Thursday, July 16, 2009
Poltics trumps governing in State's stopgap budget
While mortified citizens called for more government oversight in light of the Burr Oak Cemetery Crime Scene, lawmakers in Springfield finally passed a stop-gap budget that allowed the State government to continue to (dis) function. Blago is gone, but one wonders when we will see the courage to govern.
Both the Illinois House and Senate passed bills that circumvent a revenue raising income tax hike by borrowing (obviously needed, but also obviously a perceived political death wish for lawmakers) $3.5 billion from state pensions and putting off billions more in unpaid bills to state vendors until next year.
The spending plan will also include significant cuts to state spending (at Gov. Quinn's discretion), including to third party social service providers. It's unclear exactly how large a cut they will see to their FY 2009 funding levels, but the Tribune publishes one estimate:
The Illinois Budget battle is a a case study of what is going on around the country. As Newsweek columnist Robert Samuelson writes:
"We face an unprecedented collision between Americans' desire for more government services and there almost unwillingness to be taxed."
www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/07/13/the_consequences_of_big_government.html
The National Health Care Debate is front-and-center in this debate, with several other twists I will blog later about later this week. Do we want more government services....even if we have to pay for them? The issue here for you as Illinois citizens is do you want your government to govern -- even if it means telling you tough news, like an income tax hike. Or do we elect them to play politics -- saying, not doing, what we want to hear.
By the way, what do you think about the Senate (roll call?) vote. Sen. Ricky Hendon calls the vote after Senate President John Cullerton's comments.
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1 comment:
Well,both Senators make important points. On one hand, it's the government's job to care for the taxpayers, even if it means taking their money to do so. On the other, it's virtually impossible to care for the taxpayers if the government borrows itself into oblivion and collapses into a financial stupor. I'd say the government (and the citizens) really need to grow up regarding the issue of taxation. Apparently, Europe pays a higher income tax percentage than we do, and they seem to be getting along fine. The citizens need to quit worrying about the government taking all their money and the government needs to quit worrying about the citizens kicking them out of office once their money's taken. If all parties involved (no pun intended) agree to a slight increase in taxes in return for an efficient government, we can do this painlessly. It is necessary, and I feel that a higher income tax in exchange for better/more service is a fair trade.
As for the vote call at the end of the video . . . I've heard autcioneers talk that fast, never politicians. I guess it makes sense - they have a lot of business to take care of, and need to vote fast. Very efficient.
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