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* Progress Illinois has a good report this week on the pain caused by the governmental impasse…

For example, a Meals on Wheels program serving over 700 seniors in DuPage County will be reduced from five to two days a week beginning January 11 due to the lack of a state budget. The DuPage Senior Citizens Council, which delivers the meals to seniors, also plans to cut 55 percent of its staff and close its community dining program next Monday because of the state budget situation.

As many as 1,500 total seniors participate in the Meals on Wheels and community dining programs on a daily basis, said Marylin Krolak, executive director of the DuPage Senior Citizens Council.

“I don’t know what they’re going to do. It just breaks my heart,” she said of the seniors who will be impacted by the program cuts. “We will make sure that we will work with our volunteers to visit them Monday through Friday to make sure they’re OK, but they need food.”

Whacks to the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome program, MAP grants and immigrant services are also detailed. Go read the whole thing.

But, hey, they’re all gonna continue to suffer until we cut the standard of living of union members… or something.

…Adding… From comments…

It’s actually worse than that, this is the prerequisite he’s demanding prior to raising their taxes. It’s the worst middle and lower class double whammy you could imagine.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:02 am

Comments

No pain, no gain! It’s all worth it…

Comment by Johnny Pyle Driver Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:07 am
For DuPage seniors down to two meals a week, Rauner and Sandack’s “short-term pain” could easily mean “suffering for the remainder of your life”.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:09 am
== But, hey, they’re all gonna continue to suffer until we cut the standard of living of union members… or something. ==

It’s actually worse than that, this is the prerequisite he’s demanding prior to raising their taxes. It’s the worst middle and lower class double whammy you could imagine.

Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:12 am
Yep - @MisterJayEm -…

“@RonSandack: I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate.”

Ron Sandack feels seniors suffering is “worth it”

Seniors, babies, college students, all need to feel pain… according to Ron Sandack.

“@RonSandack: I’m frustrated 2, but taking steps towards reforming IL more important than short term budget stalemate.”

The Owl tweeted it as so.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:15 am
Your sacrifice to the anti-union cause is appreciated.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:17 am
=== plans to cut 55 percent of its staff and close its community dining program ===

Impasse helping Illinois’ economy?

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:19 am
I’m sure Ron Sandack has a plan to take care of his hungry senior citizen constituents those other 5 days that he’ll be tweeting about any moment now.

Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:20 am
Wise commenters have stated on this site previously that HE DOES NOT CARE!

How much more obvious can it be? Just more hostages being taken.

Comment by illini Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:30 am
If there are Rauner folks reading this. Here’s an honest non-partisan heads up. Fund meals on wheels at all costs. POUR MONEY INTO IT! Please take my word for it that Seniors on Meals on Wheels have no other options or ability to get food. NO OTHER OPTION. The last thing we want in this state is to get national attention for seniors dying of malnutrition. If the Administration does ONE thing this year. This is what I would do. Totally non-partisan heads up.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:30 am
Well, on the plus side, with lower wages, working families won’t pay as much income tax as they would otherwise. So there’s that.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:32 am
Leverage.

And no one is actually talking.

Shameful

Comment by Langhorne Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:39 am
Layoffs and taking food from seniors is news? Not according to the Chicago press.

But you wouldn’t believe what the governor ate in Morocco!

Those seniors will have to get by on hearty, heapin-helpins of “hang in theres.”

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:41 am
I wonder if Andy Skoog, the new house critter who replaces Mautino recognized the irony of publicly stating he will not vote for a tax increase when he is delivering Meals on Wheels this week (he told the Ottawa Times that he will be delivering meals this week)?

Comment by G'Kar Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:47 am
The lack of empathy by Rauner toward those who are poor, old, mentally ill, sick, hungry and those with lower IQ’s is depressing. To deny any comfort toward others until he gets his way is borderline criminal.

Comment by Cable Line Beer Gardener Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:48 am
Like someone once said about Rauner……If you don’t have a whole lot of money, Rauner couldn’t care less about your well-being. Sandack too.

Comment by Big Joe Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:49 am
But, but, we are not getting hurt by the budget impasse, Scott Reeder told me so, and he doesn’t have an agenda, right?
http://www.mywebtimes.com/opinion/columnists/statehouse-reeder-better-but-that-s-not-saying-much/article_3caf4619-c168-54c3-8e7c-9453f9380921.html

Comment by G'Kar Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 10:52 am
Tea Partiers wanted to “starve the beast”, but didn’t realize was the beast was themselves.

Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:02 am
I wonder how many of those seniors were brainwashed by his relentless “shake-up Springfield” ads. The chicken that should be in your pot, sadly has come home to roost.

Comment by Johnnie F. Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:03 am
These old people aren’t the ones who refuse to pass the right-to-work ordinances. But maybe if Rauner could get them to call their city officials and beg for right-to-work? Nah…it isn’t going to work… Maybe if they call Democrats and request the TurnAround Agenda? Wait, how is this supposed to work?

Comment by State worker Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:06 am
But……but….. I thought all the money spent on programs like this was truly wasteful and needed to be cut! We need to make more money available to corporations, not old people who need to eat! Isn’t all government spending on actual people…….just waste? Heavy snark. And disgust.

Comment by AnonymousOne Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:19 am
There is a bill to fund Meals on Wheels, HB4382 by Rep Conroy out of Du Page. Let’s see if the other Du Page legislators get on it?

Comment by Dupage Bard Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:31 am
–But, hey, they’re all gonna continue to suffer until we cut the standard of living of union members… or something.–

We were suffering long before this budget impasse, at least those of us in the private sector, us lowly taxpayers.

Comment by Ahoy! Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:53 am
Brilliant strategy - by process of elimination, we will see what is important to fund and who could operate lean. Then Rauner can run around sayin’ “See I told you there was plenty of waste”. Then money can flow to the “important” and the “unimportant” dies off.

Comment by Dr X Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 11:56 am
It is a grim bargain. See how it has worked out in the south: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/business/2015/12/01/a-grim-bargain/

Comment by Gentlemen, behold! Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 12:43 pm
The families of these seniors ought to be paying for the Meals-on-Wheels service, not the state.

Comment by Let'sMovetoNorthDakota Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 1:16 pm
–The families of these seniors ought to be paying for the Meals-on-Wheels service, not the state.–

Are you pretending this is part of some fiscal responsibility plan by the governor? Have you read any comptroller’s reports lately?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 1:59 pm
“The families of these seniors ought to be paying for the Meals-on-Wheels service, not the state.”

And, just for the sake of deeper thought, what if they don’t have any family???? Put ‘em on an iceberg?

Comment by Anon 221 Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:00 pm
“The families of these seniors ought to be paying for the Meals-on-Wheels service, not the state.”

LMND was that you in the audience at that GOP debate four years ago? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yva0VSN1_T4

Comment by X-prof Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:24 pm
I used to volunteer as a driver delivering meals on wheels for Catholic Charities. Doesn’t anyone volunteer anymore? That would keep costs down, and donations should fund the meals.
In Missouri then the state did not pay for this at all . It is the kind of good program that need not depend on the taxpayers.

Comment by Let'sMovetoNorthDakota Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:29 pm
===Doesn’t anyone volunteer anymore? ===

The problem is buying the food.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:37 pm
- Let’sMovetoNorthDakota -

Matthew 6:3

Do you even KNOW how Meals on Wheels works? Ugh.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:40 pm
–I used to volunteer as a driver delivering meals on wheels for Catholic Charities. –

Then you must know that 85% of Catholic Charities Chicago revenue — $158 million of $184 million in their FY15 — came from government contracts and grants.

Actual charitable contributions of $8.9 million covered a bit more than half of their $16 million in management overhead.

https://www.catholiccharities.net/Portals/0/Media/Publications/Annual%20Report/2015AR_FINAL_web.pdf

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:47 pm
There is a difference between Meals-On Wheels and Peace Meals- at least in Central Illinois.

https://www.sarahbush.org/peacemeal/

http://bloomingtonmealsonwheels.org/ourhistory

Comment by Anon 221 Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:47 pm
Once again LetsmovetoNorthDakota….please do

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:53 pm
Nice pull wordslinger, nice pull. Man I love you guys when you’re quick on the draw with data.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 2:56 pm
So sorry the two snarky anonymous comments at 2:53 and 2:56 were me.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Jan 5, 16 @ 3:05 pm