Posted by Dave on 06/24/09 at 01:06:44 pm
Categories: Chicago/Illinois

I don't like the White Sox. At all. But this is cool:

A plea for help

Konerko and Thome have made a rare public appeal on behalf of Children's Home and Aid, asking the Illinois legislature to reject a proposed $461 million cut in aid to the Department of Children and Family Services. Konerko and Thome have worked for the last three years to promote foster care and adoption.

In an op-ed letter, they say the state's proposed ''Doomsday'' budget would make the outlook for needy children ''dismal,'' cutting foster-parent aid by 50 percent and triple caseloads for Children's Home and Aid.

''The main thing is, Jim and I never feel what we do on a baseball field should influence people, but this is one issue that if I can, I want to put our focus on it,'' Konerko said. ''In this case, if we can influence it and reach as many people as we can, it's the right thing to do. We've already seen the good results [of the agency's work].''

Thome said there was no question about making the public plea.

''Our wives are heavily involved in this as well,'' he said. ''We don't talk about it a lot, but you do things in your heart, and this is close to our hearts.''

Illinois, and specifically Illinois' safety net, is facing possibly its worst crisis in its history. Social services are facing HUGE, devastating cuts, upwards of 75% of the current fiscal year budget. This would mean that thousands of families would lose access to affordable child care. Thousands of seniors and people with disabilities would lose access to home care services, forcing them into nursing homes. Thousands of individuals struggling with addiction would no longer get help. Thousands needed help for sexual assault and abuse will have nowhere to go. You can read more here.

Why? Because Illinois' politicians do not have the guts to do the right thing and raise taxes in order to save these services. Everyone in Springfield knows that a tax increase is necessary - Republican and Democrat alike. Yet they refuse to take that hard vote.

I am proud to be one of over 5,000 people who visited the capitol yesterday, urging legislators to raise my taxes. Yes, I wrote that correctly.

Raise my taxes.

Illinois cannot afford to do otherwise.

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