The Republican legislators who represent South Central Illinois are not impressed with Governor JB Pritzker’s budget message warning the big increase in spending is going to create another budget crisis in a few years.
State Senator Jason Plummer says the Governor is neglecting core state services.
“Governor needs to reign in his spending, he needs to get disciplined and we need to focus our money where it is needed most and that’s Illinoisan’s in downstate that are suffering under the energy grid crisis we are facing, it’s the developmentally disabled throughout the state, and it’s the tax payers who feel like they are working and not getting ahead. If we focus on those people and put politics aside we can come together. But I’m very disappointed in this budget and the Governor’s priorities.”
Plummer says there is little being proposed to solve the on-going shortfalls in the Department of Public Health, DCFS, and the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
State Representative Blaine Wilhour says the Governor clearly lacks understanding of the struggles that real working families in the state are going through as a result of his policies.
“This is a budget that’s funded at the expense of the working class tax payers. The only reason we have a temporary influx in funds in this state is because of the enormous amount of money we have gotten from the federal government through Covid over the last few years. And most importantly they are getting all kinds of tax receipts from working class citizens in this state that are paying more than ever for things they need to survive.”
Wilhour says the state’s rankings in numerous areas tell the real story. The state has the second highest gas tax, second highest property taxes, and more taxing bodies by far than another other state. He adds the state has the second worse unemployment rate and worse credit rating in spite of the Governor’s bragging about upgrades.
State Representative Charlie Meier warns the budget will likely spend more than Illinois’ anticipated revenue and lead us down the path for another federal bailout that taxpayers are paying for. He’s also calling on the governor to fulfill the commitment to past programs and broken promises instead of expanding programs and creating new ones.
