 Quinn has called for a 1 percentage point increase in the state's
income tax -- from 3 percent to 4 percent -- to eliminate the need
for $1.3 billion in cuts to education, from kindergarten to the
university level.The governor refers to the tax increase as an
education "surcharge," but Republicans have refused to accept the
bureaucratic name and claim the tax increase would stifle economic
growth.
"His 33 percent increase would come at the cost of private-sector
business investment in Illinois," Brady said.
But Quinn has said the surcharge is necessary for the state to
continue providing quality education, although lawmakers so far have
resisted the idea. Nearly $1 billion in federal stimulus money
helped to plug this year's education budget, but no such federal
dollars exist for the coming school year.
"Ultimately we're going to have to deal with a 1 percent
surcharge for education," Quinn said. "I anticipate that will
happen, and we want to make sure that we do not turn our backs on
the students of Illinois or their parents."
Brady disagrees with a tax hike and instead points to his plan to
cut state agency spending by 10 percent across the board.
However, former GOP Gov. Jim Edgar last week called Brady's
budget plan "simplistic," after previously calling it "naive." Edgar
has said the state must cut spending and then increase taxes. A
disastrous fiscal situation in the early 1990s forced the Republican
governor to make drastic cuts and make permanent a temporary income
tax increase.
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But Brady sidestepped questions about Edgar's comments.
"People I talk to throughout Illinois are looking for a governor
who's got the courage to balance the budget without raising taxes.
People get it," Brady said. "They're sick and tired of a bloated
government -- a government that has not learned to live within its
means, a government that hasn't been managed. A 10 percent across
the board is simply 1 percent per year of what we've done over the
last 10 years."
And he steadfastly stuck with his "10 percent across the board"
strategy.
"If you want to do what Gov. Quinn does -- and that's just
kicking the can down the road without examining the entire state
spending, without looking at it -- you run into a problem," he said.
"But if
you're willing to focus and you're willing to start from ground zero
and you're willing to examine every dollar you spend, I firmly
believe we can save 10 percent."
During the coming weeks lawmakers will continue to wrangle over
the upcoming budget for the year set to begin July 1.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By JENNIFER WESSNER] |
