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* The Belleville News-Democrat writes about the governor’s emergency rules that slash the state’s childcare assistance program…

The reason for the new rules is the budget impasse between the Democratic-led General Assembly and Republican governor. This fiscal year began July 1, but a budget deal is still not in place. Rauner employed the new childcare provisions after the stalemate crossed into the new fiscal year. Rauner’s office called the rule changes responsible.

“One of the governor’s first actions in office was to save childcare from the deliberate underfunding by the Democratic majority in the last fiscal year. Now, the administration is taking steps to responsibly manage the state’s finances due to the $4 billion budget hole created by the legislature this year. The governor’s reforms will free up resources to help the most vulnerable and grow the economy,” said Catherine Kelly, spokesperson for Gov. Rauner.

True in part, but only in small part.

* I asked Emily Miller (no relation) at Voices for Illinois Children to respond…

Hi Rich-

I’ve seen the standard response the Governor’s office releases to defend his child care cuts in a few newspapers now. I think it’s important to deconstruct the statement because it contains so many misstatements and misrepresentation of fact that letting it stand on its own is a huge disservice to Illinois children and families.

Here goes:

“One of the governor’s first actions in office was to save childcare from the deliberate underfunding by the Democratic majority in the last fiscal year.”

Before Governor Rauner signed a bill to ensure the child care system remained solvent for FY15, in February of 2015 during his budget address he proposed $135 million in child care cuts. The “cost savings” were achieved by increasing co-pays, eliminating child care for all children over the age of five, and discontinuing all relative care.

So, both before and after the Governor “saved” child care by funding it for FY15, he actively tried to destroy it for FY16. Unfortunately for low and middle-income working families, he is currently succeeding.

“Now, the administration is taking steps to responsibly manage the state’s finances due to the $4 billion budget hole created by the legislature this year.”

When lawmakers allowed personal and corporate income taxes to roll back on January 1, 2015, Illinois lost between $5 billion and $6 billion in annual revenue - not $4 billion. That was a move encouraged by then-candidate Rauner.

Since then, both the governor and the General Assembly have failed to restore the revenue required to fully fund a year-long budget.

Despite the lack of both appropriation authority and available funds, the executive branch has instructed providers of state services to continue to provide services at last year’s levels. In other cases, the state has failed to make good on payments for existing contracts. In all cases, outside of consent decrees and federal pass-through funds, zero state dollars are being spent on many critical state priorities, meaning that the state is paying with IOUs that are adding to our back-log of unpaid bills.

That is not a responsible way to conduct business, and that is why there is a budget hole.

“The governor’s reforms will free up resources to help the most vulnerable and grow the economy”

The Department of Human Services identified exactly zero economic benefits attributable to Governor Rauner’s child care cuts when it testified before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules this summer.

The administration gave no written financial justification for the child care cuts, and they failed to produce any numbers regarding the amount each of the cuts would “save.” Further, the administration admitted during the hearing that they did no research regarding the economic impact of the cuts on the community—a step that would have been taken if the real goal were economic development. Further, when asked what the impact of the cuts on families would be, the answer was delivered by the then-Director Linda Saterfield, who said the cuts are “devastating.” She has since been replaced by the administration.

In fact, the “most vulnerable” families in Illinois have been hit the hardest by the Governor’s child care cuts. As Voices has pointed out before, the Governor’s cuts mean that a single mom of one child entering the work force can only access child care assistance in Illinois if she makes less than 50% of the federal poverty level, or $664 per month ($8.25 per hour for 20 hours per week.) At least 15,000 children were denied child care by the end of September, based on historic data. Before the Rauner cuts, a single mom of one who earned up to 185% of the federal poverty level, or $2,456 per month (about $15 an hour working 40 hours per week), had access to child care assistance.

That means it makes more financial sense for parents to stay home with their child than to get a job that supports the family. That makes no economic sense at all.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:24 am

Comments

Thank you for highlighting this issue, Rich.

Ms. Miller has the facts on her side.

I hope Rauner heeds one of the growing number of republicans urging him to seek compromise. I’m just not optimistic that he will.

Comment by Robert the Bruce Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:28 am
How many times does this need to be said: the Democrats have a supermajority. They have the power to end this right now. Jack Franks did not refuse to vote for any conceivable budget the Democrats might negotiate with themselves and any willing GOP crossovers.

If Madigan/Dems said they’d negotiate some turnaround agenda items and those negotiations fell through, I’d be with the anti-Rauner attacks. But they haven’t - they’re refusing to BOTH negotiate ANY non-budget items (even political reform items that enjoy 65-15% support in the polls) AND refusing to use their supermajority status.

But hey, what’s some hurt families in need when we can rant about how cruel Rauner is and how “governor’s own” all day long? Power doesn’t really come with responsibility, and that Madigan, boy is he smart.

Have at it folks.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:34 am
It’s always a treat to see someone do their job well, as Emily has just done, it’s just unfortunate it had to be under these circumstances.

Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:34 am
Have to say the Belleville News-Democrat has been doing a pretty good job on reporting on various state budget issues.

I agree this move makes zero sense. All it is going to do is make people quit working and end up on the welfare rolls. The net result will be less tax revenue coming into the state, both from the workers and from the day care providers, and more money going out in different assistance programs. The only difference I can see is, maybe, some of the welfare will be funded by the Feds instead of the State.

Bottom line: If the GOP still believes in moving people off the welfare rolls and into jobs, it is clear the Raunerite branch doesn’t.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:34 am
The rich do not understand the poor or single moms who do not have the support of their parents. Some grandparents will not babysit their grandkids.

Comment by Mama Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:36 am
These are sad times fi Illinoisians.

Comment by Rufus Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:40 am
==- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:34 am:==

How many times does this need to be said: having a supermajority does not mean you can do anything you want, it means you have a diverse caucus committed to certain values and principles, but with a wide variety of experiences and outlooks for how to achieve outcomes in line with those principles and values.

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:41 am
“the Democrats have a supermajority.” NO THEY DON’T! It is not about the number of bodies, its about the votes! They have 71 people, but does not guarantee all 71 of them will be there to vote. It also does not guarantee all 71 people will vote the same way.

Comment by Mama Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:43 am
===How many times does this need to be said: the Democrats have a supermajority. They have the power to end this right now.===

How many times does this need to be refuted: the Democrats do NOT have a votable supermajority. They do NOT have the power to end this right now.

Are you willfully ignorant or blissfully unaware to this proven fallacy?

===But hey, what’s some hurt families in need when we can rant about how cruel Rauner is and how “governor’s own” all day long?===

Along with Rauner owning, as Gov. Edgar reminds us, Gov. Rauner can also end the pain too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:43 am
LCD, how many times did that alleged super-majority override Rauner vetoes?

You live under a bridge, dude. How many times will you repeat fiction in order to have the governor of Illinois escape any responsibility or accountability for doing his job?

Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:45 am
Lake County Democrat -

How many times does this need to be said, the democrats only have 70 elected and appointed members in the House right now. How is that a supermajority?

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:48 am
and as of today, the Dems DON’T even have a supermajority on paper even, as a replacement for the late Rep. Golar (rest her soul) has not been named, and a soul has not been found for Rep. Dunkin.

Comment by Pawn Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:48 am
The Belleville News Democrat reporter who wrote the original story quoted the Governor’s paid disinformer. They need to followup on that story quickly with Ms. Miller and allow her to fully inform.

Not sure how much good it would do, but the mainstream media needs to stop allowing this Governor to own the media cycle unchallenged.

Comment by Bluegrass Boy Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:51 am
“If Madigan/Dems said they’d negotiate some turnaround agenda items and those negotiations fell through, I’d be with the anti-Rauner attacks. But they haven’t - they’re refusing to BOTH negotiate ANY non-budget items (even political reform items that enjoy 65-15% support in the polls) AND refusing to use their supermajority status.” Madigan did call for votes on Rauner’s TA, none of the House R or D members supported Rauner’s TA.

Comment by Mama Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:51 am
– The governor’s reforms will free up resources to help the most vulneable and grow the economy.”–

Yeah, that’s the stock line. They say that a lot. How pithy.

Now, back it up.

Let’s see the charts, graphs and analysis.

What kind of “resources” will be “freed up?” You’ll “grow the economy” in what way? How much growth are you projecting?

You don’t get to just say that stuff without any sort of rigorous analysis.

Without any evidence to support those claims, it’s just the worst, most cynical, snake oil.

Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:52 am
The disconnections from reality are stunning.

Speaking of: Did anyone catch Toni Preckwinkle on Chicago Tonight yesterday? She spoke of essentially loaning her CFO to Rauner, weekly during May. And of asking him for pension-bill support. And of his response that she’d need to get on board with his agenda.

Interesting stuff that I don’t remember hearing before (at least not the CFO loan), beginning at about the 13:20 mark:

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/10/19/preckwinkle-county-budget-aims-expand-amusement-tax

Comment by Linus Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:53 am
PC and OW

You two are the ones being willfully ignorant. Show me the Dem-created blended budget that they don’t have a “votable supermajority” for. Tell me which members voted against it. NONE AND NOBODY because they haven’t even made the effort to craft one (or ask Daniel Biss to make one).

That’s why I keep raising Jeff Franks - he’s held out as the poster child for your point - that they don’t have a votable supermajority. But that’s crap: he voted against Madigan’s show budget, calling it out for what it is. He hasn’t said he wouldn’t vote for any budget regardless of who was being hurt by a lack of a budget. Nor has your (OW’s) much despised Scott Drury.

So AGAIN: If the Dems made a good faith effort to end this, they’d be off the hook. THey can do that one of two ways: drop their insistence that any and all non-budgetary items must be excluded from negotiations or attempt to craft a budget that they can agree to.

All that said, yes, Governor Rauner can also end the pain too. But there are enough commenters here to remind us of that.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:54 am
Great line from Ms. Miller’s analysis: “Further, the administration admitted during the hearing that they did no research regarding the economic impact of the cuts on the community—a step that would have been taken if the real goal were economic development.”

Pretty much sums up the Rauner Administration’s approach to just about every issue. They talk about the need for structural reforms, but never provide hard data/economic analyses on their specific benefits. If you believe it, Team Rauner, sell it with facts, not campaign rhetoric.

Comment by GA Watcher Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:54 am
Well said RNUG….”Supermajority”: I will concede there are technically the votes if all Democrats vote in lock step. The reality is there has to be some very tough decisions both on cuts and revenue. The Dems did the revenue a couple of years ago and got hammered in the elections, thus we have Rauner. The Dems are now saying it needs to be shared a decision and that some Republicans need to step up to the table. So even if they could get all the votes (which they can’t) it is time for the Republican members to also be part of the solution. Until they break from Rauner there is no movement.

Comment by illinifan Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:56 am
RNUG- SNAP/Food Stamps are 100% federally funded but administered by the states. Medicaid is a 50/50 split. But the thing that NEEDS to be remembered is that no one and I mean no one can live off welfare anymore. Those days went out with Clinton and his welfare reform. SNAP is supplemental only. You would be extremely hardpressed to be able to eat off of 194 dollars a month. No what they are doing here is horrific. So called “welfare to work” programs work great if fully funded. When underfunded it creates absolute destruction. This is an Arduin tactic to break these “welfare to work” structures in order to privatize them. Which of course will cost the state more AND not do the job. Look at who they have now working for DHS at the top. Scratch the surface and half of them have privatization experience, either in the actual process of privatization or working for Privatizers like Maximus etc. The process is well underway. And not to give all the infamy to Rauner, wealthy Dems have been playing with this as well.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:02 am
===Show me the Dem-created blended budget that they don’t have a “votable supermajority” for.===

Are you suggesting the Democrats dictate to Bruce Rauner the worth of his agencies? Are you saying that Bruce Rauner will sign a budget crafted by the Democrats and further spend at the levels dictated by that budget?

Are you pointing to “Speaker Madigan and the Legislators he controls” as the premise of your thoughts, the same supermajority that failed all but once in over 60 attempted overrides?

Are you saying Gov. Rauner just isn’t skilled enough, “smart” enough, savvy enough to craft a budget and negotiate in good faith for the budget? Not the hostages, the budget. You do know the difference; the hostages and the real budget issues, right?

Let’s also be real brutally honest; not one legislator, cobbled or not, is going to vote for a revenue increase and then vote to override, voting twice for the same revenue needed budget, with a Rauner veto hung on it.

- lake county democrat -, I’m sorry, either you understand the needed structured roll call voting without a veto hanging over it, or you don’t. That’s the governing missing. You seem to not understand, and Rauner taking hostages refuses to engage in the governing.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:05 am
Lake County Dem:

The democrat budget you so desire was passed in January 2011, 96th GA, SB 2505. It passed with no republican votes. It was a revenue increase. it was the same revenue increase that Rauner demanded for the GA to let expire in January 2015. That would be called a concession on the democrats part. The Governor asked, democrats conceded. Now the Governor and you are asking why they don’t just pass their own budget?

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:15 am
Lake County Democrat hit a sensitive spot. A supermajority is enough to develop, or have developed by now, a reasonable budget plan. It’s just more politically expedient to play the victim and paint Rauner as the bad guy.

Use the “search” and notice how many people criticizing you also used to criticize the Republicans for not introducing their own budget plan despite being the superminority under a Democratic gov.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:31 am
” - Anonymous - ” commenters can suck you into their trolling.

Food for thought…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:33 am
The “revenue increase” decreased right on schedule as it was supposed to when it passed. As some here are fond of saying, “Another victim heard from.”

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:34 am
Governor Rauner didn’t seem to want the GA to use their supermajority to force him into interest arbitration (SB 1229) this year. Do you really believe that he wants the GA to pass a budget without his say?

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:37 am
===Do you really believe that he wants the GA to pass a budget without his say?===

The only way Gov. Rauner wants this path is

1) Rauner just spends what he wants in the agencies, ignoring what the budget actually does say abd dictate.

2) Rauner gets to veto the work, forcing 2 votes for revenue and punishing the Democrats with millions in Ads that talk about a vetoed tax increase.

3) Rauner can then go on, you guessed it, a campaign-style tour of Illinois playing (gasp) the victim to “Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls, passing a tax heavy budget, vetoed, and still put into place!” Oh the “Victimhood of Rauner” Tour would begin minutes after the second vote.

Why would the Democrats ever agree?

This budget “thingy” only works, only works, with structured roll calls and the promise of no veto…

… For. A. Budget.

Period.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:44 am
360Degree Turn Around,

He probably doesn’t want them to use their supermajority to force him to do anything, and would cry to high heaven if they did. At some point, however, cooler heads will have to prevail and someone has to come up with a budget. If Rauner won’t do his job, then develop a “real” budget and expose him as an empty fraud. He is vulnerable at the moment, and anyone who proves they are the adult in the room will become the most trusted, credible and supported politician in Illinois until 2018 and beyond.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:46 am
I completely disagree with her assessment that the Governor is trying to destroy the program. He is trying to save it from running out of money.

Would this group prefer the program just run out of money mid way through the year?

Comment by Just Me Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:48 am
Can we please stop with the supermajority talk? Since the passing of State Rep. Esther Golar, there are only 70 democrats in the House. 70 in a majority, does not make a super majority.

Facts are a pesky thing.

Comment by Dee Lay Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:55 am
I agree with the comments to my question. It would have been nice to pass a one month budget to keep things operating, but the Governor vetoed SB 2040 on September 10th. A one month budget would at least defuse some anger and desperation. Even if you disagree with the funding levels, it would have been something, an olive branch.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:55 am
The same people who tell Democrats that they ought to use their super majority, are often the same people who curse Obama for using a super majority his first two years in office.

If Illinois did govern by super majority, they would be the first to complain.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 11:03 am
==Would this group prefer the program just run out of money mid way through the year?==

The program is useless as currently designed. To be eligible, you can’t work more than part-time at more than minimum wage. The reg changes would actually have been better designed if they restricted it to say 50-100% FPL, where a parent could at least work full-time and still qualify (albeit still earning no more than minimum wage).

Ask yourself why this program is running out of money, and then, what are some actions the state could take to ensure it doesn’t run out of money. I’ll help you out:

A) Pass a budget (and if needed, reallocate GRF to child care from other programs where cuts would have less devastating economic impact)

B) Add new revenues

C) Make it impossible for poor families to work

Right now this governor is going with C. Is that what we want to get behind as a state?

Comment by Anderson Villy Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 11:08 am
…”The Dems did the revenue a couple of years ago and got hammered in the elections,…” Where? Who? Quinn?

Comment by Nick Danger Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 11:10 am
Mama- excellent point. I work with impoverished folks all day long. Family relationships are tenuous at best and totally dysfunctional at worst. I just added a baby to a Medicaid/SNAP case. With this old system I need to correctly code the family relationships into the system in order to determine/adjust eligability. The father is almost always not in the home. In addition other relatives are rarely in the home either. Addresses are constantly changed. Transience and instability are the very nature of poverty. These anti “welfare to work” initiatives always make the assumption that folks are more stable than they are. They start with the assumption that people who need benefits are “freeloaders” who need a swift kick in the can to force them to operate independantly. “Pick their selves up by the bootstraps”. The “taxpayers” should come first. Well let me testify here. My family got REAL close to losing it all. We descended to the bottom inside of a year. Now if that can happen to my spouse and I, with EVERY KNOWN conceavable privilege, (education, race, etc) then how are folks who don’t have those privileges? All the assumptions of the anti “welfare to work” people are profoundly wrong and destructive and are derived from a privileged unself-differentiated life model. In other words “Rich folk don’t know what they talkin about”.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 11:17 am
Just Me,

Or maybe last year’s budget, which would have let many programs run out of money mid way through the year?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 11:21 am
=== In fact, the “most vulnerable” families in Illinois have been hit the hardest by the Governor’s child care cuts. ===

Imagine how bad it would have been if the Governor weren’t committed to making Illinois the most compassionate state in the Union.

Comment by nona Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 11:48 am
I kinda think most everybody believes this whole state financial mess is going to be cleaned up this spring with a little tax increase and some damaged egos.my prediction: this thing going to be national headline news for months. Going to last right past the Novber election.hope I am wrong.

Comment by blue dog dem Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 11:50 am
To the Trolls:
The GA did pass some of some of Rauney’s agenda but he vetoed because they did not include his anti-union verbiage. And why has Rauney refused to submit a balanced budget as required by the IL Constitution?
To the post:
Is there anything we, as citizens, can do to force him into doing what he is obligated, by law, to do?
Heck of a job Rauney

Comment by Dinsdale Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 1:26 pm
==- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:54 am:==

LCD, you are willfully ignorant, at best. Saying what you truly are would get me banned. Please read the following vote history, on a bill vetoed by governor Rauner, that had only 65 votes for it, which is 6 short of 71, since I won’t assume you can count.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/99/house/09900SB0274_05282015_045000T.pdf

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 3:55 pm
== Going to last right past the November election. ==

Since we’re going to miss my October 2015 prediction, I’m going with 2020.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 6:01 pm
RNUG-you may be closer to right than me.

Comment by Blue dog dem Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 9:30 pm
Lake, where are you? Are with the Democratic supermajority? Are with the people who don’t vote with the Speaker in the caucus, save for his position/rules? Where are you?

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Oct 20, 15 @ 10:01 pm