State of emergency looms in Illinois

A lack of cooperation among our legislative leaders and the governor threatens to grind the operations of numerous social service agencies to a halt--the very agencies helping people survive their own economic difficulties every day.

Without an approved state budget, the comptroller's ability to write checks will be temporarily suspended.

These agencies need a resolution on or before July 15 to avoid a disruption in services. We need an authorization next week to reimburse agencies under their contracts.

Because the social services sector is already bruised from having to absorb the impact of cash flow interruptions and budget cuts, Catholic Charities cannot afford to float its most needed programs on its own.

If the government cannot hold up its end of the partnership to serve the vulnerable, it will cause a state of emergency unlike any we have seen in Illinois.

Seniors will go hungry without their Meals on Wheels. Nursing home residents will suffer as staff are sent on furloughs because we can't meet payroll. Kids in our day care programs will have to stay home with alternate care, halting their parents' necessary work activities.

On behalf of those who will be most affected by this budget impasse, particularly children, senior citizens, the infirm, veterans and the abandoned, we at Catholic Charities urge lawmakers to resolve this preventable and unnecessary crisis.

Rev. Michael M. Boland

Administrator,

President and CEO

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago