Now in the state of Illinois it would seem that we are going backwards with the announcement that the state will be closing Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park. This will result in the closure of a 90 mile bike trail, 30 miles of it paved. The Hennepin Canal Trail passes through 6 counties and is a great recreational trail. It is flat so it lends itself to all age groups and it is very scenic along the canal.
biikingbis.com blog entry "No trespassing" signs going up on 90-mile bike trail in Illinois outlines plans by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to close the park as of November 01, 2008.
Because of state government mismanagement, the State of Illinois is closing 11 state parks in order to save an estimated $14 million dollars a year.
As a citizen of the State of Illinois, I am offended that my government would choose to close a perfectly good state park with a great bike trail when we all know that $14 million dollars in waste could be found by anyone of us in about 5 minutes!
While I'm sure each interest group could argue that their share of the budget pie is important, I would just like to point out that the political party that is telling me to check how much air I have in my tires, and how to take faster showers, and not to flush every time, is closing 90 MILES of bike trail. How is this helpful for the environment?
Next time the citizens of Illinois hear about another wasteful spending plan they should consider that many of the outdoor spaces they use to enjoy will soon be gone if they are not already.
Please contact the governor and your state legislators and tell them to quit using our outside spaces to fund their wasteful spending.
To contact Governer Blagojevich:
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, Illinois 62706
Phone: 217-782-0244 or 312-814-2121
You can find Illinois State Senators or Representatives here.
It's hard enough to get new biking trails open. Let's not close 90 miles of GREAT existing trail.
Big Mel