 Rauner said the shortfall for the current budget year, which ends May 30, was
simply stuck on the back burner until after the election.
Without naming names, the Winnetka Republican said the budget passed by a
Democratic-controlled legislature and OK’d by Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn was so
incomplete it was intentionally misleading.
“It’s just wrong – it’s just dishonest with the taxpayers (and) the families of
the state of Illinois.”
The governor-elect, who will be sworn in Jan. 12, did not offer a specific
solution to the short-term problems but promised things would change.
In general terms, Rauner discussed restructuring both Illinois government and
Illinois taxation.
Illinois’ over-reliance on property taxes has to end, he said.
“Us and New Jersey tied, basically, for the brutally highest property taxes.
It’s crushing our homeowners,” Rauner said.
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 Although he bemoaned an over-abundance of state boards and
panels, Rauner did say he plans a temporary “task force” including
representatives of his office, the legislature, municipalities,
counties and school districts to discuss state and local spending.
In response to a question, Rauner also indicated he planned
wholesale trimming or perhaps elimination of the state’s air fleet.
“We should not have the largest state fleet of planes in America,”
he said.
The governor-elect wasn’t all serious in his comments at a lunchtime
gathering at the Better Government Association in Springfield.
“You know what, I’m the dog that caught the car,” he said early in
his remarks.
[This
article courtesy of
Watchdog.]
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