Leatherneck Nation

Neckfansince71 wrote: Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:50 pm Is there a chance we can put this subject to rest finally!!! I saw a number of job openings on Twitter for WIU a few minutes ago. It appears that WIU is now hiring! jc

as someone who has been trying to get on i hope they do hire however i hope they offer those who lost there jobs and stuck around the 1st opportunity to come back.

Tere North wrote:From President Thomas, "Western's allocation is $20.1 million in additional appropriation for FY2017 and $46.3 million for FY2018. This bill also provides full reimbursement for MAP grants for WIU (approximately $21 million for fiscal years 2017 and 2018)." Where did the money we used in FY17 come from if not the state? What have be borrowed against or taken from. Certainly we need to repay those funds, but we do NOT need to take this as a largesse and waste the recouped ~$30 million. We need to plan on ongoing reductions in state support. http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php ... e_id=14681

I'm pretty sure we covered MAP grants last year, and that's essentially what took our reserves down to zero. I'd imagine they'll try to put whatever they can of that back into reserves if at all possible. For the most part, I think they'll stick with operations as they have been over the last year or so, just with a bit less worry about job security for those still employed by the university.

We need to continue to save money wherever possible though, since funding is still down from the last actual budget.


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Approved spending plan appropriates $87.4 million to Western.

By Nicholas Ebelhack, Editor-in-Chief, "Western Courier"

After 736 days, the state of Illinois has ended its long-standing budget impasse, leaving Western Illinois University with funding for the upcoming year and additional funds to cover the cost of the Monetary Awards Program (MAP).

The spending plan allocates $46.3 million to Western for the current fiscal year in addition to $20.1 million for FY 17. Approximately $21 million is also allocated to Western for the reimbursement of MAP grant funding, which the university has covered over the course of the impasse.

The vetoed spending plan, in addition to an income tax increase that was described by Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday as a “two-by-four smacked across the forehead,” was overridden by the Illinois House of Representatives Thursday afternoon.

In a press release from University Relations, President Jack Thomas expressed relief in response to the spending plan.

“The long overdue spending bill that was passed will provide predictable operating dollars for Western Illinois University and public higher education,” Thomas said. “This will allow our University to continue to advance its longstanding mission of providing a quality, well-rounded, and comprehensive educational experience to a diverse student body.”

Thomas further stated in the press release that even though funds have been appropriated for Western for the first time in over two years that the university plans to continue conservative financial practices in the wake of the impasse.

“Unfortunately, to sustain operations, we have been forced to implement reductions in the form of furloughs, pay reductions, layoffs, hiring freezes, spending limits, and other cost-saving strategies,” Thomas said. “These measures have allowed us to continue to focus on our mission, which is to serve our students. My leadership team will continue to evaluate how recent state appropriations will impact the University’s overall budget.”

According to Thomas, the persistence of the campus community has reached a pay off, and the promise that “Western Illinois University has been open for 117 years and will continue to be open for 117 more,” will continue to persist as well.

leatherneckcountry wrote:

Neckfansince71 wrote: Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:50 pm Is there a chance we can put this subject to rest finally!!! I saw a number of job openings on Twitter for WIU a few minutes ago. It appears that WIU is now hiring! jc

as someone who has been trying to get on i hope they do hire however i hope they offer those who lost there jobs and stuck around the 1st opportunity to come back.

Yea, probably open positions that they'd had to hold open until we had a budget. Now they can work on getting contracts signed for all the faculty that they had to delay that for. I do know that the people that they laid off last year have all been at least offered positions. I'd imagine that this will go similarly. Offer the jobs to those that have been let go and are qualified, then start taking apps.


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After Two Years, Illinois Finally has a Budget.

From Tri-States Public Radio WIUM-FM:
http://tspr.org/post/after-two-years-il ... has-budget

Sadly, this budget does NOTHING to solve Illinois' financial problems. The state has a quarter trillion (yes, trillion with a T) dollar pension liability, and an additional 60 billion dollar retiree health insurance liability. Retirees will continue to receive their annual raises, and will not pay a PENNY in state income taxes on their fat pensions. Overtaxed residents will continue to flee Illinois by the thousands every year. The expected increased tax revenue will fall short of projections.

Illinois also voted today to borrow $6 billion to help make debt payments. Borrowing money to pay interest on your debt cannot go on forever.

Anything that can't go on forever, WON'T. Illinois will enter a death spiral at some point, and there is not a judge anywhere who will be able to force the state to make pension payments.

If your only retirement source is an Illinois pension, I strongly urge you to start saving as much money as possible, and/or find a job somewhere else.

Neckerchief wrote: Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:48 pm Sadly, this budget does NOTHING to solve Illinois' financial problems. The state has a quarter trillion (yes, trillion with a T) dollar pension liability, and an additional 60 billion dollar retiree health insurance liability. Retirees will continue to receive their annual raises, and will not pay a PENNY in state income taxes on their fat pensions. Overtaxed residents will continue to flee Illinois by the thousands every year. The expected increased tax revenue will fall short of projections.

Illinois also voted today to borrow $6 billion to help make debt payments. Borrowing money to pay interest on your debt cannot go on forever.

Anything that can't go on forever, WON'T. Illinois will enter a death spiral at some point, and there is not a judge anywhere who will be able to force the state to make pension payments.

If your only retirement source is an Illinois pension, I strongly urge you to start saving as much money as possible, and/or find a job somewhere else.

A person who sounds like they think like I do. I'm pleased Western will get their funding, but until they start curbing spending and revising state employee pensions and the like, they can take every dollar we make and still not break even. Jerks.

Neckerchief wrote: Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:48 pm Sadly, this budget does NOTHING to solve Illinois' financial problems. The state has a quarter trillion (yes, trillion with a T) dollar pension liability, and an additional 60 billion dollar retiree health insurance liability. Retirees will continue to receive their annual raises, and will not pay a PENNY in state income taxes on their fat pensions.

But remember, the pension problem was caused by 30 years of the state not funding the pensions as required, instead taking pension holidays or deferrals to fund "more fun stuff." You cannot blame the state employees on that one.

I do agree the retirement income should be taxed. It was tax exempt when save so it should be taxed now, at least that over say $40-50k/yr, similar to the way social security over a point is taxed.

I would be more than happy to pay state taxes on my "fat" pension and have said that a number of times to a number of people. jc

Neckfansince71 wrote:I would be more than happy to pay state taxes on my "fat" pension and have said that a number of times to a number of people. jc

I'm still quite a few years away from retirement, but ditto for me too.

Find a way to tax it, maybe over a certain amount so you don't hurt the ones who are barely getting by on their current pensions, then scale it up so that if you're getting a huge pension, it's much more highly taxed.


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