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Illinois: Quinn wants tax hike -- even if it takes months
State government limped into a new budget year Wednesday without a solid spending plan and rookie Gov. Pat Quinn threatened to drag the fight out all summer until he gets an income tax increase.For the third year in a row, Democrats who control Springfield failed to reach agreement on time, once again creating uncertainty for social service providers, public employees and others who count on the state paying its bills. Quinn scolded lawmakers in a rare joint session of the legislature and threatened to veto an admittedly underfunded spending plan passed by lawmakers in late May. But in a day full of inconsistencies, Quinn also praised the House for passing a pension-borrowing plan to help fill the budget gap. Hours later, he turned around and successfully lobbied against its passage in the Senate. Democratic legislative leaders had come up with the new twist -- a measure to borrow $2.2 billion for state pension payments -- to free up money to reduce cuts in social services. It was their answer to Quinn's criticism that their earlier spending plan would require severe cuts in services for the poor, elderly, disabled and children. Quinn used his speech on the House floor to deride lawmakers for trying to defer a decision on his proposed income-tax hike until later in the year because "that's not what adults do." "I'm prepared to stay here all summer to get the job done," Quinn said. "I think that's what the people want. That's why we're here -- to get the job done, whatever it takes." Yet as Quinn criticized what he called "half measures and half-baked budgets," the governor earlier in the day had pitched a one-month budget extension in a closed-door meeting with the Democratic and House leaders of the legislature. The leaders rejected the plan, contending the budget they sent Quinn gave him the authority to spend money as he saw fit and that he could shut off the dollar tap at any time to try to force legislators to reach a final budget resolution. Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), who had opposed a budget extension earlier in the year while lobbying for an income tax increase, said he agreed now that lawmakers should proceed with the budget to try to prevent social service cuts and to give more time to win support from minority Republicans for a tax hike. Cullerton said additional time could lead to backing by Democrats for GOP demands that include a less-costly pension plan for new state employees and managed health care to treat state-subsidized poor. "The Republicans clearly need some time to come around to vote for the tax increase. We need their vote, can't do it without it," Cullerton said. Posted by: Fred 2009-07-02 |
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