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Governor's Report.Indd RURAL ILLINOIS: LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Annual Report to the Honorable Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor and the Illinois General Assembly Prepared by Governor’s Rural Affairs Council Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, Chair and Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs Western Illinois University 2005 Member Agencies of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council Department on Aging Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Department of Employment Security Department of Human Services Department of Natural Resources Department of Public Health Department of Revenue Department of Transportation Environmental Protection Agency Illinois Community College Board Illinois Development Finance Authority Illinois Farm Development Authority Illinois Housing Development Authority Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs Illinois State Board of Educations Rural Partners Southern Illinois University University of Illinois Extension STATE OF ILLINOIS OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PAT QUINN To: Governor Rod R. Blagojevich January 3, 2006 Senate President Emil Jones, Jr. House Speaker Michael J. Madigan Senate Minority Leader Frank C. Watson House Minority Leader Tom Cross Members of the General Assembly As chairman of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council (GRAC), I am pleased to submit to you our 2005 Annual Report. This report documents the Council’s commitment to strengthening the rural economy and improving education, transportation and human services opportunities in rural Illinois while providing a link between state and local government. The past year offered both challenges and opportunities. The year began with extensive flooding along the Ohio and Wabash rivers, which I surveyed first hand at Metropolis and Mt. Carmel, advocating for effective water management practices. The late Senator Paul Simon suggested that the Rural Affairs Council address rural public transportation issues, and we accomplished this task with the passing of HB 2222. In 2005, I joined with law enforcement agencies, community groups, and elected officials as we distributed more than 35,000 free child safety gun locks to firearm owners across the state as part of Project Child Safe. In an effort to promote the use of All American Energy with homegrown energy sources, I have joined millions of drivers who have discovered E85, a blend of fuel made with corn-based ethanol, which is cleaner, more economical and produced here in Illinois. I traveled to Jacksonville and Carmi to salute the Laborer’s Home Development Corporation as a leading provider for affordable housing. The Laborers have also completed housing projects in Olney, McLeansboro, and other communities. Through the Rural Affairs Council, funding was provided for seven new Earned Income Tax Credit sites in Illinois--Aurora, Effingham, Kankakee, Karnak, LaSalle, Macomb and Quincy providing relief to working poor families and individuals. As the chairman of the new Broadband Deployment Council established by executive order, we are addressing recommendations by the Rural Affairs Council and the Governor’s Broadband Task Force to find a solution to the digital divide in rural Illinois. The Rural Affairs Council most recently provided two $20,000 Wireless Main Street grants to the communities of Mt. Vernon and Quincy. Rural progress cannot be achieved without hard work and entrepreneurship. The Rural Affairs Council stands side by side with rural families as we work together to improve the economy and quality of life in rural Illinois. For more information, please visit RuralAffairsCouncil.il.gov. Thank you for your interest. Sincerely, Pat Quinn Lieutenant Governor of Illinois The Governor’s Rural Affairs Council shall develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for improving delivery of state services to rural Illinois with the aim of expanding opportunities and improving the quality of life for rural residents. Executive Order Number 1 (2000) George H. Ryan Governor The Annual Report of the State of the Rural Illinois Economy shall assess rural economic indicators and make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly on rural infrastructure needs. Executive Order Number 13 (1991) Jim Edgar Governor Copies of these Executive Orders are located in the Appendices. Table of Contents Rural Illinois: Looking to the Future ..............................................................................................1 Demographic Trends ....................................................................................................................3 Quality of Life in Rural Illinois ...................................................................................................5 Satisfaction with Public Services .................................................................................................7 Issues Affecting the Future .........................................................................................................8 Increasing Access to High Paying Jobs ...........................................................................................9 Poverty ...........................................................................................................................................13 Housing ..........................................................................................................................................16 Transportation ................................................................................................................................19 Clean Energy ..................................................................................................................................20 Strengthening Local Decisionmaking Capacity .............................................................................22 Health Care ....................................................................................................................................27 Information Technology .................................................................................................................29 Looking to the Future .....................................................................................................................30 References ......................................................................................................................................33 Appendices .....................................................................................................................................35 Illinois is a diverse state with major cities, small towns, and open spaces. Illinois waterways, wetlands, forests, and prairies provide recreational opportunities, havens for wildlife, and preserve native species. The state’s farmers help to feed the nation and many of the goods manufactured in rural Illinois are used around the world. Rural towns and cities offer a high quality of life and are good places for Illinois families to raise children and for retirees to settle. Rural residents are building businesses and communities, and are preserving the values that built the nation. Rural Rural Illinois faces challenges; however, and has experienced major population, economic, and social changes in recent years, especially Illinois: following the economic recession in the early 2000s. More importantly, rural areas have had to respond to global, technological, and economic shifts that, in some cases, have eroded markets. These changes offer Looking opportunities for those areas able to take advantage of the changes. During the 1990s and early 2000s, rural Illinois lagged behind rural to areas in surrounding states in most population and employment trends including in its ability to retain elderly residents. Likewise, the number the of very young (less than 10 years) residents has declined more in rural Illinois than in adjacent states which may refl ect fewer employment opportunities for young families. Future Nevertheless, rural economies offer opportunities to promote overall statewide economic development especially in light of changing energy needs, expansions in bio-tech, and advancements in other industries. Rural areas also offer competitive advantages in some quality of life considerations. Metro areas are increasingly congested and place unsustainable demands on the environment and public services. Rural areas, on the other hand, can accommodate economic growth and development in a much more controlled and sustainable way. Housing prices, for example, are rising in some metro areas and have placed affordable high quality housing beyond the means of young families with low or moderate incomes. Jobs are often located far from affordable housing and may require long commutes. This, in turn, limits business expansions when suffi cient high quality workers are unavailable. Rural areas, on the other hand, offer affordable housing and high quality public services at acceptable tax levels with a short commute. The challenge facing policymakers is to understand the changes and development opportunities suffi ciently to formulate strategies that benefi t both urban and rural areas. Locally determined development strategies are crucial but state and Federal programs are an integral part of effective solutions that build on rural assets. Quality of life There is growing evidence that perceived quality of life has become is important more important when people evaluate places to live. During the 1990s, rural counties experiencing growth were those with tourist if rural areas attractions or were especially suitable as retirement
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