Early life
Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Sonya (née Copeland) and Robert Solomon Carson, a Seventh-day Adventist minister.[4] Both his parents came from rural Georgia.[4] The results of a DNA test on the television series African American Lives estimated his ancestry as 20% European and 80% African, including ancestors within the Makua people.[5] His parents divorced when he was eight, and he and his ten-year-old brother Curtis were raised by their mother.[6]
In his book Gifted Hands, Carson relates that in his youth, he had a violent temper. Once, while in the ninth grade, he nearly stabbed a friend during a fight over a radio station.[7] After this incident, he began reading the Book of Proverbs, applying verses on anger and thereafter "never had another problem with temper".[8][9][10]
Carson attended Southwestern High School in Southwest Detroit where he excelled in JROTC, a program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces. He quickly rose in rank and was offered an appointment to West Point,[11] but never went on to serve in the military.[12]
Carson graduated from Yale University, where he majored in psychology.[13] He received his M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School,[14][15] and completed his residency in neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.[16]
Medical career
Carson was a professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatrics, and he was the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.[17] At 33, he became the youngest major division director in the hospital's history as director of pediatric neurosurgery. He was also a co-director of the Johns Hopkins Craniofacial Center.
Carson specialized in traumatic brain injuries, brain and spinal cord tumors, achondroplasia, neurological and congenital disorders, craniosynostosis, epilepsy, and trigeminal neuralgia.[17]
Carson believes his hand–eye coordination and three-dimensional reasoning made him a gifted surgeon.[18] After medical school, he became a neurosurgery resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He began his career as a neurosurgeon, but also developed an interest in pediatrics.[18]
In 1987, Carson successfully separated conjoined twins, the Binder twins, who had been joined at the back of the head (craniopagus twins). The 70-member surgical team, led by Carson, worked for 22 hours. Both twins survived.[19][20][21]
Carson figured in the revival of the hemispherectomy, a drastic surgical procedure in which part or all of one hemisphere of the brain is removed to control severe pediatric epilepsy. He refined the procedure in the 1980s, encouraged by John M. Freeman,[22] and performed it many times.[23][24]
Carson has served on the boards of the Kellogg Company, Costco, and the Academy of Achievement.[25] He is an emeritus fellow of the Yale Corporation.[25][26][27]
In March 2013, Carson announced he would retire as a surgeon, stating "I'd much rather quit when I'm at the top of my game".[28] His retirement became official on July 1, 2013.[29]
Awards and honors
Carson is a member of the American Academy of Achievement,[30] Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society,[31] and the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.[32] Carson has been awarded 38 honorary doctorate degrees and dozens of national merit citations.[33] Detroit Public Schools opened the Dr. Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine[34] for students interested in pursuing healthcare careers. The school is partnering with Detroit Receiving Hospital and Michigan State University.[35]
- In 2000, he received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.[36]
- In 2001, he was elected by the Library of Congress on the occasion of its 200th anniversary to be one of the 89 who earned the designation Library of Congress Living Legend.[37]
- In 2004, he was appointed to serve on The President's Council on Bioethics.[38]
- In 2005, Carson was awarded the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership.[39]
- In 2006, he received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, their highest honor for outstanding achievement.[40]
- In 2008, the White House awarded Carson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.[41]
- In 2008, Ford’s Theatre Society awarded Carson the Ford's Theatre Lincoln Medal, for exemplifying the qualities embodied by President Abraham Lincoln—including courage, integrity, tolerance, equality, and creative expression—through superior achievements.[42][43]
- In 2008, U.S. News & World Report named Carson as one of "America's Best Leaders".[44]
- In 2010, he was elected into the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.[45]
- In 2012, Carson was the Influential Marylander Award recipient from The Daily Record, Baltimore's legal and business newspaper.[46]
- In 2014, a poll of Americans conducted by Gallup ranked Carson sixth on a list of the most admired men in the world.[47]
Writing
Carson is the author of many articles in peer-reviewed journals. He has also written six bestselling[48] books published by Zondervan, an international Christian media and publishing company. The first book is an autobiography, and two are about his personal philosophies of success (hard work, faith).
On July 8, 2013, Carson joined The Washington Times as a weekly opinion columnist. He also writes for American CurrentSee, an online publication for conservative African-Americans.[49]
Political affiliation and views
Carson said in 2013 that he was not a member of any political party.[50] However, he joined the Republican Party on November 4, 2014, the day the 2014 midterms took place, as "truly a pragmatic move" because he was considering running for president in 2016.[51] In his book America the Beautiful, he explained his decision to enter politics: "I believe it is a very good idea for physicians, scientists, engineers, and others trained to make decisions based on facts and empirical data to get involved in the political arena".[52][53]
Abortion and human fetal tissue
Carson has stated that he is pro-life.[54] After news about Planned Parenthood and undercover videos[55] revealed executives in the organization discussing the extraction and distribution of tissue from aborted fetuses, he condemned the videos and stated to Fox News, "there's nothing that can’t be done without fetal tissue."[56] Soon after, it was revealed[57] he had previously done research where the doctors applied, "human choroid plexus ependyma and nasal mucosa from two fetuses aborted in the ninth and 17th week of gestation."[58] He was interviewed, after the research was identified, in order to resolve the apparent conflict by stating to the Washington Post, "If you’re killing babies and taking the tissue, that’s a very different thing than taking a dead specimen and keeping a record of it".[59]
Cannabis legalization
Carson is against the legalization of recreational cannabis. He believes it to be a gateway drug that leads to more serious drug use.[60][61][62]
Economy and taxes
Carson has suggested that the U.S. abandon its current tax system in favor of a flat tax, arguing that a flat tax would eliminate loopholes and cheating. During a debate on September 15, 2015, Carson called progressive taxation, "socialism."[63] Carson has also advocated for a national luxury tax on "very expensive items".[64][65] Carson believes in raising the minimum age to receive Social Security benefits, "because people are living longer, straining the solvency of the program".[66]
Gun control
Carson stated in a 2013 interview with Glenn Beck that semi-automatic firearms should be better regulated in large cities and high-crime areas.[67] This statement has caused some with conservative views on gun control to question if his views were at odds with most conservatives. Later, clarifying that "This isn’t any evolution of my views, just that I’ve learned how to express myself," he stated that he is strongly in favor of the Second Amendment and that while guns being used on innocent people "is horrible," it "is not nearly as horrible as having a population that is defenseless against a group of tyrants who have arms. And that is what we have to bear in mind."[68] He also said that if in a position of national authority, he would allow citizens to own any weapons, including automatic and semi-automatic guns, that they could buy[69] and that he would not support any efforts to restrict the Second Amendment.[70]
Healthcare
Affordable Care Act
On October 11, 2013, Carson spoke at the conservative Values Voters Summit in Washington, D.C., where he called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) "the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery," further adding that it is a form of slavery because it "[makes] all of us subservient to the government." He claimed that the ideology behind the ACA originated with Vladimir Lenin, and quoted Lenin as saying that "socialized medicine is the keystone to the establishment of a socialist state".[71] There is no evidence that Lenin actually said this, but the purported quote appears on a number of conservative websites.[72][73] After an onslaught of criticism, Carson denied that he was "equating Obamacare with slavery" in an October 15 Washington Times column and denounced the "PC police" for attempting "to discredit and... silence" him.[74] During the National Prayer Breakfast, Carson said about the ACA: "Here's my solution. When a person is born, give him a birth certificate, an electronic medical record and a health savings account [HSA]".[75]
Criticism of health insurance companies
In a 2009 interview, Carson said that he found the "concept of for-profits for the insurance companies" absurd. He continued, "The first thing we need to do is get rid of for-profit insurance companies. We have a lack of policies and we need to make the government responsible for catastrophic health care. We have to make the insurance companies responsible only for routine health care."[76][77]
In 2014, Carson wrote in support of expanded use of health savings accounts, plus a system "similar to Medicare and Medicaid" to address "complex pre-existing or acquired maladies".[78] More generally, his position is that, "we need to remove health care from the political arena and recognize that any government proposals affecting the health of all citizens should be free market-based and should be so appealing that it would not be necessary to force citizens into the program."[79]
End-of-life care
In 1992, Carson wrote that aging and technological advancement will eventually lead to many people surviving their 100th birthdays.[80] He questioned the merits of prolonging life, citing the fact that "up to half of the medical expenses incurred in the average American's life are incurred during the last six months of life". He discussed the "dignity of dying in comfort, at home, with an attendant if necessary". Carson also stated: "Decisions on who should be treated and who should not be treated would clearly require some national guidelines... If a patient insisted on having everything done, consideration of more aggressive treatment should be given."[77][80][81] In January 2015, Carson stated that his views have evolved since 1992.[82][83]
Immigration
In the Washington Times, Carson wrote: "Once illegals have legal status, it will be difficult to deny them any of the multitudinous entitlements that are freely distributed throughout our society." Nevertheless, Carson believes that illegal immigrants should be able to register as guest workers and have a pathway to apply for permanent resident status.[66]
Religion
See also: Seventh-day Adventist theology
Evolution and creationism
Ben Carson endorses Seventh-day Adventist theology, which includes belief in a literal reading of the first chapters of Genesis.[84]
Carson's views on evolution and creationism have been controversial.[85] In a 2006 debate with Richard Dawkins, Francis Collins, and Daniel Dennett, Carson stated: "I don't believe in evolution... I simply don't have enough faith to believe that something as complex as our ability to rationalize, think, and plan, and have a moral sense of what's right and wrong, just appeared."[86] In 2012, nearly 500 professors, students, and alumni of Emory University wrote a letter expressing concern about his views in advance of his commencement speech. They cited a quote in an interview with the Adventist Review: "By believing we are the product of random acts, we eliminate morality and the basis of ethical behavior."[87] Carson clarified:
Those of us who believe in God and derive our sense of right and wrong and ethics from God's word really have no difficulty whatsoever defining where our ethics come from. People who believe in survival of the fittest might have more difficulty deriving where their ethics come from. A lot of evolutionists are very ethical people.[85]
In a 2012 address to a Seventh-day Adventist audience, Carson discussed creationism and the Big Bang theory. He applied a junkyard tornado argument to the theory, and said it contradicts the second law of thermodynamics.[88] He argued that retrograde orbits in the solar system are inconsistent with conservation of angular momentum, which he said invalidates the Big Bang theory. Lawrence Krauss argues that, as Carson argues that Muslim candidates should be subjected to scrutiny about their religious beliefs, he too deserves scrutiny for how his worldview is inconsistent with the consensus of scientific information.[84]
Separation of church and state and Islam
In a 2014 op-ed article, Carson argued that separation of church and state in the First Amendment Establishment Clause has been "reinterpreted" by progressives away from its original intent, and that "our Judeo-Christian values have taken a big hit in recent years, we have not yet reached the point of a totally godless government".[89][90][91]
During a 2015 Meet the Press interview Chuck Todd asked Carson "Should a President's faith matter [to voters]?".[92] Carson stated, "I guess it depends on what that faith is. If it's inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter. But if it fits within the realm of America and consistent with the Constitution, no problem." When asked by Todd whether he believes Islam is consistent with the Constitution, Carson said: "No, I don't – I do not." He further stated, "I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that." He considers a Muslim running for Congress to be "a different story," however, saying that it would depend on who the Muslim is as well as their policies, just like it would be with any other person.[93]
Marriage and homosexuality
In March 2013, Carson described his views about same-sex marriage on Hannity, saying: "Marriage is between a man and a woman. No group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality, it doesn't matter what they are. They don't get to change the definition."[94] Carson's comments drew criticism for using "gays" in the same sentence as pedophiles and practitioners of bestiality. A group of Hopkins students petitioned that he be replaced as the university's commencement speaker.[94][95]
Several days later, Carson withdrew as Hopkins's commencement speaker and apologized, saying that "the examples were not the best choice of words", adding that the Bible "says we have an obligation to love our fellow man as ourselves, and I love everybody the same—all homosexuals".[95][96] He said on CNN that he loved all people, whether gay or straight.[94] Carson added, "I was trying to say that as far as marriage was concerned, it has traditionally been between a man and a woman and no one should be able to change that."[97]
In October 2014, Carson was added to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)'s extremist watch list because of his association with groups considered by SPLC to be extremist in nature, "linking gays with pedophiles", and his comparison of health care and liberal government to slavery and totalitarianism.[98][99] In February 2015, the SPLC removed his name and apologized to Carson,[100][101][102][103][104][105] stating:
"In October 2014, we posted an 'Extremist File' of Dr. Ben Carson. This week, as we've come under intense criticism for doing so, we've reviewed our profile and have concluded that it did not meet our standards, so we have taken it down and apologize to Dr. Carson for having posted it. We've also come to the conclusion that the question of whether a better-researched profile of Dr. Carson should or should not be included in our 'Extremist Files' is taking attention from the fact that Dr. Carson has, in fact, made a number of statements that express views that we believe most people would conclude are extreme."[106]
In a March 2015 interview with Chris Cuomo, Carson stated that homosexuality was "absolutely" a choice, claiming that "a lot of people go into prison straight, and when they come out, they're gay".[107] In a Facebook post, Carson apologized, saying that he "[does] not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation."[108][109] In a Facebook post, Carson said that he supports civil unions for gay couples and that he has "for many years".[110]
National Prayer Breakfast speech on social and fiscal issues
Carson was the keynote speaker at the February 7, 2013 National Prayer Breakfast.[111] In his speech, he commented on political correctness ("dangerous", because it goes against freedom of expression), education, health care, and taxation. Regarding education, he spoke favorably about graduation rates in 1831, when Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States, and when "anybody finishing the second grade was completely literate". He espoused the idea of a tax-exempt health savings account created at birth, that can be bequeathed at death, along with an electronic medical record and birth certificate. He supports a flat tax, which he calls the "proportional tax" in reference to the biblical tithe.[112]
At the White House in 2008 for an award.
The speech garnered Carson considerable attention because the event is normally apolitical in nature, and the speech was critical of the philosophy and policies of President Barack Obama, who was sitting 10 feet away.[113] Conservative commentators from Rush Limbaugh to Sean Hannity and Neil Cavuto of Fox News praised the speech as an example of speaking "truth to power". The Wall Street Journal titled one of its op-eds "Ben Carson for President".[114] Columnist Star Parker wrote that he "owes no apology for honest talk".[115] Fox contributor Cal Thomas and commentator Bob Beckel, however, found his comments inappropriate.[116][117]
In an interview with Neil Cavuto, Carson defended himself, "Somebody has to be courageous enough to stand up to the bullies".[118] On February 8, he appeared on Hannity, and said that he would run for president "If the Lord grabbed me by the collar and made me do it".[119]
After the speech, Carson said: "I don't think it was particularly political...You know, I'm a physician".[120] Regarding the policies of President Obama, he said: "There are a number of policies that I don't believe lead to the growth of our nation and don't lead to the elevation of our nation. I don't want to sit here and say all of his policies are bad. What I would like to see more often in this nation is an open and intelligent conversation".[120]
In the National Review, Jonah Goldberg compared Carson to Booker T. Washington,[121] while David Graham compared him to Herman Cain without the "personal skeletons" in The Atlantic.[122]
Carson's sudden popularity among conservatives led to him being invited as a featured speaker at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). He tied for seventh place in the Washington Times/CPAC 2013 Straw Poll with 4% of the 3,000 ballots cast.[123][124] In the 2014 CPAC straw poll, he came in third place with 9% of the vote, behind senators Ted Cruz of Texas (with 11%) and Rand Paul of Kentucky (31%).[125]
Carson had a strong showing in the polls at the 2013 and 2014 Values Voter Summits: in 2013, he tied with former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum for second place with 13%, behind Ted Cruz's 42%. In 2014, he took 20% of the Values Voter Summit vote to Cruz's 25% and came in first place for the vice presidential poll.[126][127]
2016 presidential campaign
Main article: Ben Carson presidential campaign, 2016
In January 2015, The Weekly Standard reported that the Draft Carson Committee had raised $13 million by the end of 2014, shortly after Carson performed well in a CNN/ORC poll of potential candidates in December 2014, coming in second in two different versions. He came in second with 10% behind Mitt Romney's 20%, but in the same poll with Romney removed from the list, Carson closed the gap with 11% to Jeb Bush's 14%.[128][129] The Wall Street Journal mentioned that the Draft Carson Committee had chairmen in all of Iowa's 99 counties, and that Carson had recently come in first place in two separate Public Policy polls for the state of Pennsylvania.[130][131]
On May 3, 2015, Carson confirmed his candidacy for President in an interview with a local television station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The next day, on May 4, 2015, he officially announced he was running for the Republican nomination in the 2016 Presidential election at a rally in Detroit, his hometown.[3]
Carson Scholars Fund
In 1994, Carson and his wife started the Carson Scholars Fund, which gave scholarships to students in grades 4–11 for "academic excellence and humanitarian qualities".[132] They founded it after reading that U.S. students ranked second to last in terms of math and science testing among 22 countries. They also noticed that schools awarded athletes with trophies whereas honor students only received "a pin or certificate".
Recipients of the Carson Scholars Fund get a $1,000 scholarship towards their college education. It has awarded 6,700 scholarships.[132][133] In recognition for his work with the Carson Scholars Fund and other charitable giving throughout his lifetime, Carson was awarded the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership in 2005.[134]
Personal life
Carson and his wife, Lacena "Candy" Rustin, met in 1971 as students at Yale University. They married in 1975 and have three sons: Murray, Benjamin Jr., and Rhoeyce. They live in West Friendship, Maryland, and are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[135][136]
Carson was baptized at Burns Seventh-day Adventist Church on Detroit's eastside. A few years later he told the pastor at a church in Inkster, Michigan he was attending that he had not fully understood his first baptism and wanted to be baptized again, so he was. He has served as a local elder and Sabbath School teacher in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[137] His mother is a devout Seventh-day Adventist.[138]
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Ben Carson–as described by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bendhazi Backfire?
A former investigator with the House Select Committee on Benghazi is accusing the Republican-led panel of carrying out a politically motivated investigation targeting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton instead of the thorough and objective fact-finding mission it was set up to pursue.
Maj. Bradley Podliska, an intelligence officer in the Air Force Reserve who describes himself as a conservative Republican, tells CNN that the committee trained its sights almost exclusively on Clinton after the revelation that she used a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. That new focus flipped a broad-based probe of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, into what Podliska describes as "a partisan investigation."
Maj. Bradley Podliska, an intelligence officer in the Air Force Reserve who describes himself as a conservative Republican of state. That new focus flipped a broad-based probe of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, into what Podliska describes as "a partisan investigation."
Podliska, who was fired after nearly 10 months as an investigator for the Republican majority, is now preparing to file a lawsuit against the select committee alleging that he lost his job in part because he resisted pressure to focus his investigative efforts solely on the State Department and Clinton's role surrounding the Benghazi attack. He also alleges he was fired because he took leave from the committee to fulfill his military service obligations, which would be an unlawful firing. The committee strongly disputes his claims.
Watch Podliska's exclusive TV interview with CNN Sunday at 9 a.m. ET on "State of the Union."
What does Presidential Candidate, Ben Carson, stand for?
Well here is his political contribution request letter says.
Dear Reader,
I dedicated my life to helping children, and because I retired from medicine doesn't mean that mission is over.
I'm running for President so our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to think big, pursue happiness, and reach their full, God-given potential.
From the beginning, the Washington political class has said only someone with decades of "political experience" can be elected President.
I believe differently. So did our Founding Fathers. And now that I am leading in the polls, the American people do as well.
My campaign is built for the long haul — and I intend to win. We've received over 620,000 small grassroots donations from everyday, hardworking Americans, helping us to raise an astounding $21 million in the 3rd fundraising quarter. For a grassroots, outsider campaign this is an amazing feat, but we must keep moving forward.
Now that we've begun the 4th fundraising quarter, I ask you to join us by donating.
I didn't get into this race to lick the boots of billionaires. The only special interest group I'm interested in representing is "We the People."
As your President, I will secure the borders and enforce our laws. I will call our enemy by its name -- radical Islam -- and protect the American people. I will institute a flat tax that is simple and fair and close the special interest loopholes. I will protect religious liberty, because it's what makes America free.
Working together, I believe that our movement of "We the People" can make history and leave the Washington political class scratching their collective heads for years to come.
I hope you will decide to join me right now by making a donation.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely, 
Ben Carson
Carson America, Inc | P.O. Box 26261 | Alexandria, VA 22313
Why Chicago is shuttering anti-violence programs amid spike in shootings - CSMonitor.com
It might be politics as usual, but to some it’s a matter of life and death.
A prominent Chicago anti-violence program has lost its funding due to a political stalemate in the Illinois state government.
Operation CeaseFire deployed former gang members and felons to intervene in confrontations that can often lead to violence. It was brought to national prominence by the 2011 documentary “The Interrupters.” Researchers say gang involvement, shootings, and retaliatory killings have dropped since the introduction of the program.
When Illinois began running out of money because of a severe state budget deficit, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner froze money for the anti-violence program. CeaseFire was cut off before it could receive all $4.7 million it was allocated for the previous fiscal year.
Governor Rauner and Democrats, who control the legislature, are waging a political battle over the state budget while programs in Chicago and elsewhere are shuttered.
Chicago is grappling with gun violence nearly unmatched by any other city in the United States. Shootings and homicides are up 20 percent in the Midwest city compared to this time last year.
"Our kids in our communities are still dying," Autry Phillips told the Associated Press. He is the executive director of Target Area Development, a nonprofit organization on Chicago's South Side that was forced to end its CeaseFire program. "We're going to do what we can do, but we need funding. That's the bottom line."
Before this current freeze in funding, Rauner proposed cutting CeaseFire’s budget by nearly $3 million. A spokeswoman for the governor held Democrats responsible, citing their opposition to Rauner’s business-friendly agenda, which includes weakening labor unions. Rauner is a first time office holder and former venture capitalist.
"The governor has asked for structural reforms to free up resources to balance the budget, help the most vulnerable and create jobs," spokeswoman Lyndsey Walters said earlier this week. "Unfortunately, the majority party continues to block the governor's reforms and refuses to pass a balanced budget."
After Chicago police criticized the program because they said the staff wasn’t collaborating with law enforcement, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2013 canceled a one-year, $1 million contract for CeaseFire programs in two neighborhoods.
Today, six Chicago neighborhoods still have CeaseFire programs, while more than 12 have closed in nearby communities because of funding
Why Chicago is shuttering anti-violence programs amid spike in shootings - CSMonitor.com
Colleges worry about spring semester if budget feud continues - DailyHerald.com
State officials say some community colleges have expressed concern about having to cut back class and program offerings for the spring semester if the ongoing budget feud in Springfield drags on into next year.
Local community colleges aren't getting state money via court orders like many programs are, so any money owed to them since July 1 hasn't been sent.
"We are hearing from some of our colleges that they are worried about the spring semester," Illinois Community College Board spokesman Matthew Berry said.
In remarks this week, Gov. Bruce Rauner publicly raised the idea that the outcome of Illinois not having a budget could be even more severe.
"Universities and community colleges will not receive state funding, causing some to wonder whether they will be open for the second semester. Outrageous. Should not happen," Rauner said.
No local community colleges are talking publicly about drastic action, and how individual colleges will fare as the state budget impasse drags on could "vary widely," Berry said. Community colleges get a large share of their income from property taxes, and suburban districts tend to have higher property values than colleges elsewhere in the state. So the effects might be less serious in the suburbs.
Oakton Community College spokesman Paul Palian said he doesn't know of any class-cutting plans, but he said schools are "preparing to tighten our belts even further."
Palian said a main concern for students is whether colleges will be able to keep floating the need-based state-funded scholarships. Most Illinois colleges and universities are covering the cost of the Monetary Award Program for its students that qualify, counting on the state to come through and pay eventually.
That could get harder to do if the battle between Rauner and Democratic leaders lasts much longer.
"We're monitoring the situation in Springfield very closely," Palian said.
Harper College identified those scholarships as one of its concerns, too, saying in a statement "the college is committed to funding these expenses for the time being."
An Elgin Community College leader said future issues could be "difficult to predict."
"In the past, when the state has made late payments or missed payments, we have been forced to use funds from other areas to continue programs like adult education, (general education development), or (English as a second language)," Sharon Konny, the college's vice president of business and finance, said in a statement. "But if this impasse continues, it will certainly limit our ability to offer high quality educational and training opportunities to our district residents."
And College of DuPage board Chairwoman Kathy Hamilton didn't signal any problems ahead.
"We have cut our property tax levy, tuition, and our deficit while raising salaries by three percent," she said. "This shows that it's possible for community colleges to tighten their belts."
Rauner this week again tried to push Democrats to either help adopt his pro-business proposals or approve a budget without Republican support. Democrats, though, say it's the governor who had the chance to avoid the budget struggle.
"There is no question all of the disruption caused by the current impasse is due to the governor's decision to veto the spending plan approved by the legislature," House Speaker Michael Madigan said.
Lawmakers are due back in Springfield Oct. 20.
Colleges worry about spring semester if budget feud continues - DailyHerald.com
Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Raoul: “Inflexible demands plus willful amnesia is no recipe for any negotiation”
Raoul: “Inflexible demands plus willful amnesia is no recipe for any negotiation”
Friday, Oct 9, 2015
* From Sen. Kwame Raoul…
Yesterday, a member of the press asked if I am willing to meet the governor halfway.
I replied with an example I’ve used in the past, asking rhetorically if it would be appropriate for me to meet the governor halfway if his stated objective were to enslave me. I knew my words were jarring. I used them not in order to play the “race card,” but because they illustrate an unacceptable extreme.
In no way was I suggesting that the governor is a racist. His personal philanthropy and conduct toward me demonstrate otherwise.
The governor and I have worked together productively in the past and continue to do so. Just yesterday, Gov. Rauner, Leader Currie and I celebrated the expansion of the Chicago Innovation Exchange. Later, I attended a meeting of the criminal justice reform commission the governor convened shortly after taking office. Where we share ideological priorities, we’ve worked together, and where we differ, we’ve engaged in civil discussions. The governor has never failed to be a gentleman. That does not mean I must turn a blind eye to the disproportionate impact many of his demands would have on communities of color while harming low-income and middle-class families of every description.
This crisis won’t be resolved in an arm’s length back-and-forth in the media, and I remain willing to meet with the governor to discuss the topics on his agenda. But in my practice of law, I’ve represented employers in negotiations related to labor, workers’ compensation and civil lawsuits, and I know that when one side insists on extreme approaches as the only possible starting and ending point, a negotiation cannot bear fruit. We can’t forget that we live along a fragile continuum of progress. Not so long ago, employees had few protections and injured workers little recourse, civil justice failed the victims of corporate negligence and minorities were shafted at the ballot box and in redistricting.
The governor also prefers we forget that just six months ago, both Republicans and Democrats funded a set of critical priorities that are simply unsustainable without additional revenue. Instead, he’s content to accuse legislative Democrats – a diverse caucus – of uniformly wanting a tax increase, when in fact, most Republicans agree to the need for revenue, with their votes if not their voices.
I’m willing to negotiate, but a list of inflexible demands plus willful amnesia is no recipe for any negotiation, much less a successful one.
Ex-Gov. Ryan: Rauner, Madigan need to 'sit down and talk' | abc7chicago.com
Friday, October 09, 2015 05:32PM
CHICAGO (WLS) --
Former Illinois Governor George Ryan spoke about his time in federal prison at his first public appearance since being released in 2013. He also said cooperation is the key to getting things done in Springfield.
Ryan, 81, spoke at a lunch in Waukegan, Ill., sponsored by the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism, an organization that helps parolees avoid going back to prison.
"Justice is supposed to be blind. But the fact is most people are blind to the justice system," Ryan said.The Republican, who spent more than five years in prison after a federal corruption conviction, has kept a low profile since his release in 2013. Before his own legal troubles came to light, Ryan led the effort to abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
"He was the spearhead of that effort to abolish the state's death penalty. Please give him a round of applause for that," State Senator Kimberly Lightford, (D) Maywood, said.
Referencing the current budget stalemate in Springfield, State Senator Terry Link, a democrat from Vernon Hills, praised Ryan for being the last Republican governor with whom they got along.
"Where today we don't even see the governor, let alone try to work together on something," Link said.
"Governing is about cooperation and getting along. You're going to have your differences but you've always got to at some point resolve your differences and govern," Ryan said.
Ryan, who said he remains a loyal Republican, would not take sides in the current dispute. However, he said he could always make a deal with House Speaker Michael Madigan because they spoke with each other on a regular basis.
"They're not meeting, I understand," Ryan said of IL Gov. Bruce Rauner and Madigan. "And that's the first thing they've got to do is sit down and talk about things, maybe just the two of them," Ryan said.
Ex-Gov. Ryan: Rauner, Madigan need to 'sit down and talk' | abc7chicago.com