Tuesday, August 26, 2003
Battle Lost, But Not the War
The Governor's office has sided with the agencies in Springfield rather than the people of Southern Illinois. They have rejected our plan of action without presenting one of their own. Their timetable would take three to five years, at best, to reopen the Old Slave House, and even then only if additional funding could be secured. Our plan could have it reopened next month without any state funding.
When, and if, the governor's office actually responds to Open it NOW! Friends of the Old Slave House, I will upload the letter to this site. However to date, they haven't sent a letter to us. They have sent letters though to others who wrote hardcopy letters to the office. It's a copy of one of those reponses that I have seen.
The letter offers a roundabout suggestion to us in terms of what plan of action we should follow if we want to see the house reopened. I, and others, spoke with various members of the Governor's team in Harrisburg and Shawneetown today. One of them told me to take the offer suggested. I won't go into details until I find out more. It's not the best alternative. It isn't really the best in terms of the public interest, but it may prove to be the best short term solution that could reopen the site. A long-term solution would still have to be sought, but this time through the legislature.
Keep calling the governor's office at (217) 872-6830, or write to them at Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Illinois State Capitol Room 207, Springfield IL 62706-1150. Let them know your displeasure. Keep in touch with your local lawmakers. Let them know you want this site reopened now!
Someone told me they thought this was it, the game over. It's not. The drive to secure the long-term future of the Old Slave House is more than seven years old. There have been a number of setbacks, but there have also been some victories. The site may be closed, but it has been purchased, as have the antiques. Now we just need to work on the rest.
Site Security
The need to open the Old Slave House NOW! is based on the growing problem of site security. Just yesterday, someone went past all of the no tresspassing signs, climbed over the gate, went up to the front of the house, threw a rock and broke a window. AND THIS HAPPENED DURING THE DAY TIME! The former owner who still lives there was just gone a couple of hours. Thankfully the guard dog on the property heard the vandals and chased them off. There have been other incidents not involving damage to state property, mostly in the middle of the night.
The former owner is ready to move. He's tired of mowing the grass, replacing windows and just having the worry and pressure of keeping the house safe from idiots that would do it harm. Our plan all along would have us move into the house the same day he moves out. The site needs a 24/7 security presence. The only way for that to happen is to get it reopened and a staff up there. Leaving it up to just one person is not a reasonable, long-term alternative. Quite frankly, it's just dangerous for anyone willing to do it.
Support Keeps Growing
A Frederick Douglass impersonator from Freeport called me over the weekend. He's a descendant of some of the families who settled in the free black settlement of Lakeview in Saline County. He said he had already contacted his legislator and was going to try to get some other organizations to adopt our resolution. We need to keep at it. We have three counties. There's just 99 to go.
The Governor's office has sided with the agencies in Springfield rather than the people of Southern Illinois. They have rejected our plan of action without presenting one of their own. Their timetable would take three to five years, at best, to reopen the Old Slave House, and even then only if additional funding could be secured. Our plan could have it reopened next month without any state funding.
When, and if, the governor's office actually responds to Open it NOW! Friends of the Old Slave House, I will upload the letter to this site. However to date, they haven't sent a letter to us. They have sent letters though to others who wrote hardcopy letters to the office. It's a copy of one of those reponses that I have seen.
The letter offers a roundabout suggestion to us in terms of what plan of action we should follow if we want to see the house reopened. I, and others, spoke with various members of the Governor's team in Harrisburg and Shawneetown today. One of them told me to take the offer suggested. I won't go into details until I find out more. It's not the best alternative. It isn't really the best in terms of the public interest, but it may prove to be the best short term solution that could reopen the site. A long-term solution would still have to be sought, but this time through the legislature.
Keep calling the governor's office at (217) 872-6830, or write to them at Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Illinois State Capitol Room 207, Springfield IL 62706-1150. Let them know your displeasure. Keep in touch with your local lawmakers. Let them know you want this site reopened now!
Someone told me they thought this was it, the game over. It's not. The drive to secure the long-term future of the Old Slave House is more than seven years old. There have been a number of setbacks, but there have also been some victories. The site may be closed, but it has been purchased, as have the antiques. Now we just need to work on the rest.
Site Security
The need to open the Old Slave House NOW! is based on the growing problem of site security. Just yesterday, someone went past all of the no tresspassing signs, climbed over the gate, went up to the front of the house, threw a rock and broke a window. AND THIS HAPPENED DURING THE DAY TIME! The former owner who still lives there was just gone a couple of hours. Thankfully the guard dog on the property heard the vandals and chased them off. There have been other incidents not involving damage to state property, mostly in the middle of the night.
The former owner is ready to move. He's tired of mowing the grass, replacing windows and just having the worry and pressure of keeping the house safe from idiots that would do it harm. Our plan all along would have us move into the house the same day he moves out. The site needs a 24/7 security presence. The only way for that to happen is to get it reopened and a staff up there. Leaving it up to just one person is not a reasonable, long-term alternative. Quite frankly, it's just dangerous for anyone willing to do it.
Support Keeps Growing
A Frederick Douglass impersonator from Freeport called me over the weekend. He's a descendant of some of the families who settled in the free black settlement of Lakeview in Saline County. He said he had already contacted his legislator and was going to try to get some other organizations to adopt our resolution. We need to keep at it. We have three counties. There's just 99 to go.