Nice post about the state budget.

I enjoyed this post from PeoriaStory about the Illinois budget. Another article here at the Peoria Journal Star explained the budget problem's implications for higher education.

One thing I don't understand is why the Comptroller's Office says in this fiscal year (which is in its eighth month now) that $1.9 billion has been given to higher education, including, according to the Comptroller's website, $583,369,628 to the University of Illinois (leaving only $184,417,870 unexpended). If the state has given $583 million to the University of Illinois and only has $184 million left to give, then how can it be true, as we're told, that the state is way behind on its funding for the U of I. We're being given (temporary) pay cuts and the reasoning is that since the Illinois State hasn't given the money allocated to the University, therefore we must make these sacrifices to get by. And yet, according to my understanding of what the Comptroller's Office claims, the University has had much of it's allocation expended. So, what happened to the $583 million supposedly given to the University of Illinois for FY 2010?

- Eric