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IL Fire Service Task Force Needs Your Help!

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  • ChiefReason
    replied
    Your message was heard!

    HiHo Everyone:
    ChiefReason here.(I hadn't used that one in a while!)
    I have a bit of GOOD NEWS.
    I was contacted and informed that on Tuesday, June 24th, the Governor will sign HB 115, the bill that creates a zero interest, revolving loan program. This was just one of the recommendations to come out of the Moffitt/Smith Fire Service Task Force. I can tell you from personal experience that Don Moffitt had discussed this program for the past 3 years. He first mentioned it at a dinner I attended with him.
    So, the voice of the fire service was heard. I will be attending the bill signing ceremony. I will let you all know how it goes.
    I want to thank everyone for their help and I spoke with Don last Saturday and he also truly appreciates the efforts to get this bill and the rest signed into law.
    Sometimes good things do come from politics.
    CR

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  • kprsn1
    replied
    Thanks for the info CR. I've forward the message to my Chief and he's sending it away. I'm cutting and pasting your letter to Word and will email it out to all I know.

    Chad

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  • pcfdcap1
    replied
    I'm back and my letter is on it's way.
    Thanks Art.

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  • Duffman
    replied
    I am on the job guys. I will solicit the help of my legislators as well.

    Leave a comment:


  • 80FIRE
    replied
    My letter is in the mail also.
    Nice letter Art.
    Jay, thanks for not telling the Gov about your limp hose.

    Leave a comment:


  • jaybird210
    replied
    CR, my letter is sent.

    Come on everybody, send those letters. CRs letter stress the impact to small volunteer departments, but ALL departments will benefit from many of the recommendations made by the task force.



    P.S. In an effort to build some small modicum of credibility, I did not attach my FH signature to the letter.

    Leave a comment:


  • ChiefReason
    started a topic IL Fire Service Task Force Needs Your Help!

    IL Fire Service Task Force Needs Your Help!

    I received a very urgent request for help from State Representative Don Moffitt. It seems that the Governor is using his line item veto powers and might have some fire service money in his sights to cut.
    The Moffitt/Smith Fire Service Task Force is calling upon the fire departments in our great state to write Gov. Blagojevich and tell him that we need ALL of the recommendations of the Task Force passed and signed into law. Please take the time to send a letter. For the sake of our fire service. I have attached the letter that I drafted today. Please feel free to use it as a template. And contact me if you have questions. Thank you for your help.
    The Honorable Rod Blagojevich
    Governor of Illinois
    207 State House
    Springfield, IL 62706

    Dear Governor Blagojevich:

    I am writing to ask you to please support all of the recommendations of the Moffitt/Smith Fire Service Task Force. Many of the recommendations that were made will directly impact many of the small, rural departments. In fact, their very survival depends on several of the Task Force’s recommendations.

    A revolving, zero interest loan program (HB 115) for new fire apparatus is essential to fire departments in our state. Otherwise, they may fail their mission at the time that the alarm is struck due to equipment failures. When your entire operating budget is less than $10,000 a year, it’s impossible to purchase a new fire truck without assistance. Interest payments add extraordinary cost to a fire truck; so much so that departments will either repair an old and outdated unit or purchase used, in order to shorten the contract and pay less interest, but in the end, paying more for repairs! This house bill is the most important piece of legislation to date for the small, rural, volunteer fire service.

    Exemptions from paying motor fuel tax, inspections by fire departments of new school buildings under construction, increasing the response fees for drunk drivers, increasing the penalties for meth lab criminals, creating incentives for volunteer firefighters and funding first responders for all types of disasters are crucial to our efforts. Every recommendation by the Task Force is necessary.

    Mr. Governor; please do not let our fire service fall victim to partisan politics. The Task Force proved that FIRE doesn’t care if you are Democrat or Republican; career or volunteer. Both parties answered their call to duty with an enthusiastic spirit of hard work, dedication and cooperation. I implore you to push for the passage of these bi-partisan legislative bills.

    Thank you and best wishes for a successful term in office.

    Art Goodrich
    President, Board of Trustees
    Clover Township Fire Protection District
    Building a better tomorrow through political action!
    CR

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