We're all victims of the budget impasse
I couldn't agree more with Governor Rauner's remarkable January 25th statement regarding the reductions in services and jobs by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), Illinois' largest social service agency. As he very correctly said: "There is really no good excuse for the tragic loss of those kinds of services. It's inexcusable for us not to have a budget right now. We could have and should have done this many months ago".
Either side could have said this, with fingers pointed at each other as to whether the executive or legislature is at fault. Conceivably, both may be right, with more than enough blame to go around. What matters most to most Illinois citizens, especially for those directly impacted, are not blame but resolution. Not excuses (for it is "inexcusable") but recognizing and acting upon their shared responsibility for our common good.
I am president of the board of directors of Friedman Place, the only Chicagoland residential community for blind and visually impaired adults. As with most if not all Illinois social service nonprofits, this budget stalemate diverts energy, focus and resources from the critical missions of our agencies. Coincidentally, my wife and I were licensed foster/adoptive parents of LSSI, currently relying upon a patchwork of nonprofit social services for the safety and well-being of our at-risk, now adult, son.
My career as an attorney started with a litigation firm but I quickly sought alternatives, obtaining training in dispute resolution to mediate community conflicts, restorative justice for juveniles, and family/divorce issues. All seem applicable here.
Accordingly, I humbly volunteer to mediate this conflict destined to grow worse with every day of inexcusable delay. Alternatively, better qualified professional mediators could be contacted to help get this done, perhaps also as citizen-volunteers.
My state representative, Michelle Mussman, has my contact information. I won't hold my breath for Springfield's call but millions of Illinois taxpayers and those in need of social services are holding our collective breath that an inexcusably bad situation is not about to keep getting inexcusably worse.
Barry Newman
Schaumburg