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Lawmakers See Some Problems with I-DOT
(IRN)-Critics of the Illinois Department of Transportation say it does not have enough people of color, and does have too many airplanes.

Members of an Illinois House appropriations committee quizzed Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig about both matters. Hannig says he has been able to bring the minority population in IDOT's workforce from 8 percent to 9 percent. He admits that does not sound like a big accomplishment, though there has not been much hiring of anyone to speak of. He said such an entrenched problem cannot be corrected quickly, he compared it to a baseball player who is 0-for-18 and then goes on a hot streak with two hits, making for a measly .100 average.

State Representative Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) says it looks bad for the state to have a fleet of aircraft when it is in such dire financial condition. He did not say he would try to get rid of some of the planes, though. Hannig told the committee he oversees four Beechcraft King Air jets, two helicopters, and nine Cessna fixed-wing planes.

(Source: Illinois Radio Network)
04 04 11 by Newsroom
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