Activists Rally Against Rauner's Proposed Budget Cuts
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Deep cuts pushed by Gov. Bruce Rauner as he seeks a budget deal with Democratic majority came under fire Thursday in the Roseland neighborhood.
Against the backdrop of a Mobile CARE Foundation "Asthma Van" – which might not operate under Rauner's proposed cuts – activists, clergy, hospital workers, and others gathered at Lights of Zion MB Bible Church on Thursday.
Hospital crisis worker Bonita Williams had a bone to pick with the governor.
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm going back down to Springfield, and I'm going to put my finger on his nose, and let him know, 'You're not going to do this to us,'" she said. "You're a billionaire five times over. Give $2 billion to the budget, and you don't have to cut Medicare or Medicaid."
Michael Shanklin said, after 16 years in prison, a state-funded program helped him get on his feet, but is now facing the budget ax, leaving other ex-cons without the kind of support that will help keep them on the straight and narrow.
"They're going to knock somebody upside the head; and take a purse, take a wallet, or kill somebody," he said. "That's on you."
Even though Democrats control the House and Senate, and approved a budget plan that is more than $3 billion in the red, state Sen. Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) wasn't prepared to say his party shares in the blame for the budget cuts.
"You can't be at fault when you're protecting what's vulnerable: the elderly, the poor, the sick, the disadvantaged youth," he said.
He said Rauner needs to show compassion, and listen to Democrats opposing his planned cuts.