* For two straight years, Gov. Rauner’s administration signed billions of dollars in state contracts without a legal appropriation. Now, when there finally is an approp, some contracts aren’t being signed. What in the heck is going on at DHS?…
For dozens of people in central Illinois and thousands statewide — from low-income and at-risk youth to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — services may be disrupted yet again by state funding shortages that remain despite the passage of a state budget in July after a two-year standoff in the Capitol.
Between $50 million and $100 million in general revenue funds appropriated in the fiscal 2018 budget can’t be sent to human-service organizations because state agencies haven’t issued the contracts that allow checks to be cut.
“The kids are entitled to the services,” said Clint Paul, president and chief executive officer of Hope, the not-for-profit organization that operates the Autism Clinic at 5220 S. Sixth Street Road.
It’s unclear whether the lack of new annual contracts being issued — a problem that affects some but not most state-funded human services — is related to bureaucratic delays related to the standoff or Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s objection to the way the budget was passed. The Democratic-controlled General Assembly enacted the budget by overriding Rauner’s veto.
Human-service providers said they worry it may be several months before contracts are issued.
An emailed statement from Meghan Powers, spokeswoman for Rauner’s Department of Human Services, did not say when the state plans to act.
These are among the most vulnerable people in this entire state.
- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 10:45 am:
So they issued contracts when there was no money to care for the disabled now that there is money they aren’t issuing contracts to take care of the disabled?
Sounds about right.
- Mod Dem - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 10:46 am:
DHS has an automated system to issue 5,000+ contracts and the legal language is generated through a simple template. The delay is not a system issue, but one of choice by DHS Leadership and the Governor’s office. In the past all contracts had been issued in less than 3 days after apprope.
- PDJT - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 10:47 am:
“These are among the most vulnerable people in this entire state.”
Or as Rauner calls them “leverage.”
- NeveroddoreveN - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 10:50 am:
I’m guessing this has to do with the ruling that came down last Friday…
https://www.aclu-il.org/en/press-releases/court-says-state-illinois-failing-keep-promises-people-developmental-disabilities
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 10:51 am:
===An emailed statement from Meghan Powers, spokeswoman for Rauner’s Department of Human Services, did not say when the state plans to act.===
Someone should email Diana Rauner…
She emails lots to administration staff and if she chooses, Diana Rauner can get them fired.
——————-
I’m so angered by all this, the farce of Diana Rauner and her role in all this Darwinism and destroying Illinois social services… it’s critical that the story is told…
Diana Rauner, a president of a social service, is aiding and abetting the destruction of services to Illinois’ most vulnerable.
Enough.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 10:55 am:
The social Darwinism of squeeze the beast continues by other means.
No social agenda my foot. You going to believe Rauner or your lying eyes?
Maybe Beth Purivs can get on this “mystery.” DHS is where she’s ghosting on the payroll at $225K.
See you in church, BTIA.
- ELP - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:04 am:
Rauner has repeatedly attempted to kill funding for kids with autism since he took office. Anyone remember the Good Friday Massacre in spring of 2015 and then no funding for FY16? His staff says the currently delay in releasing contracts is unavoidable as they study the budget– what that really means is they are looking for an opportune time to announce they will not be funding any of the DHS grants in FY18. So while claiming to be every schoolchild’s best friend he will slash funding for most at-risk kids with autism.
- SAP - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:04 am:
Maybe this is the Governor’s way of answering Amanda Vinicky’s question about what he would cut from the budget.
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:08 am:
Is it possible the IT systems upgrade changed the system for issuing contracts?
- Aldyth - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:11 am:
Plan A was always to create a financial crisis for human service agencies serving people with intellectual disabilities. After all, the concept of these folks being made homeless or without services is pretty heart wrenching and might be an effective way to twist arms in the legislature. This is no surprise when it comes to Rauner. It’s rather like a reverse of the Hippocratic Oath: First, do harm and see what it gets you.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:17 am:
If Diana can be equated to Lady Macbeth, then it’s no surprise Bruce is glowing in his description of her. Lol
- RNUG - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:17 am:
Must be waiting for the wrong vendors to fail from lack of payment and for the “right” vendors to apply …
And, yes, I’m that cynical about State contracts.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:17 am:
Rauner was criticized for signing contracts without a legal appropriations and later owing the providers.
Now he is being criticized for not signing contracts without a legal appropriation?
Sheesh.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:18 am:
===Now he is being criticized for not signing contracts without a legal appropriation?===
Can you not read? He has a legal approp.
- Robert the Bruce - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:21 am:
It’s even worse than the article suggests.
When the state finally does get around to signing contracts, the contracts likely will require evidence and reporting of programs being run since July 1.
So social service providers either:
(A) run services (and pay the expenses from July 1 of providing the services) in hopes that a contract will eventually come from the state, and be awarded in similar amount as the prior year.
OR
(B) don’t run services until a contract is available, and then hope the state will somehow allow a partial year of services to be run despite full year appropriations. And hope that staff that were laid off on July 1, the staff who know the services and recipients the best, will still be available to be rehired.
And not everyone has the money to do option (A).
- Norseman - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:24 am:
Louis, Louis, Louis, you have to reread your Rauner talking points. Or is the shill alert system broken?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:27 am:
Louis, you could miss the broad side of a barn with a banjo.
- Generic Drone - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:30 am:
Beginning to wonder if lady Diana is a double naught spy for republicans.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:30 am:
- Louis G. Atsaves -
You may be more help… at Winnetka Cocktail Parties…
That’s where Diana and Bruce need cover
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:42 am:
“If you want to spend less, they can’t stop me.” - Bruce Rauner
- Ghost - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:54 am:
“These are among the most [tax eating] people in this entire state.”
fixed it for you Rich
- #5 - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
@Ghost
Autism is expensive to treat; Michael Ganz of the Harvard School of Public Health estimated the lifetime cost at over $3.2 million. Getting the services (Applied Behavior Analysis) these people need at an early age greatly reduces the need for services later. If you want these “tax eating people” to go on a diet, get the contracts in place to help them while they are young.
- Earnest - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
I tend to think it’s just a lack of leadership and basic management skills. Much like Republicans in the legislature, upper level state employees are afraid to act in any way Rauner may not like. He hasn’t built the organizational structure to assure communication and direction to the leaders of DHS and on down the line.
I originally had high hopes for him to utilize his business experience to make the state run more efficiently and effectively. That has been far from the case.
On the other hand, he hasn’t decried Ann Coulter’s use of the “r” word, is failing to meet the state;s obligations of the Ligas consent decree, vetoed all education funding and has not identified how he will support students with special needs, is sitting on funds to increase direct care staff wages under the Medicaid Waiver and address a true staffing crisis, has not taken action to increase the spending allowance from $50 to $60/month for people living in group homes, has not spoken out against federal attempts to cut Medicaid which would devastate services to people with developmental disabilities, has added new reporting regulations to agencies, and has not been able to put together a clear and consistent plan to address new federal requirements on both residential and vocational areas.
- PragmaticR - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 12:31 pm:
It is simultaneously amusing and tragic. By vetoing school funding and delaying contracts for social services, the unintended consequence of the Governor’s actions is to provide the resources for Comptroller Mendoza to lower the backlog of Medicaid bills and state employee health insurance claims.
- Miss Marie - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
– Ghost: “These are among the most [tax eating] people in this entire state.”
-fixed it for you Rich
Wow, Ghost, that is the most heartless thing I have ever read and your lack of empathy is troubling.
I am completely fine with my tax dollars going to these services to help these people. Hell, I was fine with my taxes getting raised to pay for these services.
Any of us are capable of having a child born with autism or any developmental disability. Any one of us can have an imbalance in our brain chemicals and need to take part in mental health services. It is the benefit of society that we can come together and help raise up people who have fallen on hard times. And if we help each other early enough, there are so many cases where it keep these individuals from being more dependent on even more costly services in the future.
Maybe next time you should think before you make that kind of statement.
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:57 pm:
I think Ghost was using snark to demonstrate how Rauner sees people who need DHS services.