 Quinn outlined a $51.7 billion (state and federal funds) budget
proposal for fiscal 2011 to a joint session of the General Assembly
on Wednesday. Fiscal 2011 runs from July 1, 2010, through June 30,
2011.The governor is calling for $32.1 billion in general funds
spending -- basically, the state's operating budget -- but is estimating general funds revenues of
only $27.4 billion -- a budget hole
of $4.7 billion. In addition, Quinn's budget plan does nothing to
address the state's $6 billion backlog of unpaid bills, opting to
push them into the next budget year.
Quinn's budget plan does not rely on a higher income tax, but he
surprised lawmakers by asking for a 33 percent increase during his
budget address. Sen. Brady said the governor does not seem to
understand the lack of public and legislative support for an
increase.
"This is just another 'kick the can down the road' budget -- tax,
borrow and spend. The governor is not doing anything to bring jobs
back to Illinois. We have to focus on what we can do to create
interest in business investment in Illinois, creating jobs for
Illinois families," Brady said. "In the governor's first 12 months
in office, under his leadership, we lost 250,000 jobs -- more than
650 jobs per day. It is hard to encourage businesses to invest in a
state that is going to increase taxes by 33 percent, more than $3
billion, in a state that is just going to continue to borrow and dig
a deeper hole, in a state that is going to have a record deficit."
The 44th District senator says strong job growth -- not huge tax
increases -- is a better way to address budget woes. Illinois
has its highest unemployment rate since 1984 and currently ranks 47th in the nation in job growth. Systemic changes to Illinois
government are also needed to control spending: modernizing the
state's pension systems and reforming the Medicaid program by
implementing a managed care system that will improve access and care
for clients.
"It amazes me. If you keep doing the same thing, you are going to
get the same results. First, it was the Blagojevich-Quinn
administration. Now it's the Quinn administration. It's the same old
thing, year in, year out, digging a deeper hole," Brady said. "If we
are going to want to have real reform, we have got to have a clean
break from the politics of the past. We have to reform Illinois
spending. We have to reform our Medicaid system. We have to reform
our pension systems. We have to roll up our sleeves and live within
our means like families and businesses have done throughout the
state."
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The senator says legislative leaders must also address the
state's staggering debt, instead of adding to it year after year.
The state's current bond and pension debt of $104 billion -- the
second-highest in the nation -- translates into $8,300 for every
man, woman and child. With Quinn's proposed $8.8 billion in
borrowing for fiscal 2011, the total debt climbs to $113 billion --
or $8,800 for every person in Illinois.
The governor's budget proposal is the first step in a long
negotiation process, and Brady says he looks forward to working with
his fellow lawmakers to craft a fiscal plan that reflects the
spending priorities of 44th District citizens.
"Illinois is a great state, with great opportunities. The
governor wants to make it look like we are bankrupt. The fact of the
matter is, he is spending beyond our means, but we still have a lot
of resources -- tens of billions of dollars of resources we can
invest in educating our children, invest in our infrastructure and
transportation system, invest in our health care, invest in public
safety," Brady said. "But if you continue doing the same thing day
in and day out, you are going to get the same result. We have got to
have a clean break from that mentality and provide a government that
works for the people, not the politicians."
[Text from file sent on behalf
of
Sen.
Bill Brady by
Illinois Senate Republican staff]
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