On June 23, the Illinois legislature went into session, putting taxpayer pocketbooks at risk given Gov. Quinn’s demands.
The Illinois budget battle continued as Governor Quinn (the replacement for Governor Blagojevich) vetoed a plan that did not contain tax increases. Illinois’ spending has grown 45% per capita since 1998, with only a 4% growth in population. The message is clear: Illinois has an overspending problem that the governor is trying to exacerbate.
Gov. Quinn started out the special session with a veto because the bill that was sent to him did not contain the tax increases that he wanted. Of course the governor claims that the budget does not include enough funding for “human service programs,” but he fails to mention the pork programs that could be cut from the Illinois budget without reaching into taxpayer wallets. According to the Illinois Policy Institute, the proposed budget contains $3.1 billion in pork projects.
Even though there are "not enough" taxes, there is plenty of pork; the taxpayers will have to wait until he reconvenes the legislature July 14 to see how this one plays out. At least for the time being, tax hikes to fund the budget are being avoid, for the sake of the taxpayers of Illinois. Hopefully the Governor will realize the error in his ways and stop his assault on the taxpayer.
photo credit: iluvcocacola