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Durbin and the rest of the delegation need to stop this

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Michael Loria at the Sun-Times…

Many, like Davila, told the Sun-Times they came to Chicago at the recommendation of Catholic Charities in San Antonio. […]

Leaders at Catholic Charities in San Antonio have said sending migrants via plane [to Chicago] is more humane than busing them, which can be a lengthy journey, during which one migrant toddler died in August.

“How would you feel about being in a bus for two days without knowing the language?” asked Antonio Fernandez, CEO of the San Antonio nonprofit. […]

The plane tickets are paid for using funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fernandez said. The nonprofit has been awarded $48 million through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program since December. That’s compared to about $7 million awarded to Chicago, according to FEMA.

Those funds are spent on staffing the welcoming center to ensure they deliver “trauma-informed care,” according to Fernandez, but most is spent on transportation.

So, they’re using most of their federal funding to send people to Chicago, while Chicago receives a pittance out of that same federal pot.

That’s gotta be the dumbest thing I’ve yet seen about this entire mess.

…Adding… To be clear here, since some of y’all are getting off on tangents in comments, the federal government needs to stop funding the uncoordinated shipping of asylum-seekers to other states.

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*** UPDATED x1 - Speaker Welch: ‘Not expecting to do a supplemental budget in veto session’ *** I really doubt the mayor’s proposal to cut spending on new arrivals is gonna put pressure on the state

Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Normally, I would praise something like this. Crain’s…

Johnson is proposing contributing $307 million in advance pension payments on top of the actuarially required amount

But here’s Fox 32…

Outlined in his 2024 budget proposal, Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to spend at least $150 million for what he’s calling “new arrivals services.”

That’s it?

* More from Crain’s…

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget allocates $150 million for the city’s ongoing migrant response, down over $50 million from the city’s estimate released a month ago even as city officials expect an increase to the number of daily buses arriving in the city. […]

The city currently estimates it is spending more than $31 million a month on its migrant mission and has struggled to receive its full funding requests from the state or federal government. […]

The move, which also helped the city close its $538 million budget gap, also ramps up the pressure on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the federal government to provide additional funding to the city in 2024.

Um, the city cuts its anticipated new arrivals spending, which was woefully inadequate to begin with, while spending $307 million on advance pension payments? And that’s supposed to somehow put pressure on the state?

Sure, Jan.

*** UPDATE *** House Speaker Chris Welch was asked about his meeting with Mayor Johnson last week. Speaker Welch said they talked about the migrant situation and how the federal government needed to step up. Asked about whether he was asked about a supplemental budget to help the city, Welch said…

At that time, there was no request made specifically because I think I made it clear that we were not expecting to do a supplemental budget in the veto session.

…Adding… Yes, he’s reading it right. The mayor proposes cutting the budget to the committee overseeing this issue…

Am I reading this correctly? Because it sure looks like @ChicagosMayor thinks that the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights

and ONLY that Committee

will somehow need LESS FUNDING than last year pic.twitter.com/4wcFGL2fWZ

— Anthony Moser (@mosermusic) October 12, 2023

You gotta wonder what signal he’s trying to send here.

…Adding… From Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa…

The 2024 budget proposal reduces the budget for the committee by $10,000, all in “contractual services,” which can go towards things like part-time contractors or newspaper subscriptions. I haven’t looked into it, but my guess is the committee didn’t make use of the $10,000 for “contractual services” in the prior year, hence why that line item was zeroed out. […]

I don’t think it sends any message because the committee isn’t involved in direct services, just oversight of the city’s migrant mission. And the committee is currently fulfilling that oversight role without making use of the funds allocated for contractual services.

Also, the city is creating an Office of New Arrivals within DFSS — the city is beefing up personnel where it’s needed. What message does it send that the city is creating a dedicated team of people within DFSS to support the migrant mission?

The Latino Caucus and Immigration Committee members advocated for additional staffing to assist with the migrant mission. We didn’t advocate for additional committee funding because we know that’s not where the funding is needed.

…Adding… Ald. Andre Vasquez just called. He said he caught that budget number the night before the budget was released and was told the appropriation was in error and he’s now in talks with the city on a revised number that isn’t a cut.

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Some Joliet Township residents publicly rage about botched migrant grant

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Chicago’s constant flailing is quite evident to anyone half paying attention, so people see that and understandably fear that it will happen to their communities. But there are ways of getting things done and there are ways that make things worse. Joliet Township’s leadership essentially killed what could’ve been a decent idea…

Residents of Joliet Township packed Tuesday night’s board meeting after the township received the State of Illinois Asylum Seeker Grant.

Some of the residents were outraged and angered over what some said was a lack of involvement.

The $8.6 million grant issued to Joliet Township helps fund municipalities that are welcoming asylum seekers.

* If this truly was about helping people who were already there, then the township should’ve made that clear from the get-go. Instead, they tried to sneak it into existence and spectacularly failed…

Attendees did not mince words as they addressed concerns over the money.

“I don’t believe you’re fixing a problem, you’re creating a problem,” one speaker said.

“We need to take care of our own. We have issues here. We need to strengthen our foundation,” said another.

“The purpose of this grant was to help our community partners who serve individuals beyond the county township and city boundaries,” said Supervisor Angel Contreras. “This is a reactive request grant to address current issues, it was not intended to bring more people to our areas.”

* Rarely do you see such a total botch…

Some speakers supported the township on the grant and supported assistance for asylum seekers.

“Give them a chance to be part of your community, and you’d be surprised,” one said.

Another was virtually booed away from the microphone as she spoke in support of the grant. […]

The Joliet Park District rescinded a pending lease with the township for its Hartman Recreation Center located at 511 Collins St. after learning last week that the building had been proposed as a welcome center. A park official said the township had indicated it planned to use the space for office space and community activities.

Likewise, a spokeswoman for Duly Health & Care said the medical group did not know that its medical office building had been included as a potential welcome center or clinic in the grant application.

* Yeah, this is how to speak to people. Right…

Township Clerk Alicia Morales has claimed “the process was handled in the appropriate manner, nothing was violated.”

“People just don’t understand how government works,” Morales added.

*Facepalm*

* But some of the comments were just so over the top…

During nearly three hours of public comment, hundreds of people showed up both in support and opposition to the proposal, with township officials warning people would be asked to leave if they were disruptive during the meeting.

“We are seeking asylum from crime, from drugs, from gang activity, from homelessness. We have been asylum seekers,” one woman said. […]

The controversy has become so intense, a Joliet City Council member said there has been a threat made against a local social service agency that supports migrants.

And…

Joliet resident Brian Beck said that if the township wanted to come up with solutions, it needed to find solutions of “how to move these people out of here.” […]

Other residents said township officials had gone “out of their bounds” to invite asylum-seekers to Joliet and said that township trustees have no right to dictate where taxpayer money is spent.

Rev. Larry Ellis, a retired deacon from St. Mark CME Church, told trustees that residents were misled about the intentions surrounding the purchase of the Peter Claver Center. He said that he understood the meeting was for community outreach programs but that the “whispers in the neighborhood” said it was instead being used by asylum seekers.

“I’m upset, I’m p*ssed off simply because we have not been told – first of all, we weren’t told about the grant,” he said. “Second of all, we weren’t told about who was coming into our neighborhoods, and I think that’s disgraceful.”

Thanks, reverend.

…Adding… A buddy of mine took a photo outside the event yesterday…

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Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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