By Camille Taylor
What would you do if tomorrow was payday and you were informed there would be no paycheck? Your company doesn’t have the money due to cash flow problems, and you were informed you’d get paid whenever they got some money.
Like most people, you have bills to pay like your car note, utilities, and child care. You begin to panic as you realize you also need money for groceries, the mortgage next payday, and one of your credit card bills. When you ask your employer questions, you get no answers, because they have no solution to the problem.
Sound familiar? The on-going state budget impasse is not just a daily news item. The lack of state appropriations has created a tsunami-like disaster for children, families, and communities throughout the state who depend on critical services impacted by three months without a budget. The Fiscal Policy Center at Voices for Illinois Children has compiled a budget snapshot to identify critical services that are not being funded. The areas include “Children and Youth’s Education and Healthy Development”, “Health Disability and Senior Care”, and “Strong Workforce and Local Communities.” These areas translate to “real services” for“real people.” For example, state funding has been cut for services like Healthy Start,which helps first time, at-risk mothers provide for their infants with education, supplies, and support. In addition, police training, services to seniors, substance use and prevention programs, adult literacy, and emergency and transitional housing, are getting no state funding.
With the impending shutdown of Mitsubishi and job cuts at Caterpillar, no state funding for employment and training programs could not have come at a worse time and will place a double whammy on those affected. Public Transit Operating Assistance grants have already eliminated public transit in some cities. 130,000 students dependent on MAP grants for college will cause some to drop out or take out more loans. Soil and conservation district grant cuts impact erosion and water pollution. Homeless Prevention Assistance cuts cause the loss of shelters.
With colder weather, more people will be living on the streets. Instead of playing the blame game, we need the leadership game! This is not our legislators first time at the rodeo. Governor Rauner and legislators, if you’re listening, stop playing politics, feel your constituents’ pain, and commit to creating solutions. People’s lives and livelihoods depend on it!
Camille Taylor, a retired Counselor from Normal Community High School, has been an educator in this community for 34 years. She is active in the community currently serving as a church elder and board member for both the Baby Fold and the YWCA. She has been recognized by the YWCA as a Woman of Distinction for education, a Martin Luther King Jr. award winner for the City of Bloomington, a Distinguished Alumni by the College of Education at Illinois State University, a Human and Civil Rights award winner for the Illinois Education Association, and the H.Councill Trenholm Award recipient from the National Education Association for her work with diversity. She lives in Bloomington with her husband, Arthur, and is a mother and grandmother.
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