©2011 Galesburg Broadcasting Co.
| State Groups Have Something to Say about Quinn's Budget |
(IRN)-The idea of school consolidation appeals to Emily Miller, policy and government affairs coordinator for the Better Government Association, but she says it should be just the starting point of streamlining: "You can look at townships, for example, and determine whether or not they're actually serving a purpose and talk about consolidating those local governments," she said.
Service providers found reason to worry about the budget message. Leslie Corbett, executive director of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, said it was too vague as well: "Legal services plays a kind of unique role in the whole social service spectrum in that it's one of the few tools that could really help in the foreclosure crisis, help people keep their homes, help battered women move past their abusers."
In an e-mailed statement, Illinois Chamber of Commerce president Doug Whitley said, "Govenor Quinn continues to deny serious budget cutting must occur in order to bridge the gap between revenues and spending. Hopefully, the General Assembly will ignore the governor’s plea for a debt consolidation loan and will instead develop a budget in which state expenses match revenues. It was encouraging to have the governor mention positive initiatives involving international trade, school consolidation, workers’ compensation reform, and the creation of an innovations council and a tax commission. Unfortunately, the proposals suggest we'll be waiting a long time to see specific action plans to accomplish desirable outcomes."
In a written statement, AARP Illinois senior advocacy manager Nancy Nelson said, "It is encouraging that the governor's budget has indicated a commitment to programs and services that allow people to remain in their homes as they age. However, we are very concerned that cuts to other critical programs, and corresponding policy changes, will result in seniors losing their homes, wondering where their next meal will come from, and losing access to life sustaining medications."
Nelson is also unhappy the governor is proposing the elimination of Circuit Breaker and Illinois Cares Rx.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
|
| 02 17 11 by Newsroom |
Click here for the WGIL News Archive
Click here for national news
The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.
