WSIL-3: Daycare Workers Rally Against Subsidy Cuts
From WSIL-3:
JEFFERSON CO. — Vetoes from the Illinois Governor come as unions keep turning up the heat on the Governor to keep money coming for some of their pet programs.
That includes the so-called C-CAP, which pays daycares subsidies for children to give their parents a chance to join the workforce.
One Mount Vernon group got very vocal about it Thursday.
Children and adults gathered at one Mt. Vernon home daycare to make their case that daycare keeps families working and Illinois subsidies make it possible.
Without that money, children like 8-year-old Olivia might have to fend for themselves, or a parent could lose a job for lack of affordable child care.
“Every time they want to make a cut, they make it to the blue collar workers below the poverty line,” said Lisa Gladney of Mt. Vernon. “They don’t want to cut up there. They’re getting raises and bonuses and they just sit and make bad decisions for our lives.”
But those decisions come at a time when Illinois spent 66 percent more in the first half of this fiscal year on daycare than it did the year before. That’s over $224 million.
In his veto statement Thursday, Governor Rauner said, “For too long, the State of Illinois has made spending promises that exced available revenues…”
But these people want leaders in Springfield to feel their pain.
“I want the governor to know,” said Shirley Burns. “How would you like to be in our shoes for just one day?