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| IPI Says They Have State Budget Solutions |
(IRN)-A public policy think tank says it has the solution to Illinois budget woes.
The Illinois Policy Institute has released "Budget Solutions 2012: A Sustainable Path for Illinois," which highlights areas of state spending that should be cut in order to have positive cash flow for Fiscal Year 2012.
Proposed solutions include cuts or redirecting of funds in education, Medicaid, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Corrections. Illinois Policy Institute chief John Tillman says the plan for 2012 follows closely a similar plan proposed for Fiscal Year 2011. It would roll the state budget back to roughly 2003 spending levels.
Tillman says one way to do that is by stripping automatic renewal of funding for many line items where their budget is $5 million or below. He says funding can be restored if they go through "Competitive Grant Funding," a vetting process to make sure funds are being used appropriately and to see if the program is vital. Tillman says there are hundreds of line items with budgets under $5 million.
Significant reductions to the Preschool for All program are laid out in the report, with those reductions redirected to K-12 schooling. "While preschool provides the benefit of daycare to some parents, its value as a universal educational tool is far less certain," the report says.
Other proposals include cuts to disabled student services, bilingual education, agriculture education, the After School Matters program and the blind persons reading program. Cuts to those programs could be restored under "Competitive Grant Funding."
The complete report can be found online at www.illinoispolicy.org.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 03 08 11 by Newsroom |
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