A democratic candidate for state representative says he has a plan to make deadbeats pay their state debts and possibly generate $300 million for Southern Illinois.

John S. Rendleman is running for the democratic nomination for the Illinois House representative of the 115th District for the March 19 primary election. He announced Monday at a press conference his plan to possibly generate the money to create jobs, strengthen infrastructure and fund education.

Rendleman said if he is elected state representative for the district, which includes Carbondale, he will coordinate the state’s debt collection process to collect the $1.8 billion owed to the state. He said he will funnel $300 million of the debts paid to Southern Illinois.

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Rendleman said there is no existing plan to collect on the debts that are owed to different state agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

There is no effort to coordinate debt collection, he said. This can provide job opportunities and education funding.

When repeatedly asked by reporters at the conference about specifics of his plan, he said he only has the idea of the collection and offered no guarantee that the money would come to Southern Illinois.

The important thing is that I have found a funding source, he said.

Rendleman said the idea is to build infrastructure to attract businesses to create long-term jobs in Southern Illinois. He said he wants to export Southern Illinois’ goods and services and not let children move away because there are no jobs here.

Rendleman said good infrastructure would bring investors to Southern Illinois to build industry.

Rendleman said he would coordinate the collection of the unpaid debts through the Auditor General’s office.

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Karl Maple and Elsie Speck, Rendleman’s opponents for the democratic nomination, agreed that Southern Illinois needs an economic boost.

Speck said she thinks it is a good idea to try to use the money generated from debt collection to help rebuild the economy in Southern Illinois, but she said she is skeptical of the figures.

Who’s to say that if these agencies collect, that Southern Illinois will benefit, Speck said.

State Rep. Mike Bost, R- Murphysboro, said the Illinois Comptroller’s Office is already working on the debt collection, and he said in most cases the money will go back to where it originated.

If it was a low interest loan to a business and they pay it back, it will go to an economic development fund, Bost said.

Bost also said Rendleman ignores the fact that there are 117 other districts that he would have to adopt a resolution to allow him to receive the money.

If all that is collected is the $300 million, how will he deal with the other districts to get the money, Bost said. What will he offer them?

Bost said he is working with county officials to bring in factories and build infrastructure.

There is the prison coming to Pinckneyville, and they are working on bringing in more businesses to the area, he said.