Saint Sabina execs reveal results of the draconian cuts by Gov. Rauner
Pfleger: “We must fight for our children”
By Chinta Strausberg
The head of Saint Sabina’s Employment Resource Center (ERC) and the ARK of Saint Sabina late Wednesday night revealed how the budgetary devastation Gov. Bruce Rauner’s cuts have had on their departments with some staff cut by 75 percent and others salaries sliced to the bones. Sharon Tillmon, who has been promoted to director of Emergency Assistance Department for the Catholic Charities for Cook County, also told of how the cuts have affected her agency and her abilities to properly help those in need. She said while the funds have been stopped, human needs have spiraled especially in the area of rent assistance. Tillmon, said, “I have not had direct (budget) hit, but we share clientele (with ERC and the ARK) and because of this anything that affects them” her agency steps in as a safety net. “We have an integrated service model where the services work together,” explained Tillmon. “You want to get that client stable again, but now we have holes in this because the continuum of services has been disrupted. “We need for them to get their services intact so we can continue being that support for them, but we have other needs for like foods because donations have decline after the holidays. We need continued food and monetary funds to purchase food especially proteins. “We are unable to get protein through USDA that is why we are buying peanut butter and tuna that are rich in protein. We don’t have the fresh meats like we used to have. These cuts have interrupted that continuum of model service,” Tillmon said. Lisa Ramsey, head of the ERC, and Jocelyn Jones in charge of the ARK, painted a bleaker budgetary picture spelling out the impact the cuts have had on both their staff and their services. Jones said the creative arts programs are significantly affected as well as the tutoring program where she services 25 youth. While the funding has been halted, the teachers are volunteering their time for the music studio and try to raise funds. “We had to cut down on monitors,” she said resulting in a call for volunteers “because these kids still need us.” “We are trying to fund raise right now…. We need to let the governor know” that they need their funds. She said the dance program is continuing.; however, she had to lay off five people. Ramsey has had to cut a third of her staff due to the budget cuts and all staff has had to reduce their salaries. Referring to Father Pfleger’s nationally acclaimed Peace League, who have helped to quell the violence in the Auburn Gresham community by 86 percent, Ramsey said in 2012, “We had 230 young men come through the Peace League and every season at least 35 percent of our young men come in half coming through ERC to get services to get employment. We get them in the doors of employers through their internships.“ According to Ramsey, 75 percent of the young men that go through the internships get hired. “There is quantifiable impact that is hurting this community “ from the budget cuts. “When you cut funds you are hurting the community, and you are driving down the hope that these young men” who have begun to transform there lives like the 300 black youth who recently gave testimonials on how Saint Sabina has changed their lives. “Just pray for us,” Ramsey said. “The people we let go are family…. We are trying to help save generations of youth who had no hope. We believe we can get through this but right now it’s just rough. We still have youth and adult services. We are functioning but at a deficit right now,” she said. In one afternoon, Father Pfleger said Saint Sabina has had “drastic, drastic cuts by this new governor….. Literally in an e-mail, we were cut over $900,000. There was never a conversation. There was never a what-are-you-doing…just an e-mail.” Pfleger said when people say the money is not there for that it is not true. “The governor’s office of the new regime verified the money was there. I talked to Gov. Quinn who verified the money was there. The Secretary of Human Services verified the money was there. It was simply stopped. The program began January 1st…,” Pfleger said during his Wednesday Parish Council meeting held at Saint Sabina. “It angered me that the governor was doing this while he was calling for an increase of his” employees “but cut programs for young people,” Pfleger said. According to Pfleger, Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-16th) is fighting these budget cuts along with the Illinois Black Caucus. “I had several conversations with the mayor and he is asking the governor to restore our funding and our programs at Saint Sabina and other programs that we need.” Referring to last week’s press conference held at Saint Sabina that was organized by the youth, Father Pfleger said, “It was absolutely amazing to watch them talk. You would have been so proud.” Pfleger said two social justice groups are writing letters to the governor asking him to restore the programs. “We’re going to keep the pressure on. We’re not going to let this governor in two-weeks turn his back on our youth…. We’re going to fight this.” Father Pfleger doesn’t want the youth to go backwards and embrace street “family” that will once again take them down the wrong road in life because they think “the streets will help me if nobody else does.” At the time of the cuts, Rauner’s press secretary, Catherine Kelly, issued a statement saying, “Unfortunately, Governor Quinn signed a budget that’s unbalanced by $1.5 billion. The administration is taking action to manage the inherited budget hole and is working with the legislature to find responsible solutions.” The cuts came at a time when, in his first State-of-the State speech, Rauner called for more prison guards and changes in the parole system. He wants to hire more prison guards and invest in a state program he feels would keep non-violent offenders out of prison. But, Father Pfleger said that is exactly why he needs the funds restored so “we can keep our kids out of prison.” Pfleger said his anti-violence and after school programs are working as verified by area police officials. Since his call for more prison guards, Rauner has signed Executive Order 15-14 establishing the Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform. He said the commission would examine the current criminal justice system and sentencing structure in an effort to develop “comprehensive and evidence-based strategies to improve public safety.” “Illinois is in desperate need of criminal justice reform,” said Rauner in a statement made on Wednesday, February 11, 2015. “We need to take a comprehensive, holistic approach to our justice system.” His request also comes at a time when Rauner is seeking greater powers to move money around in the budget. Recently testifying before the Senate budgeting committee, his deputy chief of staff, Richard Goldberg, said, “The sooner we can get that flexibility, the sooner this crisis can be revolved (sic). The longer we wait, the worse the crisis will get.” What Gov. Rauner wants is to be able to fix the current budget without getting approval from the legislature. He wants to control the spending of state dollars without the interference of state lawmakers. This comes at a time when Democrats are urging Rauner to approve funding for subsidized child are needed for low-income parents. This program needs about $300 million. Senator Collins and the Black Caucus are fighting to get Rauner to restore the nearly $1 million in anti-violence and after school programs approved by Gov. Quinn but canceled by Rauner when he took office. Rauner said those funds were “non-essential.” Dozens of Saint Sabina youth took issue with that saying, “We are essential” and called on Rauner to restore the funds. Jones, executive director of the ARK, said they could go to www.youcaring.com/stsabina. “Any donation can make a difference that will help our mission to save lives.” For further information or to volunteer, call Jones at: 773.483.4333 or Ramsey at 773.783.3760. Father Pfleger asks that the public continue to call Gov. Rauner’s office at 217.782.0244 (Springfield office) and 312.814.2121 for his Chicago office and ask the Governor to restore the funds for the youth employment, after school and day care programs.
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