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* Oy…
The 2012 budget passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Pat Quinn earlier this year cuts funding for homeless prevention services by 52 percent, eliminating $4.7 million for shelters, emergency housing and transportation. Homeless advocates are fighting for that funding to be restored, but neither party seems optimistic about that happening.
Numbers from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless indicate that more people were turned away from homeless services last year than were taken in. That’s 45,673 turn-aways compared with 40,542 intakes.
But, hey, the state apparently has $800 million in extra cash laying around for tax breaks.
* Roundup…
* Big business big winner so far in legislative talks
* Quinn wants to increase tax credit for working poor: Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont said the meeting served as acknowledgement by Democrats that “we have a real problem in this state in the business climate and environment.” That’s the message of Republican lawmakers heading into the second week of the fall session next week.
* Editorial: Do-nothing veto session was inexcusable
* Area businesses owed millions from the state
* Editorial: Time to debate lawmakers’ roles in contract talks
* Top lawmakers, Gov. Quinn meet to talk jobs: Unemployment in Illinois has risen for five straight months and in September hit 10 percent for the first time since August 2010.
* Kadner: 4-day waits in ER for the mentally ill: Five area hospitals have agreed to treat patients from the Tinley Park center, state officials said Tuesday. When Crotty asked them to name the hospitals, they could not. They’ve just been in talks, not real negotiations, the governor’s people said. This is crazy. Insane. Plain stupid. And that’s your government at work.
* Parents, patients and advocates ask state to keep mental health center open
* State urged to keep open Tinley Park Mental Health Center
* LIHEAP scheduling frustrates some applicants
* 44 Illinois counties disaster areas
* Quinn: Gaming negotiations aren’t taking place: Link, a Waukegan Democrat, said he held the bill, SB747, from a floor vote last week at Quinn’s request. “The governor called and didn’t want it and [said] he wants to talk.” But Link said that meeting has not materialized. ‘We have done everything in our power to try to set up [meetings] and discuss these things. I just hope that the governor doesn’t get to this point where he wants to draw a line in the sand.”
* Quinn sends mixed message on gambling: In one breath, Quinn made his annual pitch for the Veterans Cash lottery game, encouraging people to buy the scratch-off tickets. In the next breath, Quinn warned that the state cannot gamble its way to prosperity.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 12:20 pm
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I’m getting tired of saying “Thank you sir, may I have another.”
Let’s try “Assume the Position” instead.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 12:33 pm
I am convinced that there is less dysfunction in some of the places that are slated to be closed by the state than there is in our state capitol.
As a cost saving measure, I rcommend just shutting down the legislature for a period of time while the citizens proceed with the process of re-calling the Governor’s election.
Let’s have a do-over.
Comment by Quinn T. Sential Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 12:40 pm
I think I have found the solution to get gaming expansion.
Give some of the money to a ComEd bashing organization, Quinn would love that.
Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 12:42 pm
TPMHC is a huge facility that, at one time, could house hundreds of patients. Now only serving a few dozen. The land area there is vast, really. Howe DC is now closed. It is a wasteful inefficient use of scarce resources. Look around the state. Zeller MHC has been closed and folk get sent up to Singer MHC, mostly. It is a hardship for families, I’m sure, for visiting. However, these places are not the long term care facilities like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Typical stays are less than 2 weeks.
It is not the physical facility that provides the service, it is the staff. Those staff could be transferred to Read MHC or Elgin MHC - a long commute but not impossible. If patients can be sent to Rockford from the Peoria area, a trip cross town to Read from TP is a short hop. Close it, sell it.
Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 1:13 pm
Jobs in this State seem to be something our pols
discuss over cocktails.After all were all getting
ours, so who cares about the unemployed. I feel the only thing missing from their discussions is the Mad Hatter.That is till Quinn get there.
Comment by mokenavince Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 1:22 pm
{However, these places are not the long term care facilities like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Typical stays are less than 2 weeks.}
My point exactly; our capitol is just like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
McMurphy: Nurse Ratched, Nurse Ratched! The Chief voted! Now will you please turn on the television set?
Nurse Ratched: [she opens the glass window] Mr. McMurphy, the meeting was adjourned and the vote was closed.
McMurphy: But the vote was 10 to 8. The Chief, he’s got his hand up! Look!
Nurse Ratched: No, Mr. McMurphy. When the meeting was adjourned, the vote was 9 to 9.
McMurphy: [exasperated] Aw come on, you’re not gonna say that now! You’re not gonna say that now! You’re gonna pull that hen house ****? Now when the vote… the Chief just voted - it was 10 to 9. Now I want that television set turned on *right now*!
[Nurse Ratched closes the glass window]
We might be far better served if they left TPMHC open and closed down the capitol.
Comment by Quinn T. Sential Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 1:52 pm
It’s disturbing that they so easily cut funding for those who need it (the homeless) and offer up wads of cash to those that don’t. What many people, not just legislators, don’t realize (or care to learn) is that many of the homeless in Chicago and around the state are victims of the economic recession. Many homeless are good people that are still trying to take care of themselves and their families. They want to contribute to society and the economy. In fact, many of them have low-paying jobs but don’t make enough money to afford housing! Unfortunately, the homeless don’t have registered addresses (i.e. not constituents), and I’m sure many aren’t registered voters, which allows the politicians to focus on the important people who can vote, make large profits, and can use some of those profits to influence policy and elections.
Comment by Mountain Man Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 2:44 pm
I work for a small community based mental health agency. During the last two years, our funding has been cut $250,000. The Division of Mental Health has handed medicaid payment responsibilities over to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. HFS has software issues and we have over $250,000 in payments that have been delayed since July 1st.
Comment by Stooges Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 3:52 pm
Nothing to see here. I’m sure someone will take care of these people. As we all know, government money doesn’t actually do anything. It’s all just money stolen from us and wasted.
Now, how about some more tax breaks for rich peop… er… job creators!
Comment by TwoFeetThick Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 4:20 pm
We raised taxes by $7 billion. The budget is still out of balance. There need to be significant cuts. There aren’t any significant ones that aren’t going to hurt somebody; the only question is who and how much?
Comment by steve schnorf Wednesday, Nov 2, 11 @ 7:34 pm