[il-talk] FYI letter from Mr. Clinton

Fri Jun 19 19:24:17 UTC 2009

The best way to react to this issue is to contact your State 
legislators, and tell them to pass house bill 174.  If possible, you 
can also attend a rally at the capitol in Springfield, on Tuesday, at 
noon.  This is very important. The sooner we act the better.
Rick W Canode
Member
ISVI Alumni Association
Board of Directors

At 09:43 AM 6/19/2009, you wrote:
>For those who are more familiar with this type of issue,
>Please offer us some suggestions on how to react to this news and 
>the most effective way to tell the powers that be that we are 
>against such an action as closing this school.
>Imagine closing a school that educates the blind and deaf to become 
>successful members of society and tax payers.
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Patti Gregory-Chang" <pattichang at att.net>
>To: "NFB of Illinois Mailing List" <il-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Illinois 
>Association of Blind Students List" <iabs-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 8:57 PM
>Subject: [il-talk] FYI letter from Mr. Clinton
>
>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Flora Dennison" 
>><Flora.Dennison at illinois.gov>
>>
>>Subject: letter from Mr. Clinton
>>
>>
>>>** High Priority **
>>>
>>>June 18, 2009
>>>
>>>
>>>Good Morning
>>>
>>>I wanted to write to the parents and supporters of our school due to
>>>the recent events and announcements from State Government.
>>>
>>>Tuesday morning it was announced that as of July 1, 2009, the Illinois
>>>School for the Visually Impaired will be closed due to state budget
>>>woes.  I realize that times are tough across the state.  We all have
>>>felt it in our own personal situations and have made choices to reduce
>>>our spending to make ends meet.  It appears that the State of Illinois
>>>is going to make an attempt in some manner to do the same.  But right
>>>now it is not a cooperative effort among state leaders, which has lead
>>>to the announcement regarding ISVI.  I wish I had further 
>>>information to share with you regarding details of
>>>the cuts to be made beyond what has been published on the State of
>>>Illinois web site.  But at this time I don't.  I only have the
>>>information that is available to the public by visiting that web 
>>>site. Thus, I can verify that ISVI has been named on a list to be closed July
>>>1, 2009, but I don't have any further information or verification.
>>>
>>>I write this letter to you because I am concerned for our school and
>>>hope that everyone is doing what you can to voice your concerns about
>>>the possible closure.  I have been asked if this really will happen?  I
>>>can't answer that question as I am not one of those who will make that
>>>decision.  What I can tell you is that in the past rumors and rumblings
>>>have been made about consolidating our school or doing some other sort
>>>of reduction in services.  But those situations were always of a verbal
>>>nature.  This time it has been put in black and white, ink on paper, and
>>>is there for all to see.  Not a rumor, but a proposal that has been
>>>submitted.  That is a first.  Thus, it raises the level of concern.
>>>
>>>We all have decisions to make in this situation regarding what personal
>>>action we need to take.  I trust each person reading this letter has
>>>thought through this and has already taken some type of action, as is
>>>the legal right of every tax-paying citizen in the State of 
>>>Illinois. For us to sit quietly to a side and watch services and 
>>>programs for our
>>>students and children be dismantled would be the same as agreeing to
>>>close ISVI.  I personally do not agree with that concept.  Thus, as a
>>>citizen of Illinois I will do what I can on my own time to ensure this
>>>does not happen.
>>>
>>>In closing, below I have copied a letter to the editor from the
>>>Jacksonville Journal Courier.  This is the local newspaper here in
>>>Jacksonville and I think this letter sums things up pretty well.  Thank
>>>you for your past, present and future support of ISVI and the
>>>opportunities we provide to students from across the State of Illinois!
>>>
>>>Sincerely,
>>>
>>>Reggie Clinton
>>>
>>>Jacksonville Journal-Courier
>>>EDITORIAL: Schools are more than Jacksonville institutions; they are
>>>part of community
>>>Wholesale closing of beneficial programs is wrong approach for state to
>>>take
>>>June 17, 2009 - 10:34 AM
>>>JOURNAL-COURIER STAFF The words were delivered from Springfield 
>>>with painful but clinical
>>>precision: "Cut funding for state-provided services by $232
>>>million."  In the middle of the four-item list from the
>>>governor's office was the proposed shuttering of the Illinois
>>>School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired.
>>>It was - and still is - a take-your-breath-away moment, a time when
>>>saying "oh, no" and wrinkling the forehead in disbelief is an
>>>understatement. Looking at the move from cold unemotional numbers, it
>>>seems just a pittance of the $9.2 billion hole into which the budget has
>>>sunk. Closing the Jacksonville institutions would save the state an
>>>estimated $18 million. We cannot be unemotional. This is more than a
>>>line item in a financial ledger. These are people who desparately need
>>>specialized services offered at the schools to build their own
>>>self-sufficiency. These are schools that are a part of Jacksonville's
>>>community fabric. The loss of either would be devastating to the city,
>>>which has been the benefactor of the economic and cultural impact of the
>>>schools. Both facilities have been embraced with a warm acceptance and a
>>>willingness to integrate unique lifestyles. Closing the schools would be
>>>painful to Illinois' deaf and visually impaired students and families.
>>>The School for the Visually Impaired brings school-age people to its
>>>18-acre campus for an education that goes beyond what could be offered
>>>in most environments. The school also offers outreach programs that
>>>start as early as infancy. The same for the School for the Deaf, which
>>>has grown to a 50-acre campus since founded in 1839, offers similar
>>>programs for the deaf or hard of hearing. Most important is the
>>>self-sufficiency these schools help bring to students. That can't be
>>>defined by a price tag. Sure, we've heard the cry-wolf tactics before.
>>>In fact, it has grown tedious to hear the cacophonic tales of "we
>>>said/they said" and know it comes at the expense of real progress. But
>>>this seems serious.  What is at risk is clear: State agencies would
>>>suffer and, in turn, so would the people and families who rely on such
>>>services. It's a double-edged sword. While we believe lawmakers need
>>>to make sure the state lives within its means like any individual or
>>>business would be expected to do, the depth of the cuts being discussed
>>>seems almost spiteful at this point. Times are tough on the economic
>>>front. Less money is coming into the state and expenses are on the rise.
>>>We know, we get it - our wallets have been hit hard, too. In some
>>>cases, we've had to make adjustments to live within our means, and we
>>>recognize the state could do a better job of that. But the wholesale
>>>slaughter of programs without careful evaluation or, even worse, just
>>>ignoring the problem until it "goes away," is a wrong-headed
>>>approach that demonstrates a lack of leadership needed more than ever in
>>>these turbulent times.
>>>
>>>
>>
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