Springfield Il Tourism

Illinois faces daunting fiscal challenge

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois — The Illinois General Assembly has given itself five years to fix the state’s dismal fiscal situation. It will be a painful five years.

The countdown is timed to new personal and corporate income taxes approved by lawmakers this January. Most of them will expire in January 2016. Before the extra revenue sources go away, the state somehow needs to get itself back on a permanently stable financial footing. The 2011 tax increases won’t do that by themselves.

In fact, they won’t come close. Even though they bring in more money than the entire state budget of Iowa, legislative forecasters say the only way the tax hikes would lift Illinois out of the fiscal hole it has spent years digging for itself would be if lawmakers kept spending flat through 2014. That’s unlikely, given growing bills for pensions and health care. And right now, at least, it is hard to imagine any more tax increases during the five-year period. So massive program cuts are certain to come, on top of cuts that already have been made.

That is why nearly 200 anti-poverty activists came to the front lawn of the state Capitol last month, rallied beneath the statue of Abraham Lincoln, and pleaded with legislators not to make any more reductions in services to the homeless.

It is a familiar plea. Groups that help the poor — including those that provide food and shelter to the homeless — have been especially hard-hit by recent spending cuts. A fund to help families keep their homes, for example, once had a yearly budget of $11 million; now Governor Pat Quinn wants to reduce that to $1 million. State money for shelters and other emergency housing would be cut in half in the budget Quinn has proposed. Funding for homeless youth has already been cut by a third.

For the crowd of activists who came to the statehouse in a caravan of school buses that day, it is too much. “No more cuts!” they chanted. “No more cuts!” But even if services for the homeless are spared, very little else will be. Legislators have few options.

“There are days when I still wonder whether a majority of lawmakers grasp the long-term severity of the state’s budget problems,” says state Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg, a co-chair of the legislature’s financial forecasting panel. “Tremendous strides have been made to provide certainty and stability for taxpayers, but ultimately we are still going to have to confront difficult choices.

springfield il: Springfield Illinois

Springfield Illinois, which is the state's capital city, was founded in 1819, and became a county seat in 1823. It became the capital of Illinois in 1837. A good deal of Springfield tourism is centered on President Abraham Lincoln, who started his political career in Springfield Illinois. For example, the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site, located at sixth and Adams Street, is a brick building that was built in 1841. This was where Lincoln and his partner Stephen Logan, practiced law. The building has been restored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Today, it is a popular site for Springfield tourism. The Old State Capital Building is another popular Springfield attraction. It was here that Lincoln made his famous "House Divided" Speech. At the Abraham Lincoln presidential Library and Museum, you can find books, articles and papers that reference Lincoln's life, as well as the Civil War. For a somewhat morbid Springfield attraction, visit the Museum of Funeral Customs, which features exhibits related to the president's funeral. A considerable amount of Springfield tourism centers on the Dana-Thomas House. In 1902 in Victorian Springfield the socialite and activist, Susan Lawrence Dana, hired a rising young architect from Chicago to remodel her family home. Today, tourists can view one of Frank Lloyd Wright's finest prairie-style homes. The original furniture, art glass doors, windows and light fixtures have been retained. The Vachel Lindsey House is another popular Springfield attraction. This 1879 birthplace of the native Springfield poet/artist was his only home until his death there in 1931. The house, which was built in the late 1840s, was originally owned by C.M. Smith. Smith's wife Ann was the sister of Mary Todd Lincoln. Both Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln were regular visitors. Edward's Place also draws a considerable amount of Springfield tourism. It is the oldest home in Springfield. When you visit this magnificent home, you can learn about the life of Benjamin and Helen Edwards. The well preserved Italianate mansion was once a center for social activity in Springfield. Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas and other prominent politicians were entertained. In the warmer weather, the grounds at Edward's place at lavish dinner parties and the grounds played host to many summer picnics and political rallies.

Toll-free phone book USA, a directory of toll-free telephone numbers for business and organizations nationwide

The Rotarian

World Chamber of Commerce Directory June 2005

Standard directory of advertising agencies

The sociology of tourism, theoretical and empirical investigations