“Our revenue growth is not enough to keep up with pensions and Medicaid. It creates a squeeze for everything else.”
Illinois Budget Director David Vaught, Jan. 3, 2012
Think back to 1/11/11, the night Democrats in the General Assembly raised personal and corporate income taxes by 67 and 46 percent. That legislation didn’t cut spending by one dime. Never forget the assurances, though, that these tax increases would pay the state’s debts and prevent future budget deficits:
GENEVA – Speaking to a roomful of representatives from several municipalities, including the Tri-Cities, state legislators Thursday morning acknowledged that pushing the state’s budget pains on local governments has got to stop.
Members of the Metro West Council of Government, a nonprofit organization serving Kane, DeKalb and Kendall counties, questioned the elected officials about financial issues as they relate to municipalities during a breakfast at the Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva.
Legislators in attendance were state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora; Sen. Christine Johnson, R-DeKalb; Sen. Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora; Rep. Keith Farnham, D-Elgin; Rep. Mike Fortner, R-West Chicago; Rep. Kay Hatcher, R-Yorkville; Rep. Robert Pritchard, R-Hinckley; Rep. Tim Schmitz, R-Batavia; and Rep. Darlene Senger, R-Naperville. While the legislators agreed funds intended for local governments shouldn’t be diverted to the state, many described last year’s decision to pay the state’s regional school superintendents’ salaries with money from other taxing bodies as temporary.
Further public safety pension reforms are needed after the two-tiered reform bill that went into effect last year, the legislators said. As Farnham said, as pension problems get worse, budgets get worse.
Fermilab broke ground Friday on a project it hopes will lead the way in developing particle accelerator technology uses for industry and commerce.
The Illinois Accelerator Research Center is funded by the Department of Energy and the state.
“This is a more direct step to societal impact than merely waiting around” for the industrialization of uses to come about, laboratory director Pier Oddone said.
State Rep. Mike Fortner of West Chicago helped get funding for the center. The state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced Friday it will contribute $20 million of Illinois Jobs Now! capital funding for design and construction of a new building.
Fortner, a particle physicist who has worked on the DZero experiment at Fermilab, was beaming Friday.
If you are a legislators or legislative staff looking for information about NCEL’s 8th Annual Midwest/Great Lakes Environmental Legislators forum, please conctact NCEL at adam@ncel.net or 202-454-4588 and we’ll be glad to provide you with the information you need. An
outline of the agenda is below: