The State of Illinois is currently operating without a budget because the General Assembly failed to pass one that Governor Quinn would sign. In fact, he vetoed the partial budget they sent him and so as of yesterday, social service agencies across the state were without funding. Many of them have given their employees notice that their jobs will be cut in the next few weeks and others laid people off yesterday.
People who rely on the services provided by many of these agencies - already operating on a shoestring budget given the work they do - will be going without services. That may not seem like a big deal to you or me, but the help developmentally disabled and mentally disabled people receive through these agencies is truly their life line. With assistance, a lot of people are able to live to the fullest of their abilities, have a sense of self-worth and accomplishment, socialize, work, and not be confined to a nursing home or lost in their own brains.
Private agencies that rely on state money in order to provide service had to choose between staying open and providing services and hoping they eventually getting paid by the State (which may never happen) or to shut down and eliminate services. What a horrific choice.
The General Assembly will come back into special session on July 14th to possibly consider overriding Governor Quinn's veto, but that's two weeks away. That's a disgrace. Why should they get to take a two week vacation while thousands of people across the State are suffering because of the lack of action by our lawmakers?
Lawmakers should get back to work and fix this mess they created. Stop holding the most vulnerable citizens of Illinois hostage.
This isn't a Democratic or Republican issue. It's a HUMAN issue.
Related blog posts:
We Must Have Human Services in Illinois
What You Do To The Least Of These, You Do To Me
Showing posts with label good use of your tax dollars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good use of your tax dollars. Show all posts
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
We Must Have Human Services in Illinois
About an hour ago, I read a story in the Chicago Tribune titled "Parents cope with child with schizophrenia - Jani's at the mercy of her mind." It was originally published in the Los Angeles Times.
According to the story, 6-year old January Schofield has schizophrenia. Schizophrenia affects 1% of adults and usually appears in the late-teens or early 20s. Of those, 10% commit suicide. Childhood-onset of schizophrenia affects about 1 of 30,000-50,000 kids under the age of 13, but when it happens in children, it's 20-30 times worse than in adults.
Although Jani's IQ is 146 (high IQs are not uncommon for people with mental illnesses), January is controlled by the voices in her mind - animals and people. Anti-psychotic drugs that work for most adults don't come close to helping control her illness. Her parents have tried everything they can. They've been passed from doctor to doctor without a diagnosis and even accused of bad parenting, until recently when they finally received the schizophrenia diagnosis. The schools aren't equipped to help Jani and the residential programs for kids serve abused or neglected children, but not severely mentally ill ones.
There are no respite care programs to help the Schofields and family has pulled away. Mrs. Schofield was fired from her job last year and they are struggling financially, but she can't look for another one because Jani needs constant supervision.
This family is barely hanging on. I can only assume that they went to the press with their story in an effort to help other families, but also in the desperate hope that someone might see their story and be able to assist Jani and her family.
Yes, the Schofields live in California, but their story is typical of countless families across the country, including Illinois, who have developmentally disabled or mentally disabled children and struggle to provide the best care for them and mantain their own sense of family while not bankrupting themselves.
As a society, we owe it to the Schofields and all the families they represent to help ease their burdens. It's time for Illinois politicians to get off their rear-ends and guarantee that human services funding will not be cut and that human services will never be held hostage in budget wars again. The time for excuses is over.
That which we do to the least of us, we do to ourselves.
According to the story, 6-year old January Schofield has schizophrenia. Schizophrenia affects 1% of adults and usually appears in the late-teens or early 20s. Of those, 10% commit suicide. Childhood-onset of schizophrenia affects about 1 of 30,000-50,000 kids under the age of 13, but when it happens in children, it's 20-30 times worse than in adults.
Although Jani's IQ is 146 (high IQs are not uncommon for people with mental illnesses), January is controlled by the voices in her mind - animals and people. Anti-psychotic drugs that work for most adults don't come close to helping control her illness. Her parents have tried everything they can. They've been passed from doctor to doctor without a diagnosis and even accused of bad parenting, until recently when they finally received the schizophrenia diagnosis. The schools aren't equipped to help Jani and the residential programs for kids serve abused or neglected children, but not severely mentally ill ones.
There are no respite care programs to help the Schofields and family has pulled away. Mrs. Schofield was fired from her job last year and they are struggling financially, but she can't look for another one because Jani needs constant supervision.
This family is barely hanging on. I can only assume that they went to the press with their story in an effort to help other families, but also in the desperate hope that someone might see their story and be able to assist Jani and her family.
Yes, the Schofields live in California, but their story is typical of countless families across the country, including Illinois, who have developmentally disabled or mentally disabled children and struggle to provide the best care for them and mantain their own sense of family while not bankrupting themselves.
As a society, we owe it to the Schofields and all the families they represent to help ease their burdens. It's time for Illinois politicians to get off their rear-ends and guarantee that human services funding will not be cut and that human services will never be held hostage in budget wars again. The time for excuses is over.
That which we do to the least of us, we do to ourselves.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
What You Do To The Least of These, You Do To Me
Do you know who is credited with the phrase in the title of this post? I'll give you a hint. The exact quote is "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Jesus Christ is said to have made that statement in the parable about The Judgment of Nations. I'm not a religious person, but what this statement says to me is that the way we treat the least among us (both the good and bad ways we treat people), those who are unable to help themselves, says more about us as a human race than anything else.
If you live in Illinois, you are undoubtedly aware of the debate in Springfield about the state's budget woes. Governor Quinn, like many other governors before him, is threatening to cut the state's human services programs by 50% unless the state legislators approve the 50% increase in state income taxes. Currently, Illinois taxes residents a flat 3% income tax. Under Governor Quinn's plan, that income tax would increase to 4 1/2% for two years and then revert back to the 3% tax rate.
What are human services? Many people mistakenly think of human services simply as welfare for poor people who don't pay taxes. That would be a far too simplistic explanation of it. Yes, human services includes programs for the poor (and by poor, I mean people who live further below the poverty line than you can possibly imagine), but it also includes programs for the disabled including special education, tutors, rehabilitative services, personal assistants (not someone to come take dictation, but someone to come in and assist the client with everyday living activities like getting dressed, bathing, etc.), respite care, residential services, drug and alcohol programs, programs for the elderly, day care, foster care services, and many other programs that anyone at any time could need.
The Republican legislators, while saying they do not want to cut these services, refuse to support Governor Quinn's tax increase plan. They say that cuts are necessary in other areas of the State budget. Democrats also do not want to cut human services and are generally supporting the Governor's tax plan. And that's where the impasse lies.
Human services programs are at the core of who we are. Any of us could become disabled or have a child with severe disabilities. With any luck, we will all live to a ripe old age and the elderly programs will make our lives a bit better. In this economy, we never know when we will lose our job and need assistance from some of the state run jobs programs. How we treat the least among us speaks volumes about us as a society. Illinois needs all the human services we have. They simply are not optional. Holding them hostage in these budget wars is despicable.
I took a look at the state-by-state comparison of income taxes for 2008 by the Federation of Tax Administrators (they are not doing this comparison again until 2010). State income taxes range from no income tax in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming to up to 9.5% in Vermont. At 3%, Illinois is right in the middle. Furthermore, income taxes have not been raised in Illinois in 20 years.
As much as I don't like the idea of paying more in the way of taxes and as much as I believe there are certainly areas in the State that could be run more efficiently and with less money, I also believe that we must take care of the least among us and the best way to do that is to protect human services. For those reasons, I encourage all of the legislators to quit balancing the budget on the poor and disabled and to vote for the tax increase and then get to work on finding areas to trim.
If you live in Illinois, you are undoubtedly aware of the debate in Springfield about the state's budget woes. Governor Quinn, like many other governors before him, is threatening to cut the state's human services programs by 50% unless the state legislators approve the 50% increase in state income taxes. Currently, Illinois taxes residents a flat 3% income tax. Under Governor Quinn's plan, that income tax would increase to 4 1/2% for two years and then revert back to the 3% tax rate.
What are human services? Many people mistakenly think of human services simply as welfare for poor people who don't pay taxes. That would be a far too simplistic explanation of it. Yes, human services includes programs for the poor (and by poor, I mean people who live further below the poverty line than you can possibly imagine), but it also includes programs for the disabled including special education, tutors, rehabilitative services, personal assistants (not someone to come take dictation, but someone to come in and assist the client with everyday living activities like getting dressed, bathing, etc.), respite care, residential services, drug and alcohol programs, programs for the elderly, day care, foster care services, and many other programs that anyone at any time could need.
The Republican legislators, while saying they do not want to cut these services, refuse to support Governor Quinn's tax increase plan. They say that cuts are necessary in other areas of the State budget. Democrats also do not want to cut human services and are generally supporting the Governor's tax plan. And that's where the impasse lies.
Human services programs are at the core of who we are. Any of us could become disabled or have a child with severe disabilities. With any luck, we will all live to a ripe old age and the elderly programs will make our lives a bit better. In this economy, we never know when we will lose our job and need assistance from some of the state run jobs programs. How we treat the least among us speaks volumes about us as a society. Illinois needs all the human services we have. They simply are not optional. Holding them hostage in these budget wars is despicable.
I took a look at the state-by-state comparison of income taxes for 2008 by the Federation of Tax Administrators (they are not doing this comparison again until 2010). State income taxes range from no income tax in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming to up to 9.5% in Vermont. At 3%, Illinois is right in the middle. Furthermore, income taxes have not been raised in Illinois in 20 years.
As much as I don't like the idea of paying more in the way of taxes and as much as I believe there are certainly areas in the State that could be run more efficiently and with less money, I also believe that we must take care of the least among us and the best way to do that is to protect human services. For those reasons, I encourage all of the legislators to quit balancing the budget on the poor and disabled and to vote for the tax increase and then get to work on finding areas to trim.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Summer Fun on the Cheap!
I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but times are tough. We're all trying to save money any way we can. Carpooling and biking to work are on the increase. Recession gardens are all the rage. Many people are taking staycations rather than vacations this summer.
In spite of it all (or maybe especially because of it all), we still need to have some fun now that the weather is warm (or almost warm). To help you and me have fun this summer, the National Park Service has created Fee-Free Weekends at 100 National Parks across the country!
Imagine taking the kids to Yosemite National Park for FREE if you're in California. Or how about going to the Grand Canyon if you're in Arizona? Are you land-locked in the Midwest? That's okay. Stop in at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Memorial in Missouri and check out the Gateway Arch. Of course, for all you Watervale families, you can go to Sleeping Bear Dunes for FREE! Eastcoasters have lots of options too. If you're in the DC area, you simply must go to Harpers Ferry. I had the best first date I've ever had there. In Florida, go to the Everglades.
To avoid entrance fees, just visit June 20-21 (Father's Day Weekend), July 18-19, or August 15-16 (I'll organize the field trip from Watervale to Sleeping Bear Dunes this weekend).
Enjoy!
In spite of it all (or maybe especially because of it all), we still need to have some fun now that the weather is warm (or almost warm). To help you and me have fun this summer, the National Park Service has created Fee-Free Weekends at 100 National Parks across the country!
Imagine taking the kids to Yosemite National Park for FREE if you're in California. Or how about going to the Grand Canyon if you're in Arizona? Are you land-locked in the Midwest? That's okay. Stop in at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Memorial in Missouri and check out the Gateway Arch. Of course, for all you Watervale families, you can go to Sleeping Bear Dunes for FREE! Eastcoasters have lots of options too. If you're in the DC area, you simply must go to Harpers Ferry. I had the best first date I've ever had there. In Florida, go to the Everglades.
To avoid entrance fees, just visit June 20-21 (Father's Day Weekend), July 18-19, or August 15-16 (I'll organize the field trip from Watervale to Sleeping Bear Dunes this weekend).
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Got a Question? Ask a Librarian
I've written about this before, but it bears repeating. The Arlington Heights Memorial Library is the best library in the world. Seriously. The librarians there are completely accessible and ready to answer any question you might have on any topic at any time 24/7/365. Really. And the best part? It's all free.A few months ago, I was writing a blog post and needed to cite a Supreme Court case. Now I used to be a litigation legal assistant and once upon a time knew how to properly cite cases for every court in my sleep. Ya, I'm a geek. But I wanted a very specific citation and couldn't find it online.
What did I do? I IM'd the Arlington Heights Memorial Library via AIM and asked a librarian to look up the official citation for me. And within minutes I had my answer! If you've got AIM, just send your question to AHMLQuestions. I've added the Arlington Heights Memorial Library to my AIM Buddy List and they're really good about keeping their status updated so you know if a librarian is available. It's great, quick and best of all, it's free!
If you've got a business in Arlington Heights, there are also a ton of resources available to you for FREE. Call the Business Librarian, Barb Vlk and she'll answer all your questions.
The library has other ways to get help too. I received the following article from Bill Pardue, the Virtual Services Librarian at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library and am reprinting it here for your benefit.
Need to settle a friendly bet on the train? Want to know if a book is on the shelf while you're in the middle of a meeting? When there's no computer nearby and it's inconvenient to make a call, you can now send a text message to the reference librarians at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library's Answer Center.
The steps are simple:
- Send a text message to 265010
- Start your message with "ahmlq:" (leave off the quotes though). That's basically it!
- Here are some examples:
ahmlq: What time does the library open tomorrow?
ahmlq: Starting pitchers in game 7 of the 71 World Series?
ahmlq: Arlington Hts curfew time for teens?
ahmlq: Copy of Obama's Audacity of Hope available?
- After the first message, you just proceed with the texting as normal (no need for the "ahmlq:" part).
- This service is free from AHML, but other standard carrier charges may apply.
Generally, texting works better for quick questions, given the restriction to shorter messages. If we feel that the question needs more in-depth work, we'll offer to follow up via phone or e-mail.
The text messaging service is available Monday-Friday, 9 am-9 pm; Saturday 9 am-5:30 pm; Sunday Noon-5:30 pm. This is most of AHML's open hours, except for the last hour on weeknights.
Of course, you can still call the answer center at 847-506-2633 or use the 24/7/365 chat service via the Ask A Librarian Live Online links on our website (http://www.ahml.info).
The library's main number is 847-392-0100.
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