Because of the state's fiscal crisis, the Illinois Department of Human Services has terminated almost all funding for vital human service programs in Illinois. This means that children with severe medical and behavioral conditions who require 24 hour care at The Hope Institute will be sent home on or before October 1, 2009. In addition, DHS has eliminated all funding for The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP), the nation's largest statewide autism service network, which involves 30 nonprofit organizations and four universities. TAP impacts more than 16,000 Illinois families each year, but because of budget cuts, it will be forced to close its 12 centers across the state.
Help us take a stand! Send a message to Illinois officials that these draconian human service cuts are unethical and irresponsible. Stand up for increased revenue -- IF that revenue is used to fund vital human services.
Because of the state's fiscal crisis, the Illinois Department of Human Services has terminated almost all funding for vital human service programs in Illinois. This means that children with severe medical and behavioral conditions who require 24 hour care at The Hope Institute will be sent home on or before October 1, 2009. In addition, DHS has eliminated all funding for The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP), the nation's largest statewide autism service network, which involves 30 nonprofit organizations and four universities. TAP impacts more than 16,000 Illinois families each year, but because of budget cuts, it will be forced to close its 12 centers across the state.
Help us take a stand! Send a message to Illinois officials that these draconian human service cuts are unethical and irresponsible. Stand up for increased revenue -- IF that revenue is used to fund vital human services.
We signed the "Oppose State of Illinois Human Services Budget Cuts!" petition!
# 209:
4:15 pm PST, Nov 11,Michael Hogan, Illinois
# 208:
12:41 pm PDT, Sep 30,Name not displayed, Illinois
Don't kill my mom!!!!!!! Don't cut Human Services budget.
My mom-in-law's husband died this year. So she lives alone. She is 76 and does not speak English well. She is attending "Forever young" program paid for by Illinois Human Services program. There she meets with other mostly Russian speaking old people like her. It gives her an opportunity to communicate with other people. Actually it is her life support line that keeps her alive. If this program is cut she'll be locked at her home and likely follow her husband very soon.
# 207:
3:03 pm PDT, Aug 20,Amy Allen, California
# 206:
12:48 pm PDT, Aug 14,Catherine Kloster, Minnesota
NICE MOVE!! MOVE THE BUDGET CUTS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE MENTALLY ILL AND PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP. MY DAUGHTER IS ONE OF THEM AND WILL NEED HELP IN THE FUTURE AND IS DOING MUCH BETTER NOW THAT SHE HAS BEEN GETTING THE HELP SHE NEEDS. PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO OUR HELPLESS PEOPLE! TAKE IT SOME PLACE ELSE!!! ALSO I NEED A PETITION FOR MINNESOTA...BECAUSE THEY ALSO WANT TO CUT HERE ALSO. E-MAIL ME WITH THE SITE TO GO TO. THANX
# 205:
8:20 pm PDT, Aug 12,Name not displayed, Illinois
already lost my job to lack of state funding. the developmentally disabled put me in my place and i miss seeing them day in and day out. what a loss this is to the individuals and to those of us who lost or are losing our jobs due to how many years of corruption in the state of illinois. am 56, have breast cancer and must try to live on $200 a week unemployment. they say, life goes on.
# 204:
1:24 pm PDT, Aug 7,Hope Altenburger, Illinois
I do support a tax increase in order to protect the state of illinois workers and organizations, as well as the residents that use these important services. please see our site too. www.thepetitionsite.com/5/save-our-state-of-illinois-workers-and-organizations
# 203:
9:19 am PDT, Aug 4,Tara Haugh, Illinois
There are many other programs to cut. Why does it have to be programs for children with disabilities??? These kids have enough problems and when you go taking services away or freeze them it creates more problems for them. They regress and then have to start all over again. You have absolutely no idea what you are doing to our future. These services may enable some of them to become part of the earned income society for Illinois' future. Then where will we be??? Think about it!!
# 202:
3:57 am PDT, Aug 2,Khadijah Murarsheed, Illinois
# 201:
8:53 pm PDT, Jul 28,Fred Ricco Young Jr., Illinois
How can You hurt so many people who can't help them selves shame on you America How have you lost your beauty. You once lead the whole world, now you follow with your head hung down.Your people are all you have left, treat them Right America.
# 200:
10:21 am PDT, Jul 26,Carl Rosenstock, Wisconsin
# 199:
2:22 pm PDT, Jul 20,Name not displayed, Illinois
I am supporting 2 grandchildren ages 4 and 7. I cannot afford to quit a job ive had for 10 years, when i have bills to pay, etc... but if they cut all this funding for daycare, i will have to pay over 300 a week for the two of them. which is over half my bring home!! But i guess they want everyone to rely on welfare.All this talk about we all have to tighten our belts, I'd like to know how much all these people in office are cutting theirs? Why don't we start by not supporting all these illegals in the state. We'd save quit a bit there! There are plenty honest people out there doing what they can and not "living" off the state. And have the people in office ever thought about, after they have gotten everyone to lose homes, jobs, services, just where they will get all this money they live off of from?
# 198:
7:16 pm PDT, Jul 19,Angela Higdon, Illinois
The legislature wants to cut all funding for daycare assistance to people who make more thatn $9000. Then they wants to cut 2/3 of the funding for school lunch assistance, head-start, and other educational needs. So, if I am to understand this...I will have to quit my job because I can't afford $15,000 a year for daycare (that is an actual number!!) then, I can't even get help for my kids to eat at school?? I will have to choose between rent and groceries and daycare!! I will gladly take a tax increase!! It will only go from 3 to 4.5 %....you will barely even notice..Taxpayers and legislature....help out those of us who work hard and need a little help!!
# 197:
6:13 pm PDT, Jul 16,Name not displayed, Illinois
Do not let the innocents pay with thier suffering for mere legislative greed and poor govermental planning.
# 196:
3:36 am PDT, Jul 15,Steve Spinato, Illinois
The people we help now, will help us in other ways.
Please don't shut us out.
# 195:
12:09 am PDT, Jul 14,Kathryn Schoerner, Illinois
With the economy in bad shape, it's a terrible time to cut these services! People need help more than ever, and service workers need their jobs!
# 194:
8:40 am PDT, Jul 13,Bridget Buehler, Illinois
Please do not cut human service funding! Thousands of people rely on these critical services. Without them, they have nowhere to get. Please help!
# 193:
1:38 pm PDT, Jul 11,Kathleen Breault, Illinois
My daughter can not survive with this help; it is a devastating, desperate situation for these children and their families. My daughter was placed due to a fire that burned the house down. I cannot drive her in a car for fear of behaviors causing accidents. And I am a single mom. Now they want us to take our children home. If we had another choice, would we have placed them to begin with? Do not make us sound like irresponsible parents. Be responsible legislators.
# 192:
9:10 pm PDT, Jul 9,Rob Castillo, Illinois
Remember in the 60's when we emptied the State hospitals? We were suppose to be able to "justify" this through the community social services, which is much more economical then keeping people in residential placements. Now we are not even doing this...SHAME ON YOU! We are going backwards. The prison system will soon become the new mental health system.
# 191:
7:10 pm PDT, Jul 7,Allison Plebanek, Illinois
# 190:
3:25 pm PDT, Jul 7,Marg Parrilli, Illinois
# 189:
1:12 pm PDT, Jul 6,Tara Johnson, Illinois
How can we say we are making cuts in a budget in reality we are slitting our own throats by KILLING our state. Without Human Services remember Legislators you better make sure you have the funds to provide services for your elderly family members, your sexually abused relatives and your family member that have substance abuse problems, because their will be no help for them with your cuts.
# 188:
10:40 am PDT, Jul 6,Juanita Garrison, Illinois
The budget cuts for social services including residential facilities as well as workshops and respite services is an absolute outrage. These funds should be restored immediately. Politics should not be played on the back of our developmentally disabled individuals.
# 187:
1:19 pm PDT, Jul 5,Ann Caravello, Illinois
The special needs people of the great state of Illinois need the assistance of their state agencies to help them. This is one thing the budget should not eliminate!!!!! Wasteful spending should be eliminated, not necessary help to those in need!!!
# 186:
7:13 pm PDT, Jul 3,Nancy Leonard, Illinois
My daughter works at a facility in Bloomington, IL that houses older adults with disabilities. Many of these adults need constant care and are unable to live on their own. Two of the other facilities have had to close because of the budget cuts. Where do these people go who have no family to care for them? I'm sure there are many other line items that can be cut instead of cutting social services. If you had a child with a disability would you still vote the way you did?
# 185:
2:30 pm PDT, Jul 3,Laurence Marron, Illinois
# 184:
11:30 am PDT, Jul 3,Eric Levy, Illinois
# 183:
11:17 am PDT, Jul 2,Name not displayed, Illinois
# 182:
12:46 am PDT, Jul 2,Maryann Taylor, Illinois
Cutting the buget areas that provide these services to the very people that NEED our help is not human. The drug detox programs are to hit with this as well ...... people will die detoxing at home or seeking drugs to keep them from withdrawaling. Start at the top are any of the officials taking pay cuts? This is as creative as these people running our state can be? I am deeply disappointed that this is even an option in their eyes!
# 181:
8:20 pm PDT, Jul 1,Carolyn Marron, Illinois
# 180:
7:44 pm PDT, Jul 1,Name not displayed, Illinois
Is is imparative that basic needs for the people of Illinois get the help they need in this time of great peril
# 179:
6:22 pm PDT, Jul 1,Judith Erickson, Illinois
Please increase our income tax to pay for human services for our neediest Illinoisans!
# 178:
4:43 pm PDT, Jul 1,Adrienne Sickles, Illinois
I work at KCCDD and our clients need us!! so please don't take us out of the budget
# 177:
2:25 pm PDT, Jul 1,Jon Muchowski, Illinois
# 176:
2:17 pm PDT, Jul 1,Mary Klus, Illinois
# 175:
12:40 pm PDT, Jul 1,John E. Rushing, Idaho
# 174:
11:44 am PDT, Jul 1,Tad Vogl, Illinois
I have spent nearly twenty years working closely with troubled children. The pay is low. The facilities are generally poor. These children have long since learned that adults will fail them. Despite our best efforts to make a positive difference, Illinois government seems intent on making us failures as well. Who will our state's neediest children have left to believe in? Yes, budgets must be cut or revenues increased. Too often it is the least among us that bear the brunt of economic downturns they had little (if anything) to do with. Sad.
# 173:
11:42 am PDT, Jul 1,Heather Worley, Illinois
# 172:
11:40 am PDT, Jul 1,Celeste Richmond, Illinois
The legislators and governor are using the state's most vulnerable populations as pawns in this battle for control over the budget. Do not cut services to social services, especially not to child welfare programs, which help people who cannot help themselves.
# 171:
9:25 am PDT, Jul 1,Trisha Hale, Illinois
I feel this is wrong to take away from such vulnerable human beings. Why are you even CONSIDERING taking away from the ones who desperately need it the most?
# 170:
9:18 am PDT, Jul 1,Sheila Fields, Illinois
Children and adults who need special services should not be penalized because of many years of mismanaging funds. It is the state's responsibility to provide the much needed services. That is why citizens within the state pay taxes.
# 169:
8:21 am PDT, Jul 1,Rosemary Garriagn, Illinois
# 168:
6:37 am PDT, Jul 1,Melissa Gonzalez, Illinois
# 167:
6:22 am PDT, Jul 1,Athina Gonzalez, Illinois
# 166:
8:42 pm PDT, Jun 30,Jerry Parker, Illinois
Legislators, cut spending on infrastructure (for a change) not on innerstructure (human services). And cut the actons that amassed an IL deficit of 11 billion. Thank you,
Jerry Parker
# 165:
8:16 pm PDT, Jun 30,Suzanne Muscari-Senopole, Illinois
# 164:
6:20 pm PDT, Jun 30,Beverly R Carlson, Illinois
I have a 3 1/2 year old grandson who has been receiving speech therapy & developmental therapy over 2 years and the way I read your cuts is the programs that he needs will no longer be funded and will no longer exist.Has anyone in the house of reps put yourself in anyone's shoes who relies on these programs?A tax increase at a time of a serious recession is not the way to go.There are other ways to raise revenue.We the people need the human service programs that we have for our people .. our children who need our care.It is really pathetic that we bail out our banks we bankrupt our auto makers WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN LIVES not your materialistic possesions!Mr Madigan and the house of reps can do a better job than what you are showing the people of Illinois or it is past time for you to step down!These human service cuts are totally unethical and completely irresponsible.
# 163:
4:37 pm PDT, Jun 30,Mallory Kraman, Illinois
# 162:
4:01 pm PDT, Jun 30,Mike Miller, Illinois
I am one of the parents of a child that is recieving some of these services, if this budget cut nonsense happens it will be one of the most emberassing acts ever committed by a so called politician. I also work around several hundred disabled adults, and would rather share their company rather than Illinois lawmakers, they have more common sense.
# 161:
2:14 pm PDT, Jun 30,Amy Bachmann, Illinois
If the "Doomsday Budget" is passed and services are cut for children with special needs, it will be a shameful day in Illinois.
# 160:
12:04 pm PDT, Jun 30,Roxanne Pilat, Illinois
It's hard to understand why this has even been considered. Budget cuts may be necessary, but surely there are other line items that can be reduced or eliminated before dismantling needed social services. A measure of a just society is how well we care for those least able to care for themselves. Establish a citizens advisory board, now -- and postpone these decisions and cuts until all other avenues have been examined.
# 159:
11:19 am PDT, Jun 30,David tiberi Tiberi, Illinois
why must we hurt the children ????/??
# 158:
7:52 am PDT, Jun 30,Tim Davies, Illinois
# 157:
5:54 am PDT, Jun 30,Julia Harrison, Illinois
We need to care for all of our citizens - children with diabilities need our consistent suppot
# 156:
4:17 am PDT, Jun 30,Name not displayed, Illinois
# 155:
10:06 pm PDT, Jun 29,Erick Flores, Illinois
Stop this travesty!
