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* From the Southern Illinoisan’s article on SIU being downgraded to junk bond status…
SIU fell three notches Thursday in S&P Global Ratings’ latest round of long-term and underlying ratings. SIU received a BB rating, down from BBB, and was placed on CreditWatch with negative implications.
“The downgrade and CreditWatch negative status reflect our belief that the state may fail to pass a fiscal year 2017 budget by the end of May, which would likely result in no additional operating appropriations distributed to the university for the remainder of fiscal 2017,” S&P Global Rating Credit Analyst Jamie Seman said in a release of the rating on standardandpoors.com.
SIU President Randy Dunn told State Rep. Christian Mitchell, D-Chicago, and State Rep. John Cavaletto, R-Salem, during an informational hearing of the House Economic Opportunity Committee at SIU on Thursday that the university is facing a “crisis of confidence” in attracting students due to the state’s budget impasse. He reiterated that in a statement released on Friday.
“Yet again, SIU is paying the price for the inaction of our state lawmakers to fully pass a state budget that helps fund university operations and lives up to the longstanding commitment Illinois had made to higher education. SIU is not closing and not going anywhere, but as we are in the 22nd month of the budget impasse, the loss of the state’s commitment to public higher education makes it that much more difficult to maintain the services SIU provides not just to our students, but the regions we serve. This has got to end,” SIU President Randy Dunn said.
No mention of what that downgrade actually means. And a statement from the university president placing sole blame on the General Assembly.
* WSIU…
Southern Illinois University and the University of Illinois saw credit downgrades. Illinois State University joins them on the watch list with a negative outlook. […]
Dunn says bonding and other borrowing will cost more as a result of the downgrade - but he points out the university was not planning to do that for a couple of years.
Also no mention of what losing investment grade status means to the university and a statement from the president saying essentially: “No biggie.”
* The local TV station posted an AP brief on its website that doesn’t mention junk status.
* From the Daily Egyptian…
A national credit rating agency has reduced the university’s credit to junk status and attributes the decline to the ongoing Illinois budget impasse.
The student newspaper is the only local media outlet that appears to understand what the heck just happened to the region’s largest employer.
* Let’s move on to Macomb, the home of Western Illinois University, which also got its credit zapped to junk status last week. The town’s newspaper, the McDonough County Voice, has no articles about the rating decline on its website that I could find. The student newspaper appears to be on spring break.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:22 am
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Groups like the Illinois Policy Institute will gladly fill the void left by substandard local journalism.
Comment by Ole' Nelson Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:25 am
Dan Proft will happily fill in the “blanks” from poor local coverage.
Comment by Ole' Nelson Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:28 am
“Reporting” has become “Repeating without analysis”.
Leaving it to the IPIs of the world to simplify and lie to the public.
I’m not familiar with the newspapers but I’d assume they are under financial pressures so probably not able to afford knowledgeable experienced (actual) Reporters and are probably hiring youngsters who don’t actually understand what it is they are reporting on.
Comment by Biscuit Head Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:33 am
If you factor in the Rauner vertical integration filling the vacuum where local media and news have evaporated.
What’s exciting for me in this is the SIU President.
No governor since the 1850s has refused to fully fund higher education… except Bruce Rauner.
The ridiculous ignorance of the SIU President must be someone more concerned about their own job, and what Trustees would go, or someone so incredibly ignorant to the past two years, I’m embarrassed for the student body having a president just so aloof.
Rauner’s vertical integration fills a vacuum so completely that a university president sees a governor destroying your university and you can’t see the willful distruction with honest eyes.
I’m not worried, Carbondale will be “fine”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:34 am
Fear of retribution has duct taped the media.
Comment by Honeybear Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:35 am
Didn’t Daily Herald pick up a bunch of downstate news organizations last year? Did they do anything with them?
Comment by walker Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:36 am
I sorely miss the numerous newspapers that have been closed or downsized. There used to be so many outlets to choose from.
A question for Rich Miller: In a sense, wasn’t Capitol Fax created to fill a void when many news bureaus were cutting or eliminating their Springfield staffs?
The mainstream media does not seem to work the Capitol as much as they used to.
Comment by Ward Heeler Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:37 am
I see what you did there, Gus Bode.
Comment by Barton Lorimor Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:43 am
Th President has an issue if he really describes how bad this is- they would lose even more enrollment if students didn’t perceive the University as “viable”. Really honestly reveal how bad it is and stud Nets will have yet another reason to look elsewhere. President Dunn is in a really be spot between the rock and hard place.
Comment by Elliott Ness Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:49 am
On Saturday, a thousand people marched for science in downtown Champaign, right past the office of the News Gazoo. Not a word of coverage on their web site. In this case, the political viewpoint of the “newspaper” played a part, not just malpractice.
Comment by Jibba Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:50 am
“Groups like the Illinois Policy Institute will gladly fill the void left by substandard local journalism.”
And they already are filling that void…here in Southern Illinois. IPI is often quoted by local TV and newspapers, without any sort of disclaimer.
Comment by Some don't get it Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 11:27 am
Its an interesting phenomenon that media and political insiders lament the demise of the local newspaper while the average American says they feel overwhelmed by all the information available to them.
Comment by In a Minute Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 11:29 am
== The student newspaper appears to be on spring break===
….Isn’t the McDonough County Voice the Student newspaper of record?
Comment by A guy Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 11:30 am
In all seriousness are there any solutions to the demise of local news? Are we just out of luck. Can citizen journalism or social media help or is that a contributing factor?
Comment by Honeybear Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 11:41 am
@A guy
Not sure if that was snark, but the student paper for WIU is the http://westerncourier.com/
Comment by #5 Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 11:42 am
And this is exactly why so many outside of the Chicago Area ( and those faithful to CapFax ) are totally oblivious to the willful destruction going on.
Ignorance is not bliss yet it appears to be the achieving the desired result - apathy and indifference.
Comment by illini Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 11:44 am
#5 Mon.
It was snark, but really a case that almost all of the local journalism outlets are operated by very young (student aged) folks now. Or worse, older community members who weren’t good enough to write for the student newspaper.
Should have marked it /s. My apologies.
Comment by A guy Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 11:46 am
When you’re 23, swamped with college debt, working for min wage at a newspaper that could go under at any moment, if you understood credit ratings, you wouldn’t be where you are.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 11:57 am
Thanks for pointing this out Rich? Is anyone listening? Used to be that at least AP could fill a local void with critical need. Where in the world is AP?
Comment by Winnin' Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 12:35 pm
Stupid or complicit? Ignoring the biggest story inn your region doesn’t leave room for any other options.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 12:55 pm
I figured it had to be, but wasn’t sure and didn’t want to leave you hanging. Thanks for understanding.
Comment by #5 Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 12:59 pm
Walker, the Benton Evening News doesnt have an SIU reporter. The DH bought a bunch of little papers, none of which are in Carbondale. You’re talking about papers with one or two employees. And the DH cares so much about state govt it closed its Capitol bureau.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 2:12 pm
MF @2:12. Thanks. Was afraid of that.
Comment by walker Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 3:09 pm
Story in the Charleston paper-EIU “leadership” still clueless
http://jg-tc.com/news/s-p-downgrades-eiu-moody-s-considering-same-move/article_4a57d1a7-b76e-5d23-a95d-bf776a10ba16.html
Comment by OurMagician Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 3:37 pm
So what is there to write about in Springfield anyway. Rich just fills the gossip side.
Comment by scott aster Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 3:40 pm
OW can you just stop peddling the provable falsehoods
No governor since the 1850s has refused to fully fund higher education… except Bruce Rauner.
Susana Mendoza can say the budgets the voted on were balanced except for the pension contribution which is now 25% of the budget.
Another obvious falsehood.
Obviously if higher education was fully funded as you say we would not have such a huge deficit in SURS.
A bit like saying you fully paid your house expenses last month except gas, electric and property taxes.
Currently 1/2 of the state funding towards higher education goes towards pensions and not education.
http://www.pionline.com/article/20151130/PRINT/151129917/illinois-surs-in-danger-of-running-out-of-money-to-pay-retirees-cio-says
These don’t look “fully funded” do they?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Apr 24, 17 @ 10:34 pm
===No governor since the 1850s has refused to fully fund higher education… except Bruce Rauner.===
That’s true…
===Susana Mendoza can say the budgets the voted on were balanced except for the pension contribution which is now 25% of the budget===
I didn’t say that, are you now resorting to making things up about what I say?
===Obviously if higher education was fully funded as you say we would not have such a huge deficit in SURS.===
Argue the pensions all you want, Bruce Rauner outright refuses to fund higher education. You already know that…
===A bit like saying you fully paid your house expenses last month except gas, electric and property taxes.
Currently 1/2 of the state funding towards higher education goes towards pensions and not education.===
… and yet, when faced with funding higher education, Rauner vetoed it in 2015.
Why?
Rauner wants higher education destroyed.
“Simple”
You don’t fund things that you want gone.
That’s how it works with a budget. You zero out, say, higher education, you want it gone.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 7:55 am