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Public Affairs coverage from our award-winning staff |
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Few Options Remain in Illinois Budget Stalemate
Produced by Sam Hudzik on Thursday, June 25, 2009
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Political inaction over Illinois' budget continues. And few options remain on the table as the deadline draws near.
Governor Pat Quinn has warned of big cuts to service agencies ever since the legislature passed a budget slashing their funding.
QUINN: We have a duty to tell them that the money that we have on the horizon from our friends in the legislature is half as much as last year.
The governor denies he was trying to incite a panic to help push through a tax hike, even though he says has no intention of letting that budget - and the cuts - take effect.
QUINN: Now that may mean if we don't get a budget on midnight Tuesday night, that everybody's in the same boat, everybody has to deal with this, not just social service agencies.
Quinn says he doesn't support passing a temporary budget that could avert a government shutdown, saying that's "postponing our rendezvous with reality."
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Ben Dronfield, Lincoln Square // Friday, June 26, 2009 @ 10:09 AM
What does the governor mean when he says that he has no intention of letting the 50% budget - and the cuts - take effect. Does he have a superpower that I'm not aware of? Thanks.
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Illinois Citizen, Centralia // Friday, June 26, 2009 @ 10:40 AM
Illinois General Assembly should work vigorously before july 1, 2009 to have a budget in place and not a month to month budget. A month to month budget just prolongs this problem. I don't like raising taxes but realistically i think we have to.......
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Kristin, Sheridan, IL // Friday, June 26, 2009 @ 10:43 AM
I work for a nonprofit organization that has a contract with IDHS to administer its program. I think there is a lot of confusion. We received a contract based on the 50% cut, which DHS "was forced' to send to us. We have received conflicting information, preparing us for layoffs effective July 1st based on this budget that hasn't even been signed into law. Thanks for invoking panic, Quinn. It's nice to see some agencies stayed fully or nearly funded, and DHS got massacred. Sure DHS programs could use some revamping, but what about other areas of government? We are furious and upset, and so are the clients that are programs serve. Does anyone want to be re-elected? Apparently not.
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Reformer, 'burbs // Friday, June 26, 2009 @ 12:31 PM
DHS isn't being singled out. Most of the budget is locked in for one legal reason or another. The only areas under control of the Gov and G.A. are state gov't and DHS.
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Donna M., South Suburbs, Illinois // Sunday, June 28, 2009 @ 12:47 AM
As a provider of services for troubled youth, disabled youth, adopted and foster youth I want to let you know that they are scared to death about what the cuts will do to their present lives and their future. They fear the gangs that are waiting for them since the cuts mean no more afterschool programs, no supportive services and in some cases, no place to call home. Many of the youth have been abused or neglected once and now the agency that said they would protect them can no longer afford to leaving them to be abused again! If the state does not have a budget that will reinstated the services by July 1st can we charge them with abuse and neglet or perhaps abandonment??? When did we get so angry with our children and the elderly that we are willing to sacrifice them for a vote? Who will be indicated for abuse or meglect if there is no settlment in favor of the children by July 1st, and a child is found missing or killed because they no longer had a safe place to go? We can not afford to feed our children to the streets!
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Nathaniel Davis, Murphysboro // Sunday, June 28, 2009 @ 11:23 AM
I don't understand why state Republicans are so unwilling to raise corporate taxes from 4.8% to 7.2% and the individual tax from 3% to 4.5%. I for one am willing to pay a little more to keep our social safety net intact. This is where bitter partisan anger comes from.
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Michelle A., Crete, IL // Sunday, June 28, 2009 @ 4:33 PM
Everyone is so up in arms over a tax increase that would hardly be noticeable. I work in a substance abuse agency, we will be faced with a 77% decrease in funds. Let's explore what will happen if this happens...
Substance abusers without insurance will be unable to get treatment. They will continue to do what they do... mind you that for every $1 spent on treatment, you save $7 in other costs (goes up to $12 for prevention).
Cook County Jail is going to release up to 3000 prisoners that have yet to serve their time.
DCFS workers are going to have a caseload of 50 instead of 15, investigators cases will increase by 100% as well.
Mothers are going to lose reduced cost child care... which will lead to a loss of jobs, child abuse and neglect.. so let's increase those DCFS workers case loads a little more should we?
How about grandma? Well previously there was a team of 64 people making sure that those in nursing homes were treated properly. Sorry grams, they gotta go.
Illinois is very close to turning into a ghetto, then entire stinking state.
Hold on to your hats boys and girls, the ride is going to get bumpy.
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Rico Gonzalez, Lansing, IL // Tuesday, June 30, 2009 @ 8:07 PM
I think the people of Illinois who don't welcome a tax increase need to take a look at California, the people voted away opportunities to keep their programs. Now they are up the proverbial creek. You may not think social program cuts won't affect you, until they do. the difference you will pay with a tax hike will be miniscule compared to the cuts that will be made. Because you know the legislature wont be taking pay cuts or pension cuts.
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brian, chicagoland // Thursday, July 02, 2009 @ 6:48 AM
The all the governments have been out of control, now they are frantically looking for more and more of our money. I do not have a pension plan, my wife does not have a pension plan, actually i do not know anyone who has a pension plan. So why do all government workers have a pension plan? Perhaps this is a good place to start the cuts, instead of the constant threat of service cuts.
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Joe, Lake County, IL // Thursday, July 02, 2009 @ 4:17 PM
Did you know that amidst all these proposed cuts that range from 30-70% ... in effect ending may agencies as we know them... the public universities are getting an increase.
You should find it somewhat unsettling that while IL will kill many social services, the big universities will be expanding the use of our taxes, despite having huge cash reserves that are effectively hidden from taxpayer view.
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Mike, Schaumburg // Friday, July 03, 2009 @ 2:04 AM
You all can claim a tax increase is the only way, but the clear cases of patronage and corruption in all levels of Illinois Government cannot be ignored. These inefficiencies wouldn't be tolerated in the private sector and they surely shouldn't be tolerated in the public sector. I am a business owner and a taxpayer and I can tell you that raising my state income taxes by 50% will definitely be felt by me personally and raising my business rate will already trim my profit margin. It may be enough where I will barely break even and no longer make the additional work of being a buniness owner enough to keep going. In turn, I will be forced to lay off 4 good employees who will then be out of a job and no longer have health insurance. The tax increases proposed FORCE me to cut costs with no say on my part. The State has the option to raise taxes to collect additional revenue. I cannot raise prices to offset the additional cost as I will no longer be competive and my customers will no longer buy from me. The tax will likely put me out of business and 4 people out of work on off the taxpayer rolls. The State Government needs to cut costs and waste to deliver an efficient operation of finite goverment resources. It is time that the government learned to live within its means just as I have to. If social services have to get cut, then so be it. That is the consequence of reckless spending over the long term. As people feel the pain or lack of depending on the actual result, we will then be able to decide if the services are worth their cost or not. Then maybe the populace will educate themselves about who there elected officials are and what they are doing or NOT doing to deliver the best services to the residents of Illinois. It's time we all felt a little pain to truly know what is valuable and what is not. Only after will we truly be able to know what is needed and what is not.
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