Waiting for payments

As the state of Illinois continues to struggle financial, so do state funded institutions. Illinois library systems took a 17% cut at the beginning of the FY10 fiscal year and are still waiting on 2/3 of their allocated funds. (“State Funding Shortage May Doom Library Systems”) Illinois universities are waiting on more than $840 million in overdue payments, but with the state’s $13 billion deficit, options are limited. (“Ill. Universities Struggle Without State Payments”)

Some are touting “Community Colleges as Economic Saviors” but lack of funding could jeopardize their impact on economic recovery. As my former college president used to point out, funding for community colleges is like a 3 legged stool—funds come from three sources: local taxes, tuition, and state funding. If one leg of your stool is shortened, your base is unbalanced and it’s a precarious foundation.

So what's the plan? Governor Quinn has created a website, www.budget.illinois.gov, where voters can view the fiscal year 2011 budget plan or propose a solution for solving the state’s budget crisis. So far they've received 12,000 comments, but without the commitment of legislators to confront these difficult budget issues, the state of Illinois will continue to do business as usual.