 Quinn said Thursday that lawmakers are going to need to face the
realities of the state and take quick action on the 33 percent
income tax hike he made the mainstay of his re-election bid.
"Sometimes politicians of both parties want to wait till after the
election. I'm not one of those. I wanted to do it before the
election. But now it is after the election ... you gotta eat your
spinach. You gotta eat your spinach to grow up big and strong."
The governor insists his "1 percent surcharge" for education is
the cornerstone of a new budget that will be crafted next spring,
though Quinn sounds as if he expects at least some action during the
lame-duck session that starts Jan 3.
"It's time for the Legislature to come together with me and we'll
pass a plan, I imagine in early January. That's when we have to do
it, to get our finances on surer footing," said Quinn.
But even lawmakers from Quinn's own party aren't sure if the
General Assembly will agree to a tax increase, or will agree to
something before the new legislature takes over on Jan. 12.
State Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields, said the answer
is not "just a tax increase."
Hutchinson said lawmakers are going to have to look at raising
taxes, making cuts and borrowing. But she fears many lawmakers won't
be willing to make those hard choices.
"We just got through the election. It's not time to start
thinking about the next one. It's time to act," she said.
Illinois is struggling with a deficit approaching $14 billion,
including $5 billion in unpaid bills stretching back to July.
Hutchinson said the need for a real solution may get lost on
Quinn's Popeye talk.
"I'm tired of this tax increase being played for political
games," she said. "The cost of doing nothing is going up each day.
And Illinois cannot afford to do nothing."
State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said the governor has a
point even if he's stretching to make it hit home.
"I'm not much of a spinach eater myself. But Gov. Quinn's point
is well taken," Jacobs said. "(Illinois) is going to have to find
more money or face collapse."
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Jacobs has said for months that the people of Illinois are going
to have to decide how much government they are willing to pay for.
He said voters appear to have done that by electing Quinn to a full
term.
"The governor is right. Now it's time to put up or shut up,"
Jacobs said. "And eat some spinach."
But both senators say they want the Illinois House to vote on
Quinn's income tax increase first. The Senate passed its own version
of a tax hike last year. Many senators had to then deal with the
fallout from that during the election.
There are no plans for a vote in the House anytime soon. A
spokesman for House Speaker Mike Madigan said that Quinn has talked
about a number of "evolving plans" but has not presented a final
product.
Spokesman Steve Brown said Madigan has expressed "support to pay
Illinois bills" but wants the same commitment from Republican
lawmakers.
Jacobs said there could be some GOP votes for a tax hike in early
January because out-going lawmakers may be willing to go out on a
limb.
"We saw civil unions pass in the veto session. Passing a tax hike
is not nearly as tough as passing civil unions," said Jacobs.
Lawmakers return to Springfield on Jan. 3 for a handful of
lame-duck session days.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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