CU-CitizenAccess.org (https://www.cu-citizenaccess.org/category/public_funds/page/2/)
Illinois state inspectors say the bridge carrying traffic on County Highway 50 over Interstate 74 in Mahomet is in “critical condition” and “structurally deficient.”
But an average of 2,550 vehicles — including school buses — still use the bridge each day, although the bridge has been reduced to a single traffic lane since August 2011.
Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing is challenging an Illinois law that gives Carle Hospital tax-except status for their charity work – providing medical care and services at discounted or no cost to thousands of people. According the Prussing, the city of Urbana will bear the brunt of the loss of revenue from Carle, with residents and businesses facing a steep property tax hike. In a recent letter to Urbana city council members, Prussing wrote, “Urbana taxpayers, only 3 percent of the region’s population, will now be paying for almost $6 million of the nearly $16 million in charity care that Carle says it provides the region.”
Here is a roundup of recent news stories on this issue:
Urbana Resolution to Challenge Carle Tax-Exempt Status – Illinois Public Media
“The Urbana city council is expected to take its first vote next week on a resolution opposing Carle Foundation Hospital’s tax-exempt status. The measure seeks a legislative solution requiring the hospital to ‘pay its fair share’ in property taxes, opposing a law that passed in 2012 that gives tax-exempt status to hospitals that provide charity care. Mayor Laurel Prussing said the tax exemption for Carle Foundation Hospital hurts the city, because more than 80 percent of the hospital’s property is in Urbana.”
Congress is marking up the Farm Bill this week. The House version (seen here) makes cuts to the food assistance program. Over 1.6 million people in Illinois were enrolled in the Food Stamp program in 2010 – up from 816,000 in 2000, according to Census Bureau estimates.
Almost the same cost, spent differently: Comparing farm bills in House, Senate committees – The Washington Post
“The Senate and House agriculture committees approved separate versions of the farm bill this week, and the full Senate is expected to take up the bill next week. A look at some similarities and differences between the two versions of the legislation:”
Agriculture Committee Markup Amendment Trackers – National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
“Follow along with Senate and House Agriculture Committee markup this week – the following amendments are key provisions that NSAC is tracking.
By Staff/CU-CitizenAccess
An estimated $85 billion in automatic spending cuts to the federal budget are set to take place this week if no further action is taken by Congress. Here’s a round-up of some useful articles on the subject:
The Sequester: Absolutely everything you could possibly need to know, in one FAQ – from the Washington Post
“At the end of the month, the dreaded sequester is set to take effect. Hands up if you know what exactly that means — and be honest. Don’t worry, we’re here to set you straight. Follow along for answers to some of the most-asked questions about the impending cuts.”
By The News-Gazette/”Deadbeat Illinois: The Painful Price of Unpaid Bills” is a joint project by The Associated Press and its members across Illinois — including The News-Gazette. The goal is to highlight the state’s decision not to pay its bills on time and to examine the extent of the impact on the people, businesses and human-service groups across the state. These stories will appear in The News-Gazette in print and then online. As they are posted, we’ll link to them from here.
By Julie Wurth/The News-Gazette — A new report from the U.S. Census shows Champaign and Vermilion counties holding their own economically in 2010, with overall poverty not worsening and median incomes actually rising. However, that may reflect an influx of federal stimulus money that has since dried up, according to one local official. The U.S. Census released the findings of its 2010 American Community Survey, which collects socioeconomic information about communities across the country each year, from poverty to education to demographics. The data are taken from surveys of about 3 million U.S. addresses, but given the small sample sizes in each community, margins of error vary greatly. The survey showed real median household income fell 2.2 percent nationally to $50,046 in 2010, from $51,190 in 2009, and dropped 3.6 percent in Illinois, from $54,992 to $52,972.