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Can’t anybody play this game?

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* AP…

Illinois’ 11 Democratic congressmen have signed a letter to Gov. Bruce Rauner demanding that he restore funding to domestic violence shelters.

Rep. Cheri Bustos initiated the letter sent Friday.

It sprung from an Associated Press report that domestic-violence program funding was omitted from a temporary budget last summer. The Department of Human Services waited nearly six months to alert providers. Sojourn Shelter and Services in Springfield is among the programs that lost funding.

* But check out this passage from the letter…

As was recently revealed in an Associated Press article, Secretary James Dimas failed to inform domestic violence programs across the state that they would, once again, be running out of state funding. To add insult to injury, Secretary Dimas waited until just two weeks before temporary funding expired to inform domestic violence programs about this failure. Asked why they would wait until the 11th hour, Secretary Dimas claimed it was just “some confusion.”

Um, that wasn’t the issue. The problem, as outlined in the AP story, was that the funding wasn’t included in the stopgap budget at all, which covered the first half of this fiscal year. Providers who thought the state was once again behind in its payments found out from DHS in December that they were in line for no money whatsoever.

If you’re gonna go to the trouble of getting a letter signed by every Democratic member of the delegation, get it right.

* Anyway, here’s the administration’s response…

Human Services spokeswoman Meredith Krantz called the letter “hyper-partisan” and unhelpful. She says the authors should urge Democrats and Republicans in Springfield to agree on a budget solution. The state has been without a budget for nearly two years.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 17, 17 @ 4:13 pm

Comments

===Human Services spokeswoman Meredith Krantz called the letter “hyper-partisan” and unhelpful. She says the authors should urge Democrats and Republicans in Springfield to agree on a budget solution. The state has been without a budget for nearly two years===

Dear Ms. Krantz,

You are a Spokesperson for an agency that you believe the General Assembly should weigh an measure the value of your mission.

You feel the Governor, whose name is on your “letterhead” and website should not tell “you” or your agency it’s worth and the value of its mission? That’s pathetic to the colleagues you share office space with in that agency.

You fail. Congratulations.

Oswego Willy

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Feb 17, 17 @ 4:17 pm
I’m just glad the Illinois Democratic Party is getting their problems with consistent, clear messaging behind them.

Comment by Earnest Friday, Feb 17, 17 @ 4:24 pm
Once we get term limits men won’t beat there wives and we won’t have a need of domestic victims shelters. And who says Bruce is heartless?

Comment by Rogue Roni Friday, Feb 17, 17 @ 4:33 pm
Or how about that first line. “For nearly three years…”

I am pretty sure calendars are available in DC.

Comment by Juice Friday, Feb 17, 17 @ 4:36 pm
Does anyone believe a DV program manager or CFO wouldn’t know they weren’t in the stopgap until December? This is a heavy hitting group of agencies with influence under the dome and lobbyists galore. It’s not possible they didn’t know until now. #FakeNews

Comment by dropped the mike Friday, Feb 17, 17 @ 4:39 pm