The Illinois General Assembly threw a triple knockout to us Prairie Staters who care for accountable government, the environment and reducing the number of homeless pets.
The knockout happened on October 7, 2008, when Senate Bill 0790 passed, and we’re still feeling the bruises.
What the bill did was literally “sweep” $221,250,000 from funds where money was earmarked for specific purposes. Now, let’s look at how we’re getting hosed:
We’ll start with the Pet Population Control Fund, where $250,000 was “swept” out of there to go to the Budget Relief Fund.
The Pet Population Control fund subsidizes low-cost spay/neuter services for low-income people who are on SSI Disability or have a LINK card. Now before anyone howls about using tax dollars to pay for this program, the fact is that this program is funded SOLELY by fines and a surcharge collected from people who buy Pet-Friendly license plates.
Thanks to the budget sweep, the Pet Population Control stopped taking applications for low-cost spay/neuter around April, months before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.
I can’t speak for others, but I can tell you I’d be mighty miffed if I paid $50 extra for my license plates, believing that it was going to help reduce animal suffering, then come to find out that it was “swept” away and not to be replaced (I have word from Brenda Love, at the Illinois Department of Public Health, that the funds will not be repaid.)
Because the heist happened under the capitol dome of the statehouse, and not at the receiving end of revolver, it’s legal – so far.
For the people who purchased Pet-Frendly license plates, this was a bait-and-switch. The word “fraud” comes to
mind. This didn’t seem to bother our legislators though, who apparently had no qualms robbing money from dedicated funds, including this paltry little fund that is used to reduce suffering.
Every day that passes without spaying or neutering eligible animals means that there are more dogs and cats reproducing out there. – and they’re won’t be enough homes for all the puppies and kittens being born.
For all those unwanted dogs and cats that will be born because of the fund “sweep,” it means a lot more suffering and death. Local governments will be left to deal with the results, and those unwanted animals will pay the ultimate price.
Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
More later …..
