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* AP…
The House spent [Tuesday] working to reverse the Republican governor’s cuts to child care programs and to release $146 million in fuel-tax money to help cities fill potholes — four-tenths of 1 percent of what the state usually spends annually, and the governor lauded a $2.5 million sale of surplus aircraft.
Rauner’s spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the Legislature’s piecemeal spending approach represents Democrats’ attempt to “claw their way to a massive tax hike by hamstringing the state with an unbalanced budget.”
* We’ll get back to that quote in a bit, but first, some more on the child care cuts…
A key change put in place by the Department of Human Services includes tougher income requirements, which advocates say has shut out all but about 10 percent of families that previously qualified. Participants also face higher copays, and the state has frozen the intake of new clients.
DHS said the state is projected to save $47 million annually using higher copays and other measures, and an additional $5.3 million per month from freezing intakes to the program.
But critics say the short-term savings will be greatly outweighed by the harm to parents who will be forced to quit school or work because they no longer receive help caring for their children.
Lawmakers heard testimony from Chandra Ankoor, a single mother of three from Springfield who said she works seven days a week bartending, waitressing and cleaning office buildings to make ends meet. Without the program, Ankoor said she would not be able to make rent and pay for child care.
“For me, to lose this program would cause me to be homeless,” said Ankoor, who has testified in the past on the issue.
* The administration’s full response to yesterday’s House action…
Today’s action represents yet another week of Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls trying to claw their way to a massive tax hike by hamstringing the state with an unbalanced budget.
This amendment impacts state funds because it draws from the General Revenue Fund, and the state cannot afford near unlimited child care without a balanced budget.
Illinois needs the reforms proposed by the governor to free up resources to help the most vulnerable and to grow the economy. One of the governor’s first major actions as governor was to save child care funding from the Democrats purposefully underfunding it in the last fiscal year.
That last sentence is true. You’ll recall that the Democrats planted several time bombs in the 2015 budget, and underfunded child care was one of them. But now we’re talking an administrative rule which will prevent 90 percent of those previously eligible from qualifying.
* Meanwhile…
The official overseeing the state’s child care program who was reassigned from her post by the Rauner administration has retired.
Linda Saterfield, a longtime associate director of the Office of Early Childhood, on Tuesday confirmed her departure.
Her retirement comes after she was reassigned after her testimony to lawmakers that Gov. Bruce Rauner’s cuts to child care assistance would be “devastating” for families who rely on it.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 9:53 am
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===Today’s action represents yet another week of Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls trying to claw their way to a massive tax hike by hamstringing the state with an unbalanced budget.===
Oh, “ck”. If Rauner had a budget, it wouldn’t matter.
The governor of the state of Illinois has judges and one signed Approp.
“Bruce Rauner has failed.”
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:02 am
Not really surprised that Linda Saterfield took retirement; it’s hard to continue working form an organization that doesn’t want you / doesn’t support you.
Hopefully she’ll continue her advocacy with one of the many organizations or maybe a smart State Representative or Senator will hire her as an adviser.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:03 am
And where’s Rauner’s balanced budget without a tax hike?
Comment by drew Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:03 am
“for”, not form
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:04 am
“legislators he controls” what about the legislators the Governor is trying to threaten/bribe
Comment by Spidad60 Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:05 am
Well yes, between the lawsuits, the courts, and various piecemeal legislative efforts, our political masters are indeed trying to position themselves such that there is no alternative but big income tax hike. Rauner will benefit from this effort as much as the Dems, of course; the Repubs, a practically dead party in Illinois, will utter a few feeble squawks, but who pays any attention to them, these days. Good deal for Repubs because if you are ultra-weak nobody can blame you for anything. It’s all about avoiding blame, and hitting up the weakest link for cash, lots of cash, so Illinois’ astonishingly bad governance can continue unabated-yet profitable for many politicians.
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:05 am
Is this really how to balance the non-budget?
Comment by Niblets Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:06 am
=Illinois needs the reforms proposed by the governor to free up resources to help the most vulnerable and to grow the economy=
Wo the heck are the “most vulnerable” they keep referring to? Every time they throw those I believe are most vulnerable under the bus, it is under the guise of helping their “most vulnerable”.
Comment by burbanite Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:10 am
ck, as you know, that whole piecemeal budget train left the station when the guv signed the K-12 bill and went to court to get state employees paid without an approp.
Those actions got it rolling. Due to the governor’s lack of action and engagement since then, the courts are largely taking over the budget, and have us chugging along at an FY16 deficit of $6 billion plus.
You really can’t play the victim when you have the comstitutional powers of an Illinois governor. It’s weird to behold the governor trying to do so.
And you can’t continue to duck your responsibilities as Illinois governor without the problem getting much worse every single day, as it is right now.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:10 am
Who-oops
Comment by burbanite Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:10 am
Linda’s departure is a loss to DHS. A lot of people are trying to lay low and do their jobs the best they can in this current climate. When Blago got in, it took about 2 years and a lot of good people leaving like Linda before it all settled down.
Comment by illinifan Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:12 am
The time has come for the title of the office of the executive in Illinois to be officially changed from “Governor” to “Campaignor”.
Comment by Kippax Blue Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:12 am
Bruce,
If the only thing you can say or do as Governor is to blame Madigan….the resign.
Epic failure compared to Former Governor Quinn.
Regards,
Jack
Comment by Jack Stephens Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:15 am
“the state cannot afford near unlimited child care without a balanced budget.”
Then perhaps the governor should offer a balanced budget.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:16 am
Yes it’s a “clawback,” and Yes MJM is trying to force Rauner toward a required tax increase. But No, he is not “hamstringing” the Governor with an unbalanced budget. The Governor’s own budget was nearly equally unbalanced, and required a tax incease.
This is about accepting fiscal realities. Their real budget differences are on the margins, but Rauner has slowly sacrificed his ability to negotiate on the fiscal margins, in favor of other changes. A shame.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:17 am
To “ck”, honestly,
What does the governor see as his role, constitutionally and otherwise, as the Governor of the state of Illinois.
Seriously, the duties. What is the position, of this Rauner Administration, on the exact duties of a governor in Illinois government, and the position of actual governing?
Do NOT say:
“Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls…”
Enough… enough.
Explain in plain English the duties and responsibilities of the governor, as seen by the Rauner Administration.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:18 am
I agree with Illini fan. I hope Linda lands on her feet with an advocacy position somewhere. She would be a great asset to any organization.
Now the administration can find some robot to spout a script and tell how getting rid of those pesky folks receiving child care dollars is going to turnaround Illinois.
Comment by Former State Employee Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:21 am
His duties pretty much are to sit idly and fiddle around keeping all current GOPers in office while Illinois burns. It’s a helluva party, that ILGOP.
Comment by Touré's Latte Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:21 am
===That last sentence is true. You’ll recall that the Democrats planted several time bombs in the 2015 budget, and underfunded child care was one of them.===
Why is this fact being purposely ignored by the anti-Rauner brigade here? No one side is acting like 100% angels here, but you would never know that from the comments section on Capitol Fax.
Everyone needs to put on their big boy pants and start negotiating. I know I keep repeating myself, but at least I come no where near the “Governor owns this!” rants of Oswego Willy!
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:26 am
==our political masters are indeed trying to position themselves such that there is no alternative but big income tax hike.==
Others might say that our political masters are trying to protect necessary programs for those who need help the most. And also for programs that are needed if Illinois is to be a strong state where people want to live. And to do that, more revenue is needed. After all, our 3.75% individual state income tax rate is one of the lowest of the 40-some states that have an income tax - and way lower than some of our near-by states like Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Minnesota, etc.
Comment by Joe M Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:26 am
Wait — now it’s the “Democrats” at fault
Used to be “Madigan and those he controls”
Welcome to the barrel Pres. Cullerton.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:27 am
I wonder if the governor’s refusal to deal with the state’s fiscal situation, today, is a continued legislative “leveraging strategy” or whether it’s morphed into paralysis due to fear of the reality it’s created.
This can’t possibly be how they drew it up in the huddle. Ninety percent of the budget in the clear, an FY16 deficit of about 20 percent, and no legislative victories.
What leverage is left? Gutting social services statewide thereby throwing thousand out of work? Shutting tens of thousands of MAP kids out of school? Do those, and you’re still billions short.
This is a fiscal crisis of choice. And there is no way of avoiding the brutal consequences of that choice. Delay will just make it worse.
They must see that, right?
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:31 am
- Louis G. Atsaves -
Two points;
Candidate and Governor-Elect blamed, you guessed it, Governor Quinn for everything. Remember, “Pat Quinn failed… “? Yeah, me too
===Why is this fact being purposely ignored by the anti-Rauner brigade here? ===
Quinn was already blamed. Why is the blame for Pat Quinn now so absent? “Simple”, if Rauner put in his release a blaming of Quinn, Rauner can’t dodge his own culpability.
It’s not only me saying Rauner owns, ask the protesters…
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:31 am
=== Hopefully she’ll continue her advocacy with one of the many organizations or maybe a smart State Representative or Senator will hire her as an adviser. ===
Hopefully, if she doesn’t run afoul of revolving door prohibitions. In any event, I suspect she went into the hearing with this ending in mind.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:34 am
Louis, as you well know, the budget is not yet a priority of Gov. Rauner and he chooses not to engage on it until some other issues are addressed to his satisfaction.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:36 am
=== Why is this fact being purposely ignored by the anti-Rauner brigade here? ===
Because it’s not relevant to today’s problem. Today’s problem is Rauner’s insistence on destroying unions before he’ll negotiate a budget.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:39 am
“legislators he controls” what about the legislators the Governor is trying to threaten/bribe”
Actually for TeamBungle it is “the legislators they have rented”
BTW it is easier to look at the budget from the perspective of what does current state require the state to spend? If TeamBungle & The Bobblehead want to spend less then persuade those legislators you rent to repeal the laws. Eight months into their crusade to make IL in W. IN they have achieved zip, sero nada.
Have we gotten “TeamBungle 200 Days of failure” report yet?
Oh wait, they did “sell” the surplus planes for about one-half the estimated value ( i.e. scrap)
Comment by Anonin' Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:39 am
As a long time reader and quiet observer of this space, thanks to the folks who take the time to express their thoughts and ideas here.
The real sadness in our state government is the complete waste of human capital. Lots of talented, well-meaning folks mired in nothing more than a game of posture and blame.
I long for the day that the prevalent attitude evolves to the idea of ownership. Leaders take ownership of problems, even if they are not the genesis of those problems. Blame is unrelated to solution.
Comment by Los Tacos Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:41 am
===Today’s problem is Rauner’s insistence on destroying unions before he’ll negotiate a budget.===
Thus the importance of the override/no override of SB1229…
Rauner really painted himself into a corner, and with the floor dropping below his feet too…
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:42 am
@Cassandra
=Good deal for Repubs because if you are ultra-weak nobody can blame you for anything.=
I guess you don’t read CapitolFax very much, do you?LOL
Comment by Arizona Bob Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:45 am
But Louis G. Atsaves, the Governor has a line-item veto AND he himself produced an out of balance budget. He could have produced and balanced one, could he not? Or he could have taken a red pencil to the Democratic budget which passed, could he not? (Stop me any time if you think I am mistaken at any point in this syllogism.) Ergo: this is all on the Governor and Oswego Willy.
Or have I missed something?
The only question is whether the public can follow this, or whether the deliberate misdirection campaign funded by millions from self-dealing, destructive, and in the end, downright malevolent wealthy Republican activists can once again cloud the basic issues.
Yes Madigan and the Democrats have been cagy, but that is because they know the country needs the Republican Party to return to sanity and acknowledge the need for taxation and the need for government. If Dems raise taxes without Republican co-ownership, the Republicans demagogue the issue under the false pretense that they “spend like drunken sailors,” or some such sound bite nonsense. And we are back to square one.
What this whole budget-by-drips-and-drabs shows, more than anything, is that current spending is unavoidable and non-discretionary. Admit it. Vote to raise taxes. And stop welching and whining about it!
Comment by History Prof Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:46 am
@JOe M
= And to do that, more revenue is needed. After all, our 3.75% individual state income tax rate is one of the lowest of the 40-some states that have an income tax - and way lower than some of our near-by states like Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Minnesota, etc. =
You can’t separate the income tax from all taxes, Joe. In Illinois you fund schools almost exclusively through property taxes locally, giving local control of that spending rather than the crooks in Springfield. Illinois taxpayers are WAY overfunding K-12 schools overall in Illinois as evidenced by their 14th ranking is spending per pupil, 12th highest teacher salaries and spending 17.8% over per pupil over national average, despite student outcomes only at about a 25th ranking according to NAEP.
Another telling statistic from the NEA rankings and estimates report is that personal income per student in Illinois ranks about 29th nationally.
Raising income taxes for education to spend the 14th highest level to those making the 29th ranking income per student for 25th ranked outcomes is simply bad policy. The only ones who benefit will \be Springfield pols who will get more campaign money due to their larger pot of cash to redistribute not based upon need or merit, but on political clout.
Comment by Arizona Bob Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:57 am
Madigan is slowly proving that the Governor is irrelevant. That we can spend and operate without a budget from the Governor’s office is making that point.
Comment by Ben Franklin Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:57 am
The further we delay the tax increase, the higher the increase needs to be to achieve a balanced budget. And before anyone says “make cuts!,” remember that 90% of the budget has already left the station.
Comment by Roamin' Numeral Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:58 am
BF, Rauner chose to make himself irrelevant on the budget. It was an astounding political and fiscal miscalculation.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:01 am
“This is a fiscal crisis of choice. And there is no way of avoiding the brutal consequences of that choice. Delay will just make it worse.
They must see that, right?”
Rauner has made the choice of imposing a fiscal crisis in IL to break the unions & the Dems. His super stars think breaking IL will change IL from a Dem state to a Rep state because there would be no union to help elect the Dems. Rauner wants totally control of IL.
Comment by Mama Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:02 am
‘”…Democrats’ attempt to “claw their way to a massive tax hike by hamstringing the state with an unbalanced budget.”
So what will you all be doing about this, ck? Because the hearing yesterday made it pretty darn clear that the situation is dire and funds are needed - badly. It would be great if ya’ll could do something constructive in response to dire situations versus constantly, CONSTANTLY making things political. Just stop!
Comment by Politix Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:04 am
Yes there was a fiscal crisis in IL before Rauner was elected. I’m speaking of a fiscal crisis that is a whole lot worse than the crisis before Rauner.
Comment by Mama Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:06 am
===Ergo: this is all on the Governor and Oswego Willy.===
If the Rauner Press Shop starts blaming me for the budget, or “ck” points to me in any of her quotes for where to look for blame in general, I know where to cast MY blame.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:10 am
Still waiting for Rauner to deliver a balanced budget while rolling back taxes. I observed before that a third-grader could look at the numbers and see they did not add up. Is Rauner smarter then a third-grader? I guess not.
Rauner had his chance at being a good governor, a leader, and at that he has been a complete failure.
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:23 am
==Illinois taxpayers are WAY overfunding K-12 schools ==
==12th highest teacher salaries and spending 17.8% over per pupil over national average==
Sigh. Still on your tirade against education spending in Illinois I see. If we’d only listen to you everything would be rainbows and roses. I mean, it makes absolute sense that spending less will improve schools. Why didn’t anybody else think of that? I’m sure taking away money for my kid to have a computer at school and paying his teachers less will solve everything.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:23 am
==One of the governor’s first major actions as governor was to save child care funding from the Democrats purposefully underfunding it in the last fiscal year.==
And then you drastically cut the program. Makes perfect sense.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:27 am
== Madigan is slowly proving that the Governor is irrelevant. ==
He already did that with Blago and Quinn …
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:35 am
The governor is not “irrelevant.”
The governor’s powers regarding the budget are, however, limited to veto, unless he wants to negotiate.
Once the budget is passed, however, the governor has latitude to refuse to spend money even if it was appropriated.
He could, for example, decide not to issue many grants.
But then, he would have to accept responsibility for refusing to release those monies — kind of hard to blame MJM for that.
The problem here is that the governor wants to exercise authority without accepting any responsibility.
BTW, if you’d asked me in January I would have bet that Democrats would hold up funding for the Ounce of Prevention Fund in order to get Rauner to support a tax hike. Never in a million years would I have predicted Rauner accusing Democrats of trying to strong-arm him by actually funding his wife’s favorite cause. It is without question the most bizarre accusation I have ever heard.
Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:48 am
I’ve vowed to say something nice. So here goes:
They didn’t use either of the words “sham” or “phoney.”
There.
Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 11:50 am
One reason is obvious, children don’t vote.
Comment by Buzzie Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:02 pm
During the campaign, I recall Rauner promising to “hammer and shake” Springfield. I do not remember hearing “except Mike Madigan won’t let me.” So how will this blaming of Madigan by the great hammerer play out with the folks who voted for him?
Comment by dzipio Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:07 pm
BTW, can the Dems ask the Supreme Court to force Rauner to fulfill his Constitutional duty and produce a balanced budget?
Comment by dzipio Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:09 pm
-They must see that, right?-
Unfortunately Word I think they don’t. I think Allfather and his einherjar only long for the final battle with labor. PERIOD. It’s not that he’s not “governing”, “owning”, “taking responsibility”. He cares NOTHING for these. He only longs “to see his enemies (unions) driven before him and hear the lamentations of their women.” Nothing else matters to him.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:23 pm
====Ergo: this is all on the Governor and Oswego Willy.====
Now, OW is actually making stuff up, as he goes along and attempting in interject himself into the whole budget problem. Details on the evening news, as the press searches for the mysterious OW. LOL
Comment by Apocalypse Now Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:25 pm
===Now, OW is actually making stuff up, as he goes along and attempting in interject himself into the whole budget problem. ===
See; “- History Prof - Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:46 am”
I’m a victim of circumstance, lol
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:28 pm
@Buzzie 12:02 You NAILED it!
Comment by Ben Franklin Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:37 pm
- Wordslinger - ” Rauner chose to make himself irrelevant on the budget. It was an astounding political and fiscal miscalculation.”
Made me think of two of yesterdays Buzz words.
“Pragmatic Strategery”!
Comment by WhoKnew Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:41 pm
BVR and the superstars are becoming sillier by the second. It’s like Looney Tunes.
Comment by Flynn's Mom Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:47 pm
HB, you’re mixing your Norse mythology and Gov. Arnulhd as Conan the Barbarian there, lol
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:50 pm
The Governor’s Office’s statement that “the state cannot afford near unlimited child care without a balanced budget” is very telling. Note that qualifier “near unlimited.” It suggests that have just been waiting for an excuse to gut the program (these are the big ideas we’re paying Donna Arduin for). Everything else is window dressing.
Comment by EconLady Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 12:54 pm
===But Louis G. Atsaves, the Governor has a line-item veto AND he himself produced an out of balance budget. He could have produced and balanced one, could he not? Or he could have taken a red pencil to the Democratic budget which passed, could he not? (Stop me any time if you think I am mistaken at any point in this syllogism.) Ergo: this is all on the Governor and Oswego Willy.===
So the legislature is but a helpless pack of nothings compared to the powers of the Governor? The legislature has no say so? Only the Governor? He has powers so extraordinary as to have the Governor order up a tax increase, spending cuts, a Chicago Cubs World Series and Martians covering the attendance estimates for the Illinois State Fair?
I. Don’t. Think. So. More than likely, the Governor could have proposed tax increases that he campaigned against, the Democrats would have had a political field day with that one, then voted those increases down leaving Rauner holding the bag on that issue. Similar to Rauner demanding the Democrats push “anti” union measures, leaving the Democrats holding the bag on that issue.
Again, no one is a complete angel here. The gamesmanship has been costly to this state. All are responsible. Including those Democrats who pretend otherwise.
We went from $2 billion (Rauner) to $4 billion (Legislature) to $5 billion (post deadline including court orders) to . . . $____ (plug in your own higher figure).
So all we need to do is raise taxes and it is all over? Nirvana then sets in while free manna falls from the sky?
Both sides are claiming to be the guardians of the “Middle Class” that would shoulder the lion’s share of those tax increases. The Middle Class would be protected by those forgotten post election minimum wage increases, to hear the political spin at it’s worst nonsense. Once upon a time in history, folks aspired to move up from minimum wage jobs to join the Middle Class. But not in modern Illinois.
All sides need to put their big boy pants on and work to conclude this mess.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 1:01 pm
===Again, no one is a complete angel here. The gamesmanship has been costly to this state. All are responsible. Including those Democrats who pretend otherwise.===
All you say is “true”… except where Rauner requires his turnaround agenda items first, (Rauner has said it, not up for discussion) and the fact, over and over, and over Candidate Rauner himself said about budgetary spending and budgetary choices and “Quinn’s” tax and…
Governors own, - Louis G. Atsaves -, Bruce Rauner, candidate for Governor says so… and so do the protesters.
Other than that, yep, if Rauner stops with the Collective Bargaining musts, then both sides need to put in the big boy pants, and Rauner can sign the Rauner tax increase, with 67 GOP votes to raise those taxes too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 1:08 pm
===Both sides are claiming to be the guardians of the “Middle Class” that would shoulder the lion’s share of those tax increases.===
That wouldn’t be totally the case, if some of the Republicans would have voted for the “millionaires tax” that was overwhelmingly favored by the voters in November. There could have been some relief for the middle class tax payers if the Republicans hadn’t lock step voted against that.
Comment by Say It Ain't So!! Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 1:19 pm
“the state cannot afford near unlimited child care without a balanced budget”
If the governor’s superstars would actually do their jobs and attend hearings and/or otherwise RESEARCH policy implications, they would know the child care program doesn’t offer unlimited anything. In fact, there is significant vetting and paperwork involved for parents who apply to participate.
It’s almost as if they WANT single mother’s on welfare. They truly don’t give a flip.
Comment by Politix Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 1:47 pm
Exactly, Politix, exactly.
Comment by Children First Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 2:19 pm
Word, I couldn’t help it. I love that Conan quote. Plus I knew someone would geek out on it. I’m please that someone did.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 4:11 pm
ABob–it’s always simple, apples-to-apples comparisons for you, isn’t it, especially when it comes to education. Too bad reality isn’t like that. A few points regarding your education comments:
- Re student outcomes: These are average numbers, taking into account the performance of ALL kids at a given grade level. Illinois is the fifth largest state and has a very socioeconomically diverse population (and student outcomes are strongly tied to socioeconomic status; so, for instance, BVR’s daughter could be expected to outperform a comparable kid from, say, an impoverished coal-mining town downstate). Yet even despite our great diversity and the poverty of many of our kids, we still manage to hit the national average on student outcomes, per the U.S. Dept. of Education.
By contrast, your beloved Arizona, with some of the lowest school funding levels, is also in the toilet in terms of student achievement–well below the national average. It’s not apples-to-apples, but the numbers nevertheless suggest we’re handling our diversity better than you are.
- Re teacher salaries: according to the NEA, Illinois was one of the states with the greatest drop in teacher salaries during the decade ending in 2013, with a decline of over 9 percent in real terms.
Here are the relevant links:
http://nces.ed.gov./nationsreportcard/states/
www.nea.org/home/rankings-and-estimates-2013-2014.html
When it comes to education, you’re talking out of your hat.
Comment by Crispy Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 5:13 pm
==
- Arizona Bob - Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 10:57 am:
Illinois taxpayers are WAY overfunding K-12 schools overall in Illinois as evidenced by their 14th ranking is spending per pupil, 12th highest teacher salaries and spending 17.8% over per pupil over national average, despite student outcomes only at about a 25th ranking according to NAEP.
==
You’re right. We need to start doing things more like they do in Arizona. Wait… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/06/19/why-teachers-are-fleeing-arizona-in-droves/
Comment by teachers Wednesday, Aug 26, 15 @ 5:19 pm
How many kids could get daycare for $30,000 every month?
Comment by burbanite Thursday, Aug 27, 15 @ 7:53 am