Downstate Suffers/Chicago Comes Out on Top Again in ’06 Budget

May 31, 2005

Springfield…. State Representative David Reis (R-Ste. Marie) said Tuesday night that the state’s new budget, rammed through the Democratic controlled General Assembly, takes money from badly needed programs throughout the state and sends the proceeds to Chicago.

“This budget defers a 2.2 billion dollar payment to the state’s pension fund and puts it in the General Fund so it can be used for any purpose they see fit and that’s mostly to reward the Democrat governor’s Chicago cronies,” said Reis. “It’s irresponsible in just about every way I can think of.”

More than $160 million would be “swept” from 231 dedicated special funds to help pay for new pork spending. “They’re raiding the state’s pension fund to help bail out the Chicago CTA system to the tune of $55 million so it won’t have to raise its fares or cut back services of its subway trains and buses,” Reis said. “That’s a bus ride to disaster for the entire state.”

Reis added that the Democrat plan diverted some $1.2 billion just this year to the states pension system that by law is supposed to be used to make up for past skipped payments. Analysts predict the plan will end up costing the state’s taxpayers over $40 billion over 30 years. That’s about $3,500 for every man, woman and child in the state.

“It’s the hard-working people throughout downstate Illinois who are going to suffer because of it. Also included in the budget is the dismantling of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and diverting most of the money earmarked for scholarships into the General Fund. This could crush the college hopes of some 133,200 students who rely on the scholarships.”

Reis who voted NO on the budget, said it relies on poor planning, poor proposals, and poor public policy and ignores the real needs of the state. “I can’t say enough about how irresponsible this budget is. Time will show it’s a complete disaster.”