WHEATON – Former State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) could always be depended upon to dig in and figure out the details of a proposed state budget – and boldly take the facts to the taxpaying public, no matter the consequences. Even though she's no longer in the Illinois House, she's still in touch with lawmakers and taxpayers and passionate about letting taxpayers know what's going on.
We asked Rep. Ives her thoughts on the state budget the General Assembly passed in the waning hours of the legislative session. There's wide-ranging frustration being expressed as the news spreads of what the proposed budget actually contains.
Rep. Ives graciously put together this assessment – something you'll want to read about a budget "passed by thieves in the night":
I am sad for the regular citizens of Illinois that simply try day after day to follow the law, raise their family, pay their bills, and enjoy life as much as possible. For the average taxpayer in Illinois, this session was a disaster whose effects will not be fully felt until it is too late. What will the politicians do the next time they need more money? Without having tackled any spending reforms, the next tax increase is just around the corner. The passage of $85 billion in spending in one day and the addition of billions of dollars of tax increases, will hurt future generations and enslave them to the highest tax burdens in the country if they stay in Illinois. Of course, many of them will flee.
For government unions, private unions that provide services on government construction projects, or favored businesses that got special tax credits, the budget and capital spending bills made their bottom line a little better. For everyone else, your politicians from both parties sold you out. The most important thing Illinoisans should know about this budget is that it was passed by thieves in the night.Only a few top people knew entirely what was in the budget or capital bill.
Every day now, brings out a new provision that no one discussed in debate. And that debate in the House – it is equally important to note – was controlled and orchestrated by Speaker Madigan and Minority Leader Durkin. They alone decided to limit debate to 3 speakers on each side and they alone decided who those speakers would be. I know at least one representative who was refused the chance to speak on the budget bill. The process was the antithesis of what we expect in a democratic society.
Here are a few glaringly bad deals hidden in the legislation:
Pension spiking up to 6% for teachers was reinstated, with no local penalty to pay for the spike. This is Madigan's thank you to the Illinois Education Association. Just last year the cap was lowered to 3%, the teacher unions complained and the Democrats rewarded their favorite constituency by moving it back to 6%.
The budget has $300-400 million for pork spending. House Republicans confirmed to me that they were told to make a list of $1.5 million they want to spend on projects in their district. Senators, it is rumored, were given $3 million each to spend, or at least that is what the folks I talked to were told. But no one knows for sure because no one got to see the whole bill or know what projects are really funded.
And then there are rumors that Black caucus members were given additional money and possibly Democrats were given more to spend than Republicans. But, again, no one knows the details. What is indisputable is that nearly every member knew they were to submit a list for this pork spending a couple days before the vote on the capital bill – and yet, no state legislator made mention of this pork spending in debate. Did they all forget we are deeply in debt? Rep McSweeney told me he was not aware of the request for a list of projects and had no idea about it when I asked him about the member initiative money.
Another under reported aspect of the budget was legislative pay increases. House leadership allowed legislator pay increases and mileage and per diem increases to go forward – and not one representative protested. There were many Republicans that knew about the pay increases and said nothing.
Legislators were also given $19,000 more to spend in their district offices. They will now get $88,000 every year compared to the $69,405 they currently get. It is a 27% increase. In comparison, I shut down my district office for the last two years because nearly no constituents dropped by my office, so it was useless to pay rent, utilities and a staffer to sit in an unused office. Each legislator also has a legislative assistant in Springfield that can handle any constituent need, take phone calls, and coordinate appointments. As full-time employees, those assistants are underutilized. I held open office hours at the local library instead and called and emailed back constituents as needed. Legislators are also assigned communications staff and have access to all the policy experts they need. As well, many other states do not have district offices and our legislators are the 5th highest paid in the country based off of just current base pay without other stipends. By the way, I saved two full years of district allotment and more, approximately $180,000 over six years in office.
The budget includes more borrowing and our current general obligation debt of $30 billion will increase by $23 billion under the budget and capital bills. We already have more debt relative to our budget than any other state. We are the worst run state in the union with the lowest credit rating at one notch above junk bond status.
Additionally, none of Illinois' systemic problems were tackled, such as pensions, property taxes, spending, medicaid, collective bargaining and workers' compensation.
When the next recession hits, the destructiveness of Illinois' spending and taxing will be revealed. Let's hope the voters wakeup before then.
