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State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, is calling for
more transparency of the state’s spending. During a Wednesday
news conference he highlighted the executive assistant at the
Illinois Emergency Management Agency billing the state nearly
$50,000 a month for her salary.
“The people in charge of this great state have no understanding
of what it means to respect taxpayers' money when they allow
this to happen, and what do we expect from a governor who’s
spending his time jetting off to Miami running for the White
House,” McLaughlin said.
Illinois has been criticized by several nonpartisan
organizations on its budgeting, including Truth in Accounting.
The think tank that promotes fiscal transparency gave Illinois a
failing grade of “F” for its financial situation.
Fitch Ratings recently elevated Illinois’ rating for general
obligation bonds. The rating of a state’s bonds is a measure of
their credit quality. A higher bond rating generally means the
state can borrow at a lower interest rate.
“We are continuing to right the past fiscal wrongs in our state
with disciplined fiscal leadership, and credit rating agencies
and businesses alike are taking notice of Illinois’ remarkable
progress,” said Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
McLaughlin said Illinois taxpayers are on the hook for some
enormous salaries of workers taking care of migrants.
“Two hundred, eleven thousand dollars per year for housekeeping
per worker, security $312,000 per year per worker, and an
astonishing $865,000 per year per nurse,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said he is asking for a zero sum budgeting solution
and supports creating the Illinois Commission for Fiscal
Responsibility and Reform.
“As a former mayor, I can’t fathom how we chose to allow this
practice to continue here in Springfield without any legislative
oversight, review or monitoring,” he said. “If this practice was
conducted in the private sector, of which I own and operate a
company, or the nonprofit sector, the fiscal officer would be
terminated or sanctioned.”
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