Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Group won’t advocate for more money for one program at expense of others
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Group won’t advocate for more money for one program at expense of others

Wednesday, Mar 16, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* An interesting move…

Hi Rich.

Now that the primary is over, it’s a good time to remind people that despite the fact that there was (and will continue to be) a never-ending stream of money available to win (and lose) elections, the same cannot be said when it comes to funds available to ensure Illinois children, families and communities have the tools they need to thrive.

While attention has been diverted to elections, the normal budgeting process has geared up, and appropriations committees in both the House and Senate have started hearing testimony on the governor’s proposed budget and agency requests for FY17. And of course, that is occurring against the backdrop of a budgetless FY16.

As it does every year, Voices is submitting testimony. The governor and agencies have, in some cases, proposed increases in line items that would have a significant positive impact on children and families. This year, we are not unconditionally supporting increases in spending for line-items we traditionally care about - a move that would be absurd in a normal year.

But, as we said in our testimony submitted today to the Senate Approps I committee, as an advocacy organization for children, it is extremely difficult for us to advocate for more funding for one priority if it comes at the expense of another. The truth is that our state continues to fail our kids, as the ongoing budget crisis erodes our ability to give them the opportunity that they require to be successful students, skilled employees, taxpayers, and productive citizens.

Now that the election is over, maybe lawmakers and the governor can take a beat and consider that when they express a desire to fund vital programs, like human services, PK-12 and higher education, they must also consider how they will pay for those programs.

Emily Miller
Voices for Illinois Children

       

6 Comments
  1. - Juvenal - Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 10:42 am:

    Did Voices just indicate they are opposing the governor’s plan to increase funding for early childhood learning?

    Since The Ounce of Prevention Fund is a member of the Voices coalition, that seems newsworthy.


  2. - Cassandra - Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:04 am:

    She’s got that right.

    But she left out the other important part-it’s not just how much, but who pays.

    Will we see a chorus of hedge fund managers coming to the microphone to suggest that they pay
    more proportionately, given their extraordinary wealth gains of recent years. Unlikely. Why should they. It’s Illinois. Both parties appear to have decided that any additional revenues will come disproportionately from the state’s increasingly weak middle class. Nothing about yesterday’s election has changed that.


  3. - Earnest - Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:05 am:

    It’s a recognition that human services is a system…children need parents who are employed, have a place to live, have treatment available for mental health issues. Cycles of domestic violence have to be broken. Childcare is needed to maintain employment so that more children don’t end up needing services. The “Starve the Beast” strategy would turn human services into cannibals…killing each other off and/or mergiing and overall doing less. I am impatient for the fall election so I can vote against my Republican Senator because I’m so vexed by Senate Leader Radogno’s public embracing of the strategy. This bums me out as I like my Senator.


  4. - Ghost - Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:22 am:

    Emily +1

    now Rauner needs to stop thinking raising taxes is a gift to be given to the democrats and work on a bipartisan funding solutiin…. something other then magical money saved


  5. - DuPage Centrist - Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:35 am:

    I applaud this move. Human Services really is a system. You can’t do child welfare without having substance abuse treatment, jobs and housing available. Many, many at-risk people need health care, mental health treatment etc. The only reason most community services exist is because they save money for ‘deep end’ systems like corrections. Many of these cuts will end up costing money, not saving it.


  6. - Burbling 'Burbs - Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 1:15 pm:

    This is why our agency does citizenship work alongside GED and ESL, Parent engagement alongside after school programs, family support alongside teen parenting classes. If you only fix one leg of the ladder, you’re wasting your effort and endangering others.


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Reader comments closed for the holiday weekend
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Jack Conaty
* New state law to be tested by Will County case
* Why did ACLU Illinois staffers picket the organization this week?
* Hopefully, IDHS will figure this out soon
* Pete Townshend he ain't /s
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller