Paying for a full day of kindergarden is what we used to do in D96 - there was an 'afternoon enrichment' class for those that wanted to pay for it. Of course that was before the overcrowding issue when there was plenty of space in the schools.
Riverside Info » About Riverside
Illinois is Broke
(17 posts)-
Posted Saturday Feb 27, 2010 15:16 #
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Very interesting reading the links to the Landmark that mrt provided regarding the salary increases for the now interim principal at RB. How could Larry Herbst and the rest of the school board not see the financial situation? How could we allow our newly elected board members of District 96 to give Lamberson an obscene amount of money (by any standards) just because the school board thinks he is a nice guy---and apparently the ONLY person to do that job? And since we did, what do we do now?
Posted Saturday Feb 27, 2010 22:33 # -
In today's, 2/28/10, Sunday Chicago Tribune, there was an editorial on how resolve the budget problem in two years without raising taxes.
Here is a cut...note that the tribune suggests reducing the state contribution to local municipalities by 50 pct. hmmm also note that they suggest to not do capital projects, something the local government has already suggested for Riverside to do.
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The stakes are immense: Tax hikes on a shrunken private sector will further discourage employers from hiring in Illinois — a state that has collapsed to 48th in job creation. So before you embrace more taxation, consider these proposals:Civic Federation cost cuts: These would roll back spending by an average of 7.2 percent to 2007 levels. That forces agencies to set priorities, particularly in staffing. The Federation would freeze but not cut Medicaid (lest Illinois violate rules attached to federal stimulus funding) or general state aid for education. These proposals include a $200 million boost in employee and retiree contributions to health insurance premiums. (Illinois' coverage isn't a Cadillac, it's a Lamborghini: Retirees who've worked 20 years pay no health premiums. What lawmakers did such a foolish thing?) Savings: $2.5 billion.
Medicaid: The Civic Federation does map paths to huge future savings in Medicaid, which has expanded greatly: One of every five Illinoisans now is a Medicaid participant. Illinois is a sloppy steward, its legislators too timid to reverse former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's illicit expansion of eligibility. We can't quantify potential savings from better management, but they could be big: Last April, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said 10.5 percent of federal Medicaid payments were improper — including many for ineligible recipients. A September GAO report described substantial fraudulent and wasteful drug purchasing in five states, including Illinois.
Last June, Gov. Quinn's Taxpayer Action Board offered good proposals to streamline Medicaid, even if doing so means losing some federal matching money. Examples: expanding managed and outpatient care, shifting long-term-care patients from institutional to community settings, pooling state prescription purchases. These need to start right now to contain future costs. But we won't cheat by including them as instant savings. The Civic Federation did identify, but didn't include in its cuts of $2.5 billion, possible elimination of Illinois Cares Rx, a prescription program funded wholly by the state. Do it. Savings: $140 million.
Education: Here we depart from the Federation. Illinois schools spent $26.1 billion in local, state and federal money last year to educate 2 million K-12 students. That total has leaped 66.7 percent during the past, low-inflation decade, according to the Illinois State Board of Education, and now is roughly $13,000 per child. Quinn last week floated cutting $922 million in state aid, no doubt a threat intended to frighten parents and educators into backing his tax hikes. Instead, reducing total state subsidies of $8 billion by a lesser amount, the 7.2 percent the Federation wants to trim from other outlays, would be difficult but fair during this severe an emergency. Savings: $560 million.
Pensions: The most ambitious initiative to rein in costs now and in future decades comes from the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, which has proved up its legal and financial implications. The plan would freeze, and guarantee, pension benefits already earned, but would set somewhat lower benefits going forward for current state employees and new hires. Retirement ages would increase, while accrual rates and annual cost-of-living bumps would decrease. An offsetting drop in employee pension contributions could put more money in some workers' pockets.
These changes appear to be constitutional and parallel how private-sector employers have moved tens of millions of workers to less costly retirement plans, such as 401(k)s. One huge difference: The Civic Committee proposal keeps all employees in a defined-benefit plan — a golden nest egg that many private-sector workers no longer have. None of this would affect current retirees, whose pensions are constitutionally guaranteed for life. Actuarial studies estimate that these changes would reduce the state's unfunded pension obligations, now approaching $95 billion, by about $20 billion. Budget savings: At least $2.1 billion.
Capital plan: Illinois needs capital improvements. But Illinois is insolvent. The state should pay its bills for services already provided before it lays new concrete. Legislators could suspend the $31 billion spendapalooza they passed last year — they yearn to appear at ribbon-cuttings — and redirect to the general fund the supporting revenues (license fees, etc.) they also increased. Doing this also would let them kill video gambling, a pending scourge that's wildly unpopular. Yes, some of the revenues have to pay off bonds already issued for the capital plan. But delaying the spending would be a big boost. Savings: $500 million.
Local subsidies: Last year a Chicago think tank, the Illinois Policy Institute, proposed reducing the $1.2 billion in income tax revenue that state government hands to local governments on a per capita basis. This subsidy gives municipalities a free ride: A dollar from Springfield is a dollar they don't have to conserve, or fight citizens to raise in local taxes. These payouts could take a 50-percent haircut. Savings: $600 million.
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Posted Monday Mar 1, 2010 00:29 # -
sounds to me like a well thought out plan. not perfect, nothing is. it is a start, going in the right direction. something has to be done, and fast. we have to work on the pensions. do any politicians have the strength?
Posted Monday Mar 1, 2010 08:19 # -
The pension changes are a start and we need more details, but I notice the public employees will still have defined benefit plans. These are gone from the private sector - just to emphasize that point. Remember the state sets the rules for 18 plans, even though they fund only five. More local determination of these plans is needed.
Posted Monday Mar 1, 2010 09:53 # -
any idea how the D96 teacher contract negotiations are going? this may be good way to start locally, as mr suggests.
Posted Monday Mar 1, 2010 10:36 # -
This is an encouraging article From Crain's Greg Hinz about the IMRF pension fund:
Posted Wednesday Mar 3, 2010 15:50 #
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