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2008
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December 2008
12/16/08
State loses over $20 million in bond sale
The legal problems surrounding Gov. Rod Blagojevich have already cost the state more than $20 million, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
12/5/08
Office of the State Treasurer joins Jordan Foundation to make investment in Student A-TEAM Scholars
The James R. Jordan Foundation, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' office and Union Bank have joined forces to invest up to $35,000 in Bright Directions College Savings Program accounts for A-TEAM Scholars.
12/4/08
Skyrocketing pension debt gives urgency to consolidate funds
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias says a new report showing that the state's underfunded
pension liability has reached a record $54 billion demonstrates an immediate need to merge the
investment functions of the state's five pension systems.
12/1/08
Giannoulias calls for creation of ILPERS by merging state pension boards
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is calling for the consolidation of the investment activities of all five of the state-funded pension systems into a single investment entity to curb ethics abuse in state government and save beneficiaries tens of millions of dollars annually. Top
November 2008
11/20/08
General Assembly unanimously overrides governor's veto
The Illinois General Assembly unanimously overrode the governor's amendatory veto of a bill aimed at protecting consumers from outrageous fees charged by private finder firms.
11/19/08
Giannoulias, Quincy Senior High students catch Financial Football fever
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias teamed up with Quincy Senior High School students today to tackle tough economic issues with a fun and interactive video game called Financial Football.
11/18/08
State Treasurer touts "Silver and Gold" holiday auction
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' office is selling more than $125,000 worth of diamonds, pearls, gems, jewels and currency during its three week-long Silver and Gold holiday auctions. The auctions run noon to noon, Sunday to Sunday, Nov. 23 to Dec. 14.
11/10/08
Giannoulias: Protect Consumers, Override Governor's Veto
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is urging legislators to override the governor's amendatory veto of a bill aimed at protecting consumers from outrageous fees charged by private finder firms.
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October 2008
10/31/08
Austin clinic awarded first Green Energy loan
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ office awarded its first Green Energy loan to a community health center that broke ground Wednesday, Oct. 29, in Chicago’s Austin community.
10/30/08
$100 million requested by Illinois banks and credit unions
In less than two weeks, financial institutions across the state have accepted millions of dollars in deposits from the State Treasurer's office which is helping to thaw the credit freeze in Illinois.
10/23/08
Chicago child wins Bright Start contest, scholarship
A Chicago child will see his face on television and receive a $1,000 scholarship after winning the first Bright Start College Savings Program commercial contest, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
10/17/08
New bank in Woodlawn thanks to Treasurer's loan
The Community First Bank of the Heartland broke ground this week to build a new branch in Woodlawn with help from Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' office.
10/16/08
Giannoulias commits $1 billion to Illinois financial institutions
State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias will make up to $1 billion in interest-earning deposits available to Illinois banks and credit unions in an effort to thaw the credit freeze and improve the performance of the state's investment portfolio.
10/1/08
Giannoulias: Illinois investments are safe
Illinois avoided taking a hit during the recent market meltdown by not investing any of the state's $14 billion portfolio in debt issued by failed Wall Street firms or in sub-prime mortgage market investments, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
Top
September 2008
9/29/08
Giannoulias: Cap costs to death penalty fund
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is drafting legislation to cap the amount of money attorneys and investigators receive for food, travel and hotels when working on capital litigation cases and to monitor individuals suspected of abusing the fund.
9/25/08
Giannoulias: New law will pay down pension debt
A new law will potentially save the state $16 billion dollars by paying down the state’s $43 billion unfunded pension liability, said Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who drafted the legislation earlier this year.
9/25/08
Low-interest loans offered to storm victims
After this week’s disaster declaration, residents who live in Bureau, Kendall and Woodford counties have been added to the list of those eligible for low-interest loans through the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office.
9/16/08
Kyle Orton, Treasurer Giannoulias tackle financial literacy
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Chicago Bears quarterback Kyle Orton kicked off an effort to improve the money management skills of high school students today at Kenwood Academy in Chicago's Hyde Park community.
9/15/08
Low-interest loans offered to storm victims
Low-interest loans are available to the owners of homes and businesses that sustained weather-related damage during recent storms in Cook, DuPage, DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle and Will counties, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
9/9/08
Giannoulias cracks down on campus credit cards
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias wants to crack down on credit card companies preying on Illinois college students by prohibiting on-campus giveaways and restricting access to student information.
9/4/08
Parenting can pay off with Bright Start commercial
Parents have less than one month to submit a home videotape of their everyday childrearing challenges by participating in a first-ever Bright Start College Savings Program scholarship and commercial contest, sponsored by the Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' Office.
Top
August 2008
8/20/08
Grand opening for first phase of Whistler Crossing in Riverdale
Whistler Crossing, an innovative 132 unit residential development located in Riverdale Illinois, will be celebrating its grand opening on Thursday, August 21st at 10 AM at 13711 S. Lowe Avenue. Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation, Turnstone Development and the Village of Riverdale are hosting the celebratory event.
8/15/08
Governor signs foreclosure prevention legislation
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today signed legislation to allow the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office to assist more homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments and who are at risk of foreclosure.
8/12/08
Giannoulias awards 10 agriculture scholarships
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias handed out 10 Excellence in Agriculture Scholarships to
deserving Illinois high school seniors during the annual Agriculture Breakfast this morning at the
Illinois State Fair.
8/11/08
Treasurer Giannoulias is SOLD on eBay auction
There are more than 150,000 reasons that auctioning the state's unclaimed property on eBay will
become a permanent initiative, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
8/6/08
Credit cards now accepted at DMVs
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced that customers can now use MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit or debit cards to pay driver's license and identification card fees, as well as vehicle renewals and registrations.
8/6/08
Lending program introduced for small businesses
Harris and Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias today announced "HELP Employ Illinois" (Harris Entrepreneurial Loan Program), a new pilot lending program for Illinois-based small businesses. The new program aims to provide small business owners greater access to capital as they seek to start or grow businesses.
8/1/08
State Treasurer: You Could Be Rich!
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is urging Illinois residents to check their local newspapers this month to find out if they are the owners of millions of dollars in lost wealth.
8/1/08
Residents Cash in Savings Bonds at Treasurer's Office
Starting today, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' Banking Division will be flooded with
Illinois residents cashing in the matured $5,000 college savings bonds they invested in years ago.
Top
July 2008
7/30/08
New mattresses delivered to Lincoln Hotel
The first shipment of new mattresses and box springs were delivered to the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center today in an effort to improve customer service and increase the hotel's sale price in advance of its auction later this year, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said.
7/21/08
State Treasurer's workshops to fight foreclosure
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office will host a series of foreclosure prevention workshops for community leaders, clergy and employers in Illinois from Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25.
7/17/08
State commits $550,000 to Cahokia Mounds
The state is committing nearly $550,000 to Cahokia Mounds to assist in the preservation and restoration of the largest prehistoric Native American city north of Mexico, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced today.
7/15/08
Treasurer cuts interest rates for green businesses
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias will offer discounted interest rates to businesses that are going green independently or through Ameren, ComEd and other energy-efficiency programs.
7/14/08
Giannoulias opens new satellite office in Rock Island
In an effort to reach more Illinois residents, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias today opened a Treasurer’s satellite office in the Rock Island County Building at no new cost to the state.
7/14/08
Giannoulias opens new satellite office in Rockford
In an effort to reach more Illinois residents, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias today opened a Treasurer’s satellite office in the Zeke Giorgi State Building at no new cost to the state.
7/7/08
Town hall meetings scheduled for disaster areas
In a series of town hall meetings scheduled for the next two weeks, the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office will provide an overview of the office’s low-interest loan programs for Illinois residents in the wake of recent storms.
7/3/08
State sells troubled Collinsville hotel
The State of Illinois has sold the Collinsville Holiday Inn, putting an end to an ill-fated, politically
connected sweetheart deal that cost the state millions, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias
announced today. Top
June 2008
6/23/08
Twenty four counties eligible for disaster loans
Low-interest loans are available to residents and businesses in Edgar, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair and Whiteside counties, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
6/23/08
Giannoulias tours Champaign bio-tech company
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias toured a bio-technology company in
Champaign today to promote the state's investment in venture capital firms.
6/19/08
More areas eligible for disaster loans
Low-interest loans are available to residents and businesses in Winnebago, Jersey, Knox and
Madison counties, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
6/17/08
Town hall meetings scheduled for disaster areas
In a series of town hall meetings scheduled for the next two weeks, the Illinois State Treasurer's office and other local, state and federal agencies will present on the financial assistance available to Southern Illinois residents in the wake of recent storms.
6/16/08
Low-interest loans offered to storm victims in Lake and Douglas counties
Low-interest loans are available to residents and businesses in Lake and Douglas counties, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
6/16/08
Low-interest loans offered to storm victims in seven west-central counties
Low-interest loans are available to residents and businesses in
Adams, Calhoun, Hancock, Henderson, Mercer, Rock Island and Pike
counties, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
6/11/08
Low-interest loans offered to storm victims in six southeastern counties
Low-interest loans are available to residents and businesses in Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Jasper and Lawrence counties, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today. Top
May 2008
5/29/08
Giannoulias preps Abe Lincoln Hotel for sale
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias plans to spend approximately $270,000 on necessary improvements at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield before putting it on the auction block in the next several months.
5/23/08
Giannoulias: Military medals will never be sold
Heading into the Memorial Day holiday, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is pushing a bill that would prohibit lost or abandoned military medals from being sold by the state under future administrations.
5/20/08
Your child could star in a Bright Start commercial
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias wants Illinois parents to submit home videos of their children for his first-ever Bright Start College Savings Program scholarship and commercial contest.
5/19/08
Giannoulias report exposes wrongdoing at Lincoln Hotel
Owners of the Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center in Springfield employed a sophisticated scheme to limit and divert its cash flow according to a forensic review commissioned by Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. As a result, it appears the owners attempted to defraud the state of millions of dollars in loan payments.
5/7/08
Giannoulias: Deposit stimulus checks in Bright Start
Illinois residents should consider investing their economic stimulus checks into a Bright Start College Savings account that could double their money in 10 years, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
5/2/08
Interest in Collinsville hotel pushes back sale date one week
Heightened interest in the upcoming sale of the Collinsville Holiday Inn has resulted in the state providing an additional week before bids are due, the Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ Office said today.
Top
April 2008
4/28/08
Treasurer commits $3.5M to IL college scholarships
With college costs outpacing inflation, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is committing $3.5 million in scholarships to Illinois students, including $2.8 million in need-based grants that he announced today.
4/23/08
Treasurer’s Office launches new Bright Start ads
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ office has launched a new advertising campaign designed to increase awareness about the state’s 529 Bright Start College Savings Program and ultimately boost the number of accounts.
4/16/08
Bright Start Top 5 rated college savings plan in nation
Morningstar, Inc. has named Illinois’ Bright Start College Savings Program one of the top five college savings plans in the nation, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced following the release of a report today.
4/1/08
Ex-Treasurer employee caught stealing State funds
A former employee of the Illinois State Treasurer's Office has been indicted on federal charges of stealing $750,000 when she worked for Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, authorities said today.
Top
March 2008
3/26/08
Giannoulias to auction off Collinsville Holiday Inn this spring
The state will hold an auction in May to sell the Collinsville Holiday Inn to a new owner, finally ending the state’s ill-fated saga of granting multi-million dollar loans to politically connected
insiders, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
3/24/08
Treasurer Giannoulias offers aid to southern Illinois disaster areas
Low-interest loans are available to southern Illinois residents affected by the recent flooding through the state’s Opportunity Illinois Disaster Recovery Loan program, State Treasurer Alexi
Giannoulias said today.
3/17/08
Bill protects consumers from "finder fees"
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is introducing a consumer protection bill that will prohibit companies from charging outrageous fees for reuniting Illinois residents with their own unclaimed property, something they can do themselves for free.
3/12/08
Giannoulias pension bill passes House committee
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias wants to commit all revenues generated by his office’s unclaimed property division toward paying down the state’s $42 billion unfunded pension liability.
3/11/08
Treasurer partners with Neumann Association on eBay project
The photos eBay buyers see highlighting the state’s unclaimed property available for sale this
month have been taken by individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness.
3/5/08
Giannoulias' office takes title of Lincoln Hotel
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias took a significant step toward the sale of the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center by effectively gaining ownership of the troubled property today.
3/4/08
Giannoulias advises Springfield women to "recession-proof their portfolios"
With the possibility of a recession in the near future, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias gave financial advice to more than 200 women at this year’s Smart Women Smart Money conference in Springfield today.
Top
February 2008
2/25/08
Giannoulias Challenge: Beat me in basketball, earn Bright Start scholarship
State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a former NCAA Division I basketball player and international
pro-baller, wants to give away a Bright Start College Scholarship this weekend, but you’re going to
have to earn it.
2/25/08
Giannoulias doubles agriculture scholarships in 2008
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has doubled the number of scholarships his office will award this year to high school seniors who plan to study agriculture in college.
2/8/08
Treasurer Giannoulias seeking 55,000 owners of lost cash
More than 55,000 people and businesses have had money and assets turned over to Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ Office since August 2007, bringing the total number of unclaimed property claimants to a whopping 10 million.
2/6/08
Illinoisans now able to deposit tax refunds automatically into Bright Start
For the first time, Illinois residents can have their income tax refund deposited automatically into their Bright Start College Savings account when completing their state and federal tax returns, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced today.
Top
January 2008
1/27/08
Giannoulias announces Fallen Heroes Scholarship
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth have established the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund to benefit the children of fallen Illinois service members.
1/22/08
Giannoulias asks banks to waive fees for Holocaust survivors
State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is asking Illinois banks to voluntarily waive wire transfer fees on reparations from the German government paid to Holocaust survivors.
1/16/08
Foreclosure order issued for Springfield hotel
A judge has entered an order of foreclosure for the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center in Springfield, marking a significant step toward ending a 25-year political and financial debacle that has cost Illinois taxpayers nearly $30 million, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
1/14/08
Rock Island buys hybrid fleet
The city of Rock Island will drive clean and save green in 2008 thanks to the purchase of 21 new, fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
1/10/08
Giannoulias legislation aims to reduce foreclosures
A measure drafted by State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias that would make it easier for homeowners to refinance mortgages was approved by lawmakers in the Illinois House today.
1/7/08
New investment strategy to raise $1 million a year
The State of Illinois is introducing securities lending as a new, low-risk investment strategy designed to boost the yield on the state’s portfolio, conservatively, by as much as $1 million annually, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said today.
1/2/08
Bright Start rewards program offers new way to save for college
Families enrolled in the Bright Start College Savings Program can now earn money toward their children’s college tuition whenever they go shopping with the new Bright Start Futuretrust MasterCard, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced today.
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