Dear Neighbor,
Last night I - along with Senators Trotter, Murphy and
Lauzen - appeared on Chicago Tonight to discuss the state budget.
The panel addressed a range of issues including revenue increases, budget cuts,
and pension reform. Click here to watch the segment.
Next Wednesday, March 10th the Governor will present
his budget and negotiations will begin in earnest. I remain committed to
pushing for a fiscally responsible budget that is not based on borrowing.
I believe we must make cuts first to restore trust and ensure much
needed reforms are implemented. No realistic plan to balance our budget
includes only cuts, however. With a $13 billion deficit we could cut
every general revenue fund dollar spent on education and almost every dollar spent on health care and still
not close this gap.
Even business-backed groups such as the Civic Federation acknowledge that the
magnitude of our deficit will require new revenues once needed budget cuts are
made.
There is real urgency to addressing our budget deficit now and not
waiting until after the November elections. Our lack of fiscal discipline
has led every bond rating agency to drop our rating and we are at risk for further drops if we do not take serious steps to
address our deficit. Schools, hospitals, health care clinics, and
nonprofit organizations throughout the state also need to get paid on time and
have a balanced budget so that they can plan their budgets and provide critical
services. Please let me know if you have any questions as we proceed
through this process.
Best,
Heather Steans
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Heather Steans