Barbara Flynn Currie.

29 June 2009

News from Springfield..................by State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25)

I write to reiterate the concerns I shared with you in early June about the then-impending state budget crisis.

The difference between then and now is that today the crisis is upon us: the state's fiscal year begins Wednesday, July 1. State funds, no matter how far we try to stretch them, are not adequate to prevent devastating cuts in grant programs, including those that pay for foster care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, home health care for seniors, and residential care for the developmentally disabled.

How did we find ourselves in this predicament? It isn't primarily a problem of government waste and inefficiency. In fact, although Illinois is the 5th most populous state, we rank 42nd in spending. Our state workforce, on a per capita basis, is the 2nd lowest in the country. Even the Civic Federation has trouble finding significant savings in current state spending priorities.

We have reached this point in virtually the same way as has nearly every other state in the nation. We're in the midst of a global recession. As a consequence, state income and sales tax collections are coming in well below last year's levels. The Illinois deficit is at least $7 billion. Per capita, we're on a par with New York's $18 billion shortfall and California's $34 billion hole.

Democratic Governor Pat Quinn has proposed a temporary increase in the state income tax. Former Republican Governor Jim Edgar supports the plan.

I sponsored the Governor's tax hike measure. The House vote, at the end of May, came up seriously short--42 yes, with 60 needed for passage. After the midnight May 31 witching hour, even more votes--71 in the House, 36 in the Senate--are required.

There's no way the tax increase vote can happen, today, without at least one Republican supporter in the House. Democrats number just 70, with 71 the magic number. As Democrats are by no means unanimous in their support for the tax increase, the reality is that more than a single Republican vote would be needed.

But, you say, why rush to raise taxes? Shouldn't the state, like everyone else, just tighten its belt during these tough economic times?

Even with a tax hike, the state will have to find places to cut. Even with a tax hike, revenues will fall close to $1 billion short of the spending levels the Governor proposed in March. Even with a tax hike, the state will have to tighten its belt.

But a three or four percent--even a ten percent--cut is very different from the cuts these human service programs face if the tax increase is not approved. The cuts, without a tax hike, would range from 30 to 50 percent. Faced with cuts of this magnitude, how could a child care center that serves primarily low-income working families keep its lights on and its doors open? An agency serving abused and neglected youngsters? A mental health treatment program?

The legislature is in session now. It's time for us to heed the calls from Governor Quinn and former Governor Edgar. It's time for us to work in a bipartisan fashion to avoid these crippling cuts. It's time for us to stand up for the fragile and vulnerable people who rely upon these critical programs.