Illinois sweeping DNR special funds

So there stealing from the DNR to give it to the DNR?

This looks like the beginning of the end…no way this can be legal can it???????????

Why is it that government officials do not have to make a budget work with the money they have to work with ? The average person has to come up with a new budget quite often in todays world.Should we be robbing from someone else and find a way to call it legal ? Certainly not, but why is our government doing just that ?

Politicians seem to forget that the voters aren’t as dumb as they think. This being an election year none of them will say what needs to be said, the only way that our services in Illinois will be restored fully is with a tax increase. They have spent all the money they can on their special projects and there’s just not enough to go around.

TJ and Jeff2020. Tax cuts have little to do with the current budget problems. The real culprit is runaway spending. Tax revenues are far more under Bush, but then again spending is also far worse than under Clinton. The real problem in this state in particular is all the nepotism coming out of Chicago which ultimately controls the states purse strings. A perfect example is the CTA. Last year during this time, a supposed solution was reached to save the CTA from raising fares or huge layoffs. From a combination of raising sales tax in Chicago and the surrounding 8-10 collar counties, along with a gas tax increase, RE transfer increase, and other measures, it was estimated that an additional $250 million would be raised. Now this was even before an all time high ridership. Even with the estimated $35 million from free rides Blagojevich gave away, and increased fuel costs, the CTA should still have nearly $200 million more in revenues, yet Daley and Blagojevich are in a blame game why the CTA is facing a doomsday. Cook County has the highest sales tax (10.25%, 11.25% in the loop) in the country, yet is still facing a huge deficit. Could it be because Todd Stroeger who became president after his father died in office and it was handed over to him has dozens of friends and family working in County positions paying 6 figures? Could it be because Mayor Daley assigns city contracts to companies his family members work for? The DNR was an easy chopping block for Blagojevich because they are the most poorly organized of the state workers in IL. That combined with the fact that his big donors have nothing to do with services provided by the DNR, and therefore cutting them wouldn’t affect his donors, like ABC healthcare or XY construction company. I mean for God’s sake it cost the state over $800,000 to out the signs with our governor’s name on the tollways, the first lady’s flower beautification project costing tens of thousands of dollars on flowers cut down the following year, or the governor’s $6000 a pop plane rides for all the overtime sessions, oh and a governor’s mansion no one stays in. If you think the state is in budget trouble, pray Chicago doesn’t get the Olympics, because your great grandchildren will be paying for it as long as they live in IL.

Well since we all know your voting for Obama in November, if he gets elected, your wish of everyone’s taxes being raised will be granted. The deficit has nothing to do with revenues taken in. Find a source for tax revenues in adjusted dollars for Bush vs Clinton from a non left leaning source like the Washington Compost, the Urban Institute, or Wikipedia where anybody with a computer can add there two cents in. Your are forgetting the spending of two wars (I am not getting into the politics of either one purely just the spending), No Child left Behind, the wasteful Katrina and post Katrina spending, No pork left behind spending, and all the myriad of other programs invented post 9/11 that is supposedly keeping us safe from terrorists. Being self employed I am damn tired of sending away 50% of my income in taxes and I am not even in the highest brackets. We have more taxes, more fees, more transfer fees, etc, yet the states and cities still cry poor. Well maybe they should start cutting the dead weight of hiring friends, family, and us paying for their bloated pensions they never have put even 25% of the money away they collect. And political appointments in government workers final 3 years of work cost the IL taxpayer tremendously in way of increased pension costs. But keep yelling about how we need our taxes raised, because I am sure someone may listen to you.

Actually, I’m considering voting for McCain for one issue, the war.  You can call the Washington Post a left leaning source, fair enough, but the story was about G.O.P. governors raising taxes because Bush’s tax cuts were two radical.  It wasn’t an editorial.  Moreover, Wikipedia cites sources and the cite to the Urban Institute was for a factual matter, not a matter of opinion.  I provide documentation for my factual assertions.
In any event, if you want to maintain governmental spending at the levels they were in 2000, and you have less revenue, and you have greater expenses (notably energy), the money has to come from somewhere.  By the way, if you are not in the highest income bracket, you have nothing to fear from Obama, as a roll back of the Bush tax cuts would only affect the very richest, who benefit the most from our economic system.