* WQAD…
The Riverview Center in Dubuque announced it will drastically cut services to its clients in both Western Illinois and Dubuque. The center receives funding from both the state of Illinois and Iowa.
At its Illinois offices in Jo Daviess and Carroll County, 85 percent of its domestic violence staff and 33 percent of its sexual assault program staff, will be laid off.
* Daily Chronicle…
Northern Illinois University and Kishwaukee College students said the state suspending funding for the Monetary Award Program has been unnerving, especially as they try to plan for their future.
Rainn Darring II, a 21-year-old senior studying communications at NIU, said anxiety set in when it dawned on him that he might not receive the grant he was awarded – at least not right away. Darring is scheduled to graduate in May, but he was worried that the funds being delayed would push that big day back for him.
“My biggest worry was that I wasn’t going to have the necessary funding to register for my spring classes, the final courses heading into my graduation,” said Darring, who is also president of the Campus Activities Board. “People in Springfield don’t realize they’re touching so many lives by stopping this funding.”
He’s already taken out several student loans since his freshman year.
* Meanwhile, as I write this the House is debating a non-GRF funding bill (SB 2039) which is expected to pass…
*** UPDATE 1 *** Polly Poskin, Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, just called to say that domestic violence programs were included in the bill which passed today, but not funding for sexual assault victim programs. That’s just bizarre.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Emily Miller…
Domestic violence legal aid is GRF, and not included in the bill. You cannot fund bits and pieces of these services and expect the outcome to be successful. It makes no sense.
*** UPDATE 3 *** IML…
Municipal leaders across the state applaud the Illinois House for passing SB 2039 (Rep. Currie), which could pave the way for the Senate to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars the state owes municipalities.
“When the bill is approved by the Senate and signed into law by the Governor, municipalities will finally have the much needed relief to make ends meet with this crucial funding,” said Brad Cole, executive director of the Illinois Municipal League. “There is an urgency to have these funds distributed as rapidly as possible.”
IML has been actively working to gain the release of the funds being withheld by the state of Illinois during this lengthy budget impasse. SB 2039 would release specific state money owed to municipalities from various funds such as the Motor Fuel Tax fund, Use Tax revenue, video gaming fees, casino fees, and 911 service fees. These are non-general revenue funds that are otherwise distributed to local governments.
The IML appreciates the leadership of House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn-Currie and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin for generating overwhelming support for this legislation, as well as Rep. Marty Moylan and Rep. David Harris for their continued advocacy on behalf of local municipalities. In addition, the IML thanks Governor Bruce Rauner for his support recognizing the needs of local governments in serving citizens across Illinois. The IML appreciates the bi-partisan support being demonstrated by Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno for scheduling a vote on this legislation for next week.
If SB 2039 is signed into law, hundreds of millions of dollars would be allocated to fund the following areas of importance to local governments:
$582 million for Motor Fuel Tax Fund payments to be used for road improvements
$340 million in Use Tax payments
$154 million to 911 centers
$145 million to municipalities where casinos and video gaming is allowed
- Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 1:58 pm:
“People in Springfield don’t realize they’re touching so many lives by stopping this funding.”
Ah but they do. They just don’t CARE. Big difference…
- Let'sMovetoNorthDakota - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:01 pm:
Both of these program have to be cut. The state and the taxpayers simply cannot afford these things.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:02 pm:
Rich- Is there another bill from the Senate side that will do the same for MAP and some of the others left out of this HB that could also be done as a concurrence next week?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:04 pm:
None of that stuff is as important as the governor’s political agenda.
He, Sen. Radogno and Rep. Durkin told us all that, again, yesterday.
That is the one thing they’ve been consistent on all year.
Take them at their word, and pay attention to their actions. Those things are not their priority.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:05 pm:
The other big casualty of the MAP debacle that no one outside of higher ed is paying attention to is that a lot of low income high school seniors aren’t going to be getting admitted to the college of their choice next year because of the uncertainty the geniuses in Springfield have created. Right now, colleges are deciding who to enroll in next year’s freshman class. All things being equal today, should they gamble that MAP will be OK and take the kid who is counting on MAP, or should they look at the student whose family can afford tuition without MAP?
It’s hard to quantify, but ask enrollment management folks at any Illinois college and they’ll tell you this is exactly what is happening. That means more lower income students enrolling in community colleges or leaving Illinois to attend college. Or, in many cases, forgoing college altogether.
We’re eating our seed corn in order to lower the income of working families.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:05 pm:
- Let’sMovetoNorthDakota -
What FY2016 budget says we can’t afford it?
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:06 pm:
==Psychiatry, respite care, Autism services, epilepsy services, residential and housing for persons with SMI==
Does required insurance not cover these things now? Are there gaps to close?
idk about the rest, but since December 12 2008 the Illinois Autism Insurance Law requires all insurance plans must cover autism services of diagnosis, psychiatric care, psychological care, habilitative or rehabilitative care and therapeutic care.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:07 pm:
Abused women, college kids, the disabled - kick em to the curb.
Somebody better call in a passel of preachers to lecture about the deficiencies in North Shore Values.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:09 pm:
FKA, you gotta have providers.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:11 pm:
LetsMoveToNorthDakota–please do
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:12 pm:
@Rich - thank you. 1 + 1 now = 2.
- Former Hoosier - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
No insurance pays for residential or respite care. Although there is suppose to be parity in mental health coverage, the deductibles, co-insurance and low percentage of payment for services rendered make it impossible for many to afford any of these services.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
OMG- Dunkin is throwing a fit about his “button” on 2039!
- Almost the Weekend - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:19 pm:
Summary of Illinois legislative year in 2015
“Politics over (Illinois) people”
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:22 pm:
@Former Hoosier - muchas gracias to you and any other commenters who share more on this.
- Former Hoosier - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:24 pm:
CBH- Abused women, college kids, the disabled - kick em to the curb. Somebody better call in a passel of preachers to lecture about the deficiencies in North Shore Values.
Those types of “issues” don’t occur on the Northshore…so no need to value them! /snark
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:32 pm:
Rauner holding press conference soon on 2039 on blueroomstream
http://livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/4556215
- Anony Parent - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:35 pm:
I suppose technically our insurance covers autism services but we’ve had to threaten a lawsuit every single time we’ve tried to get them, and we just got told they paid for three behavioral therapy sessions and they feel that should be enough.
Public school district also took 18 months of arguing, with lawyers involved, before they would write an adequate IEP.
We spent more than 24 months on a waitlist to get the diagnosis. Insurance did pay for that, it just took TWENTY FOUR MONTHS to get an autistic preschooler in with the appropriate developmental pediatricians, and we only got in that quickly because I called literally every single week to ask if there had been cancellations.
So that’s close to four years of therapeutic time lost because of lack of funding, lack of providers, and refusal to treat. I have lost track of what we’ve spent. Of course every time we went to see a provider other than the ones our insurance recommended, we had to pay out of pocket; and then our insurer would refuse to external provider’s diagnosis until it was confirmed by an internal provider. The school district did the same.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:39 pm:
To the update:
Problem solved. Pass programs, but don’t fund them. Win-win.
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:51 pm:
Honeybear - well stated!
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:59 pm:
Thanks Illini, I appreciate it.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 3:06 pm:
To bad it didn’t make it print
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 3:23 pm:
“That’s just bizarre.” Exactly right Rich, but this piecemeal fix seems to be the way things are done in Illinois today. We deserve better!!!!
- Crispy - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 3:28 pm:
Anony Parent: That’s simply … unconscionable, what you’ve had to go through. I’m so sorry. I wish I could personally knock heads of everyone in officialdom and insurance who inflicted this on your family, make them reimburse you, and somehow magically restore the time lost.
To the wider post: Is there any sort of “dereliction of duty” clause in the Illinois Constitution that addresses governors and legislative leaders who arrogantly refuse to perform their jobs for b.s. political reasons? I realize it would be about as enforceable, currently, as the Fourteenth Amendment was in the Jim Crow South; but just to know it’s there would be a small comfort. Sigh.
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 3:39 pm:
It would appear on the mental health side they are funding the state operated hospitals and keeping the lights on there.
Probably a good idea since the community level MH providers are not being funded which means the state ops. and hospital ER are becoming the treatment centers which is the most expensive way to deliver MH care.
Beyond belief.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 3:43 pm:
– It makes no sense.–
You might be on to something there, Emily.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 3:47 pm:
The governor said, “Short term pain for long term gain.”
This is all willful. Nothing about this being willful has changed. This is a desired pain.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 3:48 pm:
Rauner said that… just today.
Again.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 3:53 pm:
What Willie said.
This is all part of the plan.
The governor, Sen. Radogno, and Rep. Durkin all made very clear, again, yesterday, they are not willing to engage in substantive budget negotiations until the now “three things” are passed.
It’s not a “budget impasse.” The budget is not yet the priority for them. They are consistent and clear on that. That’s what “until” means.
The fact that they’re taking some heat from some GOP House members and have flipped on some non-GRF issues is a good thing.
Ultimately, a handful of House GOP rebels are probably the key to the whole thing. Five or six of them break with Rauner and the whole hostage strategy falls apart.
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 4:00 pm:
“The governor said, “Short term pain for long term gain.” Thanks Willy and worth repeating.
Yet the “pain” is impacting millions of individuals, families, institutions and programs.
Agreed, this is what BVR wanted but how does anyone, much less the state, “gain” anything?
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 4:15 pm:
Yet another hostage - “Asked if higher ed would get a zero budget this year. Gov Rauner said, “I don’t want to speculate. I hope not.” Yeah right - have to believe this is playing out as he wants.
Guess the UofI is going to be asking me for a bigger contribution to keep the utilities on!
- Toffee - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 4:18 pm:
I wish someone in the media would ask the governor when the costs of his strategy become unacceptable. Is there a specific number of students who have to drop out of college, or women denied help after a sexual assault, for example? Or does he believe its okay for this to continue in perpetuity? If yes, get him on record.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 4:57 pm:
I guess it’s an oversight IML forgot to mention Speaker Madigan, but thanked the hostage taker Bruce Rauner for allowing the bill to come to him to be signed, LOL…
“Hang in there”, IML… lol
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 5:10 pm:
Willy, do you really believe it was an oversight by IML? I don’t!
Like the snark.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 5:19 pm:
@47th- High Schools are definitely noticing the impact of the MAP debacle. We work with kids to help them find, select, apply to schools and we help them with financial aide applications. It is hard enough to get some of these kids to that point successfully only to have all of that work and the kids dreams put at risk because of politics.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 5:20 pm:
- illini -
I did right up until IML started thanking the people who photocopied the bill, those who stapled the pages…
… then I figured, maybe it was done on purpose.
- Wordslinger -, you’ve been On This strategy since the beginning. Today, Rauner comtinued his willful strategy, and even said it out loud, again, so no mistake will be made.
- Newsclown - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 5:40 pm:
Hey;
Watch the blue room live stream link of Rauner again… at one point, he very, very nearly comes out and says what he really thinks… at the point where he’s describing the other items the Dems added to the approp, the stuff that affects the most vulnerable, he starts to say something very disparaging, and checks his swing, just at the very last moment, but you can just tell from the facial signs and body language and context, he *really* wanted to say something like; ‘'’Stuff for the unimportant people”. He DIDN’T say that, of course. But you go back over the video and see for yourself. In the middle of all his lies, he was just about to say one thing he really believed.
- The_Equalizer - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 5:51 pm:
More and more hostages…
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 7:12 pm:
“Short term pain” for who? Certainly not Bruce. Who the heck is he to say that pain is acceptable? Pompous azz.
- Just Me - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 7:45 pm:
Attention not-for-profit lobbyists and advocates: The IML statement is how you thank an elected official. Demeaning them, and making fun of them, and calling them names, is not a smart lobbying strategy.
I saw an Executive Director of a large advocacy group question the motives of certain elected officials recently, and I wondered if that really was a smart thing to do or not.
- internal angel - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 7:46 pm:
I volunteered for a time at an abused womens shelter. The thing to remember is those women and their often young children have been trapped in their predicament in some way. Economically, financially, psychologically, emotionally, by class or gender, by parenting needs, by some real or threatened violence, by dirty tricks and behavioral conditioning, by criminal behavior, by something. You cant always see what constrains them from freeing themselves. Like trapped animals they are in escape and evasion mode, defintely in defense mode. They trust no one because they have been prey so many times. Its a subtle thing sometimes. Definitely a need to help those trapped by their own “domestic terrorists”. Holidays are the worst and most dangerous times for them. Their predator will kill or destroy them as soon as he realizes he lost control of them. I even financed and arranged for my house cleaner secretly go to GED classes while he thought she was working for me.Just as she freed herself from him finally to br anle to be independent, he shot and killed her and himself a mere mile from my house. Its a life or death endeveavor for them. Totally worth funding. In the end even i couldnt save her, but the children lived.
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:07 pm:
internal angel - very disturbing, but not totally surprising narrative that you were kind enough to share. This is probably more frequent than many of us know.
If BVR had any real feeling for those of us who live in this state he would not continue taking hostages and would see to it that social service programs are adequately funded to provide the protection our neighbors need and deserve.
But he continues to posture and pander while the real people ( oh, sorry, not his people ) are the ones one who suffer the blunt force of his intransigence and his myopic view of governing.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:09 pm:
–“Asked if higher ed would get a zero budget this year. Gov Rauner said, “I don’t want to speculate. I hope not.”–
Gee, poor fella. If Rauner weren’t so busy acting as President, Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security when it comes to a couple dozen Syrian refugees, maybe he could do something about this.
I’m quite sure Illinois governors are pretty Big Heat when they choose to actually do their jobs, and not just go on dorm-room ideological crusades or feed red-meat to the talk-radio crowd.
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:19 pm:
wordslinger - thanks for picking up on my earlier post. Kind of surprised that the Trolls have not gotten on this thread already - maybe it is too late in the evening!!!!!
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:21 pm:
Or maybe they have not gotten their marching orders!
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:35 pm:
Illini, off the pay clock.
- illini - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:40 pm:
Kind of figured that!
Wait until a promising thread opens early in the day. And then be ready for the redundant and innocuous posts!
- DuPage Dave - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:48 pm:
Someone please invent a new word that means both irritating and infuriating so we can attach it to Rauner. His ongoing pretense that what he says and does has nothing to do with what happens to ordinary people is just way too much to bear.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:51 pm:
===The IML statement is how you thank an elected official.===
LOL, “Thank you, Governor, for releasing yiyr hostage”.
Geez Louise…
Also, thanking everyone, their brother, cousins, neighbors, the mailman, and purposely and obviously skipping on of the Four Tops is NOT how its done.
It’s actually pathetic and petty.
Saying nothibg is better than that…
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:56 pm:
Did Madigan vote no?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 9:02 pm:
Sullivan was “Red”
Ironically, Dunkin and The Speaker were NV…
- Dupage Bard - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 10:04 pm:
Will the GOP Senators fall in line?
- Lynn S. - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 12:21 am:
47th Ward - Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 2:05 pm:
We’re eating our seed corn in order to lower the income of working families. —–
Amen, brother. Preach it!!
- Anon221 - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 7:37 am:
OW- Dunkin was a NV because he was away from his desk and then threw a fit that he didn’t get to vote, and was going to vote Yes. It was highly amusing to watch.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 7:42 am:
Dunkin’s fit was at around 2:10 pm on the blueroomstream. I posted it at 2:13 in this thread.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 8:06 am:
http://livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/4442339
Go to time stamp 40.20 for the start of Dunkin’s rant.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 8:34 am:
Anon221, Dunkin’s monologue reminded me of the famous audio of Terry Bevington explaining “fair or foul.”
- HelloFitnessFriend - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 8:51 am:
“==Psychiatry, respite care, Autism services, epilepsy services, residential and housing for persons with SMI==
Does required insurance not cover these things now? Are there gaps to close?
idk about the rest, but since December 12 2008 the Illinois Autism Insurance Law requires all insurance plans must cover autism services of diagnosis, psychiatric care, psychological care, habilitative or rehabilitative care and therapeutic care.”
*ONLY* if it’s through a full-insured plan. If it’s self-funded, then it doesn’t have to be.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 8:52 am:
Word- worth posting:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzR3bQQ7wc
- sal-says - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 8:52 am:
Insanity: Doing the same thing over & over, expecting different results.
Enough is enough!
Raunner, Tops & all the Mushrooms: Go.Do.Your.Jobs
- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 9:01 am:
Anon221, strangely, Bev never got another Big League job.
Last heard from in 2006 when he got fired by the Edmonton Cracker Cats for leading an extended on-field brawl vs. the Calgary Vipers. The Alberta bushes are rough.
Bev’s probably hanging out with Jim Essian somewhere.
- sal-says - Thursday, Dec 3, 15 @ 9:08 am:
== Yet the “pain” is impacting millions of individuals, families, institutions and programs. ==
Plus the beating of IL as a state with the ‘regularly scheduled’ financial rating downgrades. Will it ever end?