Deficit

 Looks as if SIUC is running a deficit of about $10 million. Not as bad as the $19 million it was down in 2019 but still not good. Appears that athletics accounts for about $8 million of that and health services another million. Handing out optional bonuses to top administrators is certainly not a good look when the university is running in the red, but then neither is  an extensive focus on athletics to the detriment of other areas, such as infrastructure.

Why Illinois Is in Such a Mess

Charlie Wheeler, of the Public Affairs Reporting Program at UI-Springfield, has a pretty good analysis of why the state is in the financial mess it is in and, no, it doesn't involve unions.