The Eagle Creek Resort has been a sticky political and financial problem for the state of Illinois for the better part of 25 years, back to Gov. "Big Jim" Thompson and his desire, not unusual among governors, to build some part of his legacy.

Eagle Creek seldom in its 24-year history has been a thriving success. And last July, the 138-room lodge, convention center, golf course and marina near Findlay, about 70 miles from Champaign-Urbana, was closed over health and financial concerns. A report done for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources estimates it will cost at least $900,000 just to remove mold-damaged infrastructure and fixtures from property.

IDNR asked for bid proposals to reopen and operate Eagle Creek and got five of them.

But in a surprising development last week, it found four of them lacking minimum standards and awarded the contract to BMDD Resorts Corporation, a Decatur firm with no experience running a resort or a golf course.

IDNR hasn't revealed any details of BMDD's bid, nor did it explain to other bidders how their proposals failed to meet the minimums.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that the BMDD principal, Dennis Ballinger, has been a regular contributor to Democratic Party politicians in Illinois, including House Speaker Michael Madigan ($12,500 over the last five years). Maybe it's just a coincidence, but it doesn't look good.

Dennis Fayhee, owner of the Sullivan Marina & Campground, also on Lake Shelbyville, was one of the unsuccessful bidders for Eagle Creek. He'd like to protest IDNR's decision to reject his bid – and under the rules he has to do so by Thursday – but he doesn't know why his bid was rejected, nor why BMDD's was the only one to meet the state's standards.

"I'm really working on behalf of the four of us rejected out of hand," Fayhee said Monday. "Eighty percent of the bids thrown out, leaving only one to win by default? I'm trying not to be negative because I don't know what they did. But my goal now is to set out to see why this would be happening.

"I know I put hundreds of hours of due diligence into creating this thing to have someone I don't know just throw it out," he said.

He should learn some details today. The IDNR says they'll let Fayhee and others see some bid documents as early as this morning.

"I'll file a protest based on what little I know now," he said. "And I'm reserving the right to expand the protest after seeing the documents."

Something tells me the prolonged, difficult saga of Eagle Creek Resort is about to get more prolonged and difficult.

Show us the money

Reps. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, Bill Black, R-Danville, and a number of other Republican supporters of higher education have sent letters to Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes, urging them to establish a timeline for sending money to the institutions.

According to Rose, Black and eight other GOP lawmakers, the state is about to get an infusion of at least $4 billion that should allow the universities to get some of the collective billions of dollars owed them.

"Within this month and into next month, the state of Illinois will receive, at minimum, $4 billion coming into state coffers via various sources (the pension borrowing initiative at $840 million, the Family Care lawsuit settlement at $400 million, additional federal funds at around $1.025 billion, and (the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability) has indicated at least $1.5 billion will come in from March and April tax collections, to name a few," wrote the lawmakers.

"We're not trying to pick a fight," Rose said Monday. "But the money is coming in the door now, so give us the plan for how long it's going to be before they get paid."

Lt. Gov. Prussing?

Add Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing to the list of Democrats (including state Sen. Mike Frerichs of Champaign and state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson of Urbana) not interested in becoming Gov. Pat Quinn's running mate.

A few local Democrats suggested that Prussing would be an ideal candidate: downstater, female, executive and legislative experience and, even better, a real Quinn supporter. She headed his Champaign County primary election campaign committee this year and is a longtime fan of the governor.

But she's taken herself out of the running.

"I'm certainly not interested in being lieutenant governor," she said. "I've got my hands full being mayor. Nobody's asked me, and if they did I'd have to tell that them I really enjoy being mayor. But I'm flattered that anyone would even consider putting my name out there."

Tom Kacich's column appears on Wednesdays and Sundays. He can be reached at 351-5221 or kacich@news-gazette.com.