Illinoisans donated almost $45,000 on their 2009 state income tax returns to crisis nurseries in Illinois, part of a checkoff system designed to help charitable causes.
None of that money has reached the Crisis Nursery of Champaign County — or any other nursery across the state.
Instead, the money is being used to pay other state bills, at least temporarily.
In all, state officials have borrowed $1.176 million in fiscal 2011 from 11 tax checkoff funds, according to figures provided by the Office of Management and Budget.
That's on top of $434,000 that was "swept," or taken permanently, from seven funds in fiscal 2010, part of a much broader emergency funds sweep approved by the General Assembly to address a huge budget gap.
Ken Dillenburg