Admiring tenacity, but ignoring cuts

I was simply distraught with your editorial on Sunday applauding the governor for his upbeat confidence, convincing presentation and infectious command in promoting his Illinois Turnaround agenda.

There was no mention on the proposed cuts, cuts like never before, in Human Services and in the Department of Public Health.

I read one small paragraph, that you agree that "his ideas are staunchly conservative and some to an extreme beyond the bounds of our support."

Your editorial listed no details about the human service. Included in his proposal are $1.6 million cut in addiction prevention, a compulsive gambling cut of $406,000, Assistance for homeless cut by $300,000, Children's Health Program cut by $231,600, Funeral and burial for poor cut by $6.9 million and there are more and more.

Yes corruption and special interest groups are worth fighting. Yes, working to change legislation for pension reform is plausible. However, how can anyone look at the confident, successful Gov. Rauner and give him editorial space marveling at his style without sharing reservations about the proposed cuts?

I was distraught because the editorial appeared to admire the tenacity of Gov. Rauner. Seems to me you were saying here is man of courage valiantly challenging the system. He is not my Role Model for Change. He is not who I aspire my children and grandchildren to look at and say, this is what success looks like.

I urge everyone to write their legislators to vote against the cuts in Human Services and Department of Public Health.

Sandra Janowski

Des Plaines