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Behind the uproar

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Illinois

* A couple of e-mails from the Illinois Collaboration on Youth’s CEO to her provider members do seem to undermine Gov. Pat Quinn’s claim that no youth services providers were cut when $5 million was spent on summer youth/jobs programs in the Chicago area. When reading this, it’s helpful to know that “CCBYS” means “Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services”…

From: Andrea Durbin
Date: Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 1:52 PM

Subject: Urgent — Your Immediate Action Needed — CCBYS funding at risk!!!

Dear CCBYS Provider,

I am so furious.

I have learned that there is an effort to take the CCBYS funding increase that you all fought so hard for — to restore our budget cuts dating back to 2009 — and transfer those funds to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

I need you to call your legislators immediately — today — and express your objections! These funds were intended to be used to 1. Invest in the CCBYS infrastructure which has been subjected to 48% budget cuts since 2009 and 2. Increase community-based efforts to divert youth from the juvenile justice system all across the state!

This is why you have not heard from DHS about the FY15 contract amounts.

The Illinois Administrative Code requires that at least 80% of the funding go to CCBYS providers: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/089/089003340000140R.html

Please call today and let me know what you heard back. We are not letting this drop.

* And the plot thickened when the Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY) sent out this August 1st e-mail entitled “FY15 CCBYS & Teen REACH Funding Increases Diverted”…

ICOY has learned that, due to a misunderstanding between the Office of the Comptroller and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority about the use of FY14 dollars to pay for the Community Violence Prevention Program (**more details below), the Governor’s Office is attempting to divert the FY15 funding increase from CCBYS to ICJIA, to cover these CVPP expenses. According to Jerry Stermer, Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, this is a “temporary” strategy for which the Governor’s Office will seek a supplemental to restore the diverted funding. We have shared this information with Representative Greg Harris, Chair of the House Human Services Appropriations Committee, and he has pledged to discuss this with Stermer.

We have very serious concerns about this approach, and are meeting with Stermer and Secretary Saddler next week to continue the dialogue. Our points remain:

- The General Assembly appropriated this money to CCBYS. It is intended as a reinvestment in the 24/7 infrastructure that has been devastated by nearly 50% budget cuts since 2009.

- The Illinois Administrative Code requires that at least 80% of the funding be directed to the CCBYS providers.

- CCBYS is a highly accountable program that involves a rigorous competitive RFP process, a logic model, program outcome measures, participation in e-Cornerstone, and other strategies that ensure that we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. We have excellent outcomes and are key providers in the efforts to keep youth out of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Indeed — today’s Chicago Tribune has a front-page story about the need for more efforts to address truancy — just the kind of work that CCBYS is designed to do.

- The likelihood of a supplemental for CCBYS or any other program is slim in this current political and fiscal environment.

In addition, we have learned that the FY15 funding increase of $5 million for Teen REACH has also been diverted, to summer jobs. We also asked Stermer about this and he is looking into the details; Harris is also alerted to this issue and is following up as well.

PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR ADVOCACY. Let us know what you are hearing from your legislators.

**According to Stermer and to a Board Member at ICJIA with whom ICOY spoke, for the past couple of fiscal years, the Office of the Comptroller has permitted ICJIA to use money from the previous fiscal year to fund summer programs that span two fiscal years. Apparently, 2 weeks ago, the Comptroller has rescinded that practice without warning and is declining to pay for these services for July and August with FY14 dollars, thus forcing a fiscal crisis at ICJIA. In your advocacy efforts, you may want to reach out to the Comptroller as well. You can also reach her office at 217-782-XXXX

* So, two things: 1) Groups didn’t get a planned increase and may not ever get that money, despite the GA’s appropriation; and 2) This didn’t appear to be an evil plan to divert money for political purposes, but was instead robbing Peter to pay Paul for programs already in existence which needed to be covered. Then again, what you have here are some providers (including Downstate providers) not getting an increase so that cash could be diverted to Chicago.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:52 pm

Comments

Optics, timing, and such.

Not good.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 2:59 pm
Sad to say hundreds of good social service providers have been “devastated” by state spending cuts since 2009. Many have closed their doors. Most will not recover to the level of support they were receiving prior to that, even though many are very efficient and effective.

The outrage and disappointment is justified. The layering on to it of some sort of “NRI-clone” scandal, is at best a distraction from the real problems.

Comment by walker Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:11 pm
Oooh the plot thickens

Comment by Nony Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:26 pm
Not good for PQ or Illinois. More of the “I’m not corrupt just incompetent.”

Comment by Mason born Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:27 pm
It robbed Peter ( downstate ) to pay Paul ( Chicago) … Before an election… Again. Spin anyway you want. The way Rod was arrogant PQ learned well from his boss.

Comment by Walter Mitty Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:29 pm
A pittance compared to what’s been “diverted” from the pension funds over the years, so I honestly can’t get worked up over it. Maybe once the ILSC rules that pensions are protected, this sort of thing will happen more, and we’ll finally get a fix to our tax code. Cold hearted? No more so than my legislators, the media, and much of the public have been to me.

Comment by PolPal56 Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:33 pm
Walter, if you check the numbers, Peter is Chicago, and Paul is downstate. Chicago finances the rest of the state, not the other way around. Folks thinking they want seperate states, would be in for a real budget shock when all that Chicago tax money stops financing social services in places like West Frankfort.

Comment by Jimbo Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:34 pm
Oops, should have read more. In this case, yes money allocated for downstate went to Chicago. My mistake. Sorry Walter.

Comment by Jimbo Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:35 pm
A question not asked so far, did downstate deserve this money in the first place?

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:36 pm
Jimbo… No sorry for me anyway…I have been very open neither is my candidate. This is not good for our state. Both parties have had a governor in prison. I hope I am wrong we can go 3 for 3… Not taking that leap yet. But it’s more of a long step…if we are being honest.

Comment by Walter Mitty Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:39 pm
Precinct Captain

Deserve the money? Aren’t kids in Juvie bad news whatever zipcode they hail from?? Last i checked a kid in Madison county is just as important as the kid in cook right.

Comment by Mason born Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:39 pm
== did downstate deserve this money in the first place? ==

They were appropriated the money. A majority of people in the ILGA must have felt they == deserved == it, right? Or no?

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:42 pm
Based on this, I would go straight to the Comptroller’s office for their reasoning to change what had been a previous allowable budget practice. Spending for July and August is typically allowable within lapse period spending if there is still approp authority. JBT’s change appears to be a catalyst here.

Comment by Interesting Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:43 pm
Downstate GOPers love to whine about bang for the buck, is there any evidence these downstate programs were working, and thus deserving the funds? I see a lot of attacks, zero evidence.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:46 pm
Precinct …uh, how many millions are missing from the program the FEDS are investigating ? Do you call that effective? Uh, this is the same movie. Downstate doesn’t need to prove effectiveness. Nice try. Sorta.

Comment by Walter Mitty Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:49 pm
Precinct

I’m no R by any stretch but your question appears to be addressed in the post.

— CCBYS is a highly accountable program that involves a rigorous competitive RFP process, a logic model, program outcome measures, participation in e-Cornerstone, and other strategies that ensure that we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. We have excellent outcomes and are key providers in the efforts to keep youth out of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Indeed — today’s Chicago Tribune has a front-page story about the need for more efforts to address truancy — just the kind of work that CCBYS is designed to do. –

Comment by Mason born Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 3:57 pm
Any indication that any of the money for “Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services”… actually accomplishes anything?

Comment by Walter Sobchak Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:12 pm
That is dated July 31, well after the NRI ==scandal== made news.

Did no one in the Governor’s office connect these dots? Sheesh.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 4:23 pm
My read (and I may be misunderstanding) is that the cuts were from 2009 and this $5m was to restore those cuts, so when it was lost, it was not a cut to providers from their then current levels, but opportunity loss instead.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Oct 3, 14 @ 5:08 pm