* No surprise here…
An Illinois legislative commission opposes Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to close two prisons and a center for people with developmental disabilities.
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability voted 7-3 Tuesday against closing prisons in Tamms and Dwight. It also advised against closing the Murray Developmental Center in Centralia.
The panel’s action is only advisory. Quinn can still close the facilities, which he says must be done to cut spending and improve care for people with mental disabilities.
* More…
The commission agreed with the plan to close an office of the Department of Children and Family Services in the Chicago area. But it voted down the Administration’s closure plans for Tamms, the Murray Center for the Developmentally Disabled at Centralia, Dwight Correctional Center, the Illinois Youth Center at Joliet, and two adult transitional correctional centers in Chicago and Joliet.
* This is odd…
n a surprise, the commission’s chairman, Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, D-Evanston, said the City of Centralia had proposed in recent days that the Murray Center campus be made available for private use, if it were to close.
Schoenberg said the sate had received “some documentation from the City of Centralia, in the last couple of days, sketching out a proposal” for a consortium of not-for-profit groups to acquire the campus.
After the commission’s meeting, Centralia Mayor Tom Ashby said the city had made no such proposal. Ashby said he thinks it was “just something that was suggested by the commission.” […]
Two area lawmakers, Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, and Rep. Paul Evans, R-O’Fallon said it was the first they’d heard of such a proposal.
*** UPDATE *** From AFSCME…
AFSCME Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer issued the following statement in response to votes today by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) rejecting Governor Quinn’s proposed closures of Dwight Correctional Center (by a vote of 7-3), Joliet Illinois Youth Center (5-5), Murray Developmental Center (7-3), Peoria Adult Transition Center (10-0), Tamms Correctional Center (7-3) and Westside Adult Transition Center (5-5).
“We applaud the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability for rejecting Governor Quinn’s wrongful and damaging closure threats. The commission voted to protect essential public services and preserve more than 2,000 Illinois jobs.
“The governor’s push to force individuals with disabilities out of their homes, reduce mental health treatment, jeopardize prison safety, end reentry programs and put thousands of public servants out of work are the wrong priorities for Illinois.
“The commission’s work is an example of good government in action. COGFA brings together lawmakers from both parties, both chambers and every part of the state who along with their diligent staff studied Governor Quinn’s proposals. Unlike the governor, they toured the facilities, visited the communities and listened to testimony from employees, advocates, local officials, individuals and families. In stark contrast to the Quinn Administration, they considered all the evidence, reached the sensible conclusion and rejected each of the closures.
“We call on Governor Quinn to listen to the commission and withdraw his ill-considered closure plans, and we urge the legislature to make sure all state facilities are fully funded in the 2013 budget.”
COGFA also clarified that absent any motions made to reconsider, its previous votes stand, rejecting the threatened closures of Jacksonville Developmental Center, Murphysboro Illinois Youth Center, Singer Mental Health Center and Tinley Park Mental Health Center.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 12:49 pm:
It’s unfortunate that COFGA reviews the economic impact of closing government facilities but not the economic impact of cutting off health care for 100,000 Illinoisans.
- vandalia - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:13 pm:
We cant close anything. We cant raise taxes. We cant cut medicare or pensions. When will people realize that a combination of all of these is what we need to do? Can the politicians not see that? It wont be fun or easy but the alternative is worse.
- Freeman - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:23 pm:
My respect only increases for the COGFA members every time they hold a hearing.
They’re NOT opposed to closures. They simply want a real plan from the administration.
“Close them down and we’ll figure out the rest” (essentially the original plan last year) is not an acceptable plan.
Expecting sufficient planning and effort before making life-and-death decisions for some of the most vulnerable Illinoisans is entirely reasonable. It’s also why we’re on the 4th or 5th version of a closure plan for some facilities.
COGFA is like a teacher making a lazy child do their homework. Good for them.
- gathersno - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:41 pm:
COGFA
- gathersno - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:45 pm:
COGFA was off base in opposing the closing of the Jacksonville Developmental Center which DOES have a plan for a sensible downsizing and WILL provide adequately funded services based on individual need and WILL absolutely prove to those who consider state jobs more important than services to those with disabilities that the time for change has arrived.
- Dan Bureaucrat - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:46 pm:
==Freeman: My respect only increases for the COGFA members every time they hold a hearing. They’re NOT opposed to closures. They simply want a real plan from the administration.==
I saw this as political cover so they never have to vote to close anything. How can you tell the difference?
- Dan Bureaucrat - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:53 pm:
For the adult prison closures, part of the plan is to preserve jobs by moving the employees to prisons that have severe staff shortages. The idea is that we make those prisons more functional, and we save overtime. As everyone knows, we pay astronomical costs for IDOC overtime.
Can someone please explain why we can’t ever seem to change our state’s fate in that regard? Presumably, if the unemployment rate is so high, they could find people to hire.
And also why isn’t AFSCME okay with moving their members to other facilities? Many of their jobs will be preserved. What am I missing here?
- Alan - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:55 pm:
COGFA is playing to the home crowd. While it is easy to say, “save jobs,” it is hard to develop a real plan to save money. Closing Tamms remains a sensible, easy way to save the State millions–Tamms is less than half full; most of the so called “worst of the worst” prisoners have already been moved without incident; and courts have repeatedly found that it operates unconstituionally. Henry Bayer was right–the prison system as a whole is over crowded, underfunded, and understaffed. But the solution is not to continue to pour dollars down the Tamms drain. The solution is to reorganize the Department to provide safety and security on a more efficient basis. Tamms has no role to play in any rational reorganization.
- Aristotle - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 1:56 pm:
Vandalia - ” …the alternative is worse”. Not so - if your a sitting member. On the alternative path to self destruction, it’s harder to assign individual accountability.
- Louie - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 2:35 pm:
It should be funny watching the democrats squirm, but is really sad. They helped create this financial mess by allowing their guys “Blagojevich, Madagin, and Cullerton” spend money like there was no tomorrow. Now, they wring their hands saying, ” we have some tough choices and no easy answer.” The decision was easy, when they gave the money away on more programs and salaries and benefits for public employees. They shouldn’t get off so easy by whinning about tough decisions.
- Give Me A Break - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 2:38 pm:
Louie: The Dems on COGFA provided the Yes Votes to close Murray (expect Frerichs). It was the paryt of smaller govt and making govt live within it’s means, voting to keep everything open.
- titan - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 2:49 pm:
Dan Bureaucrat - would those other jobs requiring moving to a new city? That might be part of it.
- Alan - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 2:54 pm:
Many jobs will be in a new city. But many people already commute to their jobs anyway–for some the transfer will actually be closer to home. For example, very few employees at Tamms moved to Alexander County, and many still live in Union County–which is closer to Big Muddy, Centralia, etc. than it is to Tamms.
- Walk in my Shoes - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 3:29 pm:
I can understand the closure of a facility or the consolidation of offices as long as it is done on a fiscally responsible manner. I do not support the closure of a state owned facility as in the case of juvenile when the State of Illinois pays RENT to house juvenile offenders in IYC Chicago. I also believe the members of COGFA should have looked at the price tag associated in upgrading other facilities to what IYC Joliet already has. I pay taxes and I want budget reform. The General Assembly may have tough choices to make but closing a facility to spend over 25,000,000 (low estimate) is not budget reform.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 4:10 pm:
The votes just allow some members cover with the folks back home. They don’t mean anything.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 5:41 pm:
@Louie -
Um, all the aforementioned state facilities were created under Republican governors.
You may find pleasure in seeing Democrats “squirm”, but your ignoring that the state’s poor fiscal health is largely due to Republican hypocrisy.
One way or another, Democrats and Republicans are both for government spending, as the COGFA vote
Demonstrates. The difference is that Republicans are largely unwilling to raise the revenue necessary to pay for what they spend.
- for real - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 7:26 pm:
COGFA only echoed what the parents and guardians have said. Governor Quinn’s plan is not a safe plan in the time alloted to move all the individuals out in the community. Lives are at stake here and unless you have had any experience in this scenario with a disabled relative then it’s easy for people to say “close the state facililies down.” I pay taxes too and I expect things to be done right,not to be a slapped together plan like the Governor has expected the guardians to accept.
- wishbone - Tuesday, May 1, 12 @ 10:19 pm:
“We cant close anything. We cant raise taxes. We cant cut medicare or pensions. When will people realize that a combination of all of these is what we need to do? Can the politicians not see that? It wont be fun or easy but the alternative is worse.”
Took the words right out of my mouth. It reminds me of the Republican presidential candidates refusing a 10 to one ratio of budget cuts to tax increases on the wealthy. A plague on all their houses.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, May 2, 12 @ 7:30 am:
The union position on these closures shows why they have a huge conflict of interest in purporting to represent the pension interests of employees.
- conservatively liberal - Wednesday, May 2, 12 @ 7:35 am:
Don’t do anything. Is that what we really want for this state? Folks, if you’ve not noticed by now it’s too late. Illinois, can no longer operate in the way we have operated in the past two decades. If you think nothing should change, you are in denial and are part of the problem.
- cassandra - Wednesday, May 2, 12 @ 8:18 am:
The train has left on the use of large old state institutions to house children and the disabled, I think, despite the occasional setback. In the 22nd century, our clinging to these service models will be historical curiosities, covered by the contemporary equivalent of Ask Jeffrey on Chicago Tonight. This has nothing to do with money and everything to do with quality of care.
AFSCME, COFGA, local downstate politicians fighting the closure of these institutions are trying to beat the future when they would do far move into it. Future historians will not be kind.
- Protecting our most fragile citizens - Wednesday, May 2, 12 @ 9:00 am:
Protecting our most fragile citizens is what some of this State’s legislators have decided to do. They are understanding that we, as citizens, have a choice. Those living in an SODC need the care they are receiving and would not be safe in the community. Illinois needs to spend money to fix the community before they can place these citizens in harms way. I applaud those legislators who care and are living up to the oath they took when taking office. Alos, those of you so against SODC facilities do not understand the individuals who reside in one nor do you care about their safety.
- Frank - Wednesday, May 2, 12 @ 4:35 pm:
Why can’t they at least move to a privately operated developmental center? They’re about half as expensive as State-operated ones.
- Rob's Dad - Thursday, May 3, 12 @ 12:53 pm:
Those who say this issue is about quality of care are correct - the quality of care my son receives at a sister State Operated Dev.Center is excellent.
This is why we fight so hard to retain these services. Further, the cost of care is rebated to the State at a rate exceeding 70% when all programs are accounted for, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Railroad Retirement, Social Security, donations,etc. We need a full spectrum of service, not one size fits all.