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A must-see map

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* Progress Illinois has done a yeoman’s job of collecting stories and data about private social service providers who are now laying off staff and cutting back services. Check out the map…

This issue is extremely important and has been kinda lost in the shuffle recently. Good job by PI. Keep it up.

…Adding… With thanks to a commenter, click here for a list of all the info in that PI map.

* Other budget stuff…

* CMS: 656 layoffs total, 82 in Sangamon County so far

* Budget ax casts a shadow on social service agencies

* Illinois budget uncertainties throw lives off balance

* Up To 10,000 Illinois Prisoners May Be Released

* Phelps: Prison cuts a bad idea

* Britt: Gov. Quinn ready to release some inmates

* State fairs set to continue without budget

…Adding… The Fox News Chicago talking heads just called a proposal to eliminate all of Chicago’s state revenue sharing money “common sense.” No joke. Watch it…

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:02 am

Comments

This post gives a list of cuts in addition to their map. Great, albeit incredibly depressing, work on Progress Illinois’ part.

http://progressillinois.com/2009/7/5/features/tracking-state-budget-fallout

Comment by montrose Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:13 am
I doubt very much that the GA can take the heat for this for very long. The question becomes what will the GOP leaders want to get some folks on board for a reasonable budget?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:16 am
The disabled vote, too.

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:18 am
Nice map! Let’s see if we can get some eyeballs to it…

Comment by JP Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:18 am
Word,
I think they want a republican map in 2011. There is no way Mads is going to give them that. More likely, we’ll continue the brinksmanship until Jan when he won’t need any of their votes and can get abotu 8 to 10 tokens to go along.

Comment by Bill Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:23 am
$175,000 for Kelly Clarkson?

Wow. Folks are getting laid off — and the state pays some D-list musical act for an hour or two worth of work at the fair?

I understand the need for entertainment during difficult times — and I *sorta* buy the argument that the fair could be important for some folks who are out of work for a chance to blow off some steam with the family for a day or two. Okay, I get that.

And, yes, I get the idea that the musical acts are a draw — which in turn generates revenue yadda yadda yadda.

But still. If there’s belts tightening all around the state — and if the layoff list of state employers and providers continues to grow — do we *really* want to pay $175K for here — and probably another batch of moola for the requisite Lynyrd Skynyrd/Bo Bice/Bottle Rockets alt.country folks?

I’m just sayin’.

Comment by Macbeth Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:23 am
Too bad you cannot list the jobs and revenues that were lost when businesses gave up on expectations of a reasonable tax structure in Illinois and simply left.

If you can attract and retain more businesses you will be able to serve more needy people. Ratcheting up the tax rates will only drive out the people you are relying on to pay the bills.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:24 am
Thank you for sharing this information. As these cuts take hold there is a multiplier effect as vendors serving these clients and agencies will also be affected. Never mind of course the thousands of lost jobs and the effect on the State’s economy.

Comment by southerner Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:29 am
And here I thought these cuts were a “scare tactic” and never going to actually materialize. Huh.

Comment by beth Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:30 am
Bill, I’m sure you’re right: They want to draw the map and the Dems won’t give it to them.

But I’m quite certain that many GOP members won’t be able to take the heat on this stuff for long. There’s going to be a lot of local stories and their members will have to answer, too.

It’s a ridiculous myth that GOP districts don’t get these state services, or don’t need them. The richest and highest tax-paying districts in the state are Dem.

The GOP can shoot for the moon, but they’ll have to settle for less.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:35 am
Kudos to the Progress Illinois peeps for assembling this graphic illustration of the deep and widespread effects of the cuts that already are being forced by the state’s budget disaster.

This particularly helps to prove an important and often-overlooked point: We’re not talking solely about laying-off “state employees,” which is bad enough in terms of further harm to our economy, our tax base, etc … These cuts are killing private employers who rely upon state assistance to (a) keep their doors open and (b) provide incredibly important services like child care.

In too many cases, these providers already were operating at a loss, as they essentially have subsidized the STATE for years, as the state has neglected to pay many of them a fair and adequate reimbursement rate. And the state would have to pay far, far more to provide these services on its own, without the help of private providers.

Plenty of people (including many CapFax commenters) have wondered why the state should be in the biz of helping to provide services such as child care in the first place. Simple answer: it’s a win-win-win-win for the state to do so. Helps working parents to work as they send their kids to affordable (not free!) child care, helps private businesses to retain jobs, helps ensure those working parents and those child care providers are actually earning incomes - paying income taxes and avoiding more costly welfare costs to the state, etc etc etc.

We are a Whole New Brand of Stupid if we allow our already weakened health and human services structure to collapse entirely. Which is what’s happening already, and the Progress Illinois map is there to sadly document it.

Comment by Linus Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:43 am
There are several duplications of providers and addresses on the map, BUT here are some of the Senators who have these providers in their districts (Munoz, Hendon, Hunter, Raoul (2), Delgado, Steans, Cullerton, Viverito, Cronin, Holmes, Syverson, Althoff, Duffy, Noland); and Representatives Acevedo, Turner, Dunkin, Burns (2), Soto, Harris, Fritchey, Zalewski, Pihos, Chapa-LaVia, Jefferson, Franks, Beaubien, Farnham.

Not a complete list as I did not get furhter south than Aurora, but you get the idea.

Comment by Captain Flume Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:47 am
I’ve been saying for months that the community based human services sector was collapsing, due to state insufficient funding. Add to that all the providers who got 50% contracts ( the earlier rate was actually 60-70% of costs anyway ) and cannot accept them…

Governor Quinn threw out some numbers of the expected damage to staffs and clients, but no one believes political figures’ mumbers any more. This chart is a much more effective beginning of the tabulation of the damage being wreaked. Many groups that have already closed their doors have no one to feed this data to ProgressIllinois.

As I hve said before, our political leaders are treating the community based sector as a computer game that snaps back together when the political wrangling is over. That isn’t so, and real damage is occurring all over the city, suburbs, and state.

What state government does or does not do, matters. Do you hear me, Speaker Madigan and Leader Cross?

Comment by Capitol View Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 11:52 am
One can think it’s a “scare tactic” but once things go out in writing about contract eliminations; program eliminations and funding cuts, it is real. Many agencies had no choice but to take action. CHASI and LSSI were each already owed 1-2 million dollars from last year and had to lay off last year also. This is combined with banks also significantly reducing lines of credit with the credit crunch so many agencies would be struggling to be able to meet their payroll for July and August. Many agencies have very small margins between their provider payments from the State and available liquid assets/investment income(which everyone has taken serious hits this past year). That is why so many have already made their cuts just so they can still pay the employees that are left.
As it stands, regardless that there is an injunction as far as the Consent Decree(for DCFS), that does not provide any money- only a budget with approval for appropriations does that. It will be disasterous next month if no budget is passed. That is when providers are supposed to be paid for July expenditures. How providers will pay not only their staff but also foster parents, I will wait to see.
I’m still laughing that we received our contracts last week with no cuts for the full fiscal year- yet these contracts are not worth the paper they are printed on since there is no money to back them up.

Comment by carbaby Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 12:02 pm
I’m aware of this site, thanks for posting it here Rich. Politicians directly responsible for this, including now Gov Quinn, but mostly Speaker Madigan. Beyone sickening, they’re hurting our most vulnerable people, including disabled, seniors, women and children.

Comment by state employee Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 12:23 pm
It is not a scare tactic, it is reality. If the State does not have the revenue, it can’t fund the services.

I like how the guy on Fox News talks about how easy it is to cut the budget and goes on to imply that the average tax payer gets no benefit from government expenditures. And the anchors just nod their heads and never question this assertion. He talks about the scare tactics of cutting these service agencies, says it does not need to be done, then talks about across the board cuts of 10% (and even mentions human services among the areas to cut)!

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 12:38 pm
DuPage Dan -

As a disabled person I can tell you, as a percentage of the population, there are not that many disabled people and many of them are unable to vote. That’s why the legislators don’t care. Larger voting blocks get first service.

Comment by Thanks for Nothing Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 12:44 pm
–Too bad you cannot list the jobs and revenues that were lost when businesses gave up on expectations of a reasonable tax structure in Illinois and simply left.–

That shouldn’t be too hard to do. Maybe someone who believes that happens a lot should do it.

I think most businesses go to where there’s a market for their goods and services. Pretty big market here. I doubt if the state corporate income tax rattles anyone too much.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 12:47 pm
Wow! He identified about .041 percent of the spending cuts needed. Why didn’t anyone think of this before!

Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 12:48 pm
Where is the map pinpointing all of the families and businesses who have not had to pay higher income taxes? That’s a lot of budgets who are better off than they could have been with a tax hike.

Comment by Dropper Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 1:43 pm
Thank you for posting this!

Comment by Laid Off Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 1:47 pm
It is my understanding that layoff notices for unionized employees go to AFSCME, which reviews them for compliance with the contract before they go out. In fact, layoff noticed inspired by the budget battle (as opposed to any others that were occurring) will likely not go out until August.
So nobody has been laid off because of the budget battle and, in fact, if the budget is resolved, it is possible that nobody will be.

If state employees are upset about having to worry about getting laid off….hey, you’ve been living out of the world too long. Out here in the private marketplace, we all have to worry about getting laid off, all the time. Even some unionized folks in this economy.

Ditto the social service contractors. They could still get their full allotments if the budget battle is resolved. Those who decided to lay off staff and cut intake because of the budget battle read te tea leaves and made a decision–not to blame them, but I bet all of them didn’t lay off staff and cut intake.

It’s not over until it’s over although one would think listening to our Pat and some other pols from some of the news accounts that doomdsday
had already occurred. It hasn’t.

Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 2:08 pm
Talking heads…Tillman talks about playing politics and political posturing…let’s look at who Tillman is talking/posturing for:

Under the guidance of the House Republicans, the Illinois Policy Institute and the House Republicans joined to point the finger at the Democrats for all the financial woes facing the state of Illinois.

The Illinois Policy Institute an alleged bi-partisan “Think Tank” claims to have worked together with the House Republicans on a “Reform Agenda”.

House Republicans are crying that their “Reform Agenda” and every other suggestion will not be called for a vote and the Democratic Party is to blame for all the tax and spend policies that cause our states economic hardships.

There is no need to go into the details about the “Reform Agenda” as most press personnel have already identified this effort as a political ploy for House Republicans to try to be relevant. I will say that these initiatives are not new. Both GOP caucuses have proposed them at some level ever since they lost power.

So if this little shell game of hiding behind old policy initiatives and using the Illinois Policy Institute as cover isn’t bad enough, the House GOP has sent out fundraising letters mentioning the Illinois Policy Institute and the “key reforms” asking their constituents to fund commercials to stop the tax increases…Has anyone seen those commercials?

There’s a reason for the GOP’s ineffectiveness, it’s caused by the lack of leadership and lack of commitment to their alleged fiscal principles.

Republican leadership has apparently forgotten about how their caucus aided the Democrats tax and spends policies over the last several years. Instead of taking responsibility for their votes the House GOP has solicited the assistance of a GOP shill organization to do their bidding as an “Independent” voice of economic discipline (Illinois Policy Institute).

As I recall, some Republicans in the House voted for the Blagojevich tax increases, some House Republicans voted for Blagojevich Health Care agenda (JCAR – votes Hastert and Mulligan), some Republicans voted for the CTA bailout package (tax sales tax increase) on and on…and of course the GOP members were rewarded for their votes by receiving some of their pet projects (pork) to take home. Furthermore, if you look at the voting records of GOP lawmakers over the last 6 years you will find that many of them voted to increase taxes and/or have been in support of the last governors tax and spend policies.

Not so surprising the Illinois Policy Institutes - Tillman is apparently floating his name as a potential candidate…From Tom Roeser blog (http://www.tomroeser.com/)
“If the Republicans were smart…which is in itself doubtful…they will slate Kirk for the Senate where he at least belongs…even though he’d lose my vote but might gain others…Gidwitz for governor…Brian Wesbury, the WSJ’s favorite economic columnist (who hit all the numbers on the button a few years ago on his predictions) for Lt. Governor, followed by John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute, a by-the-numbers libertarian, for comptroller, Dan Rutherford for treasurer, Jim Durkin for AG and Dr. Eric Wallace, a bright young black educator and writer for secretary of state”.

Do you think the GOP could be making promises to Tillman? You do our dirty work and we promise the GOP will position you well…? Or was the pay-off Cross’ suggestion that Tillman be placed on a Sunshine commission? Yes another non-binding politically appointed commission!

At a time when accountability and transparency are such hot issues…maybe the GOP and the Illinois Policy Institute should come clean…

Enough hypocrisy already - When will the GOP stop pointing fingers at Democrats for doing their job? Raising taxes and growing government is what Democrats do. It’s what the majority of Illinois voters have voted them into office to do.

If the GOP wants to be relevant ever again, then they must stand for their principles all the time not when it’s political expedient! Maybe then voters will trust the GOP and vote them into office.

What’s really disturbing is that there has been NO real talk of paying down our states $9 billion debt, reforming the budget process, evaluating how every dollar is spent and prioritizing that spending, or reforming the states pension and/or Medicaid liabilities. That would take real leadership!

Comment by Who's fooling who? Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 2:12 pm
Talk about scare tactics and gross exagerations, this guy is a joke. He identifies less that $5 million in cuts for a budget that is $7 to $9 billion out of whack. Suggestion-if you want to be taken seriously, seriously look at the problem.

Comment by Obamas' Puppy Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 2:28 pm
++Ditto the social service contractors. They could still get their full allotments if the budget battle is resolved. Those who decided to lay off staff and cut intake because of the budget battle read te tea leaves and made a decision–not to blame them, but I bet all of them didn’t lay off staff and cut intake.++

It is not about reading the tea leaves, it is about responsibly managing your agency. Payroll, signing new leases, rent, insurance costs, and on and on all have to be paid now, not when/if the budget gets fixed. If you do not have money now - and the state is woefully far behind in FY09 payments - then you cannot run your business. Period.

Comment by montrose Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 3:08 pm
Hey Who–

Maybe in whoville your circular logic works. But, in reality land, the things you advocate for are the very things HGOP and Policy Institute are fighting for. So either lend a hand or get out of the way.

Comment by Easy Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 4:09 pm
Save the state some money, cut the state fair and CMS!

Comment by Concerned Voter Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 4:45 pm