Proposed Illinois budget overspends by $3 billion

Have you ever wondered why Illinois’ budget is such a mess? Or how this state became the poster-child of how not to run a state? Last week’s budget debates provide a telling look into how Illinois got here. During a floor debate, state Rep. Ron Sandack questioned the state’s ability to pay for one of...

Have you ever wondered why Illinois’ budget is such a mess? Or how this state became the poster-child of how not to run a state?

Last week’s budget debates provide a telling look into how Illinois got here.

During a floor debate, state Rep. Ron Sandack questioned the state’s ability to pay for one of the appropriation bills lawmakers were being asked to vote on.

State Rep. Luis Arroyo delivered a painfully telling response. Arroyo said: “My job is just to get this bill out of the floor and pass it. I’m not going to tell you how we are going to pay for it just yet.”

Pass the bill now and figure out how to pay for it later. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Political leadership in Illinois wants lawmakers to pass a budget that spends more than the state is actually going to take in next year.

Illinois state government is predicting it will collect about $34.9 billion in tax dollars next year. Quinn is pushing a budget for next year that spends more than $38 billion.

And Quinn wants to pay for that extra spending with another tax increase.

In 2011, Illinois politicians passed a record state income tax hike. They promised the tax hike would be temporary. Under state law, Illinois’ income tax rate will drop to 3.75 percent in January 2015 from the current rate of 5 percent.

But Quinn wants to take away the tax cut he promised us. He wants hardworking families to keep paying the 5 percent rate.

Taking away the Illinois tax cut will force the average Illinois family to pay about $1,000 in higher taxes every year. That means making the tax hike permanent could cost the average family more than $5,000 over the next five calendar years.

Lawmakers need to go back to the drawing board, let the temporary tax hike expire as legally required and design a budget that spends no more than the state will have.