* Decatur Herald & Review…
Macon County Sheriff Howard Buffett has donated $3 million to Crossing Healthcare to help pay for the new Decatur facility that opened in 2015, officials said Friday.
Crossing CEO Tanya Andricks announced the donation during a visit from Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and several Central Illinois lawmakers. Crossing is a federally qualified health center that serves Macon and surrounding counties.
“This shows what we can do when we come together,” said Rauner, who toured the facility before the announcement.
Half of the funding for the $6 million clinic at 320 Central Ave came from the state, Rauner said. Officials previously said that the remaining half of the facility’s funding was covered by loans.
Rauner said Friday that the donation would allow Crossing officials to “burn their mortgage” and focus on their work.
* Um, OK. Two things. First, here is the governor’s quote…
This is a great day for the people of Decatur, the people of Macon County and the people of Illinois. This is a wonderful day. This shows what we can do when we come together. Come together. Private citizens, members of our government, members of our healthcare, non-profit organizations. Everyone comes together to take on a challenge, solve problems and create a better future, a better quality of life for the people of Illinois.
* The governor asked for rounds of applause for several people, including Sen. Chapin Rose…
He has been an advocate here for Decatur and for this facility since he first got into public service. He has been on me relentlessly. Persistence is the key in every endeavor.
Got all that?
* Let’s go back to September of 2015…
The board broke ground on three acres of vacant city lots last December [2014]. Half of the funding came from the state’s Illinois Jobs Now! Program, and the remaining $3 million was covered with loans.
But with no state budget in place, Andricks said CHIC is carrying the full debt load to finish the building.
* And here’s a story from last July, shortly after the General Assembly overrode the governor’s budget veto…
Crossing Healthcare is a Federally Qualified Health Center, meaning that its revenue comes from the federal government.
But the center was awarded a $3 million state capital construction grant [in 2014] to build its new facility at 320 Central Ave., according to Crossing Director Tanya Andricks. In early 2015, Rauner froze all state capital grants, but Crossing’s governing board chose to continue with the building project.
“Over the last several years, Crossing has been carrying twice the debt burden as planned,” Andricks said. “This has caused us to delay things like cost of living increases for our staff. And we’ve had to reduce the number of physicians on staff and rely heavily on physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners.” [Emphasis added]
* So, to sum up, the governor freezes the center’s state capital funds, then after more than two years of gridlock he vetoed the budget, then immediately and continually slammed everyone who voted to override his veto, then talked today about how this great facility is the result of people and government coming together and praised Sen. Rose, who voted against the budget and against the veto override.
Lovely.
Also, Sen. Andy Manar, the guy who actually put the money into the budget, voted for the budget and voted for the override, wasn’t invited.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Senator Andy Manar today congratulated Decatur’s Crossing Healthcare on receiving a $3 million donation to help pay for a new facility that opened in 2015 despite Gov. Bruce Rauner doing everything in his power to block promised state funding.
“Thank you to Howard Buffett for stepping in to help alleviate some of the unnecessary financial burden that Crossing was forced to endure. Mr. Buffett’s generosity continues to change Decatur for the better, and he should be commended for all he has done,” said Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat who represents much of Decatur, including Crossing Healthcare.
“Gov. Rauner appears to have conveniently forgotten the role he played in Crossing’s misfortune. I’ll help him remember.
“He froze its funding immediately upon taking office in 2015, blocked negotiations on last year’s ‘grand bargain’ and repeatedly vetoed state budgets that would have provided the money the center was due and desperately needed – money that was sitting idly in a state bank account.”
Crossing Healthcare was among the 14 federally qualified health centers and hospitals in Senate District 48 that Manar visited in November to learn more about the challenges and needs facing health care providers in central Illinois.
The continued delay in capital construction dollars from the state for the 2015 facility and the financial difficulty it created for Crossing, which served more than 19,000 patients in 2016, were significant concerns that were discussed during the senator’s visit.
“It takes a lot of nerve to do what the governor did today – and by ‘nerve’ I don’t mean bravery,” Manar said. “Gov. Rauner seems to not understand the connection between his actions as governor, being in charge of the state of Illinois, and press conferences like the one in Decatur today.”
- South of Sherman - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:12 pm:
And this is surprising because…?
- Retired Educator - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:15 pm:
Rauner is just a player to the crowd. He will say anything to get applause. He will take credit for anything good, and blame someone else for all the bad. “The Worst Republican Governor” needs to be told, to take credit, you have to do something.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:16 pm:
===* So, to sum up, the governor freezes the center’s state capital funds, then after more than two years of gridlock he vetoed the budget, then immediately and continually slammed everyone who voted to override his veto, then talked today about how this great facility is the result of people and government coming together and praised Sen. Rose, who voted against the budget and against the veto override.===
This is the sweet spot of the General Election strategy to defeat the failed Rauner…
“You like that? Rauner vetoed that”
Rauner wants his veto of the Tax Increase to “matter”
Rauner vetoed…
Rauner vetoed lots and lots of things.
“Like a whole lotta lots”
It’s critical, “yesteday” for Cripes sake, that the damage Rauner caused with his vetoes also disqualifies Rauner to take credit for any single thing that has a budgetary number to it.
I’m constantly amazed the deafening silence by Dems…
Rauner vetoed that.
How difficult is that to explain?
You like X… Rauner vetoed that. Oh, you like Y too… Rauner vetoed that… state agencies… Rauner vetoed their funding too…
Lazy.
Thanks, Rich. Great post.
- Last Bull Moose - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:17 pm:
Howard Buffet has a well deserved positive reputation in Decatur. Rauner not so much.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:17 pm:
Which is worse: that Governor Rauner is so ignorant of this stuff that he didn’t know how his administration messed this up so badly?
Or that he thinks we’re all to stupid to understand that his administration messed this up so badly?
I’m really torn about this. He either a spectacularly ignorant fool or a Herculean prevaricator.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:18 pm:
Focus, Rich. Focus.
- Check Please - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:18 pm:
Rich, this is buying in to Democratic messaging hook line and sinker. He vetoed the budget because he opposed a budget/tax increase without also having changes to work comp, property taxes, etc. But now you take that to mean he vetoed the budget because he opposed every single item that was funded in the budget? This is the standard D line recently. They vote for unbalanced budgets and then accuse anyone who voted No or vetoed it of opposing each and every line within the budget. You of all people know there’s far more to it than that. Try to run a “pants on fire” story about all the Dems who have literally never voted for a balanced budget but then mock the governor for introducing a fake budget and doing exactly what they did.
- @misterjayem - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
Shamelessness is a political superpower.
– MrJM
- Sugar Corn - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
Rauner’s tweet on this recklessly and wrongly blamed “a previous administration”. The Mike Z / Goldberg administration, maybe?
“Announced $3M grant to Crossing Healthcare Center in Decatur. We lived up to a promise unfulfilled by a previous administration …”
The guy just lies and lies and lies.
It it too much to ask for reporters to start describing him as “dishonest” with all of these provably false whoppers?
- El Conquistador - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
I, for one, am sooooo sick and tired of the blatant disingenuous representations, distortion of reality and obvious manipulation of the mouth breathing, window lickers for political advantage I could scream.
If we’re counting on informed voters, we’re doomed.
- btowntruthfromforgottonia - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:28 pm:
Check Please:
Did any other Governor constantly lie about presenting a balanced budget like Bruce Rauner has?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:29 pm:
- Check Please -
LOL…
Can’t have it both ways.
Rauner claims his veto was to stop the tax increase.
Rauner’s vetoes stopped lots and lots of things.
It took overrides by the General Assembly…
…legislative acts…
… to get funding back.
Nope. Fair. 100%. Rauner wants his vetoes to matter.
Yep. They matter.
“I vetoed the Tax Increase”. Ok…
“You like Z… Rauner vetoed that.” Ok…
- Cheryl44 - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:35 pm:
He’s the Eugene Ionesco of Illinois politics.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:52 pm:
Shameless, and keeping in character, for Gov. Rauner.
Good on Sheriff Buffett. I bet every county wishes they had one of those.
Does Howard have any more progeny
- btowntruthfromforgottonia - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:53 pm:
So Rauner froze grant money, repeatedly vetoed budgets with money for the place, and claims a previous administration caused the problems in the funding?
Explain exactly how that is Democratic messaging.
Oh, and then there is our Governor giving that little speech trying to make it sound like he actually did something. While not thankin’,you know, the guy from Bunker Hill that actually did something.
Kindly explain that to me.
- DBC - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:19 pm:
=Also, Sen. Andy Manar, the guy who actually put the money into the budget, voted for the budget and voted for the override, wasn’t invited.=
Crossing CEO Tanya Andricks=backstabber?
- Dude Abides - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:45 pm:
This reminds me of when he went to the High School to pose for pictures with the FFA kids and spoke how supportive he was for Future Farmers of America. Later we find out he zeroed out funding for FFA in his budget. The man is a fake and as phony as the day is long.
- Nick Name - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:11 pm:
Gov. Gaslight takes credit for continued existence of institutions he tried to kill.
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:44 pm:
I am not much of a Manar fan, but that is starting to change a little. His press release hits the nail on the head. Rauner should stay home and off social media. Illinois would be better for it.
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 2:50 pm:
== you take that to mean he vetoed the budget because he opposed every single item that was funded in the budget==
If he didn’t then he didn’t need to issue a total veto. He has that ability you know.
Also, you might want to read this bold print again:
“In early 2015, Rauner froze all state capital grants”
The Governor did that.
- Truckin' On - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 3:19 pm:
How about ol’ Chapin? Voting against everything, taking credit when the other folks get it done, and blaming anybody else in sight for his decisions. Similar to Rauner?
- Galen - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 3:59 pm:
DBC:
“Crossing CEO Tanya Andricks=backstabber?”
Doubtful. I was at the groundbreaking for Crossing, and Sen. Manar was in attendance to speak about how important this was to the local community (especially since Sen. Rose represents very little of Decatur proper; his senate district mostly runs around the city in all of the little bedroom communities).
Last Bull Moose:
“Howard Buffet has a well deserved positive reputation in Decatur. Rauner not so much.”
This is exactly correct.
- DBC - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 5:16 pm:
=DBC:“Crossing CEO Tanya Andricks=backstabber?”
Doubtful. =
So Crossing CEO Tanya Andricks was “not in charge” when Rauner& Rose were invited instead of Manar?