Can't count on tax dollars

News-Democrat, Belleville, IL

Published Saturday, July 19, 2008

Cahokia Mounds is a historic gem, and it was great to learn this week that the $550,000 in a special state preservation account didn't somehow get diverted to another place.

However, it's understandable that Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has stopped funding that account. Frankly, the account probably never should have been set up.

In 2002, state lawmakers and former Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka arranged to put a fraction of the interest earned on $100 million in state deposits into a fund for Cahokia Mounds. While it was wonderful for the metro-east site, many other historic sites in Illinois have funding needs, also. Why single out one?

When Giannoulias took office in 2007, he stopped depositing interest in the Cahokia Mounds special account. "We want to fulfill the commitment made in the previous administration, but given the current economic conditions and the financial hardship facing Illinois, we believe that any additional interest accrued on that $100 million should go to the state," he said in a press release this week.

As we said, it's understandable. However, the need to help Cahokia Mounds remains. The private sector needs to step up to ensure that money to preserve and develop the site continues to be available.

  
     
 
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