Make hard choices, don't punish the innocent children
On Tuesday, June 2, I received an e-mail marked "extremely urgent." It was from Mark Parr, who is the Executive Director of the Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County.
The Children's Advocacy Center is a not-for-profit organization that serves children and families that have been victims of extreme violence and sexual abuse. I've served on their board of directors since 1994, and have been President the past 4 years.
The extremely urgent e-mail had a very direct message from the Illinois Director of Childrens Advocacy Centers: The Illinois budget was in serious peril, and as a result, the organizations were looking at a funding cut of 50 percent.
Executive Directors were urged to personally call and also have their staffs call state representatives, along with the floor leaders, both majority and minority, and encourage the tax increase.
Yes, tell the staff to call and write to Springfield and Encourage the Tax Increase.
What in the world is happening?
Is this the "change" or the new way we are to govern? Threatening to cut funding to the neediest and weakest among us? Encouraging those who serve these people to rise up and support a tax increase - or else?
As I said in my e-mail reply to Mark Parr,
"While I am adamantly opposed to any cut in funding to CAC's - I am equally opposed to the tax increase proposal. I don't feel the legislature has done nearly enough to examine the real cost of government today. This knee-jerk reaction to support a tax increase "or else" is simply outrageous. It may take the entire month of June ... or maybe longer, but I feel the State needs to seriously clean up its finances. We are funding highly compensated people, programs, and pensions ... while threatening to cut funding to essential programs like the CAC.
Our legislators should be ashamed of themselves.
I can't support the position taken by the statewide director. Encouraging Directors and staffs to blindly encourage the tax increase plays right into the hands of the very legislators that have been wasting the Illinois taxpayer's money for years.
Making hard choices isn't about punishing the innocent, nor is it about punishing the successful. There is real work to be done, and we should demand that our elected officials do it.
A 50 percent cut in funding to DCFS? Honestly, is this the best they can do? If so, we need to elect an entire new legislature and Governor, too.
I repeat - they should be ashamed of themselves.
My perspective may be somewhat unique. As President of the CAC, and a longtime supporter of their mission, my first reaction might be to do whatever it takes to continue helping innocent children. And if the state were to tell me raising taxes was the only way to do so, I guess I would have support a tax increase.
But as an informed and successful business owner, I know there is much work that can and must be done to stabilize the financial house of the State of Illinois. Failing to address the fundamental problems that exist, and simply throwing more money into the current abyss that is Springfield, is just wrong.
The citizens of Illinois need to take a stand. And they need to take it now. Governor, legislators, get back to work. We're all counting on you to get it right.
• Brian Burke is president of the Children's Advocacy Center and President/CEO of Links Technology Solutions, Inc. in Schaumburg.