner.”
Rauner replied saying, “I’ve got to restructure the government so that is runs right…This is a turnaround and there will be short-term pain for long-term gain. There’s no reason we can’t pay our bills within 30 days.”
When asked her thoughts on Rauner’s remarks that his Turnaround Agenda seeks to remove some of the hurdles that block African American business startups, Bernita Johnson-Gabriel, executive director of the Quad Communities Development Corporation, 4659 South Cottage Grove Ave., said, “He said a lot of things but it’s a wait and see situation. We’ll have to see if some of those things he mentioned will really happen. As for the state-level contacts he provided, (Jim Schultz, Dir. of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity was one of them), I did write those down because I believe they will be useful.”
The governor's proposed 2016 budget which begins July 1, calls for cuts to the Department of Human Services by approximately $400 million, according to information provided by Rauner’s press office.
During the meeting, Rauner at one point said “We’ve got to support our low income kids and support social services but we’ve got to choose…we need to get money out of bureaucracy.
The Chicago Citizen Newspaper followed up to ask about funding for the Illinois Childcare Assistance program which remains unfunded at $300 million dollars.
Catherine Kelly, from the governor’s press office issued a statement saying, “As far as the administration is concerned, the deadline to fund the Childcare Assistance Program was yesterday. Negotiations continue with leaders in the General Assembly, and we hope to have an agreement soon.”
Rauner also addressed the quality of Chicago Public Schools saying they are for the most part, inadequate. “Even though we’re in a crisis, were providing $300 million in school funding. We’re dead last in support for education. I also want to bring back vocational training.”
Herb Stokes, Chief Marketing Officer with Burchell Upholstery, 2336 W. Grand Ave., said “Some of our greatest assets are those young people who do not go on to college. Those closed schools could have been used as vocational schools. We want an agreement with the state on education and (vocational) training. I’m a member of the Minority Council and want to sit with you to make that happen.”
Rauner responded saying, “I’m so glad you said that… We don’t just need jobs but careers that help people get beyond minimum wage,” he said telling Stokes to get in touch with Beth Purvis, Illinois’ Secretary of Education.
In terms of taxes, Rauner said there needs to be a “strategic” look to see what needs to change. “Our property taxes are the worst…very high for homeowners...”
Rauner added that he wants to put billions of dollars into Illinois’ infrastructure.
Following the meeting, the Chicago Citizen Newspaper spoke to Ill. State Sen. Donnie Trotter (Dist.- 14) and Travis Power, senior executive partner, Escendent, LLC. for their thoughts.
“It’s necessary, it’s good that the governor made it to the community to hear some of the concerns that the community has, one about maintaining their viability but also how to build that as well,” said Trotter. “We can all be mutual partners in the prosperity of the state of Illinois so it is good that he came.”
“It’s great to listen to the rhetoric but at the end of the day I wanted to have a more candid discussion about the specifics in the budget,” said Powers.
To learn more about Gov. Rauner’s agenda visit https://www.illinois.gov/Pages/default.aspx.
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