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Breathtaking

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Illinois

Look ‘em in the eye and don’t tell the truth. Good plan.

A day after Gov. Rod Blagojevich told the Daily Southtown that the Tinley Park Mental Health Center would be “fully funded” for the next year, his Department of Human Services announced that one-fifth of the center’s staff will be laid off in May.

The department on Friday notified a public employees union that it intends to lay off 46 workers and an additional unspecified number of managers. The governor’s budget request calls for $20.4 million to operate the mental health center in 2005-06, down from $24 million in the current fiscal year.

Words fail me.

UPDATE: From a friend’s instant message:

See..he “told”..he didn’t sign a pledge or anything..so he’s not really breaking his word

I guess he understands the governor better than me.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 22, 05 @ 4:19 pm

Comments

Rich, What you don’t understand is that the governor is taking a lesson from the Secretary of this department. You see, Human Services doesn’t lay people off. People don’t lose jobs, and individuals who need them don’t lose valuable services. What you are observing is a process those in the department are calling “Restructuring”. Apparently this is supposed to make everything okay.

The mentally ill will have to find somewhere else to go, not only in the Tinley Park area, but up in Elgin and by Chicago Read, where beds are being closed and staff are also being laid off - lots of staff.

The developmentally disabled will have to move to community agencies (and they are lined up to take these people in!), because several state centers are downsizing. Oh wait, Howe Center isn’t. But most of these places are losing staff, too.

It’s all about restructuring. So, don’t use the L word. He’s funding all right. Just at a lower rate, for fewer beds and fewer staff. I’ve learned a lot from him in two years……

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 22, 05 @ 5:13 pm