Illinois Ready to Explode

The state of Illinois is facing a $11b budget deficit as politicians on the left and right debate whether spending cuts or tax hikes, or some combination of the two, are the way to go.

"A powerful civic group in Chicago is calling for an increase in the state income tax and some budget cuts from Springfield.

The Civic Federation says there is no other way to fix the state's finances than to raise taxes. The business organization blames the state's fiscal mess on years, if not decades, of mismanagement by Springfield politicians."

Wow, "no other way"?!? Sorry, that seems like a lame attempt to take both sides of this issue.

At least some politicians realize that tax hikes are not the way this issue will be fixed.

"House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is trying to hold on to his party's majority in the fall election, now questions the need for a tax increase. And Republican leaders, including Senate minority leader Christine Radogno, are not impressed by the Civic Federation report.

"I most certainly don't subscribe to the notion that the first line of defense is to raise taxes. I think that's entirely counter-productive," said Radogno.

For the past year, Gov. Pat Quinn has advocated for an income tax increase. His likely Republican opponent in the fall, Senator Bill Brady said,"the state cannot afford to raise taxes. Every time you do it, you lose businesses and jobs. We need to lower taxes."

Raising taxes to continue to feed an over-stuffed governmental bureaucracy is not the way out of the budgetary mess. The state of Illinois needs to show that it is serious in reigning in its chronic overspending before they even think of approaching residents about a potential tax increase.

Let's open the books to have an honest look at state contracts, union salaries and benefits, and the results of the misguided overspending on 'education', before deciding that giving even more money to the government is the "only way".