In 2009, the Department of Transportation spent $4,258,997.92 on attorneys and related legal fees. The biggest recipients of these funds were Holland & Knight LLP, which got $562,334.95; Freeborn and Peters LLP, $354,851.97; and Burke Burns Ellison & Pinelli, which received $230,307.89 from the Department of Transportation. All told, twelve firms received more then $100,000 each in 2009, for a total of $2,594,344.09 in payments from the state.
The majority of this spending ($2,812,752.08) was for "Attorney Fees-Highway & Related Construction." The remaining payments were for general attorney and legal fees.
You can find this information by clicking on the "Checks to Businesses & People" section and searching for "Attorney Fees-Highway & Related Construction," "Attorney Fees- Grants and Awards," "Combined Settlement/Attorney Payments," and "Legal Fees" in the "category of spending" section.
The Department of Employment Security paid $2,373.94 for "Sullivan's Law Directories." They spent $593.49 in 2008 and $1,780.45 in 2009 (by the time of our FOIA request) on the items. Sullivan's Law Directory is published by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company. According to its website, "[s]ince 1876, Sullivan's Law Directory has become the most complete, accurate, and accessible attorney directory available." The site also describes the directory as containing:
·The most comprehensive list of attorneys practicing in Illinois. All information is verified and updated annually.
·Attorney listings include firm/agency, address, phone, fax number, eMail address, bar association affiliation, and areas of concentration. Biographical listings are also available.
·State and Federal Procedure Rules for all courts in Illinois, including local circuit rules.
·Listings for corporation law departments, banks and trust companies, title insurers, bar associations and other legal organizations, and law school faculties.
·Extensive listings of court reporters, interpreters, copy services, video service and other product and service providers who specialize in serving the legal profession.
The website has copies of the directories for sale for $90 for the standard edition and $85 for the secretary's edition. At this price (with tax), the DES could have bought around 24 copies of the standard edition of the directory.
To find these expenditures on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Sullivan's Law Directories - O."
In 2007 and 2008, the Department of Commerce spent $2,888.45 on meetings of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board. After spending $526.99 in 2007, the department spent an additional $2,361.46 in 2008. These funds were given to Gregory W. Sutton, $1,771.57; Tom Ashby, $938.28; and Ron Whitley, $178.60.
The Illinois Workforce Investment Board "ensures that Illinois' workforce preparation services and programs are coordinated and integrated; and measures and evaluates the overall performance and results of these programs."
You can find this information for yourself by going to the "Checks to Businesses & People" section and searching for "Sutton," "Ashby," and "Whitley" in the "vendor" section.
The State of Illinois spent more than $4.7 million on advertising in 2008 and 2009. This amount is in addition to the $6.6 million we previously reported the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity paid to J Walter Thompson over that time period for "Professional Advertising/Media Services." The Department of Transportation was responsible for most of spending with their advertising expenses totaling $4,579,865.68 in 2009. The Department of Public Health spent the second greatest amount with $97,120.50 in 2008. The table below breaks down the expenditures by year and department.
While most of the expenses are simply labeled "Advertising," there are a few expenditures with more descriptive labels. For example, the Department of Employment Security spent $15,168.29 on "TAA Advertising Cost," and the Department of Public Health spent $12,620.50 on telephone advertising.
To find these expenses on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Advertising," "TAA Advertising Cost For Fy 20," "Teleph1 Advertising," "Advertising In The 2010 Edition Of The Il Services," and "Advertising In The 2009 Edition Of The Il Services." To download the data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
Department
Amount
2008
$122,643.87
Department of Public
Health
$97,120.50
Department of Employment
Security
$12,936.00
Department of Veteran
Affairs
$9,616.91
Department of Healthcare
and Family Services
$2,765.46
Department of Commerce
$205.00
2009
$4,600,913.80
Department of
Transportation
$4,579,865.68
Department of Veteran
Affairs
$5,966.31
Department of Human
Rights
$4,166.71
Department on Aging
$3,856.72
Department of Military
Affairs
$2,596.44
Department of Employment
Security
$2,447.54
Department of Children
and Family Services
$1,688.40
Department of Commerce
$214.00
Department of Labor
$112.00
Dept of Financial and
Professional Regulation
$0.00*
Grand Total
$4,723,557.67
*Expenses showing "$0" have been classified by their respective departments and were not available through the FOIA.
Between 2008 and our FOIA request in 2009, state agencies spent $47,261.77 at Kmart and $27,135.15 at Wal-Mart. In 2008, the Department of Corrections spent the most with $3,165 at Kmart and $1,625 at Wal-Mart. In 2009, the Department of Children and Family Services topped the spending list with $42,656 at Kmart and $380 at Wal-Mart. Most of the expenses were for living expenses for state wards outside of state institutions ($43,035), commodities ($5,749) and food supplies ($4,919). The table below breaks down the expenses by vendor, year, and department.
To find these expenditures on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and in the vendor field enter "Kmart," "K-Mart," "Wal-Mart" and "Walmart." To download the data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
In fiscal year 2009, Ageoptions Incorporated received $14,208,138.31 in grants from Illinois Department of Aging. Ageoptions Inc is a not for profit organization in Oak Park Illinois that serves adults in suburban Cook County. The Organization "connects older adults with a wide range of services and programs. They include in-home care and adult day services; telephone and in-person assistance; resources and education; and nutrition and health care programs."
In addition to grants from Illinois General Revenue Fund, Ageoptions receives funds from the Federal Government, foundations, and private donors.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on "Checks to Businesses & People" and searching for "Ageoptions" in the "vendor" section.
In 2008 and 2009 (up until the time of our FOIA request), the Department of Corrections spent $1,207,068.26 on travel expenses. The majority of this ($604,711.55) was spent on travel expenses and allowances for paroled and discharged prisoners. The Department of Corrections maintains a program which provides inmates with "a grant of money for travel and expenses which may be paid in installments." The remainder of the money was spent on travel reimbursements for employees, contractors, and other individuals. The largest recipients of these state funds were Johnson Springfield Ventures, Joliet-55 Lodging Associates and Fulton Comfort Inn & Suites, which all received over $11,000 from the state.
At an individual level, 95 people received over $1,000 in reimbursements from the state, accounting for $166,657.03 in travel expenses.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on the "Checks to Businesses & People" section and searching for "travel" in the "category of spending" section.
In 2009, the Department of Transportation spent $69,150,486.99 for land, rights of way, and easements relating to highways. There were 1,096 entities listed receiving payments, and seventy entities received more than $100,000. The entities that received the largest payments were Kane County ($11,671,832), Corbin Land LLC Castle Bank NA ($11,662,359), and Madison County ($7,937,141).
To find this data on IllinoisOpenGov.org, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Land, Rights of Way and Easements-Highways." To download the data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
According to the Delta Regional Authority website, the DRA was established in 2000 by Congress "to enhance economic development and improve the quality of life" within the delta region, which includes counties and parishes in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. They are "a regional advocate, planner and coordinator" for projects funded by federal grants.
Check out our other blogs to find out how much the DCEO spent on membership fees in 2008 or the amount the State pays for association fees. To find this data on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and enter "Delta Regional Authority" in the vendor field. You can download the data by clicking on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
In 2009, the Department of Transportation gave the National Railroad Passenger Corporation $24,902,584.31 in grants. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak, "is a for-profit corporation that operates intercity passenger rail services in 46 States and the District of Columbia, in addition to serving as a contractor in various capacities for several commuter rail agencies." This government-owned corporation is funded through operating revenues, grants from state and local governments, and grants from the federal government. For example, in 2008 the Federal Government gave the NRPA $1,325,000,000.000 in grant money.
A Study by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics found that in 2002 (the most recent data available), the Federal Government subsidized railroad travel at a rate of $199.90 per thousand passenger-miles. This is compared to $5.77 per thousand passenger-miles for air travel. These numbers exclude subsidies and grants from state and local governments.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on "Checks to Businesses & People" and searching for "National Railroad Passenger Company" in the "vendor" section, and "grants" in "the category of spending" section.
In 2009, Illinois gave the Chicago Transit Authority $25,574,538.61, and $24,952,432 of that amount came in the form of transportation grants. The remaining $622,106.61 was given to the CTA for rendering professional services. These payments all came from the Illinois Department of Transportation. On top of this, the CTA also received $247,176,443 from the Federal Government as part of the Stimulus Bill.
Additionally, the Department of Transportation gave the Regional Transportation Authority $377,318,882.66 in transportation grants in 2009. The RTA oversees the second largest transportation network in North America and coordinates and funds the "Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus and rail system, Metra commuter rail, and Pace suburban bus service."
In total, the Department of Transportation paid $127,963,900.78 in transportation grants to local government transit organizations. For example, the St. Clair County Transit District received $31,747,435.00, the Champaign Urbana Mass Transit received $16,789,715.49, and the Madison County Mass-Transit received $14,434,502.24 in transportation grants from the Department of Transportation in 2009 (please see the table below for a complete breakdown of the transit authorities that received transportation grants).
You can find this information by clicking on the "Checks to Businesses & People" section and searching for "Chicago Transit Authority" and "Region Transportation" under the "vendor" category or "transportation grants" in the "category of spending" section.
In 2008 and 2009 the State of Illinois spent over a million dollars on household, laundry, and cleaning supplies. In 2008, the Department of Veteran Affairs spent the most with $436,058.77, and the Department of Employment Security came in second with $21,763.07. By the time of our FOIA request in 2009, the Department of Transportation spent $256,024.62, the Department of Veteran Affairs spent $181,885.70, and the Department of Military Affairs spent $107,659.32. The table below breaks down the spending by year and department.
There are 381 vendors listed for the expenses. The three vendors who received the most are Industrial Soap Company ($119,823), Shelby County Comm Serv Inc ($104,720), and Aladdin Temp-Rite LLC ($65,198).
To find these expenditures on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "House Laundry & Cleaning Supp," "Household Cleanin&Laundry Equip not exceeding $100," "Household, Laundry & Cleaning Supplies," "Household, Laundry and Cleaning Supplies," "Household, Laundry&Cleaning Equip, Not > $100," "Household, Laundry&Cleaning Supplies," "Household/Cleaning Supplies," and "Hshld, Laundry, Clean Supplies." To download the data click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
Department
Amount
2005
$147.67
Department of Veteran
Affairs
$147.67
2006
$185.46
Department of Veteran
Affairs
$185.46
2008
$463,161.91
Department of Veteran
Affairs
$436,058.77
Department of Employment
Security
$21,763.07
Department of Healthcare
and Family Services
$5,237.81
Governor's Office
$102.26
2009
$549,515.37
Department of
Transportation
$256,024.62
Department of Veteran
Affairs
$181,885.70
Department of Military
Affairs
$107,659.32
Department of Human
Rights
$3,216.97
Department of Employment
Security
$375.69
Department of Labor
$322.98
Department of Healthcare
and Family Services
$30.09
Dept of Financial and
Professional Regulation
$0.00*
Grand Total
$1,013,010.41
*Expenses showing "$0" have been
classified by their respective departments, and were not available through the
FOIA.
The Department of Employment Security spent $98,586.30 on various envelopes in 2008. By the time of our FOIA request in 2009, the DES had envelope expenses totaling $52,414.29. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity spent $2,492.44 in 2008 on envelopes, bringing the total amount spent by the two departments over 2008 and 2009 to $153,493.03.
There were ten vendors listed for the expenses. The table below breaks down the amount each vendor received between 2008 and 2009. The three largest vendors were Montenegro Paper ($80,865.79), Gary Adolph E ($31,618.11), and Williams Glenn ($15,196.00).
To find these expenses on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "(1.5)CASES9X12 BROWNKRAFT ENVLPS $186.35EA $279.53," "(10) BOXES OF SECURITY ENVELOPES," "(5)CASES 9 X12 BROWN KRAFT ENVELPS$186.35EA$931.75," "(6000) 6X9 KRAFT ENVELOPES $50.18/M $301.08," "PACKING LIST ENVELOPES 4 1/2 X," "SN 4113 ENVELOPE - REORDER," "SN 4116 ENVELOPE, KRAFT - REOR," "SN 4118 ENVEL. WHT. ATTY GENER," "SN 4125 ENVEL. UC-WHTE WINDOW," "SN 4129 ENVELOPE, ES WHITE - R," "SN 4130 ENVEL. WHTE WINDOW BD.," "SN 4135 ENVEL. ES WHITE," "SN 4144 CERTIFICATION ENVELOPE," "SN 4144 ENVELOPE WINDOW #10 -," "SN 4150 ENVELOPE W/ LIGHT BLUE," "SN 4153 ENVELOPE REORDER," "SN 4170 ENVELOPE WINDOW," "SN 4170 ENVELOPE WINDOW .," "SN 4170 ENVELOPES," "SN 4188 ENVELOPE E-80," "SN 4221 ENVELOPE (11/93)," "SN 4321 ENVELOPE RIGHT SIDE WI," "SN 4401 ENVEL. (REST. CC#6420)," "SN 4430 B.R.E.-LASER ENVELOPE," and "SN 4502 ENVELOPE, TRA/DUA RE."
In response to our FOIA requests, the state provided locations for the companies receiving payments from the state for $3,506,769,317.49 of the $7,974,297,589.38 in state spending during 2008 and 2009. Of this $3.5 billion, the state paid $813,653,009.72 to companies in other states.
Illinois sent $349,538,866.64 to Georgia, making it the largest recipient of state funds. Health insurance payments to companies such as Medco Health Solutions Incorporated ($262,650,375.90), Dental Care Plus Management Company ($76,399,828.05), and Tenet Healthsystem SL Incorporated ($1,615,184.53), make up the largest share of payments. This $349,538,866.64 also includes $347,689.02 in interest penalties paid to Dental Care Plus Management Company in 2008, and $191,395.00 paid to Hewlett Packard in 2008 and 2009 for computer equipment and rentals.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on the "Checks to Businesses & People" section and searching for "GA" in the "state" category.
In 2008 and 2009, the state of Illinois spent $15,195,751.96 on gasoline, oil, and antifreeze. The Department of Transportation accounted for the majority of these purchases, spending $15,024,655.90 during this time period. Individual transactions for gas, oil, and antifreeze range in cost from as low as $1.02 to as high as $873,000.00.
The leading recipient of government funds in this area of spending was Wright Express Financial Services Corporation, which provides "payment processing and information management services to the U.S. commercial and government vehicle fleet industry" and "is a leading provider of fleet and corporate charge cards." See below for a list of the top ten recipients of government funds for this particular spending item.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on the "Checks to Businesses & People" and searching for "gasoline, oil, and antifreeze" or "gasoline oil and antifreeze" in the "category of spending" section.
In 2008 and 2009, the State of Illinois spent more than $60,000 on moving expenses. Some of the moving expenses are more specific than others. The Department of Transportation spent $9,478.45 in 2009 on employee moving expenses. Of that amount, $6,593.84 was paid to vendors, and $2,884.61 was reimbursed to employees. Over 2008 and 2009, the Department of Employment Security paid $16,254 in six payments to Smith Movers Incorporated for a moving services contract. The Department of Public Health made a single payment of $35,796.88 to Midwest Moving & Storage in 2008 for "moving."
To find these expenditures on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Employee Movin Expenses Reimbursements to Employs," "Employee Moving Expenses, Payments to Vendors," "Moving," and "Moving Services Contract." To download the data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
In 2008 and 2009, the Department of Commerce provided $7,386,192.94 in grants to twelve different tourism agencies. The largest recipient of these funds was the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau which received $6,130,844.97. The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau is "the premier sales and marketing organization that promotes Chicago's world-class assets to global leisure travel and convention business." Its website states that it receives "State of Illinois grant monies for development of local conventions and tourism." In addition to state grants, the CCTB is also funded by membership fees, grants from the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, and it receives a portion of the Chicago's hotel/motel tax.
The second largest recipient of grants was the Western Illinois Tourism Council, which received $257,747.85 in grants (for a complete breakdown of grant amounts by agency see the table below). In addition to these grants, the Department of Commerce also paid the Western Illinois Tourism Council $1,371,133.76 for "Professional Services."
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on the "Checks to Businesses & People" section, and searching for any of the agencies listed below in the "vendor" section.
In 2008, the Department of Public Health spent $58,307 on "IL Welcoming Centers." Illinois Welcoming Centers are part of former Governor Blagojevich's "New American's Initiative" and are meant to make "needed state services more accessible to Illinois' growing immigrant population." This press release from 2007 states that the "Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Governor's Office of New Americans are working with nine state agencies in order to bring direct access to services to qualified applicants." The release did not state which state agencies were involved or how the Welcoming Centers are funded.
The Department of Human Services has a page on their website describing the services of the Welcoming Center in Melrose Park, IL. The site says that the Welcoming Center helps new immigrants "find out about healthcare, childcare, education, labor and employment services available through the State of Illinois," "talk with friendly, supportive bilingual (English/Spanish) staff who can help you find out the specific state services you need and quality for," "sign up for state services," and "find out about service providers in other areas."
The director of the Welcoming Center in Melrose Park is Silvia Villa. She is listed as a "Senior Public Service Administr" for the Department of Human Services. She made $99,428 in wages and benefits in 2009, according to the payroll database on IllinoisOpenGov.org.
To find this entry on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Il Welcoming Centers."
In 2008 and 2009 (up until the time of our FOIA requests), the state gave the Illinois chapter of the AFL-CIO $1,320,000.00 in the form of grants. After giving the AFL-CIO $730,000.00 in 2008, the state gave the AFL-CIO $590,000.00 in 2009. The Department of Commerce awarded all of these grants and labeled them as "grants for cash requests." These cash requests were made between 10/27/2008 and 3/13/2009 - in less than five months.
The Department of Commerce works with the Illinois AFL-CIO to run a Peer Counselor Program, which provides unemployed workers with a peer to assist them in choosing from available unemployment programs.
"Unemployed workers are often in a state of emotional upheaval, and contact with someone familiar, such as a respected coworker or former coworker, can be reassuring. Apprehension over choosing from available services, filling out forms, taking assessment and placement tests, and meeting time deadlines can be minimized by providing dislocated workers with one of their peers to assist them in accessing available programs."
In sum, this is a government-funded program that provides unemployed workers with advisors to help them choose among government-funded programs.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on the "Checks to Businesses & People" section and searching for "Illinois AFL-CIO" in the "vendor" section.
In 2008, the Department of Public Health paid $4,930 to Ink Well Enterprises Inc of Brimfield, Illinois for "Certificate Of Need." The Department of Public Health has a certificate of need (CON) program which "is designed to restrain rising health care costs by preventing unnecessary construction or modification of health care facilities." The CON program includes a "Health Facilities Planning Board (Planning Board) which issues permits (certificates of need) for construction or modification projects proposed by or on behalf of healthcare facilities, and for approving transactions for the acquisition of major medical equipment."
I was unable to find a website for the vendor, Ink Well Enterprises Inc, but I did find a link to a previous contract Ink Well Enterprises Inc had with IDPH between 2007 and 2008 for $19,999.
To find this expenditure on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Certificate Of Need."
The State of Illinois spent $1,910,822.81 on medical, scientific and laboratory supplies in 2008, and $944,027.42 on those expenses in 2009 by the time of our FOIA request. The Department of Veteran Affairs was responsible for 80% of the expenditures in 2008, and the Department of Public Health accounted for the other 20%. In 2009, the three departments with the most spending in this area were the Department of Veteran Affairs ($604,242), the Department of Transportation ($165,745), and the Department of Public Health ($156,472). The table below breaks down the expenses by year and department.
To find these expenses on the IllinoisOpenGov site go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Medical & Laboratory Supplies," "Medical Scientific And Laboratory Supplies," "Medical, Scientific & Lab Supplies," "Medical, Scientific And Labora," "Medical, Scientific And Laboratory Equip, <$100," "Medical, Scientific And Laboratory Supplies," "Medical, Scientific, And Laboratory Supplies," and "Medical/Lab Equip Not Ovr $100." To download data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
Department
Amount
2007
$99.23
Department
of Veteran Affairs
$99.23
2008
$1,910,822.81
Department
of Veteran Affairs
$1,531,629.98
Department
of Public Health
$379,192.83
2009
$944,027.42
Department
of Veteran Affairs
$604,242.28
Department
of Transportation
$165,745.55
Department
of Public Health
$156,472.02
Department
of Military Affairs
$16,720.47
Department
of Employment Security
$847.10
Dept of
Financial and Professional Regulation
$0.00*
Grand Total
$2,854,949.46
*Expenses showing "$0" have been classified by
their respective departments, and were not available through the FOIA.
Following up on a previous discussion covering the $532,451.28 the state spent on subscriptions, I found a number of interesting subscriptions paid for by the Governor's Office. In 2008 and 2009, the Governor's Office spent $13,184.90 on newspaper subscriptions from Capitol Newsstand-Facility 119. After spending $6,242.90 in 2008, the Governor's Office paid $6,942.00 to Capitol Newsstand in 2009. In addition to the $6,242.90 spent in 2008, the Governor's Office paid $1,659.50 to other companies for newspapers.
These are all part of the $26,525.77 the Governor's Office spent on subscriptions in 2008 and 2009. Although an astounding number, this $26,000 still places the Governor's Office behind four other state departments in tax dollars spent on subscriptions.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on "Checks to Businesses & People" and searching for "Subscriptions" in the "category of spending" section.
In 2009, the Department of Commerce gave Chicago Football Classic Incorporated a grant for $50,000. Chicago Football Classic Incorporated is an organization dedicated to supporting educational achievement, promoting cultural excellence and showcasing the spirit, energy and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the country. This grant was just one of the 4,362 the Department of Commerce gave in 2008 and 2009 at a total cost of $180,200,939.61. We hope to explore more of these grants in the near future, but for now check out previous posts on the 50 largest grants and the lack of transparency in the granting system.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on "Checks to Businesses & People" and searching for "Chicago Football Classic Inc." in the "vendor" section.
In 2008, the Governor's Office paid $176,200 in dues to the National Governors Association. That amount covered the Illinois Governor's dues for fiscal year 2009. According to the association's website, the National Governors Association is a "bipartisan organization of the nation's governors" and "promotes visionary state leadership, shares best practices and speaks with a unified voice on national policy." The website also states that "individual states pay dues to belong to NGA, and these revenues fund the state-federal operations of the organization."
To find this entry on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Fiscal Yr 2009 Dues."
In 2008 and 2009, the state of Illinois spent $532,451.28 on subscriptions to magazines, newspapers, and other services. Data Transmission Network Incorporated was the largest recipient of state funds, being paid $92,832.02 by The Department of Transportation in 2009. The Data Transmission Network provides clients with "a stream of timely information tailored to the specific needs of more than a dozen different markets and segments, including agriculture, refined fuels, commodities and futures trading, public safety, aviation, turf, recreation, construction and transportation." The Department of Transportation also paid $60,937.79 to West Publishing Corporation in 2009, making it the second largest provider of subscription services to the state. West Publishing "produces legal, business, and regulatory information in print and electronic services." The Department of Transportation as a whole spent $348,829.69 on subscriptions, more then the rest of the departments combined, including $5,398.92 on XM Satellite Radio (see below for a complete breakdown of spending by department).
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on "Checks to Businesses and People" and searching for "Subscriptions" under the "category of spending" section.
By the time of our FOIA request in 2009, the Department of Transportation spent $381,647.54 on the repair and maintenance of aircraft and boats. According to the IDOT website, the Division of Aeronautics operates and maintains "a number of aircraft in support of state government operations." Other than two ferries across the Illinois River operated by IDOT, I was unable to find any information regarding boats that IDOT owns. There were 36 vendors listed for these expenses. The three vendors who received the most were Humboldt Boat Service Co ($73,079), Mikes Inc ($60,807), and Poplar Grove Airmotive ($33,410).
To find these expenses on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Repair and Maintenance, Aircraft and Boats." To download the data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
In 2008, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services paid e.Republic Incorporated $3,968.00 for registration expenses and conference fees. "E.Republic is the nation's leading publishing, research, event, and new media company focused on the state and local government and education markets." E.Republic hosts over one hundred conferences throughout the year, including one titled "Are You Spending Too Much?" as well as their annual conference, to which government employees receive free entrance to the Keynote address and the expo floor.
You can find this spending for yourself by clicking on "Checks to Businesses & People" and searching for "E Republic" in the "vendor" section.
In 2008, the State of Illinois spent $15,712 on operating taxes, licenses and fees. The total for that category of spending in 2009 came to $311,871 by the time of our FOIA request. The Department of Veteran Affairs spent the most in 2008 with $15,486, while the Department of Transportation spent the most in 2009 with $276,842. The table below breaks down the expenditures by year and department.
To find these entries on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Operating Taxes & Licenses," "Operating Taxes License Fees," and "Operating Taxes, Licenses and Fees." To download the data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
Department
Amount
2008
$15,712.20
Department of
Veteran Affairs
$15,486.75
Department of
Healthcare and Family Services
$225.45
2009
$311,871.62
Department of
Transportation
$276,842.07
Department of
Military Affairs
$30,629.79
Department of
Veteran Affairs
$2,753.80
Department of
Children and Family Services
$1,220.96
Department of
Healthcare and Family Services
$420.00
Department of Human
Rights
$5.00
Dept of Financial
and Professional Regulation
$0.00*
Grand Total
$327,583.82
*Expenses showing "$0" have been classified by their
respective departments and were not available through the FOIA.
The Department of Public Health spent $454,950 in 2008 on background checks from VIP Security and Detective Services. The website for VIP Security and Detective Services states that they are "specialists in executive protection, bodyguards, asset protection, process service, site security and special events."
We previously reported that the Department of Public Health paid $240,000 in 2008 to someone who "identified offenders" through background checks. That brings the total amount spent on background checks by the Department of Public Health to $694,950 in 2008.
To find these expenses on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People" and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Background Checks."
In 2008 and 2009 (up until the time of our FOIA requests), the state of Illinois paid the National Association of State Workforce Agencies $72,208.35 for a variety of subscriptions and conferences. The NASWA is "an organization of state administrators of unemployment insurance laws, employment services, training programs, employment statistics and labor market information." The payments to this association included $48,500 for a subscription to services provided by NASWA and America's Job Link Alliance, and $13,000 for membership dues. Despite paying $13,000 in dues, the Department of Employment Security also paid $7,451.48 for employees to attend a variety of different conferences on "unemployment insurance, information technology, labor market information as well as NASWA's Annual Conference in September and the Winter Policy Legislative Conference in February" hosted by NASWA.
The membership fee and NAWA-AJLA subscription payments were the two largest payments made to NASWA. Beyond these, the department reimbursed two employees over $1,000 each for expenses incurred at NASWA conferences. Still, the $7,451.48 the Department of Employment Security spent on NASWA conference fees is only a small portion of the $502,788.85 that all the state agencies combined spent on fees, registration, and related expenses for conferences; a topic that will be covered in future pieces.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on the "Checks to Business & Individuals" section and searching for "National Association of State" in the "vendor" section, and "conf. fees" under the "category of spending" section.
The Department of Corrections spent $181,825.18 on travel in 2008 and $577,059.69 in 2009 by the time of our FOIA request. Over the two year period, payments were made to more than 1,700 vendors with most of the vendors being individuals. The largest payments were made to "Corrections Dept Of" ($156,538), Johnson Springfield Ventures ($12,352), and Joliet-55 Lodging Associates ($12,113). The individuals who received the largest payments for travel in 2008 and 2009 were Edward Huntley ($7,243), Dona L Howell ($4,954), and Lisa Hinrichsen ($4,746).
All three individuals are listed as Department of Corrections employees in the IllinoisOpenGov payroll database. Edward Huntley is a "Senior Public Service Administr" who received $126,967 in wages and $44,133 in benefits in 2009. Dona Howell is a "Public Service Administrator" who received $82,994 in wages and $81,641 in benefits in 2009. Lisa Hinrichsen is a "Corrections Officer" who received $76,159 in wages in 2009.
To find this data on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Businesses & People," select "Department of Corrections" for department, and scroll down "Category of Spending" to "Travel." To download the data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results. To find the payroll data, go to "Payroll" and enter the first and last names of the individuals into the appropriate fields.
In 2008 and 2009 (up until the time of our FOIA requests), the Department of Commerce spent $6,339.68 on paper shredders purchased from Office Depot Inc. The most expensive shredders were the Ativa Cross-Cut Shredder which the department spent $2,598.39 on in 2009, and the C-380 Strip-Cut Shredder which cost the department $1,434.30 in 2008.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on the "Checks to Businesses & People" Section and searching for "Shredder" under the "category of spending section."
The State of Illinois spent $3,602 on expenses to the Wolf Point Hotel Company in 2008 and $19,987 in 2009 (by the time of our FOIA request). In 2008, the expenses were fairly evenly spread amongst three departments, but in 2009, the Department of Public Health spent $18,174.76, which is over 26 times more than the next department. The table below breaks down the expenses by year and department.
While many of the expenses from other departments were for travel, the Department of Public Health spent $8,012.50 on meeting rooms, $5,212.26 on catering, and $4,950 on "Rental, Film/Audio/Visual Aids." It sounds like the Department of Public Health spent $18,174.76 on an event, but the information we were provided does have any further details.
To find these entries on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to "Checks to Business & People" and enter "Wolf Point Hotel Company" in the vendor field. To download the data, click on the Excel or CSV icon below the search results.
In 2008 and 2009 (up until the time of our FOIA requests), the Department of Transportation spent $226,117.57 on projects labeled "site improvements." These projects were handled by a number of different contractors, but the most expensive ones were A-1 Lock Inc, which received $87,431.8 in 2009; and Midwest Garage Door, which was paid $62,930.28 in 2009. A complete breakdown of the different vendors and the sizes of their contracts can be found in the table below. The Department of Transportation increased its spending on site improvements more then seven fold from $27,879 in 2008, to $198,238.57 in 2009. As noted on other occasions, labeling these contracts as "site improvements" provides taxpayers with minimal information on what services were preformed for the $225,000.
You can find this information for yourself by clicking on "Checks to Businesses & Individuals" and searching for "Site Improvements" in the "category of spending" section.
