Illinois Budget Cuts

The latest news is that Governor Quinn is looking at billions of dollars in cuts to the state budget, in fact three billion to be “exact.” Dome of the areas being cut are $20 million in assistance to seniors in the “circuit breaker” campaign, $4.8 million for school technology and $2.1 million for domestic violence shelters. Once again we see that the proposals involve the state’s most vulnerable populations, in fact if you were to make a list of those most in need…

One of the more interesting proposals to cut the deficit comes from Chicago Senator John Mulroe. He is seeking to introduce legislation that would allow drivers to save a little on their license plates while still earning extra revenue for the state. The proposal would allow businesses to buy ad space on IL state license plates for drivers that choose to save a couple dollars on the fees. I can hardly wait to see those Hooters ads cruising down the highway, or perhaps a few from “gentleman’s clubs”? We could start putting ads on school buses, postal delivery vehicles – and maybe even state police vehicles while we are at it! All kidding aside, at least he is thinking “outside the box.” Way outside.

In total, the proposed cuts to the state budget would take 10% away from the current operating expenses of the Department of Human Services. This includes $100 million from the Child Care Assistance Program. If this were applied as a straight cut, 63,000 children would have to be cut from the program.

At the same time, State Senator Martin Sandoval recently complained that university officials are “living large” with plush state provided apartments, country club memberships and pulling down six figure incomes at the same time. Of course students at these same universities are struggling with the cost of higher tuition. Sandoval is proposing a two year moratorium on tuition hikes, and put the authority for such hikes in the hands of the legislature. With over 1200 state employees earning more than the Governor, perhaps payroll for university officials deserves another look also. 

In short, budget cuts are targeting the state’s most vulnerable populations. At the same time, many state employees are living “high on the hog.”