* In what could turn out to be the most misreported story of the summer, we keep reading that the new budget “deal” funds private social service providers at 87 percent of last fiscal year. That just isn’t so.
Doug Schenkelberg at the Heartland Alliance, for one, claims that some providers will see cuts closer to 30 percent. And it may be a whole lot more once the governor finishes with over $2 billion in mandated spending cuts and agency reserves.
More…
Meanwhile, even the social service agencies supposedly rescued by the budget agreement aren’t confident. The budget supposedly funds community-based services at 87 percent of last year’s level. But how the money is distributed is up to Quinn.
“We’re still in the dark,” said Dale Morrissey, chief executive officer of the Champaign-based Developmental Services Center. “They’re telling us it will be seven to 10 days at the earliest before we’re going to know what’s going on.”
Morrissey said social service providers don’t know how funds will be awarded, so he can’t make any decisions on reinstating laid-off employees.
From the AP…
The budget, which Quinn signed Wednesday, promises cuts of 13 percent instead of 50 percent in grants to service providers. But that’s an average — he could end up giving some programs full funding and slashing others more deeply.
And the governor and legislators warn that the new budget is far from solid. Quinn could order more cuts at the end of the year.
So additional money now will be nice, but no one will rush to spend it, said Janet Hasz, executive director of the Supportive Housing Providers Association, whose members run programs to shelter the homeless and mentally ill, those with chronic physical illnesses or substance-abuse problems.
* And then there’s the $3.2 to $3.6 billion in payments owed to vendors and providers which be delayed even further by this budget. Many social service providers haven’t been paid in months, and they’re gonna have to wait even longer now. It’s a double-whammy. The state cuts what it’s sending them and it’s delaying paying what’s already owed. Not good.
* Wishful thinking…
“The state of Illinois may have let these people down, but the citizens aren’t going to let that happen,” said Pekin resident, Suzan Tisdale. Frustrated with the state’s budget issues Tisdale is going around it.
She is organizing a concert in Pekin’s Mineral Springs Park on July 25. The proceeds will benefit four agencies that support Illinoisans with developmental disabilities. “Do it yourself, you’re probably going to raise more money in a faster amount of time and you won’t have all the bureaucracy and red tape to go through,” she said.
There’s no way that little concert will raise “more money” than the state funding unless they get some really big names to Pekin.
* True…
Yet, we’re encouraged to look on the bright side. “It does avoid a meltdown,” said Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno. “More importantly, it avoids a tax increase.” Apparently that’s Illinois’ new threshold for success: Anything short of a complete and unconditional collapse and our legislators deserve a standing O.
* Related…
* Plunging Revenue Squeezes State Budgets Further
* Illinois Agrees on a Budget but Fails to Solve Deficit Issue
* Illinois Budget Gives Quinn Broad Authority
* Budget passed; Quinn must meet challenge to cut
* Behind the numbers of the new state budget
* Illinois’ ’stable budget’ loaded with buts
* Good, bad and ugly in the budget
* More profiles in failure
* SJ-R: State’s embarrassing new budget fixes nothing
* Illinois State Budget Up in the Air
* Social services could return with new budget, but funding will be lower
* State budget lacking details?
* Budget deal not clear-cut on social services
* As more state cuts loom, hard for agencies to plan
* Unions in limbo over state budget
* Citizens Pick Up State’s Slack
* Stimulus funding produces little education excitement
* State seeks $3.5B in stimulus funds for rail