The impasse’s impact on women
Wednesday, Feb 3, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the League of Women Voters…
— Illinois is not providing any funding for MAP grants or colleges and universities, which profoundly impacts women. Fifty-four percent of all undergraduates and 62 percent (more than 80,000 women) of MAP grant recipients are women, who will no longer be able to afford college. Research has shown that women with college degrees earn substantially more throughout their lifetimes. […]
— The budget impasse is costing women jobs. Seven in 10 workers employed in Illinois’ nonprofit sector are women and many of these organizations receive state dollars. An October survey by the United Way of 500 organizations that receive state funding found 22 percent have been forced to lay off staff.
— Economic opportunity has also disappeared for thousands of women in Illinois due to cuts to the Child Care Assistance Program. Seventy-eight percent of families using CCAP are female-headed, single-parent households. Without affordable child care, it’s impossible for many of those women to work. CCAP cuts put in place by the Rauner Administration in July remain in place for 10,000 children. In just one week last month, a local provider in Belvidere reported having to turn away two families seeking child care.
— An estimated 66 percent of unpaid caregivers are female. One-third care for two or more people. Without a doubt, cuts to services for children, seniors and those with disabilities will fall upon the shoulders of unpaid or undercompensated female caregivers.
— 60 percent of seniors experiencing food insecurity, meaning they don’t have enough to eat or don’t know where their next meals will come from, are female. Funding to Meals on Wheels has been stopped, placing at risk the 6.5 million meals delivered each year. Many programs throughout the state have already been drastically cut back.
Discuss.
- Anonnymouse - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 1:58 pm:
I’m sure that he too has “binders full of women” who he’s helped, not hurt. What is it with today’s GOP?
- Emily Miller - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:01 pm:
The League of Women voters is such an active, valuable member of the Responsible Budget Coalition. It’s important that people remember that this budget impasse has different, and in some cases disparate, impact on specific populations. Women are hit hard. Well done, LWVIL.
- Neglected stepchild - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:04 pm:
Cry me a river.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:05 pm:
Ummmmmm, “Bruce doesn’t have a social agenda?”
Again, the good doctor was just wildly misinterpreted when the political sharpies put millions behind her selling that message on the tee-vee box to the critical Independent Suburban Women vote.
Literally, it’s true. No one can argue with that now.
- anon - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:05 pm:
Obviously the administration places a higher priority on accomplishing the Turnaround Agenda than protecting the well-being of women.
- Spliff - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:06 pm:
Illinois use to care about its citizens. It didn’t matter the party.
We have been “turned around,” and we have turned back the clock on workers rights and help for the states citizens most in need.
- Dome Gnome - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:08 pm:
I shudder to think what would happen if we had a governor with a “social agenda.”
- cdog - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:09 pm:
“Cry me a river” is a very misogynistic comment. We should all feel a little sad for you neglected stepchild; your name says a lot.
Thank you to the LWVIL for their report.
I have long pitied Mrs. Rauner and will state that again today. As a well educated woman, she knows how wrong this all is and that there is no upside to this type of human combat.
Check on your neighbors folks.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
–Cry me a river.–
Good to hear from an honest Rauner voter, happy to be squeezing the beast.
- King Louis XVI - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:17 pm:
–An October survey by the United Way of 500 organizations that receive state funding found 22 percent have been forced to lay off staff.–
78% had not.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:20 pm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqAJmSEvNj0
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:21 pm:
Wow, I really had not connected the dots on this. I am so thankful for this site. I am also thankful for the example of women like Emily Miller.
- Very Old Soil - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:21 pm:
78% had not—four months ago. What do you think the tally is by now?
- cdog - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:21 pm:
So what’s your point, oh great last king of France?
22% are better managed and making adjustments to expenses? /s
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:21 pm:
Part two-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YmltiAcbMA
- illini - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:24 pm:
Will someone please tell me how this kind of impact ( “short term pain, etc., etc., ) can be justified?
And these impact not only the women of this state, but their families, aging parents and children!
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:27 pm:
This seems more appropriate here than where I originally posted it.
===Patti Bellock, Avery Bourne, Terri Bryant, Norine Hammond, Jeanne Ives, Sheri Jesiel, Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, Margo McDermed, Barbara Wheeler, Christine Winger
There are far too few of you in office and even fewer in leadership. It is unfair for you to be held to a higher standard than the glut of men of your party who happily sell out but are never called out.
But women and children and families are suffering the most under this plan your constituents DID NOT VOTE FOR.
They’re suffering as
crime victims
working women
single moms
social service employees
You need female Republican voters in order to exist. If it were up to men, you’d never have been supported into office.
You will cease to get the support you need if you don’t start showing some of the courage and independence of your legendary, MODERATE, RESPONSIBLE Republican foremothers in office.
There are 10 of you. That’s enough if you work together.
Be your better selves.===
- Anonin' - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:28 pm:
And if you are a MAP student mom you lost your day care after the Dunkin’ solution….gotta love SuperStars
- Juvenal - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:39 pm:
They forgot about:
~ the closing of rape crisis services;
~ elimination of meals on wheels
~ closure of other seniors programs, all of which disproportionally impacts women.
Call AARP and Emily Miller for help next time, folks.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:39 pm:
First, Emily Miller is a rockstar, as always, thanks for your tireless work.
OW
To the Post,
The Raunerites that feel, “oh well, too bad, only the strong will survive and make us better” commenting on this Post… How sad.
Women issues matter. Neanderthals that see themselves removed from this, you have sisters, mothers, maybe wives, daughters, nieces. You have fave female friends? Colleagues?
These are real things happening to a gender.
I’m just saying, Social Service groups facing all these challenges, March 15th… If you have a chance to send a message in a Primary, “vote accordingly”
If Social Service groups decide Raunerites aren’t dling this to them at the behest of Bruce Rauner, you’re fooling yourselves.
If Social Service groups don’t see Labor as an ally, you’re fooling yourselves.
March 15th is huge. But it’s only impactful by not voting Raunerite.
- Mama - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
Rich, thank you for providing the report from the League of Women Voters. This report is interesting but sad. People, if you don’t like what you see, you know what you need to do at the voting polls.
- Earnest - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:44 pm:
I have another title quibble: the word “impasse” is no longer an accurate description of the dynamic. It is willful destruction, plainly and clearly.
- Handle Bar Mustache - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:51 pm:
Agree with Earnest.
“Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda” would be a better term than “impasse” at this point.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:53 pm:
-As a well educated woman, she knows how wrong-
Look, education does not mean you will do the right thing. Look at Martha Stewart. I do not feel sorry at all for Mrs. Rauner. It’s the same problem I have with my religious denomination. My religious people are the most highly educated of all religious groups (according to research a few years back). And yet, do they “do the right thing” for social justice, poverty, or inequality? No they don’t. They might put a “Black Lives Matter” sign in front of the church but then do nothing to back up the movement or bring about social change. The largest church of my denomination is in St.Louis. They once a month make sandwiches for the shelter and one person delivers them. Nice. My little congregation hosts a Saturday lunch at the church feeding more people than we have in membership AND provide our guests with feminine hygiene items, laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, diapers, toothpaste along with other sundries. Food stamps don’t pay for any of these items. We fill the nursery with this stuff and it’s gone in an hour. That’s addressing the needs. So no, I have no sympathy for Mrs Rauner. As OW often brings up, she vouched for her husband. “He has no social agenda”
- illini - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:57 pm:
Willy - excellent comment and to the point, as always.
crazybleedingheart - read you comment on the other thread. Great point - but my question is this - how many have Primary opponents, much less credible opponents, if any in the General. “Be your better selves.===” Hoping they will take heed.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 2:58 pm:
OW- Hopefully your words on strategy will be heard and followed through on. What would help would be a STATEWIDE analysis of candidates running, who is funding them (including how the ties that bind are woven), their voting record (if they have one), and the use of the term “Raunerite”! It certainly ain’t the Tea Party, and people need to realize that. Also, any great and foolish quotes from themselves or their Party leaders couldn’t hurt either (Sandack, Radogno, Rauner).
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
To piggyback on - Honeybear -’s comment…
If you’re a social service organization or advocate, abd you hold harmless Diana Rauner, the President of Ounce of Prevention, in her vouching for Bruce Rauner…
.., that’s on y’all.
“Bruce has no social agenda.” - Diana Rauner
On TV. Often, seven-figure Ad often.
The silence… on all… is just mind-boggling.
- cdog - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 3:12 pm:
Honeybear, we agree. OW brings it home everyday.
I have no sympathy for her and her choices she is making to literally stand behind Rauner, and hide from the public.
I do pity her in her cowardice. To choose such a cowardly course, after obviously being strong enough to succeed through many barriers, is pitiful.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 3:15 pm:
===What would help would be a STATEWIDE analysis of candidates running, who is funding them (including how the ties that bind are woven), their voting record (if they have one), and the use of the term “Raunerite”===
1) Working backwards, “Yes”, it’s not Republican for Labor, Democrats or Social Services and their Advocates, it’s Raunerite. Mistakenly calling it Republican will have the backlash of party tunnel-vision. Raunerites are helping Bruce Rauner. Vote Accordingly.
2) I’m quite sure there are highly-talented people already doing what you are saying, and if I’m one of many talking this way, I know I’m not reinventing the wheel.
As an aside, - AA - has updated the Consulting Firm’s web portal. - AA - keeps saying the inbox is empty, but we’re not expecting to hear from the Rauner controlled groups we “accidentally” keep sending stuff to… to partake in the $90 million, but I digress…
- Anon33p - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 3:16 pm:
As a woman who worked hard and paid for my own college it is hard for me to feel sorry for those that don’t get free college. It took me 10 years but I did it and did it on my own dime.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 3:18 pm:
==crazybleedingheart - read you comment on the other thread. Great point - but my question is this - how many have Primary opponents, much less credible opponents, if any in the General. “Be your better selves.===” Hoping they will take heed.==
If they aren’t facing serious challengers, they don’t need Bruce Money.
If they are, they don’t need Bruce Stink.
Their calculation, obviously, has been different to date.
- Former State Worker - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 3:19 pm:
Radogno already told us that the short term pain is worth it. Hope she sleeps comfortably at night.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 3:21 pm:
Away from my silly snark, thanks all for your kind words, abd keep doin’ what y’all are doing, this is going to be one of those campaigns come March and May that’s going to be absurd and meaningful, abd you don’t run across thise cycles too often.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 3:45 pm:
–As a woman who worked hard and paid for my own college it is hard for me to feel sorry for those that don’t get free college. It took me 10 years but I did it and did it on my own dime.–
What are you talking about, “free college?”
A MAP grant isn’t a full, free-ride. It’s a supplemental grant to the FAFSA package of work, savings, parental contribution, loans and grants.
Apparently, it’s also hard for you to inform yourself on the issue under discussion before commenting.
And if you can find me a MAP grantee who won’t be working way more than 10 years to pay off their student loans, I’ll bow to the wonder of your superiority.
- Jocko - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 5:44 pm:
Anon33p reminds me of Craig T. Nelson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTwpBLzxe4U
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 6:19 pm:
Food stamps and welfare wasn’t a hand up for you Mr. Craig Nelson???
- Gizmo49z - Wednesday, Feb 3, 16 @ 8:03 pm:
Ilinois developed the first womens state plan for addictions services in the country as well as the first treatment centers now can we expect them to go then the question will be where do the women go.
- NoBudgetBlues - Thursday, Feb 4, 16 @ 12:20 am:
The governor’s merit pay proposal is biased against women, especially new moms. It’s not fair to exclude someone from a potential bonus because they didn’t meet the attendance requirement because they went on maternity leave.