As Rauner Readies Cuts, Social-policy Groups Go On Offense
From Crain's Chicago Business
A pair of left-leaning social policy groups is trying to go on the offensive as Gov. Bruce Rauner prepares to unveil a proposed Illinois budget for fiscal 2016 that many experts suspect will whack spending on social services in a major way.
In separate reports, Voices for Illinois Children and the Heartland Alliance contend that a state with substantial wealth is not doing what it should to help low-income people, in part because its tax level is relatively low.
Chicago-based Voices for Illinois Children specifically cited data that it says indicate that, relative to personal income, Illinois was in the middle of the states in levying taxes, ranking 22nd, and near the bottom in terms of actual spending, 37th by its count.
Beyond that, the organization argues, "There is no consensus among experts that state tax cuts improve economic growth," and, in fact, taxes alone rarely are the reason people move to other states. Florida, for instance, lost population to 15 states between 1993 and 2011 even though it has no income tax.
The group did not directly comment on Rauner's pledge to boost spending on elementary and high schools, but did note that funds for universities and safety-net programs, like anti-homelessness efforts, also are in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Heartland's Social Impact Research Center cited data showing that 33 states have fewer households paying over half of their income on rent than Illinois, 24 states have a lower poverty rate than Illinois' 14.7 percent, and 22 have a lower health insurance rate among children and working-age adults. Their report is titled "Poor by Comparison: The Dreary State of the Prairie State."
"If our state leaders want to build Illinois' reputation as the best place to live, go to school, work and play, they mast make intentional long-view decisions that shore up the well-being of all Illinoisans, especially the nearly one-third with low incomes," Sid Mohn, president of Chicago-based Heartland, said in a statement.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From Crain's Chicago Business
A pair of left-leaning social policy groups is trying to go on the offensive as Gov. Bruce Rauner prepares to unveil a proposed Illinois budget for fiscal 2016 that many experts suspect will whack spending on social services in a major way.
In separate reports, Voices for Illinois Children and the Heartland Alliance contend that a state with substantial wealth is not doing what it should to help low-income people, in part because its tax level is relatively low.
Chicago-based Voices for Illinois Children specifically cited data that it says indicate that, relative to personal income, Illinois was in the middle of the states in levying taxes, ranking 22nd, and near the bottom in terms of actual spending, 37th by its count.
Beyond that, the organization argues, "There is no consensus among experts that state tax cuts improve economic growth," and, in fact, taxes alone rarely are the reason people move to other states. Florida, for instance, lost population to 15 states between 1993 and 2011 even though it has no income tax.
The group did not directly comment on Rauner's pledge to boost spending on elementary and high schools, but did note that funds for universities and safety-net programs, like anti-homelessness efforts, also are in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Heartland's Social Impact Research Center cited data showing that 33 states have fewer households paying over half of their income on rent than Illinois, 24 states have a lower poverty rate than Illinois' 14.7 percent, and 22 have a lower health insurance rate among children and working-age adults. Their report is titled "Poor by Comparison: The Dreary State of the Prairie State."
"If our state leaders want to build Illinois' reputation as the best place to live, go to school, work and play, they mast make intentional long-view decisions that shore up the well-being of all Illinoisans, especially the nearly one-third with low incomes," Sid Mohn, president of Chicago-based Heartland, said in a statement.
Read more in our daily News Update...