Guest guest Posted April 23, 2010 Report Share Posted April 23, 2010 Arc Update April 23 The Arc of Illinois April 22, 2010 Leaders in The Arc: Wednesday was quite a day in the Capitol with 15,000 advocates calling for new revenues and an end to budget cuts to human services! It remains to be seen if legislators will respond but I continue to hear that legislators intend to leave May 7th by passing a lump sum budget and leaving it to the Governor to make cuts or manage the budget! In other news, House Resolution 720 failed in committee. HR 720 would call on Governor to rescind his Executive Order regarding the unionization of support workers and families in the Home-Based Services Program for children and adults. Opponents to the resolution told me it was an anti-union resolution. I responded that it really was a family friendly resolution. I was also informed that the Governor and the Leaders are considering a bill to give the Governor authority to cut even mandated entitlement services! A similar bill was introduced but never moved last year. We will keep our eyes on this one for sure! The House Appropriations Human Services Committee heard six hours of testimony on Health Care & Family Services and Human Services! I have already sent you my testimony. Hamos, the new Director of Health Care & Human Services was warmly received by the Committee. Until recently, Director Hamos was a State Rep and former Legislator of the Year for The Arc of Illinois. I look forward to working with Director on disability and health care issues. Tony auski The Arc of Illinois 815-464-1832 Giant Statehouse rally calls for tax hike, but lawmakers unmoved Featured Business By BRIAN FELDT and MATT HOPF THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER Posted Apr 21, 2010 @ 10:48 AM Last update Apr 22, 2010 @ 05:48 AM Nellie Logan says shes is at a breaking point. Her granddaughter is at risk of being denied a preschool education. Her daughter cant find a willing doctor and is struggling under the Medicaid program. And a client of Logans at Addus HealthCare in Springfield, which provides in-home services for special needs people, has just suffered a sharp reduction in the number of service hours she can receive. Logan wasnt alone in her concerns Wednesday. As many as 15,000 people turned out at the Statehouse for a rally organized by a collection of education, social service and state worker groups calling itself the Responsible Budget Coalition. The coalitions Save Our State rally aimed to pressure Illinois lawmakers to approve a tax increase and avert major budget cuts this spring. (Lawmakers) might wait till November, but that is going to be too late, Logan said. I mean, there are people hurting right now. The 200 different groups that were all here today, we are all hurt. There are viable programs that need to be funded. But they are going to cut. Where else are they going to cut? The question is whether lawmakers were listening. Huge turnout The rally featured more than 200 interest groups. Dave Druker, a spokesman for Secretary of State White, said officials estimated 15,000 people participated -- 12,000 who participated in the marches and another 3,000 who were otherwise present. Participants, who marched around the Capitol complex after hearing from a series of speakers, were instructed to make coordinated cell phone calls to flood legislators offices, and they several times turned to the Statehouse and shouted slogans such as, Show some guts, stop the cuts. Wearing brightly colored pink, green, blue and purple T-shirts, most participants also carried signs with slogans such as Cut the bull, not the budget and Responsible budget: dont come home without it. Carla Janssen, president of the union that represents Rockford Public Library employees, said the Rockford library system has already laid off more than 20 employees and reduced hours. Any more cuts could slash the most basic of library services, she said. We took a wage freeze and negotiated unheard-of settlements in order to preserve as many jobs as we could within the union, she said. This is a bad enough time as it is and people are more reliant on services the government and state offer than any other time. We see that in the library because people cant afford the bookstores or movie rentals and they are depending on us for their Internet use. When you cut those services, you are hurting citizens. Legislative doubts Gov. Pat Quinn said Tuesday he hoped the rally would push lawmakers to vote on his proposed tax increase, which would go towards funding education. However, rally participants efforts also could easily go nowhere. Lawmakers in both parties think meaningful movement on a budget solution probably wont take place until after the general election in November. Its always good that people come to Springfield to make their interests and feelings known, said state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria. What Im hearing in the state Capitol is that its going to be pretty tough to see a tax increase before the November election. I think the earliest would be in the fall veto session. We got a lot of things to do before guys like me would be interested, and once they do, then Ill be interested in a temporary tax, said state Rep. Poe, R-Springfield. Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said the key to a breakthrough will involve more than taxes. If folks came down here thinking we were going to tax our way out of this, thats just not going to happen. If folks came here thinking there might be a modest tax increase with cuts, then that is a possibility, Bomke said. Ongoing fight Despite the uphill battle, members of the coalition said they will continue to push their agenda. Henry Bayer, director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, likened the coalitions efforts to Muhammad Ali when he said, You can run, but you cant hide. We are going to be there this afternoon, and we are going to find you (lawmakers), Bayer told the crowd while pointing at the Capitol. And if you try to leave town without doing your job, we are going to chase you. And when you come back home, we will be there. We will keep delivering this message till the job is done until there is a responsible budget. Feldt can be reached at 782-6292. Matt Hopf can be reached at 782-3095. Responsible Budget Coalition Coalition members belong to more than 200 interest groups. Among them are American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Education Association, SEIU Healthcare Illinois & Indiana, the AFL-CIO, and AARP. Please click here to be removed from our list. If you still receive emails from us in the future, please ensure it was not forwarded from another party or sent to an email address that is different than the one asked to be removed. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Or write us at: The Arc of Illinois 20901 S. LaGrange Rd. #209 fort, IL 60423 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2830 - Release Date: 04/23/10 06:31:00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2010 Report Share Posted April 23, 2010 Arc Update April 23 The Arc of Illinois April 22, 2010 Leaders in The Arc: Wednesday was quite a day in the Capitol with 15,000 advocates calling for new revenues and an end to budget cuts to human services! It remains to be seen if legislators will respond but I continue to hear that legislators intend to leave May 7th by passing a lump sum budget and leaving it to the Governor to make cuts or manage the budget! In other news, House Resolution 720 failed in committee. HR 720 would call on Governor to rescind his Executive Order regarding the unionization of support workers and families in the Home-Based Services Program for children and adults. Opponents to the resolution told me it was an anti-union resolution. I responded that it really was a family friendly resolution. I was also informed that the Governor and the Leaders are considering a bill to give the Governor authority to cut even mandated entitlement services! A similar bill was introduced but never moved last year. We will keep our eyes on this one for sure! The House Appropriations Human Services Committee heard six hours of testimony on Health Care & Family Services and Human Services! I have already sent you my testimony. Hamos, the new Director of Health Care & Human Services was warmly received by the Committee. Until recently, Director Hamos was a State Rep and former Legislator of the Year for The Arc of Illinois. I look forward to working with Director on disability and health care issues. Tony auski The Arc of Illinois 815-464-1832 Giant Statehouse rally calls for tax hike, but lawmakers unmoved Featured Business By BRIAN FELDT and MATT HOPF THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER Posted Apr 21, 2010 @ 10:48 AM Last update Apr 22, 2010 @ 05:48 AM Nellie Logan says shes is at a breaking point. Her granddaughter is at risk of being denied a preschool education. Her daughter cant find a willing doctor and is struggling under the Medicaid program. And a client of Logans at Addus HealthCare in Springfield, which provides in-home services for special needs people, has just suffered a sharp reduction in the number of service hours she can receive. Logan wasnt alone in her concerns Wednesday. As many as 15,000 people turned out at the Statehouse for a rally organized by a collection of education, social service and state worker groups calling itself the Responsible Budget Coalition. The coalitions Save Our State rally aimed to pressure Illinois lawmakers to approve a tax increase and avert major budget cuts this spring. (Lawmakers) might wait till November, but that is going to be too late, Logan said. I mean, there are people hurting right now. The 200 different groups that were all here today, we are all hurt. There are viable programs that need to be funded. But they are going to cut. Where else are they going to cut? The question is whether lawmakers were listening. Huge turnout The rally featured more than 200 interest groups. Dave Druker, a spokesman for Secretary of State White, said officials estimated 15,000 people participated -- 12,000 who participated in the marches and another 3,000 who were otherwise present. Participants, who marched around the Capitol complex after hearing from a series of speakers, were instructed to make coordinated cell phone calls to flood legislators offices, and they several times turned to the Statehouse and shouted slogans such as, Show some guts, stop the cuts. Wearing brightly colored pink, green, blue and purple T-shirts, most participants also carried signs with slogans such as Cut the bull, not the budget and Responsible budget: dont come home without it. Carla Janssen, president of the union that represents Rockford Public Library employees, said the Rockford library system has already laid off more than 20 employees and reduced hours. Any more cuts could slash the most basic of library services, she said. We took a wage freeze and negotiated unheard-of settlements in order to preserve as many jobs as we could within the union, she said. This is a bad enough time as it is and people are more reliant on services the government and state offer than any other time. We see that in the library because people cant afford the bookstores or movie rentals and they are depending on us for their Internet use. When you cut those services, you are hurting citizens. Legislative doubts Gov. Pat Quinn said Tuesday he hoped the rally would push lawmakers to vote on his proposed tax increase, which would go towards funding education. However, rally participants efforts also could easily go nowhere. Lawmakers in both parties think meaningful movement on a budget solution probably wont take place until after the general election in November. Its always good that people come to Springfield to make their interests and feelings known, said state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria. What Im hearing in the state Capitol is that its going to be pretty tough to see a tax increase before the November election. I think the earliest would be in the fall veto session. We got a lot of things to do before guys like me would be interested, and once they do, then Ill be interested in a temporary tax, said state Rep. Poe, R-Springfield. Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said the key to a breakthrough will involve more than taxes. If folks came down here thinking we were going to tax our way out of this, thats just not going to happen. If folks came here thinking there might be a modest tax increase with cuts, then that is a possibility, Bomke said. Ongoing fight Despite the uphill battle, members of the coalition said they will continue to push their agenda. Henry Bayer, director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, likened the coalitions efforts to Muhammad Ali when he said, You can run, but you cant hide. We are going to be there this afternoon, and we are going to find you (lawmakers), Bayer told the crowd while pointing at the Capitol. And if you try to leave town without doing your job, we are going to chase you. And when you come back home, we will be there. We will keep delivering this message till the job is done until there is a responsible budget. Feldt can be reached at 782-6292. Matt Hopf can be reached at 782-3095. Responsible Budget Coalition Coalition members belong to more than 200 interest groups. Among them are American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Education Association, SEIU Healthcare Illinois & Indiana, the AFL-CIO, and AARP. Please click here to be removed from our list. If you still receive emails from us in the future, please ensure it was not forwarded from another party or sent to an email address that is different than the one asked to be removed. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Or write us at: The Arc of Illinois 20901 S. LaGrange Rd. #209 fort, IL 60423 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2830 - Release Date: 04/23/10 06:31:00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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