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[Note from Rich: This is Kevin’s daily post.]
* Amidst the blitz of press regarding the Governor’s $1 million grant to a school of questionable existence and a vow to scrape up $40 million to demolish Cole Hall, something has been lost in the shuffle. The administration has dropped the ball on its promise to military veterans.
A new addition to the LaSalle Veterans Home is set to open over the summer, but the state is planning to employ only enough staff to make half of its beds available.
The state set aside $3.3 million to staff the 40-bed Alzheimer’s wing, and the Governor’s budget spokesman claims it would cost $3 million more to staff the other 40 beds. The administration then had the gall to make this claim:
“We currently have a $750 million budget gap for (fiscal year 2008) and are in a period of economic slowdown,” wrote budget spokesman Kelly Quinn in an e-mail. “We wanted to do what we could with the available resources.”
State Sen. Gary Dahl, whose district includes the LaSalle home, said legislators from both political parties will try to obtain the money to open all 80 beds at LaSalle.
“I think every legislator in Springfield, well, just about every one, understands that we need to do this for our veterans,” Dahl said.
* Adding flame to the fire, the administration’s budget proposal is passing the buck on veteran’s tuition grants to universities.
The Illinois Board of Higher Education reports that the program, the Illinois Veterans Tuition Grant, was budgeted at a little over $19 million this year. State schools have received $18 million so far.
The grant has been budgeted at $19 million since 2004, but the number of veterans returning from service has continually increased since then.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission reports that the deficit has been a problem since at least 2004, when the state was $5 million short on payments for the grant. This will be the sixth consecutive budget cycle without an increase in funding to the program. One school official had this to say to the Governor in her testimony to the House committee:
“It’s the law, but the Governor was supposed to provide funding,” said Cheryl Peck, spokeswoman for the University of Illinois at Springfield. Peck said the university took $490,000 from other areas of the budget this year to ensure that veterans’ tuitions are covered.”
* I understand that this is a tough year, and certain cuts need to be made to the budget, but sticking it to veterans is just wrong.
posted by Kevin Fanning
Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 10:18 am
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Almost everything that this Administration has done is just wrong or bungled.
Comment by Dan S, a Voter Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 10:40 am
Words to live by: I won’t promise what I can’t deliver, and I’ll deliver more than I promised.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 10:54 am
I thought we had beat the notion of Blaggo consistency out of Kevin’s noggin.
Let’s reviewn
1. Motto of the lst term “We Don’t Know AND We Don’t Care.
2. Motto of the 2nd Term: “Dumber Than You Think”
These two maxims are drilled into every staffer, agency director who comes on board.
Those slogans prevent the government from noticing the vets home problem when the need to feed the PR addiction seizes control.
Lets try to blame the Devil Madigan for the problem. Quick, wake up LP tell her to hold another presser ASAP.
Hope Kevin understands.
Comment by Reddbyrd Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 11:28 am
This is just another example of how the state is not meeting financial obligations, its throughout state government.Its in Mental Health, Substance abuse treatment, DD, Youth Services, Senior Services, even DNR, its everywhere.
Comment by independent Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 11:36 am
Reddbyrd- LoL
Comment by Kevin Fanning Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 11:37 am
Keep this up and eventually the universities may have to refuse (or at least threaten to refuse) to accept Veteran’s Grant recipients… just as healthcare providers are refusing to accept Medicaid patients.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 11:41 am
In effect, by underfunding veteran’s grants the state of Illinois is shifting the cost of the benefit to other students. It is really shameful for politicians to waive the flag and make grand promises to our veterans (and one that they surely deserve) then look the other way when it is time to pay the piper. At SIU, the unfunded bill was about 1.9 million, which is about the increase in GR for the year. So in effect, our budget was flat, requiring a bigger tuition increase.
I would like to hear the Governor stand up and say, Veterans, you may attend college tuition free-And thank your fellow students who will pay your tuition.
Comment by SIU Prof Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 11:51 am
If there is not enough money to provide (highly expensive) full time institutional care for veterans, the state should be able to increase the dollars available for in-home, community care. The longer these individuals can stay in the community, the better. Institutional care really is on the way out except for the most severely impaired, but apparently this isn’t the reason the guv is cutting the money. More likely, not enough pols and Tony Rezko clones have gotten their turn at the Blago state trough yet, limiting the resources available for the rest of us, veterans included. We Illinoisians are getting so passive about only getting what’s “left over.”
Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 12:18 pm
The state is not “sticking it to veterans.” Colleges and universities are required to provide free tuition to veterans, whether reimbursed through other funds or not. Veterans will still be able to enroll tuition-free. Also, what has run the Illinois Veterans Grant funding short is not nearly as much to do with an increasing number of veterans going to college as it has to do with the increases in tuition. The numbers of veterans enrolling has increased very little over the past few years, but tuition has increased in double-digits thereby draining the fund faster.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 12:43 pm
Kevin —- you laugh as the state crumbles down around our ears and your collect your fat, tax payer funded stipend.
Easy for you to yuck it up while Double Crossed Anonymous opens a new IL chapter every hour.
How can you sleep at night!
Comment by Reddbyrd Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 12:59 pm
I’m a navy veteran. I retired with 21 years of service, 11 on active duty and 10 in the reserves. I was in Iraq, in the Triangle of Death, for six months. I don’t have any complaints about the state government’s treatment of veterans, and I haven’t heard any complaints from my former co-workers. The IL government gives $500 to any Illinois resident who is a member of the guard or reserves and is activated to serve in the Middle East. I mailed my application form, and I received the money quickly.
Comment by PhilCollins Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 1:27 pm
OK everyone. Phil says all is good with veterans. Next issue.
Comment by Truth Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 2:54 pm
You also need to know that the gov pulled the plug on over 7 million going to community colleges for veterans grants about a month ago.Ahhh Mr. Patriotic you serve Illinois so well.
Comment by fedup Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 3:18 pm
“[A] school of questionable existence.” Nice turn of phrase.
Comment by Ivory-billed Woodpecker Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 3:52 pm
Kevin, it’s ‘fuel’ to the fire, not flame… please try to use your cliches correctly.
Comment by Almost 5 o'clock constructive criticism Wednesday, Mar 12, 08 @ 4:47 pm
The title to this article is all wrong. Rodiot aka Bloggo has his priorities totally in order. And he always has. His one and only priority is HIMSELF!!
If he cared about anything he would do something besides hold press conferences about spending money the state doesn’t have. So he’ll never be able to meet his publicity stunt pledges anyway.
The bigger question is why doesn’t the legislature do the right thing. They obviously aren’t any more concerned about the economic welfare of the state and its citizens than Rodiot is.
And the biggest problem is that the citizens all have amnesia when they get to the voting booth and return these non-servents of the public good to office…time after time.
Comment by Fed Up Thursday, Mar 13, 08 @ 7:05 am