|
Comment on this article |
Email this Article
|
|
News :: Miscellaneous |
|
over 250 people attend Illinois state budget cut public hearing |
Current rating: 0 |
by Brian Hagy
(No verified email address) |
22 Apr 2002
|
|
Over 250 attended a public hearing addressing the proposed Illinois state budget cuts which would severely affect the mental and behavioral health fields. |
On Monday, April 22, over 250 concerned citizens showed up to express their opposition to Governor Ryan's recently proposed budget cuts for the state of Illinois. The opposition stems from the fact that these budget cuts severely affect the mental and behavioral health fields in Illinois. These fields include services to people with developmental disabilities, mental illness, age-related mental disabilities, and drug abuse problems, to name a few.
In Champaign county, agencies such as the Champaign County Nursing Home, Developmental Services Center, Provena Behavioral Health, Prairie Center, P.A.C.E, and G.R.O.W. would be among the agencies having to deal with budget cuts from $200,000 to $800,000.
Citizens from across the state squeezed into a conference room in the Illinois Terminal Building in Champaign in order to express their concerns that the proposed budget is being balanced by depriving people who can't speak up for themselves with the services they desperately need. Parents spoke about how their children have become more independent due to early intervention programs. People offered testimonies about the progress they have individually made and what would be lost if support isn't continued. Workers pointed out that by cutting funding, waiting lists which are currently lengthy, would become even longer because those currently receiving services would be forced to wait until resources open back up.
For over two hours, concerned citizens brought point after point as to why these proposed budget cuts would devastate not only the mental health field in Illinois, but also the people receiving services. One person indicated from her research that the State of Illinois ranks near the top of the list for revenue by state, and near the bottom of the list of support for mental health by state. Another person pointed out that a few months ago, we were told there was a surplus of revenue, and now there's not only a huge deficit, but also the "rainy day fund" (a fund set aside to assist agencies when economic times are tough) can't be accessed.
Representatives Rick Winkel and Tom Berns both were present to listen to the concerns. Both insisted that they will "do what they can" to prevent the budget cuts from being passed as they are, though they both recognized that this is a "difficult" economic time and a "difficult" budget to balance. Rep. Winkel has shown support for the mental health field in the past by helping to keep the Early Intervention program (a program that provides assistance to infants with developmental disabilities, to encourage development before entering the school system) alive and funded. Rep. Berns made his support more personal by talking about his sister-in-law who is a woman with a developmental disability. He recognized that he would not want anything to prevent her from receiving the services she needs, and thus stands in chorus with all the families, friends, and workers in the room.
Over the next few weeks, Illinois Congress will debate over Governor Ryan's proposed budget. Rep. Berns and Winkel pledged to take the motivating energy from the enormous turnout for the public hearing, and carry the message back to Congress that it is unacceptable to deny people the help they need in order to balance a budget. Putting people's needs before profit motivation will require a substantial change in the mentality in Springfield, though. |
