There are a number of spending line-items labeled "Cash Request From [date] Grant Number [number]," with single grant payouts as high as $5,122,424. There is a database that has the grants by number, as the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity states, "The Grantee Reporting System (GRS) resides on a State of Illinois mainframe computer in Springfield. It is accessed via the Internet through an unpublished website address." Is this the most transparent way to report grants so the public can see them? Couldn't the state consolidate the grant reporting system and make it more public so we could see what the ILDCEO is supporting?
You can find this information for yourself by going to the "Checks to Businesses & People" and looking for "Cash Request From [date] Grant Number [number]" in the spending category.
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