Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor
I have to give Governor Bruce Rauner credit for not taking long to show his hand and publicly attack the Higher Education system in Illinois. It has only been a few weeks since he was inaugurated and he recently unveiled his budget. A budget plan that slashes over $200 million just from the University of Illinois alone.
At the very time Gov. Rauner announced he wants to slash the Higher Education budget for all universities in the State of Illinois by almost a third, he claimed that his budget makes education a priority!
“Higher education is set to take a major hit in Illinois.
Following similar announcements by the Republican governors of Wisconsin and Louisiana, newly-sworn in Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner released what he called a “turnaround” budget, that would slash nearly $209 million from the University of Illinois.” Think Progress
“It’s time to make education our top priority again – and that’s what this budget does,” he told lawmakers Tuesday night, touting his plan to give about $25 million more to early childhood education. “With reform, we will be able to invest more in education and give our kids world class schools.” Think Progress
While the proposed budget increases some funding for K-12 education, the University of Illinois system will lose one-third of its state financing under this budget. This very same proposed budget makes absolutely no mention of any increased revenue sources or plans. What will happen to the University system if these cuts are retained in the final budget?
One can expect the cuts to cause increased fees being charged to students as well as the loss of many educational programs. The result of these massive reductions in state financing will be to transfer the costs to students who are already paying high tuition and fee costs. The loan balances of many students already into the 6 figures and Gov. Rauner’s actions will make sure that student debt will continue to climb in Illinois.
So often the claims that all areas of the State have to share in the burden of digging out of a financial hole ends up with some of the most vulnerable bearing the brunt of that burden. If the Governor is convinced that we all have to sacrifice in this job to balance the budget, why wouldn’t new tax sources be considered along with reasonable cuts?
Will these draconian cuts make it more difficult for students from poor and middle class families to obtain a college education? In this very same budget proposal, Gov. Rauner biggest cuts are aimed directly at those who are least able to afford them.
“Yet the state would spend $400 million less on higher education, $600 million less on local governments, and $1.5 billion less on Medicaid, which handles health care costs for poor residents. University leaders and mayors said they were worried, and advocates for the poor said they feared medical needs would go unmet under deep cuts to Medicaid.” New York Times
When the cities, counties and municipalities raise their taxes to pay for basic services for their residents, who has to pay for those increases? “In many cases, Rauner’s state budget cuts could simply end up shifting costs: local governments could choose to raise property taxes, state universities could raise tuition and the CTA could increase fares.” Chicago Tribune
For a man who spent at least $37 million of his own money to get elected governor, he sure has no problem making the middle class and poor pay more for a college education and for health care and local taxes and transportation costs.
Rauner seems to be following the economic model that worked so “well” for Gov. Brownback in Kansas and Gov. Walker in Wisconsin.
Just how has that austerity approach worked out for Kansas and Wisconsin?
Additional Sources: Examiner.com; Crains Chicago Business
“The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.”
My marital status, my professionalism as a nurse, my children, where I live, my weight, even my hair color has been insulted by one particular individual. There comes a time when injustices need to be met head on and addressed.
PR, it’s especially frustrating when it is directed at one’s children. That is about as low as a commenter can go, attacking another commenter’s children. Elaine has been sorely abused here ag RIl, by one or two commenters. That is quite evident. Perhaps if everyone called out the habitual abusers every single time it happened, we could bring back some decency to these threads.
Prairie Rose,
One has to look at those who continually instigate trouble. I believe we should stand up to bullies…to those who try to silence others with constant insults and questions about their character and integrity. It’s difficult to have adult conversations when certain individuals constantly attack and label those with whom they disagree as cultists, sycophants, and worse.
Leslie Gore died last week. She was only 68. Her biggest hit was, It’s My Party. It spoke to the female teen angst, one of the first songs to speak to young women and their need to sometimes have pity parties. She helped usher in a full array of talented women singers.
Elaine,
I agree that was rude. I may not agree with you across the board politically, but I do enjoy the links you provide.
Elaine and Inga,
I wouldn’t be surprised if Sandi agrees with you that the uncivil comments from both sides are boring and frustrating. It doesn’t need to be snide, snarky, or rude from anybody! Having an adult conversation should not mean having to put up with or ignore or sling-mud in return; it is so tiresome.
We’re all adults here and should be able to discuss differing points of view without being mean to one another. 🙁
Elaine,
I noticed. That’s a very sad reality. It could be rectified.
Sandi, Liberals loved Peter Jennings. He dropped out of high school in Canada. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerburg have done OK. None of those people ever were ashamed of not having degrees and none felt compelled to lie about have degrees to try and impress folks. They let their success speak for itself.
Elaine M, do you really think the Governor ended a temporary tax increase for his benefit alone? How about all the taxpayers getting more $$ back? It was a “temporary” increase. For liberals, any tax increase is good. Well it isn’t good for everyone. He did the right thing.
If anybody in Illinois feels they should still pay the temporary tax, write a check to the State of Illinois and send to the Treasurer, with a comment “donation to taxes” and good for them.
When someone says they don’t pay enough taxes, then send a check for the additional amount. There are millions of people who pay more than they can afford.
Sandi one must put on their big girl panties when commenting here on these threads. The cheap shots come from both sides and some are even aimed at one’s children.
Karen, Bingo!! When the Dem guv and legislature bullied that added tax through it was emphasized it was TEMPORARY. They figured the idiot Dem Pat Quinn would win guv again and then it would become permanent. “Elections have consequences” is what their cult leader famously said. They do indeed. Illinois is tax hell. This guv is trying to help the people climb out of hell. Every county except the corrupt Cook County voted for him. He’s doing exactly what the voters of every county, but the corrupt County of Cook want. Huffington Post link. WTF could you expect?
Webster, I guess a woman’s squishy is insides are all the same to this idiot. Vagina, colon, vagina, colon, what the difference to this conservative lawmaker?
Mespo, do you ever just read someone’s view without having to get cynical? By my “logic” there are many careers available without college degrees. I did not say “all” careers.
That’s why I take breaks from this bloglovin there are too many cheap-shot comments that are a waste of time to read.
Elaine:
“Illinois’ new GOP Governor, Bruce Rauner, will personally receive a $750,000 per year tax cut as a result of his decision not to continue the state’s temporary 1.25% income tax surcharge that expired last year.”
I was wondering if you noticed the word “temporary” in your own quote.
Which is more fair, extending a “temporary” tax surcharge permanently, which would have made it a lie to taxpayers, or ending a “temporary” tax on time?
Why are politicians so greedy for more and more tax money? CA is trying to impose a mileage tax, including proposals to install GPS tracking systems on cars. What will be the unintended consequence of this particular Liberal program? – Tracking the movements of people, and obviously the price of absolutely everything will increase. This will hit the poor and small business owners the hardest, as per usual. Apparently they do understand that there is no “us and them” on a mileage tax. If you buy groceries, or any product in any store, use a landscaper, etc, you are benefitting from cars driving on our roads, which are paid for with taxpayer money. Increasing the cost of literally moving around the state will increase the cost of every good and service. And it will increase the cost of running a small business.
This incessant greed for higher and higher taxes drives fiscal conservatives like me to distraction.
Chicago Police Department maintains “black site” for illegal detention and torture
By Cory Doctorow at 7:47 am Tue, Feb 24, 2015
http://boingboing.net/2015/02/24/chicago-pd-maintains-a-black.html
Someone should ask Governor Bruce Rauner about this:
“The disappeared: Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden ‘black site'”
“Exclusive: Secret interrogation facility reveals aspects of war on terror in US
‘They disappeared us’: protester details 17-hour shackling without basic rights
Accounts describe police brutality, missing 15-year-old and one man’s death”
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/24/chicago-police-detain-americans-black-site
IL Governor Rauner Gets $750,000 Tax Break, Proposes Slashing Services to Middle Class and Poor
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/il-governor-rauner-gets-7_b_6742500.html
Excerpt:
Illinois’ new GOP Governor, Bruce Rauner, will personally receive a $750,000 per year tax cut as a result of his decision not to continue the state’s temporary 1.25% income tax surcharge that expired last year.
His taxes were cut by an amount equal to the annual income of 14 families of four making the median income. And remember that after adjusting for inflation, that median income number has not materially increased in about 35 years, since virtually all of the income growth resulting from the massive increase in worker productivity over that period has been siphoned off by speculators like Rauner.
Rauner, who made $61 million in 2013 – or $29,000 per hour – is one of a small group of multi-millionaire speculators who would directly benefit enormously from lower state tax rates. Among them is his friend Ken Griffin, reputedly the wealthiest man in Illinois, who contributed $2.5 million to Rauner’s campaign for Governor – and has also pitched in $10 million to a $20 million campaign war chest that Rauner plans to use to run opponents to members of the Legislature that oppose his policies.
Wade:
“One note: It is always the Republicans here that call out Bush and Koch. They are obsessed but totally blind to their own compulsions.”
Actually, Wade, my comment about Koch was in reference to the continuous references to Bush and the Koch brothers for every ill. A casual review of the thread over just then past few months would bear this out.
Prairie Rose – that’s awesome.
Mespo: Here’s a question. Which political party keeps calling opponents subhuman or stupid if they don’t believe as they do? Go after their jobs and drive them out of business if they don’t toe the party line? Say they are for the middle class and the poor, but make sneering remarks about blue collar workers and those who live in rural areas?
Liberals. The Party of Tolerance.
Let it go. And, I truly don’t know the answer, but it must be a Republican. So, what Dem Lion of the Senate left a young woman in his car to drown while he saved his fat ass. I always loved the line, “If Teddy drove a VW he might have become President.”
This continual venom from former weekend bloggers is unseemly. It is clear you are angry and want to take this blog down. Make some substantive comments instead of just negative, personal comments ALL THE TIME. You act like petulant, spoiled children.
mespo,
Here’s a biology question for the group: Which sub-human species is known for taunting someone for the loss of a loved one?
*****
We all know the answer to that, don’t we ? That must have been a rhetorical question.