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* Drew Zimmerman…
A bill that aims to fund Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for thousands of financially burdened students was sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office Tuesday.
Senate Bill 2043 passed both chambers over two weeks ago and was delivered to the Republican governor by Democratic Rep. Kelly Burke of Evergreen Park and Sen. Donne Trotter of Chicago.
“We’ve held this bill for two weeks because we want the governor to understand this is a government of the people, by the people and for that people, and that we’ve given him a chance to listen to the many voices who have determined that this is a necessity for us to move forward in the society that we live in,” Trotter said. “We have told the governor by our actions that it is a responsibility, but more importantly, something that is necessary to receive and maintain for viability of our state.”
If signed by the governor, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission estimates that roughly 125,000 eligible students would receive MAP grant aid.
However, Rauner has said — and his administration reiterated Tuesday — that he intends to veto the bill since there is no source of funding for the $721 million proposal, which also includes funding for community college operations and adult education programs.
Yet, the same governor is demanding increased state funding for early education and K-12 without a revenue source.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:45 am
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Thank you Rich, for stating the painful truth. Rauner and his minions have no respect for honesty.
Every one of those 125,000 MAP students, their families and friends should start counting down the days until they can vote Bruce Rauner out of office.
Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:51 am
Rauner’s thinking?
Voters get angry when state mandated K-12 isn’t funded and kids aren’t in school.
Voters that can afford to send children to college, or adults that can afford to go back to college, can care less about MAP and those needing MAP aren’t enough to worry about, and can’t sway an election.
Look firm on MAP, get K-12 kids to school, and those wealthly enough will send their kids, or themselves to college anyway.
The cold, callous heart of Gov. Rauner.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:51 am
My understanding is that the governor will actually outline TWO ways to pay for it. A budget with reforms or one with deeper cuts but still prioritizes early childhood and K-12 education.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:53 am
“We’ve held this bill for two weeks because we want the governor to understand this is a government of the people, by the people and for that people”
I hope they succeed in convincing the governor he is suppose to work for all of the people in IL, not just the upper 10 percent bracket.
Comment by Mama Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:54 am
Think Rauner has proposed a way to pay for MAP grants too. Media ignoring the GOP alternative and focusing on the Democrats’ fake funding bill that has no way to pay for it - just gives students false hope.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:55 am
All the critics of Rauner’s “magic beans” last year must love the “magic beans” paying for this.
Who has the magic money tree in their yard that will pay for this? Trotter? Or Burke?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:57 am
Anon, “A budget with reforms” is not enough to pay for anything.
Comment by Mama Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:58 am
“Why don’t all parents just build a library… or a dorm at a college…then… they don’t need to worry about MAP or paying for a college education?” - Fake Bruce Rauner
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:58 am
If Rauner wants to cut, not fund — because he needs the GA to fund — then why in the world would the GA give in? Rauner will keep doing this — cutting, cutting — and will only stop — temporarily — if he gets the votes.
Then he cuts, cuts, cuts — and only stops — when he gets the votes.
The action of *creating* something — like a budget — will do nothing except temporarily stop Rauner from cutting. If the GA gives in, gives him what he wants, then it’s only a reprieve until the next cycle.
The issue becomes do we delay the cuts — or simply allow him to keep cutting? Either way, these programs will all suffer — and will continue to be cut.
Apart from the moral victory of a reprieve — what’s the benefit of giving Rauner anything at all? The outcome is the same. One happens now and in the future, the other happens in the future. It happens either way.
Comment by Frenchie Mendoza Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:00 am
“College is expensive. I think I had to use 4 hours of what I earned on Tuesday, no, Wednesday, to pay a whole year’s tuition. Four hours of what I made! Outrageous.” - Fake Bruce Rauner
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:00 am
Willy- it isn’t cold and callous it is structural reforms that will make Illinois more competitive.
By wiping out services and colleges people will take what ever you give them, Ta daa! More competitive with the third world!
snark!
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:02 am
anon, Rauner did propose a way to pay for it, a way that has been used previously to fund things. The legislature rebuffed that proposal in favor of this unfunded bill.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:03 am
Rauner proposed streamlining purchasing to fund MAP grants, didn’t he just announce he was streamling the purchasing? Why is there no funding then? Unless one of you many Anonymous’ know something I don’t…..
Comment by burbanite Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:08 am
==A budget with reforms==
Nobody even knows what that means anymore. If it’s the same “reforms” he’s been touting it’s already been analyzed and those “reforms” come nowhere close to solving any sort of budget problem from a revenue standpoint.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:10 am
burbanite - he introduced legislation to streamline purchasing but legislature hasn’t acted on it yet.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:10 am
Lots of funding for MAP Grants if there were draconian cuts to Wealthy Welfare.
Comment by Jack Stephens Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:10 am
The Governor’s education bill won’t be paid for. He’s demanding it’s passage immediately. It’s really no different than the MAP grant bill if it passes immediately.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:19 am
And therein lies the difference between a real, live bill and a political speech…er, budget address.
Comment by SAP Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:23 am
Hating to contradict a commenter that I have great respect for, but Willy @ 11:00 - great snark, but lets look at some real numbers.
If my recollection is correct, BVR earned $58 million as last reported, if we divide that by 2000 hours ( a typical year for most full time workers ) this comes to $29,000 per hour. Four hours would pay tuition, fees. room and board for a full 4 years at the UofI.
Still love the sentiment of the post - keep them coming. Thanks.
Comment by illini Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:24 am
Rich,
Will you be posting a link for us to watch the Budget Address?
Comment by Get a Job!! Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:28 am
Thanks for pointing out the irony here, Rich.
Of course, the other irony is that it’s the Turnaround Agenda that has created the roadblock for all state funding, including MAP grants.
Thanks Bruce.
Comment by Austin Blvd Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:30 am
Add this to the hopper: there are several non-public colleges that are threatened with closing because so many of their students come with MAP funding. That’s on top of the crisis in the publics.
While I agree with OW about Rauner’s political calculus, his belief that map recipients don’t amount to a hill of beans, that only holds if the supporters of our universities both public an private fail to come to the aid of their alma maters in their time of need. Wake up voters! Ring the alarm! This is not a scare tactic. Your beloved school may well go under . . and sooner then you think! And bear this in mind as well, it’s easier to destroy a college or university than it is to build one.
If students, parents, and alumni can be motivated, the political calculus for Republicans in the G.A. can be changed.
Comment by History Prof Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:30 am
Don’t you love how Rauner provides his own ‘Gotcha!’ moments when he says no money for MAP and no money for K-12 either, but veto one and pass the other?! Good heavens, he talks out of both sides of his mouth just like…gasp…a politician!!
Comment by Independent retired lawyer, journalist Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:31 am
“…..structural reforms that will make Illinois more competitive.” Right — tell that to the 2100 workers told they were losing their jobs last week in Right to Work heaven next door in Indiana. It seems that their quite profitable company, United Technologies which owns Carrier, just did a multi-billion stock buy back since they were awash in cash. But that isn’t going to stop them from laying off their workers and moving all of their jobs to Mexico. But that’s the structural reform Bruce wants for Illinois. I can see him and his rich buds laughing all the way to the bank — cut our workers’ pay, snatch their benefits, wreck their retirement — and send their jobs to Mexico anyway! How amusing?
Comment by kimocat Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:31 am
- illini -
That’s baloney, just baloney, and I’ll get you the numbers and the facts and figures and you’ll see the big, long term, snark.
I was also told when usingybsnsrk there would be no math and now you know why.
Like the Governor, I’d like everyone to just go along and leave the numbers out of any rational discussion that might tear down my facade of being genuine… now, mind you, mine is snark, so…
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:32 am
So…….some of these wasteful programs that need to be eliminated or “reformed” actually are important, then? Our governor seemed to indicate that most everything government does is wasteful and extravagant.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:39 am
- History Prof -
Until parents, adults furthering thetr own education, parents, higher ed educators…
Until they all, along with Social Service providers, and all of Labor, finally… and I mean finally… finally realize y’all are in this together, all of you, the GOP GA will just kowtow to Rauner, and not fear the individuals, and groups, not working together to impact the ILGOP.
March 15th is 4 weeks away.
“What are y’all prepared to do?”
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 11:47 am
In what galaxy does destroying higher education, and starving students lead to an improved job climate and growin’ and attractin’ budinesses? And so Rauner will veto the MAP/CC bill of $721 million because we can’t pay for it, but apparently endorses a plan to spend $1.68 billion to fund all of higher education with “procurement reform”, which doesn’t produce $1 of revenue in FY16 and is more than sketchy in the out years. And the cherry on top of it all is to increase funding for K-12 (which may be needed, but sure looks like political cover), so we can send more talent out of state when we shutter our higher education institutions. Wake me up from this nightmare.
Comment by Columbo Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 12:03 pm
Well summarized, Columbo.
Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 12:52 pm
Shouldn’t IBHE be releasing another statement that they exist right about now? “We, at IBHE, want you to know that we are aware stuff is happening and we are prepared to release additional statements as needed.”
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 1:02 pm
Yeah Columbo kudos. Very good comment.
Comment by Southern Dawg Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 1:03 pm
Have Democrats learned nothing about how the state’s debt crisis developed?
No wonder they gave us two imbalanced budgets in a row.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 1:41 pm
Keep Illinois citizens smart, but not too smart. Who needs higher education? /s
Comment by Joe M Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 2:03 pm
===No wonder they gave us two imbalanced budgets in a row.===
And now, so has Rauner. So we’re tied. Does that make you feel better?
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 2:08 pm
Though I myself do not receive a MAP Grant, I recognize the importance of the support it gives to Illinois residents. I attend a University at which 2400 students are dependent on this grant to aid with costs of the institution. I stand in solidarity with my constituents, arguing for MAP to be funded so that they are not denied the opportunities provided them by higher education.
This isn’t a game; this impacts the future of hundreds of thousands of students across the state. Sign bill 2043.
Comment by Concerned Student Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 2:53 pm
==So we’re tied. Does that make you feel better?==
Thank you. It’s like listening to a bunch of kids saying “you started it.”
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 4:59 pm
Or we could listen to our gov. Threaten the GA with “you’re gonna have a #*=^
Comment by Property of IDOC Wednesday, Feb 17, 16 @ 10:22 pm
“And now, so has Rauner. So we’re tied. Does that make you feel better?”
The point is not feeling better. The point is that democrats have no credibility when crying their crocodile tears criticizing the lack of a balanced budget or professing to know what is best for the state budget-wise.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:34 am