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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has a strategic interest in | ||||||
| 3 | the operations of the Illinois International Port District and | ||||||
| 4 | its Board, whose function is to develop the District's port and | ||||||
| 5 | harbor facilities, issue construction permits, regulate the | ||||||
| 6 | District's facilities and waterways, establish and operate | ||||||
| 7 | foreign trade zones, and govern and administer all the District | ||||||
| 8 | area within Chicago's corporate limits; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, The City of Chicago aims to revitalize the Port of | ||||||
| 10 | Chicago; in 2010, cargo shipments at the Port of Chicago | ||||||
| 11 | directly or indirectly supported 6,930 jobs and generated | ||||||
| 12 | $425,000,000 in revenue for Illinois firms, according to the | ||||||
| 13 | Washington D.C.-based American Great Lakes Ports Association; | ||||||
| 14 | and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, The Port of Chicago links rail and trucking lines | ||||||
| 16 | with barges and ships supplying the Great Lakes and nearby | ||||||
| 17 | rivers; the port handles an estimated 26,000,000 cargo tons | ||||||
| 18 | annually throughout its 1,500 acre complex on the far south | ||||||
| 19 | side, according to a recent estimate by a consortium of Great | ||||||
| 20 | Lakes shipping interests; and
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| 21 | WHEREAS, Chicago is the 7th largest U.S. Customs district | ||||||
| 22 | for imports and exports in the country; the U.S. Army Corps of | ||||||
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| 1 | Engineers ranks Illinois as the 5th highest state for all | ||||||
| 2 | waterborne commerce in 2009 by tonnage; the Great Lakes is | ||||||
| 3 | considered "America's Fourth Coast"; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Although the Illinois International Port District | ||||||
| 5 | Board has operated the port since the 1950s, there have been no | ||||||
| 6 | major dockside improvements in 30 years; in 2011, half of the | ||||||
| 7 | District's revenue originated with the 2 golf courses on the | ||||||
| 8 | District's land, while the other half originated from fees paid | ||||||
| 9 | by freight companies, according to Crain's Chicago Business; | ||||||
| 10 | and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and | ||||||
| 12 | the entire Midwest economy need a major change in the | ||||||
| 13 | operations of the Illinois International Port District; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, The Chairman of the Illinois International Port | ||||||
| 15 | District Board has requested that the Auditor General conduct | ||||||
| 16 | an audit as described below; therefore, be it
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| 17 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 18 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 19 | the Auditor General is directed to conduct a management audit | ||||||
| 20 | of the Illinois International Port District to examine the | ||||||
| 21 | operations and management of the district and to report the | ||||||
| 22 | findings to the Illinois General Assembly; and be it further
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois International Port District | ||||||
| 2 | and the Illinois International Port District Board fully | ||||||
| 3 | cooperate with the audit and turn over any materials requested | ||||||
| 4 | by the Auditor General; and be it further | ||||||
| 5 | RESOLVED, That the Auditor General is further directed to | ||||||
| 6 | commence this audit as soon as possible and, upon completion, | ||||||
| 7 | distribute a report in accordance with Section 3-14 of the | ||||||
| 8 | Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further | ||||||
| 9 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | delivered to the Auditor General and to all 4 legislative | ||||||
| 11 | leaders of the Illinois General Assembly.
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