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Illinois job growth still last in the Midwest The
numbers don't lie. The latest U.S. Department of Labor statistics
show Illinois ranks 46th in the nation in terms of job growth and
economic recovery since a national turnaround in the summer of 2003.
And it's time that Gov. Rod Blagojevich accept some responsibility
for the burdensome private sector employment practices he has passed
since coming into office, including more than 300 taxes and fee
increases.
Illinois gained only 39,500 jobs from January 2003, the beginning
of the Blagojevich administration, through February 2006 -- just a
0.7 percent increase. Meanwhile, every other surrounding state has
gained in a range of nearly 50,000 to more than 75,000 jobs during
the same period. Some states have boosted their employment rolls by
nearly 4 percent.
The governor's proposed fiscal 2007 budget contains more than
$130 million in new taxes on Illinois employers -- threatening
thousands of jobs. The governor's proposed budget includes a canned
software tax, for $48 million; a stealth gas tax, for $44 million;
and the so-called closing of several tax loopholes, for $45 million.
The governor has also proposed increasing the state's minimum
wage to $7.50, creating drastically higher costs for Illinois'
businesses. If implemented, Illinois' higher minimum wage would be
second only to the minimum wage in the state of Washington.
While Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Iowa are all far
ahead of Illinois in their employment increases, states comparable
to Illinois in population and demographics (Texas, Pennsylvania,
Florida and California) are all far ahead as well.
For more information on the status of Illinois' job climate,
visit the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics site at
www.bls.gov.
Capital projects worth a look, but Democratic plan lacks details
Road projects, new schools, water and sewer system improvements
are important to the vitality of communities all across Illinois. We
all agree on that. My fellow Senate Republicans and I support the
concept of a capital projects program, but the $4.3 billion plan
currently being floated by Democrats lacks important details.
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 Based on the governor's demonstrated lack of honest,
straightforward dealings with lawmakers, it is not unreasonable that
we need a lot more information and strong guarantees about this $4.3
billion capital projects plan. We want to know how the debt will be
repaid. We want to know which projects in which communities will get
funding. We need to know if there will be more "pay-to-play"
politics when it is determined which companies will handle the
financing.
Two capital projects bills,
Senate Bill 668 and
Senate Bill 3053, were debated extensively by the Senate on
April 6, but neither bill received the 36 votes needed to advance.
It is also important to note that funding for many capital
projects, including projects approved by prior governors, was rather
arbitrarily frozen soon after Blagojevich took office in 2003. This
kind of behavior, as well as a number of other financial
shenanigans, does not generate a lot of confidence or trust in any
borrowing plan proposed by this administration. It's my hope that
our questions will be answered and that the governor will work with
both Republicans and Democrats to put together a fair and
responsible program we all can support.
Protecting families of fallen soldiers
Under legislation approved by the Illinois Senate on April 5, the
families of fallen soldiers will be protected from hate-filled
protests at military funeral services.
Senate Bill 1144 creates the "Let Them Rest in Peace Act" to
prohibit loud and inflammatory protests within 200 feet of all
funeral services. The restriction is for 30 minutes before a
funeral, during the service and 30 minutes afterward.
The legislation was inspired by the Westboro Baptist Church of
Topeka, Kansas, a fundamentalist group that pickets the burials of
soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, carrying signs that read
"Thank God for dead soldiers" and other such hate-filled slogans.
Similar legislation is being considered in Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont,
Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Senate Bill 1144 now moves to the House of Representatives for
consideration.
[Column from
Sen. Bill Brady] |
