Bumped:
Dear Readers:
As local elected officials, we have an obligation to our constituents to provide them with a voice in Springfield. This year, we spoke with many local groups and organizations about their needs and concerns to help deliver improved services.
When crafted a new state budget, we worked to pass a responsible spending plan that serves those most in need, including persons with disabilities, immigrant and refugee families, the homeless and individuals suffering from AIDS. Further, we worked to provide needed funding for local schools, park districts, fire stations, municipalities, economic development and to assist our senior citizens.
This funding was secured in order to provide our most needy residents with the services they rely on. However, Gov. Rod Blagojevich disagreed. He not only cut these crucial local projects from the budget, but in doing so he insulted the integrity of many worthy community groups by labeling the funding as 'pork'. Now the ability of these organizations to provide needed programs to the families they serve has been severely damaged.
We are hosting a community forum at 7pm on Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Mundelein Center Auditorium of Loyola University, 1020 W. Sheridan Road to hear from area community organizations and local governments about how the governor's harmful budget cuts may affect their operations and ability to provide services.
We encourage anyone who is concerned about the loss of these needed projects to attend this hearing. It is important that we build the necessary support for an override of the governor's vetoes, and your attendance at this forum can help build the necessary momentum. We look forward to seeing you there.
STATE REPS:
GREG HARRIS (13TH)
TONI BERRIOS (39TH)
RICH BRADLEY (40TH)
JOHN DaMAMICO (15TH)
JOHN FRITCHEY (11TH)
SARA FEIGENHOLTZ (12TH)
LOU LANG (16TH)
JOSEPH LYONS (19TH)
& HARRY OSTERMAN (14TH)
BLOGNOTES: I encourage all bloggers to post this notice. Let's get the word out.
8 comments:
Sure they want citizens to show up. That's why they're getting the word out with only 48 hrs. advance notice.
Can I cut and paste this to my blog, Craig?
Thanks for running it- it is a very important notice.
Sure Laura.
Wish I could be there. Unfortunately, notice comes too late, thanks to our pols, who want to keep citizen attendance at these events to a minimum.
Can't go because I have a business meeting Thurs night that I cannot escape.
Laura or Graig:
I will not be able to attend the meeting on the 27th , if either of you wouldn't mind asking our state reps that while gov. Rod has made bad decisions; see if you get an answear on where (as I have brought up on the blog) the approx 1.5 billion dollar casino revenue is being spent? Also by adding more casinos will these just bring in more money to waste?
With the increase in gameing places (casinos) the revenue could easily increase to 3 billion annually. Nevada is number 1 in gameing revenue (surprise!) Nevada has no sales tax, the people are benefiting somewhat from their casinoes. What does Illinois get? Ask yourself; 1.5 BILLION annually revenue is a larger amount of money no matter who you are, this amount can (should) make it possible that program do not have to be cut and public transportation is not threaten from being downsized.
WHYDON'T THEY START MILKING THE OVERTIME - AGREAT WAY TO START BUDGET CUTS-
Ryne, go back to my old blog post about subsidized gambling in this state.
I'm beginning to consider that the gambling, or the state's dependence upon it for an ever-increasing stream of revenue, is contributing to our budgetary problems.
How is it that the more lottery revenues and gambling taxes the state rake in, the more fiscal problems they have?
Could it be that they have elevated spending on nonessentials in anticipation of increased gaming tax revenues?
If so, shame on them! We have an entire population steeped in the something-for-nothing mentality, whether it's "gaming" or house-flipping or speculating in cheap stocks that have no fundamental value or buying lotto tickets. Now, the state is not only encouraging this mentality by sponsoring gambling but is buying into by depending upon revenues that have yet to materialize.
Rather, I should say revenues that would NOT materialize if people had their heads screwed on straight.
It's bad enough to see more and more people lose their homes, businesses, and, tragically, sometimes their lives to a gambling addiction. I was talking to a banker last week and he told me of all the Asian customers he had who were losing their businesses on the boats. I nodded, for I have know a few such Asian men personally- good, able, decent men with a terrible weakness, that the state is making money from. It's horrible to watch otherwise fine people take themselves down this way.
But it's beyond shameless when the state encourages this from greed for more tax revenues and by way of fostering "economic development", and it's scary to think that our transit and other essential services depend upon the growth in vice and self-destructiveness among the population.
I posted the notice on my boxing blog, but I can't go either. Choir rehearsal began a few weeks ago, and due to boxing tournaments, I haven't been to a rehearsal yet. I'd better show up tonight.
However, I'm sure we'll get the news about this on here afterwards.
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