Today, Illinois Governor Quinn presented his budget address to the Illinois General Assembly which outlined the budget for FY14. State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) was unimpressed with the increased spending and the lack of a workable plan proposed by the Governor.
"This financial crisis is getting out of control day by day and the Governor's only real solution is to increase spending $1.9 billion dollars," said Rep. Kay. "These spending increases are nearly twice the expected revenues and only serve to plunge us further into debt. We must remain within Illinois' projected revenue."
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Governor Quinn also failed to suggest any new job creation proposals or whether the 67% tax increase would remain temporary.
"The job climate in this state is bad and the Governor brought nothing new to the table. We need a pro-growth jobs agenda like the one I proposed in the House to bring new jobs to Illinois," said Rep. Kay. "It is disappointing that the Governor did not state whether the 67% tax hike would remain temporary in his address. Illinois taxpayers and businesses need certainty to plan for the future."
The Governor also called for a massive expansion of Medicaid after the program was downsized to address rising costs.
"Last year, we worked hard to reign-in out of control Medicaid spending in this state," said Rep. Kay. "The Governor has not even implemented our cost-saving measures and is already proposing an expansion of the program. We need to use common sense before expanding a program of this cost and size."
Kay was especially concerned with the cuts to elementary and secondary education that were proposed by the Governor.
"Cutting the education by $350 million will have a detrimental effect on schools throughout the state, especially downstate schools," said Rep. Kay. "These schools have already absorbed millions in cuts and unpaid bills already, asking them to take another hit will severely affect vital services."
