* Ralph Martire, the executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, regularly and forcefully advocates for more tax revenues and increased spending to fulfill the many promises that the state has made over the decades. For instance…

True, in nominal dollars net service appropriations for FY 2027 are $204 million, or one-half of one percent, greater than in FY 2026. But that ignores inflation, which drives up the cost of providing public services annually, just like it increases private sector household and business costs. After inflation, FY 2027 spending on public services will actually be 1.7% less than in FY 2026. Considered over the long haul, FY 2027 service appropriations are fully $7 billion less in inflation-adjusted terms than they were back in FY 2000, under Republican Gov. George Ryan. Ergo any complaints about over spending are, well, over blown.

* But even Ralph found it difficult to issue a full-throated demand that the legislature fill the CPS budget hole during the upcoming fall veto session…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the $9.96 billion budget Chicago Public Schools passed for the coming fiscal year is generating some controversy. OK, so whenever CPS does anything it engenders controversy. But in this case, some legitimate issues are on the table.

That’s because in a split vote, the CPS Board passed a budget that includes $150 million in state funding the Illinois General Assembly hasn’t authorized. The board members who voted for the budget noted the speaker of the House and Senate president have publicly indicated a willingness to get more state funding for CPS this year, and including the extra $150 million averted the need to lay off roughly 760 teachers, 800 or so support personnel and 41 assistant principals. […]

Unfortunately, last year CPS had $985 million less than what the evidence indicated it needed to provide an adequate education to its students. So those board members who approved the new CPS budget decided to put some pressure on state lawmakers to close $150 million of that gap this year.

And if the additional state funding doesn’t materialize? CPS could offset the shortage by implementing the roughly $145 million in cuts from furlough days and midyear hiring freezes it previously identified but put off implementing until it sees whether the General Assembly steps up to the plate. That seems, well reasonable, even if not ideal from a pure budgetary policy standpoint.

All the more surprising because Stacy Davis Gates is listed as a CTBA board member.