Legislative crime spree devastates Illinois public schools

Many people have asked me, "So, what's the big deal, if the General Assembly gives millions of dollars to parochial schools, even if the State Constitution does prohibit such a thing?"

The big deal is that the State Legislature is cutting a huge amount of money from essential public school programs, such as textbooks, to pay for it.

I've told you, in previous news stories, about how the Springfield Capital Bill is donating millions of your tax dollars to parochial schools, in clear violation of Article X, Section 3, of the Illinois Constitution.

Now comes word, in this article from the August 28, 2009, edition of the Chicago Tribune, that the Legislature is eliminating a state fund to buy textbooks for public schools. Last year, according to Tribune story author Whitney Woodward, that fund provided $42 million dollars to public schools for textbooks.

Governor Quinn can talk all he wants about how the Capital Budget and the Operating Budget are two separate funds. The fact of the matter is dollars are dollars.

The State only has so many dollars to distribute. Here is a clear-cut case of the State illegally awarding tens of millions of dollars to parochial schools while simultaneously cutting tens of millions of dollars from public schools.

Don't tell me that the two aren't linked. I'll never buy that, and you shouldn't, either.

Meanwhile, I'm still working on getting that lawsuit filed to stop the Capital Bill portion of the legislative crime spree. Sometimes these things take a little longer than anticipated. If you don't believe me, just ask Assistant Illinois Attorney General Rachel Murphy. She knows a thing or two about that.