Speak Up!

A group of parents from Chicago Commons pre-schools just traveled to Springfield. This is the only way communities get the resources they need... residents must speak up.

At the capitol they talked to Representative Edward Acevedo (pictured). He voiced strong support for early learning investments.

State investments in early learning are critical to a neighborhood's prosperity. Let me count the ways:

1. Allows parents of limited means to go to work. The full cost of quality early learning programs would consume over 50% of many parents paychecks, essentially discouraging them from working at all.
2. Encourages children to become life-long learners. The key to our future as a city, state and country is that everyone become an effective life long learner.
3. Builds a sense of community among parents, children, volunteers and staff. Each pre-school really is a learning community. This sense of community is powerful and helps overcome the neagtive social behaviors present in our neighborhoods.

Social Networking

Before there was social networking there was.... well, social networking. Building strong relationships has always been the key to improving neighborhoods.

Thanks to all who helped organize the West Humboldt "BEEP Expo" at Orr High School this past weekend. Over 300 people attended! Every neighborhood entrepreneur who paid for a booth made a profit by selling their product. Parents who attended made connections that will help their family.

Sen. Delgado Lends Us His Voice

Senator William Delgado had to postpone his visit to Commons' Taylor Center last week due to an emergency budget meeting in Springfield.

And we are sure glad he did. Instead, Sen. Delgado attended state budget meetings to speak up about the unfairness of the Governor's budget proposals. Human services is being cut much more drastically than other parts of the budget. And yet the services we provide actually save the state money in the long run through reduced crime, delayed nursing home use and better educated, higher earning tax payers.

Thank you to Sen. Delgado for lending his voice, communicating the effectiveness of our work.

Governor Quiunn's Proposed 2012 Human Services Budget Cuts

Governor Quinn's Proposed 2012 Budget Cuts In Human Services Programs Will Directly Negatively Affect Chicago Commons and Our Clients

Governor Quinn recently released a proposed 2012 budget (for fiscal year starting July 1, 2001). It contains large cuts in health and human services programs. Along with Dan Valliere, I too, am concerned that this decrease in revenues for Commons' services will result in:

. A significant reduction in Senior Care service volume (fewer clients will be eligible). Many of Commons' Home Care Aides (and those of other agencies) would lose their jobs.

. Large cuts to our youth program requiring staff layoffs in that program and reduction in number of youth served.

. Child Care cuts are possible, but the budget is very unclear as to how they would happen. It's hard to project the impact on Commons at this stage. But it is very concerning.

The Governor's budget contains no mention of reductions to State employee pension/ health benefits.

The Governor's budget is opaque; it is not clear if all state agencies are receiving cuts or not.

So, it is Commons' conclusion that this budget is not fairly balanced. Cuts are absolutely necessary, and Commons will absorb its share. But they must be spread across all of state government. The Governor's proposal leaves other potential cuts off the table, magnifying the impact on human service agencies.

Commons' board, staff, clients, donors and the communities we serve, must work together to minimize the impact of these cuts upon our clients. We must be proactive, working together toward this end.

I welcome your perspective about Quinn's budget, its impact on human services in general, but most specifically on Commons and the clients we serve. Please share your ideas on how we can best assure continued quality service to those most vulnerable while recognizing the need to balance the State budget.

Please post your responses on this blog.

Sue G'sell
Director of Development
Chicago Commons

Idle Threats

The past few years of state and city budget woes has witnessed leaders issuing threats of massive cuts as a way to exert pressure and ultimately mitigate the cuts:

Witness Ron Huberman at the CTA in 2007, using threats to seek emergency funds from Springfield.

Or Pat Quinn in 2010, using school funding threats to seek an income tax hike.

Here in 2011, Quinn is threatening brutal cuts to health and human services, while seeking to borrow $8 Billion, some of which would surely be used to mitigate these funding cuts.

But all of this maneuvering masks and distracts from the central task -- the need to make sacrifices across the board, in all areas of government. This can only happen if the people demand it and we develop a shared sense of sacrifice - that everyone is giving something up for the greater good and long-term stability. It is not easy, but to have any chance, we need leaders who can appeal to a wide public and speak in plain English, rather than leaders who try to exploit threats and paper over problems with temporary fixes.

Governor's Borrowing Proposal

Governor Quinn is proposing to borrow $8.75 billion to pay unpaid bills and help balance budget for FY12.

Chicago Commons does not take a position on this.

However, for those so inclined, here is a summary of the PRO and CON positions:

1. PRO -- State of Illinois has already borrowed money from all of the providers and contractors like Chicago Commons. So Quinn’s proposal can be described as just “refinancing” existing debt in a more responsible, less expensive manner.

2. CON -- Some of this borrowing will allow the State to avoid some budget cuts in FY12, effectively "kicking the can down the road". The borrowing just allows the State to dig its long-term hole deeper, delaying cuts and avoiding decisions.

Ultimately, the answer is somewhere in the middle.

For example the State may have to borrow something to pay some of its unpaid bills, but it must not borrow in order to defer hard decisions.

Sun Times Editorial did a good job, I think, of communicating this balanced message.

What do we really value?

The current government budget debates in Illinois and nationally are rising to a fever pitch and the flurry of complex proposals and counter-proposals can be overwhelming. Before you burry your head in your hands, read NYT columnist David Brooks.

Here’s a key excerpt from his Jan. 3^rd column:

"The size of government doesn’t tell you what you need to know; the social and moral content of government action does. The budgeteers and the technicians may not like it, but it’s the values inculcated by policies that matter most.

The best way to measure government is not by volume, but by what you might call the Achievement Test. Does a given policy arouse energy, foster skills, spur social mobility and help people transform their lives?"

He really nails it.

At Commons, we view our work in the same way. We should invest most heavily in the things that are truly transformative, the things that “spur social mobility”.

I am convinced that Commons' early childhood education work is transformative. We don’t have the long-term scientific study yet, but there are just so many families who have used our pre-schools who become motivated to choose their child’s elementary school, who are seeking out summer enrichment and whose children are now in college – beyond the norm for our neighborhoods. This is why we have invested so heavily in this work – more than almost anything else.

In terms of state budget advocacy --- transformation should be our primary message. Expand the transformative things like early education… investments in our future. Moderate the things that simply consume in the present.