Fw: Arc Update and States Failure

[Guest guest]

Found this interesting.

I was at a Legislative Forum where a surrogate for Quinn said that he is in

favor of balancing the system and closing institutions...

The Brady surrogate also talked about meeting the state's obligation to people

with disabilities.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

Arc Update and States Failure

The Arc of Illinois

October 6, 2010

Leaders in The Arc:

Yesterday we had an excellent meeting with Director Teninty about transitioning

individuals to community services. Unrelated to this meeting, I got a call from

the Governors Office about my letter asking the Governor not to sign the

Executive Order which would prohibit the closing of state institutions through

June, 2011. The Governors staff wanted to assure me that the Executive Order

would not result in further cuts to the community and that downsizing state

facilities would continue to be a priority. I appreciated this outreach but

respectfully disagreed stating that by taking the closing of state institutions

off the table with this Executive Order, real reform of the disability system

was not possible.

Today I meet with Arc Execs to hold discussions with legal advocates

Farley and Barry . We are also hooking up with Arc US Governmental Affairs

Staff Marty Ford to discuss health care reform and other important federal

policy issues.

Here is an excellent letter to the editor in the Chicago Tribune from Rev.

Bitner, CEO, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.

Tony auski

The Arc of Illinois

815-464-1832

State's failure

Sadly the plight of St. Coletta's of Illinois, highlighted in " Nonprofits beg

state to pay its bills; Social-service agencies flood Illinois with 'hardship

letters' " (Page 1, Sept. 28) isn't news. In fact, at the present time, the state

of Illinois owes Lutheran Social Services of Illinois $10 million for its

services to the elderly, people with mental illnesses and many others who depend

on our agency to sustain their lives and well-being. Like many other service

providers, our agency has to borrow to make payroll some weeks.

Oddly, while not paying our agency on time, the state has also asked that we

liquidate all of our resources before we cry hardship.

No this isn't really news. The current fiscal meltdown being experienced by our

state government did not happen overnight. It is the result of decades of

failure by state leaders of both parties to adopt sensible and responsible tax

and budget reforms appropriate to the times.

There is indeed a better way for the state to run its finances. We believe that

new revenue, as advocated for by the Responsible Budget Coalition, must be part

of a balanced approach to solving the state's fiscal morass; a modest and fair

tax increase is essential to getting the state on track so it can meet its

financial responsibilities and achieve economic stability.

If our elected officials continue to duck this issue, vital services will be

destroyed, more jobs will be eliminated and our state will continue in its rapid

economic deterioration.

This isn't about elections; it's about saving services, lives and jobs.

We need our elected officials before and after the upcoming elections to show

courage and leadership.

Rev. Dr. Denver Bitner, president/CEO, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Des

Plaines

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