CAIRO, Ill. -- The timetable for construction of a new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Ohio River locks and dam near Olmsted still is on target.
"Assuming that everything goes well in the budget, there will be a considerable amount of money for further design and initial construction of the dam," said Rep. Glenn Poshard (D-Carterville) here last week. "Construction is expected to get under way in the fall of 1992.
The Olmsted locks and dam project, the Brady Bill gun-control measure, Persian Gulf activities, and health care were among the items discussed during a series of meetings conducted by Poshard recently throughout his Southern Illinois district.
"We completed our tour of the district Saturday," the congressman said. "We talked to a lot of people and got a lot of insight on several topics."
Poshard said the locks and dam project was on the minds of most people in the areas along the Ohio River.
"People want to know what this project will mean to the local economy and how it will affect the area," he said. "We feel that the project will create numerous opportunities for businesses and individuals throughout the area."
As many as 250 laborers will be employed during the construction phase of the project, he added.
"That many or more jobs will be created as a result of the construction," Poshard said. "Our timetable for the new facility calls for completion of the locks and dams by January of 2005."
The dam project, which will replace Dams 52 and 53 on the Ohio River, started as an $800 million project when the bill was first introduced by then Rep. Kenneth Gray (D-Illinois) and Rep. Carroll Hubbard Jr. (D-Ky.).
Due to inflation since the project's authorization in 1988, the expected cost of the proposal has increased to more than $1 billion.
Health care also is on the minds of people throughout the region, Poshard said.
"Everybody is scared to death," he said. "We had streams of people of all ages young and old alike showing up at all sites to discuss health care, or lack of it.
"They tell us that in many cases, insurance costs are higher than housing costs. We've seen some of our industrial base disappear, to be replaced with a retail base.
"What's happening is that a lot of $8 to $10 an hour jobs are being replaced by $5 to $6 an hour jobs, with employees having to provide their own insurance. In some cases these costs range up to $300 a month."
"People are telling us right up front that they want a national health care system." said Poshard. "Right now, we're looking into health care. We're looking at something like the Canadian system."
Gun control questions also were raised at every meeting, the congressman said.
"We have some differences of opinions in my district," said Poshard. "South of Route 13, in the southern portions of the state, the majority of people are against any type of gun controls, and are upset that Congress is even thinking of a change.
"Meanwhile, north of Route 13, in my district, feelings are opposite, and people are all for any kind of gun control."
People in the Southern portion of Poshard's district also are still concerned about the Persian Gulf situation, he said. Many residents from around Cairo, home of the 1244th National Guard unit, are wondering when transportation unit will be coming home.
"We won't know this until about a week before they will be coming home," Poshard said. "The 1244th is a transportation unit. Consequently, they are moving everyone else, and they may be utilized there for a while yet."
Poshard explained that this is the first time in history that National Guard and reserve units had been integrated into the regular forces.
"They are not considered as backup troops," he said. "They're right in the middle of it.
"Sometimes, it is difficult for family to think of their loved ones as regular army troops. They are. And they don't get any special considerations. We can only hope that they will be released in the near future."
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