It’s often said that budgeting is a reflection of priorities, and that is particularly true when it comes to policies and programs the Illinois General Assembly determines is worthy of investment. As lawmakers enter the final days of the spring legislative session, they have a unique opportunity to reset the way the state funds higher education and prioritize the success of our students and communities.

Higher education provides the most direct path for economic mobility, especially for underserved students, including minority, low-income and first-generation students. But decades of underfunding for public universities have increasingly put higher education out of reach for many, forcing tuition rates up while also leading to fewer support services for students most in need. The Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Formula (HB1581) could help reverse these troubling trends by increasing support for public universities, making higher education more accessible for students of all backgrounds — not just those who have more resources.

Faith communities come together to care for one another and stand for what is right. We meet people where they are and seek to meet their needs while helping them toward a better path. Likewise, not all students arrive at their university with their basic needs fully met. Universities can help bridge the gap by providing wraparound services such as academic support and mental health programs, but without additional funding, these programs are at risk. That means some students can’t get the support they need to complete their degree, which is not a reflection of their academic abilities but rather a reality of engrained economic barriers. Compounding these challenges, Monetary Award Program grants that support low-income students have already been fully allocated for the next school year. For many, this aid is what makes the difference between pursuing a degree and being forced to forgo it.

It’s time for lawmakers to act. Delaying equitable funding for public universities only harms students and the promise they hold for our state. Let’s prioritize economic opportunity for all, especially those who have long been overlooked.

— The Rev. Michael Pfleger, senior pastor, St. Sabina Catholic Church, Chicago

Tent clearing was traumatic

At a cleaning last month at Field (Eugene) Park, I witnessed Chicago Department of Family & Support Services and Park District staff act unreasonably and cruelly toward our unhoused neighbors. DFSS has since claimed observers were harassing staff. But I was there.

The people whose few belongings were being arbitrarily picked up and thrown by a crane into the trash were not harassing staff. They were fighting to keep their supplies, clothes, art and lifelines. We were there to help them and document what was happening.

I watched a resident’s paintings, tapestries and decorations lifted into the air with a crane and dropped into the trash. The resident asked why over and over, and no one could give a real answer beyond saying there were “pallets constituting a structure,” so everything had to go. I asked if they could simply remove the pallets instead and was sharply told no.

By then, there were at least a dozen officers present, along with as many or more DFSS and Park District employees. An excellent use of our tax dollars.

Two observers, braver than I was, tried to stay within the perimeter, asking for documentation and reminding staff of the Homeless Bill of Rights. They ultimately helped residents rescue their cat and a few belongings before the crane destroyed their homes. People were sobbing. I couldn’t help but cry with them.

On May 20 and 21, Field Park was cleaned again. Observers were directed to stand behind the now-infamous crane truck and in the overgrown grasslands, making it impossible to see what was happening. When the truck left, two tents were gone — neither of which was tagged. Efforts to retrieve the belongings in those tents were ignored. There does not even seem to be a process for doing so.

The punishment for going to work during a cleaning was losing everything the residents owned.

These cleanings were devastating, and they are a visceral reminder that the greatest crime under capitalism is being poor.

While this was difficult for me to witness, the real victims are the people who had to plead for their belongings and were left with even less than what little they had. We can and should expect better from ourselves and from city leadership.

We need consistency in policymaking and enforcement around cleanings and sweeps. We need alternative models of safety and care. Parks are common spaces where our collective good should be prioritized.

— Tamara Fouché, Chicago

Preventing relapse after treatment

Illinois continues confronting rising behavioral health demands while state and federal policymakers debate Medicaid eligibility rules, work requirements and spending reductions. Much of that discussion still assumes people become stable immediately after leaving addiction treatment programs.

Recovery providers across Illinois know that is rarely the case.

The weeks immediately following discharge from residential treatment remain one of the highest-risk periods for relapse or overdose. Many people leave treatment committed to rebuilding their lives — but without stable housing, transportation, employment or reliable support systems.

At the same time, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services continues processing Medicaid eligibility redeterminations following the end of pandemic-era continuous-coverage protections. Nationally, millions of people have already lost Medicaid coverage during the unwinding process, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Many lost coverage because of paperwork problems or administrative communication failures rather than confirmed ineligibility.

For people in early recovery, even temporary coverage interruptions can destabilize progress.

Gaps in Medicaid coverage can delay counseling appointments, medication-assisted treatment, psychiatric care and transportation access. Recovery housing providers often help residents resolve these issues because many are still rebuilding the ability to manage appointments, paperwork and daily responsibilities consistently.

The conversation surrounding work requirements also deserves greater realism. Employment remains an important part of long-term recovery, and many recovery housing programs already require residents to pursue work and participate in structured daily responsibilities. But recovery timelines rarely move in predictable stages. People leaving treatment often need transitional support before they can consistently maintain full-time employment.

When continuity of care breaks down, the consequences eventually reappear inside emergency rooms, homeless shelters and criminal justice systems. Cook County and suburban municipalities continue managing repeated behavioral health crises that become more expensive once people lose access to stable treatment and recovery support.

Recovery rarely stabilizes within a 30-day treatment window. Illinois should align Medicaid policy and long-term recovery support around the realities of addiction recovery rather than administrative assumptions about immediate independence.

— Jim O’Connor, certified alcohol and drug counselor and founder, The Second Story Foundation

Restrict phones in classrooms

Phones are a modern problem for educational learning. Students are continuously tempted to use their phone throughout the school day, causing disruptions in the learning environment. Many school leaders believe phones have caused a negative impact on students’ learning; therefore, schools should embrace policies to restrict access to phones during the school day.

Even with policies in place to prevent phone usage during classes, many students still bring their phones into the classroom and use them. A decline in mental health and attention span creates a learning environment that is hostile to teachers.

Teachers and parents should voice their concerns to their local schools about applying policies that would better restrict phone access in the classroom. For example, phone pouches could prevent students from succumbing to the urge to look at their phones.

Together, we can ensure the educational prosperity for this generation and all to come.

— Zohaib Mustafa, Carpentersville

Note to readers

We’d like to hear from CTA riders about what frustrates you about the CTA as well as what you’re grateful for. (Sincere thoughts only.) Send a letter by Thursday, May 28 of no more than 400 words to letters@chicagotribune.com. Be sure to include your full name and city/town.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.