THE FRIENDS OF THE PARKS PLAN WOULD DESTROY THE EXISTING PARK SYSTEM
OUR PARKS ARE IN JEOPARDY!
What is so frightening about the zealous pre-occupation of Friends of the Parks and their narrowly focused allies is that their plan for lakefront expansion, if realized, would likely threaten the continued operation and maintenance viability of many of the remaining 7525 acres of parks and 570 parks within Chicago.
THERE IS NO MONEY TO BUILD THIS BOONDOGGLE. MONEY WOULD HAVE TO BE REALLOCATED FROM OTHER CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT BUDGETS
CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT FUNDING CAPABILITY
In their annual report (2007), the Chicago Park District provides great detail regarding sources and uses of funds by line item. Analysis clearly shows that minimal funds are available for capital construction for the whole park system:
• 2007 budget for capital construction is $7,174,044
• As previous analysis has established, lakefront expansion would require multiples of this funding on an annual basis, for many years to come.
To accomplish this expansion, all of the capital construction budget would have to be allocated it, leaving nothing for existing parks, or expansion of neighborhood parks.
• 2007 budget for facilities maintenance is $36,807,193 (this includes upkeep of existing parks, improvements to those parks)
• Any funds in excess of that gotten from the capital construction budget would likely come from this line item
To accomplish this expansion, a portion of the funding needed for maintenance of the existing park system would be reallocated to it, thereby reducing the quality of the existing system, probably significantly.
Our neighborhood is situated within the NORTH REGION of the Chicago Park District. There are 193 parks within the region.
• 2007 budget for the North Region is $24,147,578. Of this $22,285,100 is allocated to wages.
• 2007 budget program expense for the North Region is $1,537,073.
It is very likely that a disproportionate share of any funds necessary for lakefront expansion would in part be drawn from moneys already allocated to the north region, in which we are located. The impact on the remaining parks in the north region relative to programs and services would be severe. Since most of the funding is for personnel, it is likely that staffing positions would be reduced, further impacting programs.
STATE OF ILLINOIS FUNDING CAPABILITY
The state of Illinois cannot pay its current operating expenses. The current operating deficit is approaching ¾ of a billion dollars! Pension funding is in a state of significant imbalance. State representatives are already talking about the need to raise taxes, and possibly the income tax further just to pay for existing obligations. Any further projects could not be paid out of the existing revenue base, unless monies were reallocated from existing programs and projects, or from issuance of new debt, new sales taxes or new income taxes.
CITY OF CHICAGO FUNDING CAPABILITY
Like the state, Chicago has shown no fiscal discipline, raising sales taxes and property taxes at will. A bottle tax on water was even instituted (except on Perrier). A lakefront expansion would likely require additional taxes to fund. With the track record, it is likely that this would occur.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING CAPABILITY
Recreation projects are no longer funded by the federal government. They haven’t been for over two decades. Lakefront expansion of parks would fall under this restriction.
Transportation funding is dwindling. Other high priority projects compete for scarce funds. Currently, no funds exist for even routine maintenance of most roads in the city. Lakefront expansion may attempt to extend Lakeshore Drive to Evanston (a plan talked about many times) as a way of securing federal funds. The environmental impacts of this would be devastating.
In summary, it is obvious that the only source of funding for this expansion boondoggle would be the local and state governments. The options are frightening:
• Reallocation of existing Chicago Park District funds from other parks to the expansion, thereby degrading the existing park district system
• Reallocation of capital construction projects from neighborhood parks to the lakefront, thereby depriving a significant component of the population with their equitable share of parks.
• Increased taxes from the city, state and county to fund a component of this boondoggle, at the expense of higher priority projects affecting recreation, lifestyle and health.
Friends of the Parks if allowed to pursue this ill-advised plan, would preside over a significant degradation of our parks, only to further their narrowly defined objectives. And where will they be when the negative results of their work are finally realized by the public? Certainly nowhere to be seen.