 Lawmakers on Thursday grilled DHS Secretary Michelle Saddler during
a review of DHS programs by the House Human Services Appropriations
Committee."In the Department of Human Services ... this has been
a time of real economic downturn," Saddler said. "While we look for
savings throughout the year, and have made cuts throughout the year,
there's been increase in demand for services, as you might expect
during an economic downturn."
State Rep. Lisa Dugan, D-Kankakee, said DHS should study the
programs it offers and find ways to consolidate.
"And I just want to make sure that as we look at this list, as
you guys look at the way the money is spent -- whether it may be in
your agency or, again, in conjunction with the others -- that we see
whether or not we're spending money for the same thing in all
different areas," Dugan said. "Why can't we just pull it together?"
State Rep. David Leitch, R-Peoria, questioned the $336 million
allocated for pay raises.
"So what do you mean 'lack of resources’? There's a lack of will
and a lack of setting, in my view, an appropriate ... priority for
spending this money," Leitch said.
According to the Governor's Office of Management and Budget
website, DHS received a total lump-sum budget of about $6.07 billion
for fiscal 2011.
Saddler said the agency didn't make cuts more quickly in its 2011
budget because they "hoped for additional revenue." Any cuts, she
said, directly impact people's lives. She also said that DHS would
rather have a line-by-line budget from the General Assembly.
"The lump-sum budget -- as the year progresses, you find out
where your deficits are and where perhaps, if any, where your
surpluses are," she said. "There were no surpluses anywhere."
According to Saddler, DHS provides services to 2.5 million people
every day through its programs, including Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families, known as TANF, which provides temporary financial
assistance for pregnant women and families with dependent children;
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides
food stamps; and WIC, which is a food assistance program for women,
infants and children.
The Governor's Office of Management and Budget website reports
that the DHS general funds have decreased by 10.6 percent from
fiscal 2011 to the upcoming fiscal year 2012.
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State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, chair of the committee,
asked why it is difficult for Illinoisans to apply for benefits
through DHS.
"Can you explain to the members of the committee, in the year
2011, why the flexibility of applying for TANF and having your case
being handled -- we are in the electronic age, are we not?"
Feigenholtz said.
Jennifer Hrycyna, associate director of the DHS Human Capital
Development Division, said the agency doesn't have the resources to
electronically keep and transfer applications among various DHS
offices.
Saddler said that IT investments are usually the first thing cut
when budgets are tight.
"One of the struggles that DHS has historically had is with the
need for technology investment, and yet we have this increasing
demand and budget reductions ... year to year," Saddler said. "And
the IT investment historically has been cut from the DHS budget.
It's one of the things that has been easiest to eliminate without
support long-term from DHS, the governor's office and the General
Assembly."
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By MARY J. CRISTOBAL]
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