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New United Way survey details meltdown

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Illinois

* From a press release…

United Way of Illinois, the statewide association of 52 local United Ways, and collectively the largest non-governmental funder of health and human services in the state, surveyed human service agencies across Illinois to understand the steps they are taking to deliver services in light of the state budget impasse.

More than 400 human service agencies across every county in Illinois responded to a survey conducted July 13-17. Survey respondents represented a range of service categories including youth development, early childhood education, mental health, emergency housing, senior services and employment training, and varied in budget size from less than $500,000 to more than $15 million.

Key findings from the survey include:

o 34% of Illinois human service agencies have already cut the number of clients they serve
o Program categories hit particularly hard include childhood education and job training
o 39% of agencies responding have tapped into cash reserves to continue operations
o Of those agencies using cash reserves 70% have 3 months of cash on hand or less
o 24% of agencies have tapped into lines of credit to shore up operations
o 19% of agencies will deplete their cash reserve by the end of August

“Human service organizations are the backbone of the delivery of state programs to needy citizens,” said Kristi Long, Chairman of United Way of Illinois. “Our leaders in Springfield and the citizens of Illinois need to understand that the ongoing budget impasse is causing genuine disruption and hardship for people in Illinois who need services and for the agencies that deliver them.”

Among the other measures human service agencies reported taking to maintain operations during the stalemate are increasing their waiting lists for services, referring clients to other agencies where possible, not filling vacant positions and laying off staff. Several agencies reported the need for more drastic action in the near term, including the Prairie Council on Aging. Based in Jacksonville and serving 3,000 people across five counties, the agency reported that it would exhaust its reserves by September and face dire choices without some resolution to the state budget situation.

“If the delays continue, thousands of mentally ill clients will be without psychiatric support, including medications,” said Rashad Saafir, President of the Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Behavior Health Center in Garfield Park. “The result is client suffering, disruption to families, and increases in the use of more expensive emergency room and inpatient psychiatric services.”

The overall survey data indicates that government inaction is causing significant challenges for nonprofit agencies that are impacting at-risk populations and working families.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:03 am

Comments

===in order to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people […] do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois.===

I think we often forget that the term Republic comes from the Latin, Res Publica, or literally, the public thing. I think we have forgotten why we have a government in the first place and we’re being governed by Crassus who has little or no interest in preserving our institutions or the purpose of our Public Thing.

Comment by Anon Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:13 am
Those who have always wanted to “starve the beast” have found an approach that works even in traditionally blue-ish Illinois. And they don’t care that “the beast” helps grandma, the kid with autism, the single working mom who needs child care. It’s “the beast,” damn it — starve it!

Comment by Linus Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:19 am
In the meantime we’re arguing whether Rauner was at the Koch brothers’ gala in California or posing in a big white hat for a photo op on Lake Sangchris over the weekend.

Comment by olddog Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:20 am
Pain for the sake of pain. I want to hear a response from the leaders, esp radogno and durkin. How is this human suffering “worth it”?

Comment by Langhorne Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:20 am
“The result is ……”

Don’t forget many of those clients also end up in the criminal justice system, where it is much more expensive to provide them needed “services”, such as are available.(?)

Comment by Led Hed Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:21 am
HBO - “Dad’s Home State” - Season 1, Eposide 14

Diana is concerned about the United Way survey. Diana’s state employee tries to ease Diana’s concerns. Bruce writes a letter to legislators asking for a “win”. Schrimpf takes a picture of Bruce fishing for weekend alibi. Comedy, 65 minutes.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:37 am
==esp radogno and durkin==

Care to explain how they have any power in this confrontation?

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:38 am
Langhorne, one party has the power to put an end to that immediately by passing a budget that fulfills the bright sunny promise of Speaker Madigan’s editorial today. And it ain’t Durkin’s.

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:39 am
OW - as I understand your position, it is more important to you that Governor Rauner present a budget pursuant to the state constitution than it is for the Democrats to craft their own budget and avoid everything in that United Way survey. Is that wrong or are you calling on the Democrats to use their supermajority power to craft their own compromise budget and pass it?

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:42 am
Tsunamis are not survivable. This is our early warning system. If we wait till the tsunami hits, we will just be cleaning up a huge, expensive, dangerous, and broken mess.

Comment by Pawn Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:46 am
- lake county democrat -

My position is, as it’s always been;

The governor proposed an out of balance budget needing revenue. Needing. Requiring.

The governor then deciding that the Democratic budget, also woefully out of balance is, according to the governor, a blatent attempt for a tax increase.

The leverage is/hasn’t been about the budget or even social services that Rauner has no courage to cut…

… It’s about Union-Busting. The social services ARE the last remaining hostages.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:55 am
==we’re being governed by Crassus==

And have been for some time. Poor budget management over decades eventually limits the ability to provide required services.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:56 am
Give me what I want or the kid (patient, old person) gets it! Disgusting!

Comment by JackD Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:56 am
People are hurting, no doubt. For all of what’s listed above to have occurred, however, two things must already have been in play before the current budget delay:

some reduced loads due to our changing economy

significant spending cuts already made in recent fiscal years

We have been cutting spending in our operating budget for social services for years before Rauner showed up, and cash flow problems caused by delays starting July 1 will take a bit more time to really bite, for many agencies.

Comment by walker Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:02 pm
Q: Why are we at this fiscal cliff?
A: Because the democrat super majority spends more money than the State has.

Q: So what is the solution:
a) keep spending more than we have and bankrupt middle class families with more taxes?
b) cut spending down to what we can afford?

Comment by Nobody important Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:10 pm
- Nobody important -,

Explain the Edgar Pension Ramp and the pension holidays.

Thanks.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:12 pm
Nobody Important - You seem pretty certain we can cut our way out of this crisis. Please detail the $4 billion in cuts that would be in effect this fiscal year that you would enact. Be specific.

Comment by Montrose Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:13 pm
Demoralized, Radogno and Durkin are Rauner’s boots on the ground. If the boots rebel, the leader has problems. Don’t worry, neither has the courage or desire to face up to Rauner.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:16 pm
==Please detail the $4 billion in cuts that would be in effect this fiscal year that you would enact. Be specific.==

Why would NI do that when our own Gov and GA have each declined, and continue declining, to do the same?

Actually, Gov Rauner has proposed some cuts. Has the GA proposed cutting anything?

Comment by Formerly Known As... Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:18 pm
=== Langhorne, one party has the power to put an end to that immediately by passing a budget that fulfills the bright sunny promise of Speaker Madigan’s editorial today. And it ain’t Durkin’s. ===

Wrong LCD. If you’ve paid attention to Rich, the House Dems don’t have a de facto veto proof majority. With illnesses and ideological differences, they can’t impose their own solution.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:21 pm
OW - that doesn’t answer my question. I don’t disagree that Rauner’s primary agenda is anti-union. But the fact is that as of this moment, the Democrats have the power to pass a budget into law. (Franks just wouldn’t go along with the “for show” out-of-balance budget) The question is whether in the face of things like the United Way report, do you want the Democrats to use that power? The answer to that question doesn’t affect your opinion on Rauner or what Rauner should do, but it’s a different question.

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:22 pm
(I thought “de facto” means they do have it in theory, but not in practice? Not sure about that).

Maybe I read Rich wrong - as I understood it, I didn’t read that he’s against the Dems using their supermajority status but refused to approve the specific budget Madigan had prepared. But let’s assume that’s true and he has been against any use of the supermajority status. Let’s see if that stands up to scruitiny - I see very few people in the media pressing this point, let alone the people allegedly concerned for the beneficiaries of these programs. If Rauner is so unreasonable, what are the Democrats doing to find a compromise between themselves? Surely it must be easier when you have no “extremists” amongst you.

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:27 pm
Montrose raises a good point - I’ve recommended to Rauner that he say he’s willing to negotiate cuts but if no deal is reach, sequestration for everything except education. He can rightly argue that the Democrats warnings on sequestration at the federal level proved mostly overblown and use the popular “I bet there’s some fat that can be cut” line. He isn’t listening to me - maybe he knows that for all my Madigan needling I haven’t voted for a Republican in decades…

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:35 pm
(oops, that was Formerly Known As I should have credited - sorry FNA)

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:36 pm
===sequestration for everything except education===

This ain’t DC, or did you not notice all the federal consent decrees?

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:38 pm
===The question is whether in the face of things like the United Way report, do you want the Democrats to use that power?===

That’s Rauner’s hope, you know. Right? You know that, right.

Democrats run a budget, with revenues, all the GOP goes “red”, Rauner “vetoes”, the Democrats, again, vote, alone, for a budget, with the GOP going “red” again, so Rauner, you guessed it, “owns” nothing.

Welp, with 80% of the spending mandated by a judge, Cullerton has it right; Start over, governor.

Governors sign budgets. That’s how it works. An overridden vetoed budget, that’s not how to run a railroad.

Both sides need to get a structured roll call budget, without the anti-Union jargon, with revenue, but allowing Rauner “wins” to move the Turnaround Agenda.

Plus… lol… Jack Franks.

That’s real.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:38 pm
The great Republican irony here is that just because the nonprofit organizations that provide services are going belly-up doesn’t mean that the people needing the services will go away.

The GOP with a lot of Democratic help has done a masterful job of shifting service delivery from AFSCME workers to nonprofit employees over the past three decades, and now Illinois is dangerously close to shifting a full 180 degrees in the opposite direction.

Comment by Juvenal Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:39 pm
The financial health of the not for profit providers of social services has been a worry for at least the past five years. The State has counted on these providers to be more effective at lower cost than state staff. These providers also raise private money to subsidize State programs. (Thanks Rich).

That network is fraying. The gamble is that it will not break beyond repair. Not a gamble I would make. But collapse is not a certainty.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:42 pm
Could be collateral damage. The non-profit I’m associated with may go under because we provide equipment to other non-profits as one of our main lines of business. Surprise, they’re not buying.

Comment by Excessively Rabid Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 12:59 pm
It would help if the state wasn’t already using slow pay as a way to fund their budget. My agency could operate for several months on the money they still owe for FY 15.

I know that logic and politics don’t go together. But explain why the entities least able to take this stress are targeted? No, don’t, I already know. I’ve heard that it is a Darwinian strategy to weed out the weak performers; good luck finding someone to pick up the pieces when all is said and done.

Comment by SouthernGirl Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:12 pm
Re: sequestration - well, my point is more political than policy - it’s a way to avoid specifying cuts and yet being “responsible.” A better way to do this, imho, is kick it to a commission and promise and up/down vote, though the time for that has passed. As far as mandated spending, obviously that’s exempted but I think the message that *that* is why it “worked” at the federal level but won’t work here wouldn’t resonate.

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:19 pm
“Q: Why are we at this fiscal cliff?
A: Because the democrat super majority spends more money than the State has.”

No. Because the income tax rolled back and blew a $5 billion hole in the budget. Rauner Republicans asked for that and have said for years, we didn’t need that money. This is what not having that money looks like.

“Q: So what is the solution:
a) keep spending more than we have and bankrupt middle class families with more taxes?
b) cut spending down to what we can afford?”

No. Illinois is not bankrupting anyone with taxes. For state taxes and fees we are a low tax state. The solution is revenue. And anyone who understand what gets funded by the state in human services knows that we have been cutting for years. What we don’t cut is stuff that goes to rich people. But if you are poor, sick, frail, or old, any of those folks that rely on the safety net, you get really tired of hearing people say that there haven’t been cuts. its a bold face lie.

See VanillaMan’s post about the difference between being a citizen and a consumer in views about taxation.

Comment by sideline watccher Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:31 pm
@nobody:

Please ask the Jim’s (Thompson & Edgar) why they spent billions on expanding the Downstate Republican Patronage Army (Union, too boot!) called Prisons….without sufficient revenue to,pay for ALL costs.

Love,
Jack

Comment by Jack Stephens Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 1:49 pm
One way to balance the budget!

Comment by Let'sMovetoNorthDakota Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 7:16 pm
For years the legislature has not cared about human services. Remember in 2009 when the state was going to defund all state contracts? People receiving human services are pawns of Madigan.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 3, 15 @ 11:51 pm