In our story yesterday about the current-year budget cuts Gov. Pat Quinn's administration is seeking from the Department of Human Services, we focused at one point on a tense exchange between State Sen. William Delgado (D-Chicago) and a top Quinn budget manager. Delgado, a Democrat representing the 2nd State Senate district, was angry that DHS programming for alcohol and drug treatment is staring down cuts this year while the Department of Corrections, which runs Illinois' prisons, is proposed for more funding in Quinn's next budget.
The State Democrats posted more comments from Delgado about the issue on their website today. Delgado didn't pull his punches:
It seems that the Governor is targeting human service
programs that are specifically targeting economic struggling populations
and transferring those funds to the Department of Corrections, where
people will end up when those services are cut from the budget. I inquired with the Governor’s office if other agencies
are being targeted for reductions instead of always cutting human
service programs. I’ve received no response thus far.
Over in the House, meanwhile, State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) is gathering backers for HB 106, legislation that says the "elimination of State funding for addiction treatment and prevention shall be immediately halted." The bill has nearly 30 sponsors in all, including some members of the GOP caucus. Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities, a drug counseling organization, estimates that the mid-year cuts proposed for addiction services would result in 55,000 people losing access to rehabilitation initiatives and thousands of layoffs at social service agencies.
