Where Should Thomson Money Go?
By Kevin Lee (217)528-9604 SPRINGFIELD – Millions of federal dollars will come Illinois’ way with the sale of Thomson Correctional Center. But exactly how much money Illinois receives and where the money goes is still anyone’s guess. Gov. Pat Quinn is trying to offload the maximum-security Thomson prison to the federal government in an effort to cut costs and bring jobs to northwest Illinois. Illinois could receive anywhere between $140 and $225 million from selling the Thomson facility, said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, whose district includes Thomson. The federal government released a report (start at page 11 for the federal report) on how the Thomson sale could affect Illinois: • Rural northwest Illinois could see 3,000 jobs and $1 billion in new economic development within four years of the sale. • The new jobs could stem double-digit unemployment rates of counties throughout the region. • About 1,500 federal workers and military personnel would be transferred to northwes
