A sometime critic of Gov. Pat Quinn praised the governor today for halting a costly office lease for a state agency.
Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, said Quinn listened to state lawmakers who blasted the lease as an example of government waste while the state's financial problems are causing program cuts and a mountain of unpaid bills.
"It's nice to know the system works sometimes," Franks said on the House floor. "I commend the governor."
Franks himself called the lease "boneheaded" and called on Quinn to cancel it. The administration announced Monday that it was suspending the lease pending further review. That review is expected to take a couple of months or longer.
The Department on Aging was planning to move from two state-owned buildings where it pays no rent into a privately owned office building with a $532,000 a year lease. State officials said it would allow all of Aging's 140 employees to be in one location. They also questioned the condition of the Herndon Building in downtown Springfield where the bulk of Aging's employees are located.
Some employees have complained about air quality in the building, although tests show the air quality to be acceptable.
State Capitol Bureau
