Illinois' 800 governmental funds

As Illinois lawmakers work on creating a viable, mutually agreed upon budget for the 2016 fiscal year, Reboot Illinois' Madeleine Doubek looked at the 800 various funds currently set up to pay for governmental work in Illinois.

Doubek writes:

Something is wrong in Illinois when you have a fiscal crisis you go a long way toward solving by "sweeping" $1.3 billion out of nearly 800 different state funds, seemingly in the time it takes to click your heels together and say, "Sweep away."

That's just about what happened at the end of March, minus the heel clicking. Then, after lawmakers flipped out when they thought they'd solved their immediate crisis only to find out key programs for the poor, sick and disabled were enduring $26 million in cuts, Gov. Bruce Rauner's budget office suggested another sweep might ease the pain.

I don't know about you, but on those rare days when I sweep at my house, I'm lucky to find a penny, not millions or billions. I knew we had a bunch of funds from specialty license plates and for charitable causes, but I'd never paid much attention, so I did some asking.

Illinois has nearly 800 different funds. They include the general revenue fund, the big one we all tend to focus on this time of year. They also include some others like a road fund and a motor fuel fund. And then there are, quite literally, hundreds of others like: Illinois State Police Memorial Park, Illinois Veterans Rehabilitation, Illinois Police K-9 Memorial, State Boating Act, State Parks, Wildlife & Fish, Salmon, Military Affairs Trust, Lobbyist Registration Administration and Agriculture Premium.

Then there's the Federal Mass Transit Trust, Share the Road, National Flood Insurance Program, Land Reclamation, Federal Energy, Cycle Rider Safety Training and Farmers Market Tech Improvement.

I randomly just picked a few spots from a column of 792 sent to me by Comptroller Leslie Munger's office. Omitting the general revenue fund, the biggie that funds state operations each year, all these funds late last week had $9.67 billion in them.

That's a whole lot of our money we never hear much about. The good news? Last week, the Illinois Senate approved a bill, SB1404, that attempts to make sure these funds get audited every year. Another, SB 1405, seeks to see if some of these funds can be consolidated.

Read the rest at Reboot Illinois, and check out the list of each Illinois governmental fund and its balance as of April 23.

Speaking of Illinois government money, Andy Shaw of the Better Government Association says Illinois' biggest government entities are in the worst trouble they've ever seen.

Shaw says:

"Trouble comes in threes," or so the saying goes.

But when we're discussing the dismal financial condition of the public sector in Illinois, three is a woeful understatement.

There's red ink flowing over every level of government--villages, towns, cities, and, of course, the State of Illinois, which is the biggest fiscal train wreck, followed by the city of Chicago and its public schools.

Here are some disturbing details:

• Chicago schools are, for the first time, on the state's "watch list." CPS is spending nearly1 billion more than it can afford, pension obligations are soaring, there's management turmoil at the top and Governor Rauner is openly suggesting bankruptcy as the only way out.
• 
  
• The city's credit rating keeps dropping, which increases the cost of borrowing and the burden on taxpayers. City Hall is also coping with an estimated300 million budget deficit and a state-mandated500 million-plus payment for police and fire pensions.
• 
  
• State government is facing a6 billion budget shortfall, a mountain of unpaid bills and100 billion-plus in pension liabilities.

This is arguably the worst multi-level financial crisis in Illinois history, a bi-product of public officials who've relied on ill-advised, politically motivated short-term fixes, or inaction--kicking the can down the road.

Read the rest at Reboot Illinois.

NEXT ARTICLE: Best of the best: The top 10 hospitals in Illinois

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1DCjOcN
via IFTTT

Pumpkin Pie Honored in Illinois House of Representatives

Illinois lawmakers have a lot of work ahead of them in the next few months, especially with trying to construct and pass a balanced budget. But lawmakers took a break from trying to solve the pension crisis or working on a viable budget plan for next year to talk fall desserts in the spring. The House of Representatives voted 108-3 April 16 to make pumpkin pie the official pie of Illinois. The measure has yet to pass in the Senate.

With so many other pressing matters to work on, where did this idea even come from?

Illinois is the nation's No. 1 producer of pumpkins, both the jack-o-lantern and cooking varieties. The Illinois Department of Agriculture says the state has the most land devoted to pumpkin production in the country at nearly 13,000 acres. Illinois made up 29 percent of all pumpkin-growing land in the U.S in 2005 and yields 95 percent of all pumpkins processed in the U.S. That's nearly 5 million pounds of pumpkins. Tazewell County is responsible for the most pumpkin growing in the state, with 48 farms dedicated to the big orange orbs.

Illinois is home to the top pumpkin product producer in the world -- Nestle's Libby's in Morton -- and Seneca Foods near Peoria. These two factories produce most of the country's canned pumpkin used in traditional fall dishes such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins. Illinois might as well change its name from the Prairie State to the Pumpkin State.

Further proving Illinois' pumpkin pride, a Moline woman even bought a year's supply of pumpkin spice lattes last October, says Fox News in the Quad Cities.

Read the rest of the pumpkin pie saga at Reboot Illinois to find out about the legislative process to codify the dessert into Illinois law and what other unusual symbols Illinois boasts.

Sign up for our daily email to stay up to date with Illinois politics.

NEXT ARTICLE: Aloha, Land of Lincoln! Here is Illinois' most-Googled Thanksgiving recipe
Betcha didn't know these 30 fun Illinois facts!
Weird place names in Illinois
House approves bill to decriminalize marijuana in Illinois
The top 20 most challenging high schools in Illinois
Want to tell your elected officials what you think of the state of government in Illinois? Use our Sound Off tool.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1ERFmJE
via IFTTT

This Is What An Empty Baltimore Orioles Game Looks Like

The scene at Orioles Park at Camden Yards was quiet on Wednesday as the Baltimore Orioles faced off against the Chicago White Sox. No fans were allowed into the stadium, leaving the stands empty -- the first time that's ever happened in the history of Major League Baseball.

The decision to close the game to the public was made in light of the Freddie Gray protests in Baltimore. People have taken to the streets to march in the name of the late 25-year-old after he died this month from a spinal injury while in police custody.

The league planned to incorporate all the normal aspects of an MLB game, including the national anthem and seventh-inning stretch, according to MSNBC political correspondent Kasie Hunt.

"It's all about what's best for the city and the safety of our people," Buck Showalter, the Orioles manager, told the Associated Press. "The last thing you want to do is put the fans in harm's way. You have to err on the side of safety."

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1GG5FzZ
via IFTTT

16 Things Brutally Honest Women Know All Too Well

If you're a brutally honest lady like myself, you will find yourself in treacherous waters at some point in your life. Let’s face it, the truth hurts sometimes -- but that’s never stopped us from telling it.

Women are often expected to pander, apologize or make excuses for our forthright behavior. We're encouraged to be "nurturers," to soothe people, downplay our anger and aggression, and basically play nicey-nice even if we're seething inside and our true feelings are bursting to get out.

Well, eff that.

If you’re outspoken, opinionated and just can't seem to keep your opinions to yourself (ever), this one’s for you.

Here are 16 things brutally honest women completely understand:

1. The pure relief that comes with telling someone what you really think. There is just nothing like it.

2. What a compliment is really worth. Not everything is great, and that’s totally OK.

3. Having a very narrow set of circumstances under which telling a white lie is acceptable. If the lie gets you off the hook for something you are totally guilty of, you don’t tell it -- even when it would save you a whole lot of trouble.

4. When you’re so straightforward about negative opinions that people think you’re joking. Hint: You’re not.

5. Sometimes your comebacks hit a little too deep. Oops.

6. You absolutely cannot stand by silently while a friend makes a terrible decision. To you, being a good friend is expressing your honest concerns about their choice in a respectful and open way. Whether or not they take your advice is a different matter.

7. Never being able to suck up to someone. Ass-kissing makes you queasy.

8. You are completely comfortable making your displeasure known. This is especially true when you are on the phone with Verizon customer service. (I still want my unlimited data back, Verizon.)

9. The power of a well-placed “excuse me” instead of “sorry.” Because women apologize far too often.

10. Friends come to you for the cold, hard truth when other people are just telling them what they want to hear. But then again, people occasionally avoid you for that exact same reason.

11. Everyone knows your opinions. Whether they asked for them or not.

12. Your face will give you away even when you can stop yourself from saying something. Every. Single. Time.

13. Letting someone down gently is an exercise in torture. Especially in a romantic situation. Is there a clearer way to tell someone you don’t have any chemistry that’s not, “we don’t have any chemistry?” Probably not. Blunt is best.

14. Being called a bitch / cold / crazy / mean on a regular basis. Sigh. Next.

15. That crushing feeling when you’ve taken it too far. Because living your #Unapologetic life authentically and saying exactly what you think, will probably cause you to hurt someone at some point -- and that’s never easy. But then you know to rethink your delivery for next time.

16. You know that people respect your opinion, because you don’t say things you don’t mean. And that’s the best feeling of all.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1DKHz3H
via IFTTT

Steve Harvey On Bruce Jenner: 'I Can't Wrap My Mind Around It At All'

Romandie specialist Albasini wins 2nd stage to lead overall

Tour of Romandie sprint specialist Michael Albasini wins 2nd stage to take overall lead

      

 

 

from USATODAY - Cycling Top Stories http://ift.tt/1AgJOu8
via IFTTT

A Funny and Fine Forum at Porchlight

They say tragedy is easy, yet comedy is hard. And in watching Porchlight's delightful production of the hit 1962 musical comedy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, I took note of how deftly this hard-working cast navigates Burt Shevelove's farcical book and Stephen Sondheim's daffy yet deceptively dense music and lyrics.

In full transparency, Porchlight marks the first production of Forum I've seen -- this includes the movie that starred Zero Mostel recreating the role that won him the Tony Award (and for which Nathan Lane earned the same accolades in the '96 Broadway revival). Yet I'm glad this was my first foray into the forum -- it's a very solid and satisfying production.

Leading this effort, the short and compact Bill Larkin makes for a cunning and cute Pseudolus, the wily Roman slave who'll do anything to become free. It's a performance that rivals Sweeney Todd, another iconic Sondheim musical Porchlight presented last season, in the amount of energy and gusto required keep the engine of the play churning. Larkin manages this herculean task skillfully, striking a good balance between vaudevillian slap-stick and sincerity.

Director Michael Weber surrounds Larkin with a diverse cast of musical comedy pros, with a few unexpected highlights. Of those, the lanky Miles Blim serves as a perfect foil for Larkin by bringing genuine guilelessness to the role of Hero -- the young slave owner whom Pseudolus persuades into freeing if he's able to unite Hero with his equally naive love interest, Philia (a sweet Sarah Lynn Robinson). As fellow slave Hysterium, Matt Crowle demonstrates his great gift of physical comedy.

As has been the case with most recent Porchlight productions, the score is well represented (music direction by Linda Madonia), with a true focus on delivering Sondheim's lyrical puns with panache. Choreographer Brenda Didier demonstrates her gift for resourcefulness by making good use of Stage 773's limited space, giving her troupe of quivering courtesans some clever movements.

Set designer Megan Truscott plays up the rickety-rackety nature of the material -- perhaps a tad too literally. At times the scenery looked like it would topple over when bumped by fast-moving antics. But, thankfully, this mostly buoyant production keeps things funny in the forum.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum plays through May 24 at Stage 773. More info here >

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1GHRi0T
via IFTTT