Employees fight move of traffic division

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois Department of Transportation workers opposed to moving the state's traffic safety division to southern Illinois have taken their opposition to the streets in a big way.

Department workers put up a billboard Wednesday with the simple message that they support keeping the Transportation Department's traffic safety jobs in Springfield.

Joan Egizii, who works in the division, says the billboard is targeting people coming to Springfield from southern Illinois for a legislative hearing about Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposed move of the division to Harrisburg.

Blagojevich contends transferring IDOT's Division of Traffic Safety from Springfield to Harrisburg would save the state $12.8 million over the next decade. The Democratic governor says it would also boost the weak economy in southern Illinois.