On the other hand…
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
As Illinois embarks on a massive gambling expansion of up to six new casinos and the addition of slot machines and table games at horse tracks, revenue from the state’s 10 existing casinos last year dropped more than 3%, continuing a decadelong slide.
The loss in revenue from casinos, however, was more than offset by a continued increase in the state’s take from video poker and slot machines at bars, restaurants and truck stops, according to a report out Thursday from the legislature’s bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
Overall, the state brought in more than $1.4 billion in tax revenue from casinos, video gambling, horse racing and the lottery in the budget year that ended June 30, up 3.5% from the previous year, according to the report.
But the report, put out annually by the commission, raises concerns about whether new betting options authorized in the gambling expansion legislation Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed in June — including new casinos in Chicago, Waukegan, the south suburbs, Rockford, Danville and southern Illinois — will continue to draw revenue away from the existing casinos.
The full report is here.
Waukegan is just 8 miles from Wisconsin, Rockford is 17 miles from the Wisconsin border, Danville is 10 miles from Indiana and tons of Chicagoans and south suburbanites travel to Indiana to gamble. Also, Chicago never opted in to video gaming.
The idea here is to bring in some gambling money from out of state, stop bigtime gambling money from leaving the state and tap into a huge market with no current legal gambling options. It may not work, but that’s the idea.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is planning a series of trips to Illinois to convince businesses to move to the Sunshine State.
DeSantis recently told the Enterprise Florida board about the recruitment effort. He the deep pension debt in Illinois and Chicago make them unattractive places for businesses.
“Warren Buffett said recently to be wary of investing in states like Illinois that, quite frankly, are digging themselves a deeper hole and really have no way out in terms of their fiscal outlook, their pension obligations,” DeSantis said. “That is going to impact the viability of investing.”
As governor, DeSantis leads Enterprise Florida, a public-private partnership focused on economic development in the state.
He announced plans to take envoys from Florida to the Chicago area, hoping to draw businesses away from Illinois.
* Gov. Pritzker’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Emily Bittner…
Good luck competing against Illinois, where a record number of businesses have relocated because we have the most talented and dedicated workforce in the nation, along with unparalleled universities, world-class transportation and a bright future. Unlike Florida, we also protect women’s rights, welcome LGBTQ businesses and are expanding the legal cannabis market. However, we do encourage him to enjoy some of Illinois’ world class golf courses.
The “golf” mention is about a story in today’s Tampa Bay Times entitled “Ron DeSantis’ political team planned $25K golf games, $250K ‘intimate gatherings,’ memos say.”
* The Question: How would you rate that response? Make sure to explain your answer.
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* CNN…
The share of uninsured Americans rose for the first time in nearly a decade, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
The rate increased to 8.5% in 2018, up half a percentage point a year earlier. Some 27.5 million people were uninsured last year, a jump of 1.9 million people.
Driving the increase, the first since 2009, was a decline in the share of people covered by Medicaid. The percentage of those with private coverage — either through their employers or directly purchased on the individual market — did not statistically change, while the share of those on Medicare increased as the population aged.
* Public Radio…
Nearly half a million more children were uninsured in 2018 than in 2017, according to data out Tuesday from the U.S. Census Bureau. The drop stems primarily from a decline in the number of children covered by public programs such programs as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
For decades, getting more children to have health insurance was a cause with strong bipartisan support, and the uninsured rate has steadily declined. Now that trend is reversing. For the second year in a row, there was an uptick — 5.5% of children under age 19 did not have health insurance last year.
* If you click here you’ll see the state-by-state data. Illinois had about 875,000 uninsured people last year, about 15,000 more than 2017. That’s an increase of 0.2 percent. However, Illinois was not one of the states which saw a change “statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level.” The margin of error for the state’s survey was +/- 0.3 percent.
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Not every situation requires a counter-punch
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The horrific background to this topic is here if you need it. Tribune…
In what federal officials called a historic enforcement action to protect students from sexual violence, Chicago Public Schools has entered into a legally binding agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and pledged extensive reforms in its handling of abuse and assault cases.
“This is one of the deepest dives that we have done” of a major urban public school district, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kenneth Marcus said of his office’s yearslong investigation.
“This is an extraordinary and appalling case,” Marcus added. “It is one of the worst that we have seen in the elementary, secondary school context.” […]
The department began its investigations in 2015 but intensified the effort last year after the Tribune’s “Betrayed” series documented more than 500 police reports of sexual assault or abuse of a child inside a Chicago public school during the prior decade, and uncovered child-protection failures that extended from neighborhood schools to the district’s downtown offices and the state capital.
* Um, what?…
Your public school system employed hundreds of sexual predators and that is your response?
…Adding… From June of last year…
U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are calling on U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to examine the sex abuse scandal at Chicago Public Schools, calling it a “horrifying situation.”
In a letter sent Thursday to DeVos, the two Illinois Democrats wrote that they were concerned federal education officials may be ignoring systemic child-protection breakdowns that could be “putting Chicago schoolchildren at greater risk of becoming victims of sexual abuse.”
So, both of our Democratic US Senators asked the Education Secretary to step in. She did. And now Lightfoot is complaining about it? Ridiculous.
…Adding… June 26, 2018 press release from Lightfoot for Chicago…
Following is a statement from mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot in response to the news that Chicago Public Schools’ leadership has removed two principals in response to the sexual abuse scandal:
“The mayor and his hand-picked school board, with its revolving door of CEOs, have failed our kids again and again–from refusing to address root causes of this sexual abuse crisis to neglecting special education and janitorial services.
“This administration has been busying itself with window dressing fixes. What our kids need is wholesale change–and that starts at the top.
“Firing a couple of principals just doesn’t cut it. We need to know why Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CEO Janice Jackson waited five months to take action–a delay that has gone unexplained and speaks to an epic failure of leadership. We also need an elected, representative school board that Chicagoans can hold accountable in moments like these.”
She has since kept Jackson at CPS and killed an elected school board bill.
…Adding… Tribune has full quote…
“I feel comfortable that Dr. Jackson and her team frankly learned a very, very valuable lesson about making sure that we’re doing everything we can inside of the classroom, keep our students safe, initiating very rigorous background checks on people who are engaging with students and then when we see something, having an appropriate process to do the investigation where we’re not revictimizing young children,” Lightfoot said.
Asked about the Department of Education’s criticism of CPS, Lightfoot responded: “This is the same Department of Education headed up by Betsy DeVos? Yeah. Well. I take a little bit of what they say with a grain of salt.”
The mayor added: “We’re committed to making sure that our students are safe but as you see as a theme, there are members of the federal government who think it’s appropriate to tee off against Chicago. I read with great interest the comments from the head of the civil rights division for the department of education and as I said, I take some of those comments with a grain of salt. Consider the source. But nonetheless we’re going to do what’s necessary to keep our children safe.”
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A quick look at university enrollment
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WICS TV…
The U of I System is celebrating another record year of enrollment.
Enrollment this fall increased by 3.8%.
* But a big chunk of that growth came from an acquisition…
Total enrollment across the system grew by 3,264 students, including 1,066 students with the John Marshall Law School’s move this fall to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
Even so, growth is growth…
Even without the addition of Chicago’s first public law school, system-wide enrollment grew 2.6 percent from a year ago, or about 2,198 students. … UIC saw a 4.1 percent increase in undergraduates this fall, or 858 students, while graduate enrollment in Urbana-Champaign jumped 11.2 percent, by 1,644 students. … Fall enrollment growth includes a 1.6 percent increase among in-state undergraduates, from 45,955 to 46,705. … Enrollment of African-American undergraduates increased 2.4 percent, from 4,041 to 4,138, while undergraduate Latino enrollment was up 5.9 percent, from 11,214 to 11,881. Combined, African-American and Latino enrollment comprises about 28 percent of the system’s undergraduate enrollment. … Total enrollment of international students at all levels increased 2 percent from 15,350 to 15,666.
* Meanwhile…
This year’s [Chicago State University] enrollment marks the first time in nearly a decade without a drop, with student populations remaining almost even with 2018. Figures show significant increases in first-time freshmen and transfer students, the latter of which comprises about 13 percent of Chicago State’s new students. […]
Both the freshman class and number of graduate students [at Northern Illinois University] grew about 2% this fall. Overall enrollment dropped about 3.3%, dipping below 17,000 students for the first time in recent history. […]
Overall [Western Illinois University] enrollment dropped more than 10 percent to 7,624, roughly the same drop as the past two years. […]
[Eastern Illinois University], hit with steep enrollment declines over the past decade, was among the few schools statewide to log year-over-year increases in freshman and total enrollment in 2018.
* We’ve already discussed ISU’s increase and SIUC’s decrease, but here are the SIUE numbers…
Total overall enrollment of 13,061 trails last year by 220 students (1.6 percent). This year’s freshman class is 2 percent smaller at 1,667 (39 students), and new transfers are down 6 percent (66 students).
If you want to drill down even more, just click the links.
…Adding… SJ-R…
Fall semester enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield fell by 6.6 percent compared to last year, even as enrollment across the University of Illinois system reached record levels. […]
According to the university, a dip in the part-time student population is entirely responsible for the overall drop, with the population of full-time students (2,369) remaining unchanged.
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* Bruce Rushton…
During an Aug. 2 conference call with analysts, [Curt Morgan, Vistra president and chief executive officer] downplayed chances for significant energy legislation to pass the General Assembly during the upcoming veto session. Responding to a question from an analyst, the CEO said that media accounts of Commonwealth Edison lobbyists writing checks to a former political operative for House Speaker Michael Madigan who was fired after being caught up in a sexual harassment scandal likely will reduce chances for legislation that involves ComEd or Exelon, ComEd’s parent company.
The real problem is the federal investigation into the company’s lobbying activities.
* From the Tribune…
ComEd recently confirmed in a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that both ComEd and parent company Exelon received a federal grand jury subpoena “requiring production of information concerning their lobbying activities” in Illinois. The report stated the companies have “pledged to cooperate fully” and were “expeditiously providing the requested information.”
* From the August 2nd conference call…
Mike Weinstein — Credit Suisse — Analyst
Gotcha. And my second question is just — has to do with Illinois and the veto session that’s coming up as a staple during those discussions. Is there any — what — are you seeing any impact from some of the headlines that have come out recently about the investigation into House Speaker Madigan and the — there’s some speculation that maybe that might be affecting the outcome of the legislation or outcome of the veto session. I’m just wondering if you’re seeing any of that.
Curt Morgan — President and Chief Executive Officer
Yeaah. So I mean I do — I mean we, as we look at it, we think it could have an impact on whether something, broader energy legislation gets done in Illinois in the veto session. I mean I think it’s hard in my mind to see that legislators are going to embrace something that would include ComEd and Exelon significantly when they’re sort of wrapped in this cloud of controversy. Just politically, it feels like it could be difficult.
Now there’s still a lot of time before we get to the veto session in November, and some of this stuff could be put to the side. I did hear, again, I said this earlier. But Chris Crane, I think on their call, Exelon’s call, felt pretty confident that they could move forward. I mean Chris has a pretty good hand on the pulse of what goes on in Illinois.
So who am I to argue with him? What all I know is, is that we’ll be ready to move forward on our piece of legislation if there is a larger energy bill and hopefully be able to convince people that’s a good thing for them to do. We think it is, and we have a lot of reasons why we do think that, but we’ll see. But it is, Mike, it does — you got to believe it throws a little bit of a monkey wrench into all this, because it just casts a cloud over whether somehow there’s some shady dealings going on between legislators and lobbyists and ComEd. I mean — and then you turn around and do legislation with that same parties, it does make it a little bit different.
And I’m not saying that any of this is — I mean I, don’t have any reason to believe any of it. I don’t know anything about it. I just know how things work in life, and it would seem to me that that’s not going to make it any easier to do a broad energy bill. I hope that we’re able to do a broad energy bill.
I hope that all of this passes and everything will be fine. So that’s about as much as I can say about it.
* Related…
* ComEd, Peoples Gas testing whether money will speak to Lightfoot: Since the first day of March, 55 cents of every dollar execs at ComEd and parent Exelon have donated to politicians has gone to the mayor’s campaign fund. For Peoples Gas, it’s 62 cents of every dollar.
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City continues its winning streak
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced that, for the seventh year in a row, Chicago leads the U.S. in foreign direct investment (FDI) according to the 2019 IBM Global Location Trends report. The annual report, which outlines the latest trends in corporate location selection, named Chicago the top North American metro in foreign direct investment projects.
“Chicago has proven itself as a leader in the global economy,” Mayor Lightfoot said. “This report demonstrates Chicago’s strength as a city where businesses from around the world want to locate and grow, creating jobs and economic opportunities across the city. We welcome their investment and look forward to their sustained impact on our city for years to come.”
Chicago ranks first in North America in foreign direct investment for the seventh year running in terms of the total number of FDI projects.
“Chicago has now ranked as the top city in North America for the number of significant foreign investment projects for seven consecutive years,” Roel Spee, Global Leader IBM-Plant Location International said. “Chicago has consistently performed as a prime global city for foreign direct investment.”
A hub of international business activity, Chicago is home to more than 1,800 foreign-based companies, accounting for more than $140 billion in foreign direct investment. World Business Chicago continuously works to increase foreign direct investment with initiatives including the Gateway Cities Agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Global Cities Economic Partnership with Mexico City, Chicago-London City Data Alliance, and Tel Aviv-Yafo –Chicago Partnership. These efforts serve as a model to enhance economic ties with other countries and global cities to facilitate trade and foreign direct investment.
“Today’s announcement further demonstrates Chicago’s position as a global leader in foreign investment,” said Andrea Zopp, president and CEO of World Business Chicago. “By creating economic partnerships around the world and growing our international network, we ensure that Chicago leads on the global stage.”
The IBM Global Location Trends report shows where companies are locating, expanding, and creating jobs around the world. Projects must meet IBM criteria, including having created more than ten jobs, to qualify. The 2019 report, covering annual data for 2018, will be released by IBM on September 25th.
* Related…
* The real reason to cheer Uber’s move: This is why Uber Freight is coming here, and it’s good news for a city still struggling to find its place in a 21st-century economy defined by digitization.
* Judge on Lincoln Yards TIF: ‘A deal is a deal’: A pair of activist groups trying to block a $1.3 billion subsidy to help develop the North Side megaproject made their case [yesterday] in court, but a key argument met with skepticism.
* The world’s largest Starbucks will open soon in Chicago. Here’s when the Mag Mile gets its Reserve Roastery.
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Looking on the bright side
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
“If we say we’re not selling it, they’re going to go to East Peoria, Bartonville, West Peoria, Dunlap, everybody that surrounds us and buy it there and then bring it back to Peoria so it’s the perfect ‘cut off your nose to spite your face’ scenario,” Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis said. “We are all cash-starved.”
Ardis said the state already decided the city can’t ban the use of cannabis products after Jan. 1. Now, elected city officials are trying to figure out whether the cash-strapped city should allow the sale and collect tax revenue on it.
“They took the ball out of our hands,” he said.
* The Southern…
Williamson County Board passed a resolution supporting Harbory’s application for a license to dispense recreational cannabis. The board also passed an ordinance levying a 3.75% retailer’s occupation tax on the sale of recreational cannabis. […]
Harbory will have to hire between 20 and 25 employees to serve recreational users. They will dispense safety-tested products. Sales could bring in as much as 30% of the county budget.
According to Ellis, Harbory would have between $15 million and $20 million in sales. At 3%, that would be $450,000 to $600,000 in tax revenue.
* Phil Luciano…
Studies say cannabis users typically spend about $600 a year on pot products. If that sum were taxed at 3 percent, that’d be an extra $18 a year. Call that an $18-a-year insurance policy to avoid getting arrested from an illegal buy. In itself, that’s a pretty good deal.
Not only that, but illegal weed dealers won’t have the large number of product choices as legal cannabis stores.
* And come January 1, arrests of black people like this man for an ounce or less will no longer be legal…
At a time when the state of Illinois is on the verge of allowing for the sale of marijuana for recreational use, the Will County Sheriff’s Office continues to devote its resources to making arrests related to marijuana around the Joliet area.
Last week, Will County Sheriff’s Deputy Ross Ricobene filed a criminal complaint at the Will County Courthouse charging 43-year-old Joliet resident Johnny K. Gooch with one count of unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of cannabis and a third criminal offense of driving while driver’s license is revoked.
The criminal complaint indicates that Gooch, who lives on Joliet’s east side in the 1000 block of Draper Avenue, “knowingly and unlawfully possessed more than 10 grams but not more than 30 grams of any substance containing cannabis.
* Meanwhile…
As more states legalize pot, a local startup has raised nearly $86 million to be the landlord to companies that grow and sell weed.
A group that includes Chicago entrepreneurs Al Goldstein and Pete Kadens has launched NewLake Capital Partners, which will own industrial and retail properties where cannabis companies cultivate and sell their product. NewLake just finished raising $85.5 million and already has some acquisitions in the works, said CEO Anthony Coniglio.
Many marijuana companies are expanding rapidly and want to maximize their growth by investing in operations, not real estate. So they are turning to specialized landlords like Innovative Industrial Properties, a publicly traded San Diego-based real estate investment trust, which own growing facilities and lease them back to the businesses. […]
Through Aug. 7, the company owned 2 million square feet of space in 12 states, including a 75,000-square foot growing facility in downstate Barry, about 80 miles west of Springfield. The REIT has a market capitalization of about $1 billion, and its shares, while well off their July high, have returned 102 percent this year, versus a 25 percent return for the Bloomberg REIT Index.
* And…
January 1, 2020, will be a green-letter day in Illinois when residents and visitors can purchase recreational marijuana legally for the first time. Weed-themed sandwich chain Cheba Hut plans to be there with plenty of pot puns, a full bar, and a wide-ranging selection of “toasted” subs. The Arizona-based company has signed two three-unit franchise deals in Chicago, and the first is slated to open by the end of 2019.
The herb itself won’t be available in the restaurants, but leadership hopes to help elevate customers’ pot experiences.
Hopefully soon, some cities will allow restaurants to serve infused dishes.
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* Plenty of folks have criticized the city for settling too many police misconduct cases. But, as the Tribune’s Dan Hinkel shows us, defending these cases ain’t cheap, either…
When a man cleared of murder after 21 years in prison sued the Chicago police officers who put him away, the city’s Law Department brought on private lawyers and fought back.
Three firms billed the city for more than 21,200 hours of legal work over six years, and at least 17 outside attorneys represented the city or cops in federal court. […]
Those expenses represent a rarely discussed but significant cost of police misconduct in Chicago. Over the last 15 years, fees and costs for private attorneys in civil rights cases totaled $213 million, the Tribune found by analyzing city data obtained through an open records request. Last year alone, the city spent $30.1 million — that’s more than twice what it spent on the agency that investigates police misconduct. […]
Since 2004, the city has spent $757 million on settlements, losses at trial and other payouts in police cases. That includes civil rights cases, as well as car crash claims, racial discrimination complaints and sexual harassment suits, among other types of legal matters.
By the way, jurors awarded the above-mentioned man cleared of murder $17 million. Defending against his suit cost the city an additional $5.8 million.
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Check the laws first, please
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CBS News…
Mary Kate Knorr, the executive director for Illinois Right to Life, told CBS News that she’s “disgusted” by the new laws and that they’ve made Illinois the “abortion capital of the Midwest.”
That’s why she’s embarking on an over 20-event tour of intimate, fireside chats around the state. She’s hoping to unify and strengthen activists who oppose abortion in Illinois and ultimately repeal the law.
At the inaugural event Wednesday evening, Knorr spoke to a crowd of 60 or 70 at a church an hour outside Chicago, explaining her interpretation of the Reproductive Health Act. One provision of the new law repeals the state’s formal parental notification requirement for minors seeking an abortion; now, those under the age of 18 will able to obtain the procedure without their parents’ knowledge, a detail that shocked many in the room.
The audience may have been shocked, but that’s not in the new law. You’d think a national news outlet would do a bit of checking before publishing something like that. In fact, the bill deleting the parental notification law did not advance in the spring session. Proponents are hoping to pass it sometime in the future.
* Just last week from Illinois Public Radio…
Despite the expansion of abortion rights that passed this spring, the parental-notification legislation was deemed too controversial, even among Democrats.
I mean, a simple Google search would’ve worked. Sheesh.
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Marron won’t run for Shimkus seat
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Earlier this month…
Standing two blocks from where he was sworn in a year ago as state representative of the 104th district, Republican Mike Marron announced a possible new political direction Tuesday — a run for Congress.
“Certainly serving in Springfield has been one of my most humbling honors, and giving up that seat is something I don’t take lightly,” said Marron, who was joined by his wife, daughter, father and supporters in front of the Vermilion County Administration building, where he served as county board chairman.
Tuesday’s event came less than a week after 12-term U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, announced plans to vacate his seat in Washington, D.C., next year. Among those on hand in downtown Danville: former state Rep. Chad Hays, whose decision to step away from Springfield led to Marron’s appointment a year ago.
* Today…
State Rep. Mike Marron released the following statement announcing his intention to run for reelection for state representative:
“While it truly would be an exciting undertaking and a true honor to serve as your Congressman, I have decided that this is not the right time. While it wasn’t an easy decision, it is the right decision for me and my family right now. Family is very important to me and will always remain a high priority. That means spending important time with my daughter as she grows, as well as being available to help out on our family farm.
“I do want to thank everyone across the 15th Congressional District for the outpouring of support. The number of people who have reached out to say they were behind my candidacy and offer their assistance has truly been humbling. I appreciate every phone call, text, and email. Your outpouring makes this an extra tough decision.
* In other news…
A political action committee that is an outgrowth of the conservative tea party movement in Congress is backing former state Rep. Jeanne Ives over former Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti for the Republican nomination to challenge first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten.
Ives, of Wheaton, received the backing of the House Freedom Fund, a PAC chaired by Republican U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, in her bid for the GOP nomination in the west and northwest suburban 6th Congressional District.
Jordan also is a co-founder and the first chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, which was formed in 2015 with the aim of pushing the House GOP leadership to the right on fiscal and social issues and has sought more power for rank-and-file members. Meadows is stepping down next month after 2 1/2 years as chairman of the group of about 36 conservative lawmakers.
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Today’s number: 19 dead kids
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Hannah Meisel…
Nineteen children who had recently been on the Department of Children and Family Services’ radar have died in just the first 11 weeks of the 2020 fiscal year, according to the agency’s inspector general.
Those deaths came after a particularly tumultuous year for the department, in which 124 children, whose family had some sort of involvement with DCFS within the previous year died during the 2019 fiscal year. […]
Of the 124 deaths of children in the 2019 fiscal year that had been in contact with DCFS in the previous 12 months, about 17 percent of them have preliminarily been ruled a homicide. Here’s the breakdown:
Pending autopsy: 35
Accident: 32
Homicide: 21
Natural Causes: 20
Suicide: 6
Undetermined: 10
* The trend is not our friend…
FY 2019: 124 child deaths
FY 2018: 98 child deaths
FY 2017: 108 child deaths
FY 2016: 100 child deaths
FY 2015: 96 child deaths
FY 2014: 99 child deaths
FY 2013: 93 child deaths
FY 2012: 106 child deaths
FY 2011: 113 child deaths
FY 2010: 84 child deaths
FY 2009: 89 child deaths
* Meanwhile, this is from a recent Tribune story about DCFS and its new budget increase…
Additional money will be allocated to purchasing a federally mandated software system and paying the salaries for 301 more workers at the agency. As part of the staffing plan, DCFS will add 71 child protection investigators and 17 workers to the child abuse hotline, two areas that are crucial for flagging cases of alleged abuse or neglect but have been criticized for being understaffed.
So, who are the other hires?
* From the governor’s office…
Also…
o We reached a headcount of 2,757 in May 2019, 1 below from FY19 authorized of 2,758.
o Due to end of the year retirements, attrition, & internal movement, our onboard headcount has dropped to 2,721 as of August 2019.
o FY19 additions: 126 positions, all caseload driven; These are allocated & currently being worked to fill
o FY20 additions: 175 positions; These are all allocated, most caseload & direct service – see above for breakout. Caseload driven positions are currently being worked & the remaining positions have been allocated & will begin the process to be filled quickly.
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Open thread
Thursday, Sep 12, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Working on a few posts and just looked at the time. Oops. Keep it Illinois-centric and please be nice to each other. Thanks.
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