June 1st marks the beginning of Illinois’s 12th month without a budget. At this point in the year, not only should passage of the current year’s budget be complete, but we should have also passed the 2017 budget. This is our second legislative session in a row in which our elected officials have failed to pass a budget. Irresponsible, out of touch, devastating.
While Heartland Alliance itself has suffered losses due to the inability of our leaders to find a budget solution, even more upsetting are the losses to the people of Illinois. Entire organizations that help people in need have shut down. Windows of opportunity that could have changed lives, like intervening in the life of an at-risk child, an individual struggling with addiction, or a mother experiencing violence are closed; those opportunities lost forever. People experiencing poverty have seen the resources they need to keep their families healthy and safe crumble away. And still, we see politics, not long-term solutions. We see finger-pointing, not responsibility.
Fault for this historic budget mess lands at the feet of not just one person, but many. We need revenue to pay our bills and invest in Illinois’s residents. And we need leaders who are willing to propose and take hard votes—including tax votes—rather than trying to make political gains, force policy wins out of a crisis, or wringing their hands and claiming that it is not the right political time for bold moves. People are getting hurt, our human services infrastructure is crumbling, and uncertainty is growing. Please join us in demanding our state leaders to rise above politics to craft a responsible, sustainable budget with revenue for the current fiscal year and the one to come.
